Latest Poll on Americans Belief in Ghosts, Spells and Superstition

Here is the latest poll in Americans belief in Ghosts, Spells and superstition.

There are some truly frightening #'s.

Latest Poll

Here is the external verbage.

A third of Americans say they believe in ghosts, a pre-Halloween poll found.

The same proportion, 34 percent, say they believe in unidentified flying objects, according to the poll by the Associated Press and Ipsos, and 23 percent say they have actually seen a ghost or believe they have been in one's presence.

Those most likely to have experienced that are single people, Catholics and those who never attend religious services. Three in 10 have awakened sensing a strange presence in the room.

Nearly half (48 percent) believe in extrasensory perception, a drop from the 66 percent who said they accept ESP in a similar question asked by Newsweek in 1996. Those with a higher education were found to be more likely to accept ESP – 51 percent of college graduates compared to 37 percent with a high school diploma or less.

Nineteen percent believe that spells or witchcraft exists. Urban dwellers, minorities and lower-earning people are more likely to believe in spells and witchcraft.

A 2006 Barna Group poll found that the supernatural world is more readily believed by teens. In the midst of the Harry Potter phenomenon, the Barna report revealed that 73 percent of America's youth have engaged in at least one type of psychic or witchcraft-related activity beyond media exposure or horoscope usage. Moreover, 30 percent of all teens claimed they had supernatural encounters. Non-evangelical teens were nearly three times more likely (69 percent) than evangelical teens (26 percent) to have engaged in witchcraft or psychic activities.

More than 10 percent of youth claimed they communicated with the dead.

As Americans bring out ghosts and the Grim Reaper and homes stock up on candy for Halloween on Oct. 31, a ministry leader is urging Christians to take up the opportunity to talk to their peers about topics of death and whether we should be afraid of dying.

"Ask your friends if they think people have a soul? Do they believe in an afterlife? Use the opportunity to share about God's free gift of eternal life through Jesus gift of salvation," suggests Jane Dratz of Dare 2 Share Ministries.

Other findings by the latest AP-Ipsos poll include the one in five people who say they are at least somewhat superstitious and the most likely admitted superstition – finding a four-leaf clover, according to 17 percent of the people. Also, 13 percent dread walking under a ladder or the groom seeing his bride before their wedding, while slightly smaller numbers named black cats, breaking mirrors, opening umbrellas indoors, Friday the 13th or the number 13.

The poll was conducted Oct. 16-18 on 1,013 adults.

An interesting read nonetheless.

Nineteen percent believe that spells or witchcraft exists. Urban dwellers, minorities and lower-earning people are more likely to believe in spells and witchcraft.

I found that pretty funny. I particularly love the way it insinuates that "urban dwellers - minorities - and lower earning people" are idiots for believing in such "nonsense."

No bias here folks! Informed Christians - please continue on your self righteous path of ridicule and nose snuffing lest the horde of minorities and urban dwellers infect you with their paranormalous beliefs.

Yeah, because I believe in ghosts I'm an "idiot," eh? Who ever decided to come to that conclusion, please come and match wits with me, I want you to.

Heh, those people riding on their high horse can call me an idiot if they like. I don't care what they say, I know what I've seen, heard, and felt.

And they're wrong.

As far as the poll is concerned, I'm sad that some of the numbers are dropping. When there's no one left that believes in something mysterious and transcendent in this world, there effectively won't be.

One of those, if there's no one there to see it, did it really happen, kind of things.

Originally posted by Voidmaster

As far as the poll is concerned, I'm sad that some of the numbers are dropping. When there's no one left that believes in something mysterious and transcendent in this world, there effectively won't be.

Void, Jesus asked whether there would be any faith when he returned. Slowly but surely, we are seeing belief in a number of things begin to dissipate... I personally thingk it's a sad page in humanity's history, but that's just my opinion.



[edit on 31-10-2007 by SpeakerofTruth]