Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Few people in the West have heard the name Chow Yam-nam. But in East Asia, the Thai Chinese mystic, who is also known as the "White Dragon King," was a big shot.

Many of his followers were celebrities in the entertainment industry in Hong Kong and Taiwan, including Jackie Chan and Andy Lau. So his death on Saturday, at 76 from lung disease, made many celebrities cry and made front-page headlines in Asian newspapers.

This happened shortly after another mystic in China, Wang Lin, was put under an unwanted spotlight when the Chinese media accused him of lying to and misleading his followers. The media named a few followers, all famous entertainers and high-ranking government officials. Wang is believed to be hiding in Hong Kong now.

This obsession with mystics comes at a time when a number of local government agencies in China have been building and rebuilding their offices based on the advice of feng shui masters.

It is also a time when more and more Chinese in the US try the patience of real estate agents with their focus on the direction a door should be facing or the number eight which they insist be included in everything from the room numbers to the prices.

Suddenly it seems everyone in China is calling on supernatural powers.

Superstitions have a long history in Asian countries. In China, they were suppressed during the Mao Zedong era, only to come back in a stronger wave in recent years. And curiously, this time more rich and powerful people are on board.

It is possible that in a society that is not transparent enough, fame, wealth and power seem to come and go at random. Those longing for these things or who are worried about losing them are more likely to seek the help of mysterious powers than take a logical approach.

But more transparent societies such as Taiwan and Hong Kong, and among traditional Chinese living overseas, superstition also plays a significant role, and, in many ways, it is prevailing.

Superstition is certainly not exclusive to Asia. Many Westerners believe everything from black cats to the number 13 is an omen of bad luck and knocking on a piece of wood can prevent bad things from happening.

These are comparable to the Eastern beliefs that walking through tombs or hearing the cry of a crow can bring bad luck whereas eating noodles on one's birthday can bring you longevity.

But in general, Westerners, even under the influence of such beliefs, often manage to maintain trust in their own judgment and the confidence of making changes by their own efforts.

Psychologists in the US have found through various experiments that religious beliefs even help people to get better ability in self-control.

In his recent op-ed article "In Defense of Superstition" in The New York Times, Matthew Hutson, the author of the recent book The 7 Laws of Magical Thinking: How Irrational Beliefs Keep Us Happy, Healthy, and Sane, pointed out that superstition without obsession can help people gain a sense of meaning and self-control. By practicing superstitious rituals, one can get the feeling that "luck is in your hands."

I doubt this would apply to the Chinese, who are generally more reactive than proactive in their approach to the world, and therefore, are more likely to obsess with superstitious beliefs and more likely to completely rely on mystics or some blessed objects for a better life.

This trait often makes us easy targets for con artists.

China has never stopped producing fake mystics who abused the trust of followers and squeezed money out of them. And in New York, one scam has grown so quickly in recent years that it has become a headache for the police. In this scam, the predators tell the victims, normally strangers they bump into on the street, that their family members will soon suffer serious trouble unless they bring all their savings to a blessing ritual. Both sides are Chinese.

But it can also explain why the "White Dragon King" was so successful. What he told his celebrity followers during the consulting sessions was mainly "try to be nice to people," "curb your temper," "take care of your parents," and "focus on work."

Those who listened did find more success later. But it may not because they obtained some blessed energy, but because they gained a little sense of self-control.

The author is a New York-based journalist. rong_xiaoqing@hotmail.com