WASHINGTON, D.C., July 23, 2025 – A new Gallup poll finds that a clear majority of U.S. adults view paranormal phenomena with skepticism. None of eight tested supernatural concepts garnered majority belief; among these, psychic healing and ghosts recorded the highest endorsement rates.
Belief Rates Across Phenomena
Nearly half of Americans - 48 percent – say they believe in psychic or spiritual healing, while 39 percent believe in ghosts. Belief in the other six concepts tested falls between 24 percent and 29 percent, including telepathy, communication with the dead, clairvoyance, astrology, reincarnation and witches. For most phenomena at least one in five respondents reported uncertainty, and more than half reject clairvoyance or reincarnation; astrology and witches were disbelieved by 55 percent and 60 percent respectively.
Unchanged Over Two Decades
Conducted May 1‑18, 2025, the survey shows belief levels largely consistent with results from 2001. Small declines include a six‑point drop in belief in psychic healing and clairvoyance, and a seven‑point decrease in belief in telepathy versus Gallup’s earlier data.
Two Distinct Clusters: Believers and Skeptics
Cluster analysis reveals two main groups: about 34 percent of U.S. adults are open to paranormal ideas, believing in an average of five phenomena and at least three overall. Among this group belief is highest for ghosts (89 percent) and lowest for witches (45 percent). The remainder, 66 percent, are generally skeptical, typically endorsing only one phenomenon; psychic healing (33 percent) is the single exception for many. Roughly 10 percent believe in only psychic healing and none of the other concepts.
Demographic Patterns in Belief
Women (40 percent) are more likely than men (28 percent) to fall into the paranormal‑open group; political moderates (37 percent) and liberals (35 percent) likewise are higher than conservatives (28 percent). Those who infrequently attend religious services (40 percent) and college nongraduates (38 percent) show greater openness; weekly churchgoers (78 percent skeptics) and college graduates (skeptic rate 72 percent) are more likely to dismiss paranormal ideas. Differences by age, religion or party affiliation are not meaningful.
Bottom Line
Although belief in psychic healing and ghosts persists among sizable minorities, most Americans maintain a skeptical stance toward paranormal phenomena. Despite declining levels of religious attendance over the past two decades belief has not increased; in fact, it has edged slightly downward for several phenomena.
Citations
Gallup News: “Paranormal Phenomena Met With Skepticism in U.S.” published July 23, 2025 (data from May 1‑18, 2025)
Chris Allen is a historian, paranormal researcher, and seasoned ghost tour operator with a passion for uncovering the eerie truths hidden in the shadows of American history. As a contributing writer for The Paranormal Chronicle, Chris brings a unique voice steeped in Southern Gothic tradition: factual, philosophical, and just unsettling enough to make you check the corners of the room. With a background in immersive storytelling and investigative research, Chris explores hauntings, folklore, and true crime with equal parts curiosity and reverence, treating ghost stories not as spectacle, but as cultural echoes worth listening to.