EXCLUSIVE
Our traditional view of the occult or witchcraft (Image: Getty)
Believers in UFOs, ghosts or witchcraft cope worse with day-to-day stress than those who don’t, UK scientists have discovered.
A joint study by Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) explored the effect on ordinary people’s lives of alternative types of belief.
Modern ‘New Age Philosophy’ (NAP) believes in holistic healing, meditation and positive energy – while millennia-old ‘Traditional Paranormal Belief’ (TPB)is a faith in Harry Potteresque supernatural forces, the devil, the occult, fate, or a heaven and hell.
Psychologists quizzed 3084 UK adults and discovered a stark difference in the way those with traditional paranormal views cope with stress – compared to those with New Age philosophies.
Now this study’s has revealed that Traditional Paranormal Belief was linked to higher levels of distress and increased susceptibility to stress – while New Age Philosophy was not.
Don’t miss…
Dr Andrew Denovan, of the School of Psychology at LJMU, said: “The study highlights the psychological impacts of external control perceptions in traditional beliefs.
“Specifically, traditional beliefs likely reflect a reduced perception of control over external factors, which can increase susceptibility to stress.
“Conversely, new age beliefs, due to a focus on more individual issues, do not appear to contribute to these dynamics.”
It is typically estimated that around 50 per cent of the population say they have had some form of paranormal experience.
The 3000-plus adults were first asked to complete the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale (RPBS) a carefully constructed 26-item questionnaire presented as statements (e.g. ‘Black Magic really exists’).
Participants indicate their level of endorsement on a scale ranging from 1 = Strongly Disagree to 7 = Strongly Agree. Total scores range from 26 to 182 with higher scores representing greater paranormal belief.
The RPBS comprises seven subscales: Traditional Religious Belief (4-items; life after death and heaven and hell), Psi (4-items; psychic powers), Witchcraft (4-items; casting skill and magical powers), Superstition (3-items; bad luck), Spiritualism (4-items; non corporeality), Extraordinary Lifeforms (3-items; existence of yet to be established entities) and Precognition (4-items, predicting future events).
They then took part in the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), developed in 1983 to measure someone’s personal stress levels by asking about their feelings and thoughts during the last month.
Unidentified flying objects over the mountains at night. UFO invasion (Image: Getty)
Don’t miss…
Woman dressed as a witch with a raven (Image: Getty)
Universities research paranormal beliefs because they are common in society and can influence behaviour and attitudes – like a distrust of science during -19.
It’s claimed in times of stress, beliefs in the paranormal can act as forms of illusory coping, offering a sense of control, but often promoting avoidance strategies that impair psychological functioning.
However New Age Philosophy (NAP), with meditation and positive energy, suggest that control lies within individuals themselves.
The results were revealed in the article ”Re-evaluation of the relationship between paranormal belief and perceived stress using statistical modelling”, published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal PLOS ONE.
Professor Neil Dagnall, of Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “These results suggest that TPB may reflect a reduced perception of control over external factors, which can increase susceptibility to stress.
“Whereas NAP, due to its focus on more individual issues, does not appear to contribute to these dynamics”.
Therefore, “understanding the functional differences between these beliefs is essential to addressing the psychological impact of belief in the paranormal”, emphasises Neil Dagnall.
* To read the full published scientific journal visit –
EXCLUSIVE COMMENT – Dr Andrew Denovan, of the School of Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University
Dr Andrew Denovan, of the School of Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University (Image: LJMU)
“Paranormal beliefs are convictions beyond the scope of scientific understanding.
“Opinion polls consistently reveal that high numbers of the general population possess these beliefs (typically more than 50 per cent).
“Two main types of paranormal belief exist: Traditional Paranormal Belief refers to beliefs in supernatural forces that exert external control over existence, including gods, spirits, or fate.
“These beliefs are socially oriented and often linked to established religious or supernatural traditions.
“New Age Philosophy encompasses beliefs centred on personal spirituality, self-growth, and mystical experiences, including astrology, energy healing, or manifesting.
“These beliefs emphasize individual control and meaning rather than external forces. Through our research, we found that belief in the paranormal can impact stress levels depending on the type of belief.
“Traditional Paranormal Belief was associated with higher distress (i.e., psychological discomfort) and lower coping ability, whereas New Age Philosophy did not predict stress outcomes.
“The reasons why stress was associated with paranormal belief, particularly Traditional Paranormal Belief, is because it reflects a perceived lack of personal control, attributing life events to external supernatural forces.
“This external locus of control may heighten distress and reduce coping ability, making individuals more vulnerable to stress.
“Moreover, Traditional Paranormal Belief provides ‘illusory’ coping, meaning it creates a false sense of control via offering an external explanation for uncertain or distressing events.
“However, since Traditional Paranormal Belief is linked to higher distress and lower coping ability, this reliance on supernatural forces may ultimately reduce personal resilience and problem-solving skills instead of fostering genuine coping mechanisms.”