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I thought I would start this column by focusing on two well-conducted recent surveys, one exploring belief in anomalous perception (AP1)—knowing something you could not know through normally mediated sense perception or from intellectual sources, the other dealing with anomalous perturbation (AP2)—consciousness in some way directly affecting physical reality. Each study confirms that beliefs associated with these two phenomenological cousins, whether belief is framed as psychic, spiritual, or formally religious—be it a traditional Christian, Hindu, deist, or secular metaphor—constitutes a powerful force shaping our world.
The first survey, which polled the general public, was conducted by the Gallup Organization.1 It involved telephone interviews with 1,002 “national adults” (Americans 18 years of age or older). Gallup maintains the conclusions have 95% confidence with a maximum sampling error ± three percentage points. It found the following:
“About three in four Americans profess at least one paranormal belief,” and that, “the most prevalent belief is extrasensory perception (ESP), at 41%.” Twenty percent believe in reincarnation. Other phenomena that would involve what we are increasingly calling nonlocal mind include:
Publication History: Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing
September 2005 (Vol. 1, Issue 5, Pages 338-339)
