Curiosity: What do You Believe in?

Based on a 2002 survey of American adults, nearly 60% believe that psychic phenomena occurs. Across an ocean, 23% of Britons have consulted with a psychic and 57% of those individuals have come away believing they were truthful readings. Psychic energy touches people of all cultures and from the dawn of time up to our modern society, the idea of supernatural workings still permeates our belief systems. So what is it about forces beyond nature that captures our attention so?

Almost 20% of people have reported experiencing telepathy or ESP, extrasensory perception, in some form In their lives. Whether this can be attributed to simple intuition, chance, or coincidence, the jury is still out. Even believing in genuine haunted houses is shared by 42% of people and 38% of people express that ghosts and spirits of the dead can come back and interact with the living under the right conditions. Though remarkably different across all spectrums, most cultures around the world share the similarity of a belief in benevolent and malevolent powers beyond human control. Though these stories may have evolved into campfire tales and spooky bedtime stories, creatures like elves and ghosts were once, and in some cases still are, considered very much part of reality.

Real or not, enough people believe in psychic phenomena to warrant at least some rational consideration. What do you believe in when it comes to the supernatural and how does it influence your life? Take a look at this infographic from onlinepsychics.com for more on psychic phenomena, its influence on culture, mental health, and how it captures our imagination.