Hereafter
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