Denver, Colorado – October 18, 2010 – – Do you believe in ghosts? According to a new survey by Resolution Research®, conducted through its online panelResolutionPanel.com, ghosts don’t only creep out in costume on the originally rooted Christian, but now largely secular Halloween holiday. Nearly 30% of the 2,028 participants in the recent study reported seeing real ghosts, or witnessing some type of paranormal activity. From dishes flying off the shelf and dramatic drops in indoor temperature, to seeing dead loved ones or translucent strangers wandering through walls – for many, the paranormal world is a reality. While some participants reported messages of love and reassurance. . .
“I woke up one night and saw my mother-in-law at the end of my bed. She spoke to me and told me that my ‘girls would be fine.’ At the time, I was pregnant with my third child and worried about not being a good parent.”
Another respondent was warned of danger. . .
“Years ago, driving home on the freeway late at night, I saw several cars in a crash up ahead, but it was very unclear. I slowed down and merged right. Then quite suddenly, there was an accident right in front of me which I managed to avoid because I was prepared or forewarned. Everyone involved died.” More ghost sightings.
Why do some “see” while others don’t? Different factors such as age, income, race and even astrological sign seem to play a mysterious part. According to the survey, 31% of women reported a supernatural sighting of some kind versus only 23% of men. Moreover, 32% of Latinos gave us a positive answer, vs. 14% of Asians. People between the ages of 45-64 have seen the most ghosts, yet most recollected stories are from childhood, so perhaps young minds are more open to the spiritual space–or at least more imaginative!
Of all respondents, widowers hit the supernatural ceiling with 48% reporting a paranormal experience–yet a dead spouse certainly doesn’t have to be spooky. (In fact, maybe they received messages of love or reminders to take their vitamins!). Money was a significant factor. The higher the income level, the less paranormal activities were reported, ranging from 40% of those earning under 15K down to only 14% of those earning over 200K. And ghost sightings go steadily down as income level goes up.
Still the Age of Aquarius?
Resolution Research also probed respondents about their astrological beliefs. The celebrated song of the 70s is long gone and “what’s your sign” won’t get you a date anymore but astrology has now entered chat rooms, yoga studios and meditation retreats in a new way. A full 95% of those surveyed knew their birth signs. But how many actually believe in astrology or can sense when mercury is in retrograde?
Not a lot or so it appears. Of respondents over 18, over 50% claim to rarely or never read their horoscopes, although 20% report reading it daily (8%) or almost daily (12%). Only 14% have ever had an astrological chart reading. Women are slightly more in sync with their birthright, with 21% of females claiming to read their horoscopes daily or almost daily vs. 16% of males.
And as education level goes up, the horoscope habit goes down. Those with a high school diploma or no diploma read horoscopes most often, almost daily, at 26%. This drops to about 15% for those with bachelors and graduate degrees and of people with a doctorate, just 8% tune in.
Seeking Additional Guidance
“Spiritual services” such as séances, reiki, and chakra readings remain a part of our culture, too. Tarot cards proved most popular, with 27% of respondents having had one or more. Palm readings were second at 24%, closely followed by 23% who reported that they had a concentrated group of people praying for them. Yet plenty (44%) have never taken a peek at anyone’s (sometimes proverbial) crystal ball–and males (53%) were far less curious than women (41%) to see into the future using outside “spiritual services.”
About Resolution Research
Resolution Research, founded in 1990 and based in Denver, Colo., is one of the country’s leading full-service market research firms specializing in qualitative and quantitative research. Resolution also hosts a market research panel,ResolutionPanel.com, and invites people across the nation to join and participate in studies. Services provided include online surveys, telephone surveys, focus groups, in-home product tests, taste tests, clinical trials, mock juries, bulletin boards and more. Client industries include healthcare & medical organizations, tech companies, utilities, major college & universities, retail organizations, service businesses and government institutions. For more information visitResolutionResearch.com, call 800-800-0905 or e-mail info@re-search.com.
For more information, please contact:
Resolution Research
Hayden Geller, Press Manager
Office: 303-830-2345
Fax: 888-635-4859
E-mail: hayden.geller@re-search.com
www.ResolutionResearch.com
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