SPIRITUAL
BRITAIN
NATION'S BELIEF IN GHOSTS & SPIRITS, GUARDIAN ANGELS & THE
'AFTERLIFE' AT AN ALL TIME HIGH
·
One in five British adults have seen a ghost
· 66% believe in life after death
· A fifth have visited a psychic, 53% believe in psychic abilities
· 45% of the nation describe themselves as being spiritual
rather than religious
· Princess Diana cited as the deceased person we would most
like to contact
The nation's
beliefs in spiritual concepts such as life after death, guardian angels,
karma and reincarnation is at an all time high, according to a new
report which reveals
that one in five Brits (21%) has seen a ghost
or felt the presence of a spirit while over half (53%) believe in
psychic ability and possibility of life after death.
The nationwide
survey of 3,000 adults was specially commissioned to mark the release
of the new Clint Eastwood directed film, 'Hereafter' released on 28th
January. Starring Matt Damon as a reluctant psychic, the drama focuses
on three people who are haunted by mortality in different ways. The
Hereafter Report led by Dr Penny Sartori; the UK's leading expert
in near death experiences asked respondents a series of questions
pertaining to the nation's beliefs in all things spiritual.
The report
suggests that British beliefs in the concept of 'life after death'
is at an all time high with 66% of respondents believing that this
life is not the be all and end all - indeed over a third of the nation
(35%) stated their belief in heaven while a fifth (22%) of those polled
believe that they will be reincarnated when they pass away.
The findings
also reveal that when quizzed on what supernatural experiences we
have encountered in our everyday lives, one in five of us (22%) claim
to have actually seen a ghost or felt the presence of a spirit. Interestingly,
rather than headless horsemen or Victorian house staff; 13% of these
cases involved the spirit of a close relative or friend who has passed
away. These findings were supported by the fact that well over half
of those surveyed (58%) believe that their loved ones are 'with them
in spirit' after they have passed away while 40% of us believe in
the notion of 'guardian angels'.
British
adults are also more predisposed to seek a connection with loved ones
that have passed away, with 40% of respondents admitting they would
like to speak to those close to them that are no longer living. The
study found that one in five (22%) of us have visited a medium or
psychic spending an average of £31 per visit supported by the
fact that half of us (53%) hold a firm belief in psychic ability.
A similar number, (54%) know someone who has been to visit a medium
in the past while incredibly, 19% believe that someone in their family
is gifted with a psychic ability.
The findings
also reveal that there has been a seismic change when it comes to
describing our religious beliefs; with a third (32%) of the nation
describing themselves as being 'spiritual' which now ranks above being
religious (25%). This would suggest that many Brits are now adopting
a 'pick and mix' approach to their beliefs as opposed to a single
secular faith. Indeed, elements of Buddhism and Hinduism now make
up parts of many people's belief systems with 65% of us subscribing
to the notion of Karma - the belief that what goes around comes around
and what we do in this life could affect our soul in the hereafter.
While
the report points to a new found openness when it comes to spiritual
matters, there is still a slight stigma in admitting the possibility
of the supernatural, with 22% of us claiming we would be ashamed to
acknowledge if we had seen or felt the presence of a ghost and 18%
of the nation would be embarrassed to share the fact that they had
been visited by a guardian angel.
The Hereafter
Report; Key Findings:
·
66% of Brits believe in some form of life after death
· 52% of the nation believe out of body experiences are possible
· 35% believe in heaven
· 22% believe in reincarnation
· 13% have been visited by a dead person after their death
· 58% claim their loved ones are with them in spirit after
dying
· 40% would like to make contact with a deceased loved one
· 22% of the nation have spent over £40 seeking spiritual
guidance
· 53% believe that some people are gifted with psychic abilities
· 65% of Brits believe in Karma
When
asked which famous deceased person they would most like to speak to
via a psychic, Princess Diana was voted the number one choice (19%)
with Albert Einstein coming in second (10.43%) and Marilyn Monroe
being chosen as the third choice (8.33%).
The top
ten list of deceased people we would most like to speak to are:
1. Princess
Diana 19%
2. Albert Einstein 10.43%
3. Marilyn Monroe 8.33%
4. Freddie Mercury 8%
5. Adolf Hitler 7%
6. Michael Jackson 6.43%
7. Elvis 6.27%
8. Winston Churchill 6.1%
9. Gandhi 4.4%
10. John Lennon 4.33%
Dr Penny
Sartori who led the Hereafter Report comments: "We are beginning
to see a notable rise of people who are having near death experiences
and encounters with the deceased relatives. Therefore, with an increase
in reported incidents of this nature, it isn't surprising that as
a nation, we are becoming increasingly more open minded in accepting
that consciousness may exist independently of the body and is not
created by the brain."
Hereafter,
directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Matt Damon is released nationwide
on 28th January. Images available upon request.
For more
information please contact Sophie Carey at Taylor Herring PR on 0208
206 5151 or email: sophie.carey@taylorherring.com
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