Nearly 45% of Americans Say That They Have Had a "Personal Experience" with Paranormal Activity

Nashia Baker
·2 min read

Halloween is just around the corner, and this spooky holiday has sparked quite a bit of conversation around people's belief in paranormal activity. A new survey, which was commissioned by Phantom Wines and conducted by OnePoll, discovered that out of the 2,000 respondents aged 21 and over, 63 percent of them are convinced that paranormal activity exists. What's more, 57 percent of survey participants noted that they believe in ghosts, 39 percent believe in visitors from other planets, and 27 consider Bigfoot to be real. When it comes down to this topic, one-third (35 percent) also said that they just have felt an "unexplained presence" in their home, which causes them to think they are being haunted by a paranormal presence.

While 23 percent of the survey participants said that they didn't believe in paranormal activity, these same respondents didn't want to utter anything that could make extraterrestrial presences start popping up in their lives. On the flip side, 44 percent of people said that they've had a "personal experience" with these almost unexplainable types of presences. Plus, almost two in three shared their belief that life exists outside of Earth and 55 percent think that out-of-this-world sights, like full moons, cause people to act out of sorts. Outside of the paranormal, 56 percent of participants in this survey also believed that people can be psychic and 51 percent thought people can read minds.

hands using ouija board
hands using ouija board

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"We were quite surprised to see so many people believe in the paranormal and that they have been in the presence of a ghost," said Jody Bogle, the Phantom Wines' vice president of consumer relations, in a statement. However, some Americans simply avoid thinking too much into the paranormal activity that could have come about in their lives. Instead, many stick to watching TV to see Halloween-centric sights. About 55 percent of the survey volunteers said they enjoyed watching scary movies on Halloween.

In terms of what movie and television lovers like to consume while they watch what's on? Forty percent of respondents enjoyed mixed drinks, 36 percent drank wines, and 35 percent had spirits during Halloween gatherings, but wine actually turned out to be the favorite candy-alcohol pairing. The survey participants thought wine paired well with chocolate-based candies (32 percent), fruit-based candies (31 percent), nougat-based candies (25 percent), sweet and savory candies (25 percent), and sour candies (22 percent). "Who hasn't snuck a piece or two from their child's trick-or-treat stash during Halloween? Lucky enough, it seems that whatever candy you grab, it will go well with your glass of red wine, too," Bogle added.