Paranormal encounters Americans say they have experienced
Percent of U.S. adults, YouGov poll, 2022 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Felt a presence or unknown energy (37%). Lowest: Saw demons (10%).
- Felt a presence or unknown energy: 37%
- Heard an unexplained sound or music: 33%
- Smelled an unexplained odor: 30%
Source: Lifeway Research, Spooky Beliefs Can Open Gospel Doors: Americans and Paranormal Encounters · YouGov poll on 13 paranormal encounters, reported by Lifeway Research. Article published 2022-10-31.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Felt a presence or unknown energy (37%). Lowest: Saw demons (10%). Felt a presence or unknown energy: 37%. Heard an unexplained sound or music: 33%. Smelled an unexplained odor: 30%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2022. Source: Lifeway Research, Spooky Beliefs Can Open Gospel Doors: Americans and Paranormal Encounters (https://research.lifeway.com/2022/10/31/spooky-beliefs-can-open-gospel-doors-americans-and-paranormal-encounters/).
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More Belief & Culture statistics
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- America's faith tribes as a share of the adult population Barna Group, 2023
- Americans who believe supernatural beings and psychics exist Lifeway Research, 2023
About this data
Leader Insights collects statistics about U.S. churches from published research by organizations such as Lifeway Research, Barna Group, Springtide, the American Bible Society and PRRI. Every number is checked against the wording of the original source before it is published, and each statistic links back to the study it came from. Figures are reproduced from the publishers named above; see the source for full methodology.