history behind sneezing

In looking at the history behind sneezing, medical science has dispelled ancient beliefs concerning the out-of-control sneeze, and snuffed out superstitions in the process. Primitive people held the belief that a sneeze signified approaching death, and immediately assisted the distressed person by crying out "God help you!" Also in the history behind sneezing, Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks, saw the sneeze as an omen of approaching danger, or, on a more positive note, as a way of foretelling the future. Lucky ones sneezed to the right, while unlucky ones sneezed to the left. The moral of the story is to know your right from your left, and to sneeze in that direction, regardless of who is next to you! Biblically speaking, in the history behind sneezing, the sneeze meant a certain death, until Jacob nosed in and made a deal with God, whereby a prayer per sneeze cheated the grim reaper. Pope Gregory the Great, in response to the sixth century plague in Italy, carved out his place in the history behind sneezing as being the one responsible for insisting that prayers, such as "God bless you!," be said in response to the deadly sneeze.