Study Reveals 17 Insights on Americans’ Views of Spirituality
In recent decades, fewer Americans identify with organized religion. However, the belief in spirits or a higher power is on the rise, transcending traditional religious affiliations.
To get a feel for where Americans stand with spirituality, Pew Research Center surveyed 11,201 respondents to explore its meaning and to see whether various spiritual beliefs, practices, and experiences are shared. These were some of their most notable findings.
1: Soul Food
You know when they say something’s good for the soul? As it turns out, 83% of all Americans 18 years and older believe people have a soul or spirit in addition to their physical body.
2: They Want To Believe
Despite a declining number of people subscribing to organized religion, for a lot of metrics, a vast majority of American adults are spiritual in some shape or form. Around 81% of people say something spiritual exists beyond the natural world, even if we cannot see it.
3: Explain This
Plenty of religious naysayers choose to rely on science instead. Believers or not, according to Pew’s study, 74% of Americans think there are some things that science can’t explain.
4: Everything’s Connected
When people talk about their spiritual experiences, they often mention feeling drawn or connected to something they can’t explain. Forty-five percent of Americans say they have had a sudden feeling of connection with something from “beyond this world.”
5: Still Here
Regardless of religious beliefs, it’s comforting to consider loved ones who have passed away somewhere over the rainbow. Many believe that those who pass away never really leave us, as 38% say they have had a strong feeling that someone who has passed has communicated with them from beyond the grave.
6: Ain’t Afraid of No Ghost
In scary paranormal movies, it’s common to see a cupboard open by itself or an unexplained object fly across the room. While some may think it’s only movie magic, 30% say they have personally encountered a spirit or unseen spiritual force in the real world.
7: Very Important Spirits
Mention religion to certain people, and they’ll scoff and turn up their noses. But most Americans (70%) report being spiritual in some way and consider it a very important aspect of their lives.
8: Rest in Peace
Burial places like graveyards, cemeteries, and other memorial sites are well-known for holding space for those who have passed away. Half of Americans believe that spirits inhabit those sites, and 48% believe that natural landscapes like mountains, rivers, and trees can hold spiritual energies.
9: Crystal Clear
We all have that one friend obsessed with cleansing their crystals and using each to attract positive things in their life. About 26% of American adults believe spirits or spiritual energy reside in objects like crystals, jewels, or stones.
10: Good or Bad
Heaven and hell are kind of a package deal, but the number of Americans who believe in each or both actually varies. Roughly three-quarters of Americans believe in heaven, 61% believe in hell, and 60% believe in both. Things get murkier regarding what people think those spirits can do in the afterlife.
11: We’ll Meet Again
One of the most common sentiments around is the idea that we’ll meet again with our loved ones who have passed away. A little more than half of American adults (57%) believe that in the afterlife, they’ll reunite with loved ones who left Earth.
12: Guided by the Light
Have you ever felt led by a guardian angel? You wouldn’t be the first. About 46% of American adults believe that people who’ve passed away can assist, protect, or guide the living. As far as spirits helping the living, 46% believe they can. Only 18% think malicious spirits can harm living people.
13: Spiritually Serene
Spirituality can go beyond human-like figures and into more thought-provoking questions, like why we exist in the first place. Forty-six percent of U.S. adults say they feel a deep sense of wonder about the universe at least once or twice a month. On the bright side, 44% say they feel a deep sense of spiritual peace and well-being that often.
14: Take a Hike
Taking a deep breath of fresh air and experiencing the great outdoors is a beautiful way to ground yourself. It’s no wonder 77% of US adults say they spend time in nature at least a few times a month. Of those, 26% say they do it to feel connected, either with something bigger than themselves or their true self.
15: Inner Peace
When the going gets tough, many Americans (64%) say they look inward a few times each month to center themselves. As for reasons why, 44% say they do it to feel connected, and 27% do it to tap into their “true self.”
16: Come Together
Despite the high number of spiritual Americans, they’re more likely to report gathering in religious communities than meeting in spiritual groups. While 39% of adults say they’re involved in a religious community, 14% say they’re involved in a spiritual one, such as a group that helps find a connection with something bigger than themselves.
17: Different Teams
Americans who are spiritual but not religious (SBNR) were found to express more negative views of organized religion than those who consider themselves both of those things. Forty-two percent of SBNRs say religion causes division and tolerance, whereas only 12% of religious and spiritual adults feel that way.
15 Least Religious Countries in the World
Whether it be by force or choice, these are the world’s least religious countries.
15 Least Religious Countries in the World
19 Things Many People Don’t Know About Native Americans
Too many people have a monolithic view of Native Americans, but they’re hardly a single-minded group. Tribes vary in language, tradition, and culture. As these facts reveal, there’s a lot more to Native Americans than what you learned in school.
