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A poll initiated by Gallup says that 73% of Americans believe in at least one of 10 different paranormal phenomena. This of course includes hauntings, ghosts, telepathy and extraterrestrial type beings. It seems that since 2001, there has been a 3% increase overall at 76%.
Most people enjoy delving into such topics out of curiosity but there are some that people find particularly interesting such as psychic powers, spiritual healings (55%) and extrasensory perception (ESP) at (51%).
Haunted houses are another highly followed topic at (42%). With all the demonic type activity reported about possession from demons or by the devil itself is around (42%). Ghosts come in at (37%) and telepathy at (32%). Other topics like clairvoyance (27%) and extraterrestrial beings visiting Earth come in at (26%).
Interestingly enough, only 1% of all Americans according to this research believe in all 10 paranormal phenomena. However, more than one-fifth of Americans (22%) believe in five or more of these topics and more than half (57%) believe in at least two of them.
From a gender perspective, the research shows there is a divide in paranormal beliefs. Women believe in the paranormal more so than men do. It is an interesting phenomena. One example of this is the topic of psychic or medium abilities. Around 61% of all women believe in spiritual healings and psychics. This is compared to 49% of men. And 46% of women believe in ghosts, compared to 32% of men.
There are many more reported paranormal encounters that follow highly unusual encounters such as Bigfoot, it is unclear the percentages of beliefs in these topics as well. Likely people try to keep an open mind or dismiss these topics as utter nonsense. Either way, most of all the most popular movies, books and shows are science fiction based. So, people are seeking further answers to these kinds of questions or further proof of such things.
While this poll is quite interesting, the findings do suggest that paranormal activity is widespread across the United States. However, it is important to note that these results are based upon beliefs alone and not any kind of scientific evidence of any sort.
People in general have been fascinated with paranormal stories for centuries. These beliefs do vary widely from culture to culture. The four biggest topics believed in are ghosts, ESP, Spiritualism and Aliens. No doubt UFOs must be up there as well (smile).
How much people are influenced about paranormal topics comes from their upbringing and culture. For example ghosts are seen as benevolent spirits while in other cultures they are thought of as being more malevolent. Certainly peoples personal experiences do affect how much they believe.
According to a survey by Cinch Home Services, 83% of Americans have experienced paranormal activity in their home. The top three forms of paranormal activity were hearing sounds, lights turning on and off, and hearing voices.
Another survey, conducted by Phantom Wines and OnePoll, found that nearly 45% of Americans have had a personal experience with paranormal activity. This includes seeing a ghost, hearing a disembodied voice, or feeling a presence in a room.
It is important to note that these surveys are just a snapshot of the population, and the actual number of people who have experienced paranormal activity may be higher or lower.
As of right now, there is no scientific way to prove or disprove the existence of the paranormal, so ultimately it comes down to personal belief. Other interesting things about paranormal beliefs include where people live.
If someone lives out in a rural area, they are much more likely to report about having a paranormal experience than someone inside of a city environment. Also, those who have suffered a great traumatic experience are likely going to report about a personal paranormal experience that they had. It is assumed the same can be said about people from other locations around the world. One thing is for sure, there seems to be more unusual experiences and sightings happening nowadays.
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