Belief in Afterlife, Ghosts, Astrology on the Rise

A new survey in Britain shows that 70 percent believe in the human soul and 53 percent believe in life after death. Conducted last fall for the think tank Theos, the survey also showed:

• 39 percent believe in ghosts
• 27 percent believe in reincarnation
• 22 percent believe in astrology or horoscopes
• 15 percent believe in fortune telling by Tarot cards

The think tank said the findings were "especially striking" when compared to the 1950s. Then only 10 percent of the public told Gallup they believed in ghosts, 7 percent said they believed in predicting the future by cards and 6 percent believed in astrology.

"The enlightenment optimism in the ability of science and reason to explain everything ended decades ago,” says Theos director Paul Woolley. "The extent of belief will probably surprise people, but the finding is consistent with other research we have undertaken. The results indicate that people have a very diverse and unorthodox set of beliefs.”

Click here for the BBC News article.