Most Americans Skeptical Of Paranormal Phenomena
Many U.S. homes may decorate with ghosts and witches for Halloween, but most U.S. adults are doubtful they actually exist.
Surveys from Gallup and Pew find broad skepticism for psychics, ghosts, astrology and witches.
Gallup ghosts
No paranormal phenomena were believed by a majority of Americans, according to Gallup’s study.
U.S. adults were most split over the existence of some type of physical healing ability, either psychic, spiritual or the power of the human mind. Almost half (48 percent) say they believe in that, while 32 percent don’t believe and 19 percent aren’t sure.
In every other phenomenon, those who don’t believe outnumber those who do.
Almost two in five (39 percent) believe ghosts or spirits of dead people can come back in certain places and situations, but 42 percent disagree. Around three in 10 (29 percent) accept telepathy or communication between minds without using the traditional five senses. Almost half (48 percent) don’t believe.
Every other belief has the acceptance of around a quarter of Americans: communicating mentally with someone who has died (27 percent believe vs. 49 percent don’t), clairvoyance or the power of the mind to know the past and predict the future (26 percent vs. 50 percent), astrology or the position of stars and planets can affect people’s lives (25 percent vs. 55 percent), reincarnation or the rebirth of the soul into a new body after death (24 percent vs. 50 percent), and witches (24 percent vs. 60 percent).
Gallup found two distinct groups among Americans — 34 percent who are generally open to paranormal, believing in at least three and an average of five phenomena, and 66 percent who are generally skeptical, only believing in one on average.
People who infrequently attend religious services (40 percent) are more likely than weekly churchgoers (22 percent) to be among those open to the paranormal.
Those who attend religious services weekly or almost weekly (78 percent) are the most likely to be among the skeptical group.
Among general skeptics, psychic or spiritual healing has the highest levels of belief (33 percent), which may stem from more Christians and churchgoers being open to the possibility of miraculous healings. No other phenomenon draws acceptance from more than 13 percent of the skeptics.
Pew paranormal
Pew Research asked Americans specifically about astrology, tarot cards and fortune tellers. Few U.S. adults consult those. Even among those who do, most see it as entertainment and not legitimate insights.
More than a quarter of Americans (28 percent) consult astrology or a horoscope at least once a year, including five percent who do so at least weekly and seven percent who do so once or twice a month.
Around one in 10 (11 percent) use tarot cards at least once a year, including 4 percent who do so at least monthly. Fewer (6 percent) speak with a fortune teller, including 2 percent who do so at least once a month.
Grouping them together, 30 percent of Americans consult at least one of the three at least once a year. Most of that group (17 percent of U.S. adults as a whole) do so once or twice a year, fewer seek them out once or twice a month (eight percent) or at least weekly (six percent).
Overall, 70 percent of Americans say they do not consult any of them. Even those who use them at least occasionally are twice as likely to say they are doing so just for fun (20 percent) than for helpful insights (10 percent).
Fewer than one in 10 U.S. adults (7 percent) say they make major life decisions relying on what they learned from these practices, including one percent who do so a lot.
Two groups are outliers in their use of these practices. More than half of Americans who identify as LGBT (54 percent) consult them at least yearly, which is roughly twice the share among U.S. adults overall.
Additionally, around two in five women under 50 (43 percent) say they believe in astrology, compared to 27 percent of women 50 and older, 20 percent of men under 50 and 16 percent of men 50 and older.
Among religious demographics, around a third of those who are nothing in particular (36 percent), Hispanic Catholics (35 percent) and Black Protestants (34 percent) believe the position of the stars and planets can affect people’s lives.
Meanwhile, atheists (13 percent), Jewish Americans (18 percent), white evangelical Protestants (19 percent) and agnostics (20 percent) are the religious groups least likely to accept astrology.
A rejection of the paranormal brings together two religious groups often at odds. White evangelicals and atheists are the most likely to never consult a horoscope (83 percent and 83 percent), tarot cards (96 percent and 93 percent), or a fortune teller (99 percent and 98 percent).
This article was originally published at Lifeway Research.
Aaron Earls is a writer for LifeWay Christian Resources.