Hello, it’s Yves here. In the realm of the supernatural, as Hamlet wisely noted, “There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” This suggests that many in Britain are open to the idea of ghosts, given their country’s wealth of notoriously haunted locales.
In a broader context, intriguing evidence points to the existence of paranormal phenomena. Following the collapse of the USSR, a prominent scientist divulged details about a scientifically supported Soviet research program on the supernatural, which quickly became a bestseller (a friend in Moscow summarized it for me). The scientist claimed that the U.S. had a comparable initiative (I’ve long suspected that the famous Men Who Stare at Goats affair was a cover for this project). The Soviet program established that parapsychological phenomena—essentially psychic abilities—were genuine, showcasing consistent results significantly above random chance. However, despite their impressive findings, the Soviets discovered that these abilities were not suitable for military applications.
Interestingly, the demographic most likely to demonstrate such abilities? Red-haired female peasants.
It remains unclear whether the Soviet investigations delved into the concept of hexing.
By Ruiqian Li, Research Assistant Professor at the School of Public Affairs, American University. Originally published at The Conversation
Americans who prioritize science and reason over the doctrines of their churches, yet still maintain belief in God or participation in services, are more inclined to believe in magical phenomena compared to those who lean heavily on religious teachings.
This was a key finding in a study co-authored by myself and my colleagues, published in the journal Social Forces in July 2026. We analyzed the latest installment of the Baylor Religion Survey, a representative study involving 1,812 American adults, commissioned by Gallup in early 2025.
We scrutinized four of its questions to gauge a perspective we define as “secular rationalism.” This term encapsulates the belief that science is the preeminent method for understanding the world and that moral values should be based on reason rather than religious doctrine. It also emphasizes the importance of individuals interpreting spiritual matters independently, rather than relying on religious authorities.
We focused on respondents embracing secular rationalist views who also exhibit belief in the supernatural. Participants rated their faith in six different phenomena commonly associated with magic, such as ghosts, curses, and communication with the deceased. For contrast, we also assessed beliefs in miracles, including whether such events occur today and if God is their source.
A fascinating trend emerged: individuals scoring high on “secular rationalism” were more likely to believe in magic, provided they retained some connection to religion. Among those who believe in God, adherents of secular rationalism were nearly twice as likely to be inclined toward magic as those who reject these views—40% compared to 19%. Among regular attendees of religious services, the numbers were 28% versus 19%. However, among those who neither attend services nor believe in God, secular rationalism did not correlate with belief in magic.
Some groups we analyzed were quite small. Data from the 2025 Baylor Religion Survey shows that fewer than 1% of Americans neither believe in God nor align with secular rationalist concepts while actively rejecting them, while around 18% both believe in God and endorse these ideas.
Many individuals might still attend church or believe in God, yet no longer grant their church the authority to shape their beliefs about the supernatural. Our research indicates that magic dynamically flourishes where personal reason and spirituality intersect.
Why It Matters
Approximately 30% of American adults now claim to have no religious affiliation. Scholars are still deliberating whether the decline of organized religion will concurrently lead to a drop in the belief in the supernatural in the U.S. A long tradition of social theory postulates that as religious institutions wane, a scientific outlook devoid of room for supernatural beliefs will emerge.
Our findings suggest that many Americans who no longer affiliate with organized religion may still find value in tarot, astrology, or psychic services. More broadly, a considerable number of Americans without religious affiliation still maintain some form of spiritual belief. According to the Pew Research Center, while 29% of Americans identify as having no religion, only 5% define themselves as atheists. The majority claim their religion is “nothing in particular,” with two-thirds of this group still believing in something beyond the physical world.
What drives this trend? As the French sociologist Emile Durkheim noted in 1912, “The magician has a clientele, not a church.” Magic does not require a congregation, clergy, or formal theology, allowing believers to embrace it without renouncing their church. This makes magic a natural fit for people who still believe in God but no longer adhere strictly to institutional definitions of the supernatural. This dynamic may also clarify its appeal among younger Americans, who often express distrust of institutions and, as our data illustrates, are likely to hold beliefs in both magic and secular rationalism.
What’s Next
Our findings stem from a singular snapshot in time. They indicate that individuals who are religious but also trust science and reason tend to believe in magic. However, this research does not clarify whether these individuals are distancing themselves from religion, returning to it, or maintaining their current stance. Longitudinal studies involving the same respondents will be necessary to gain deeper insights over time.
Archaeologist Chris Gosden argues that the belief in magic predates both organized religion and scientific thought, coexisting with them throughout much of history. Our study contributes to the understanding of how trust in science aligns with magical beliefs, particularly among those who maintain their faith but reject institutional authority over their understanding of truth.
There remains much to explore regarding the spread and appeal of magical beliefs among younger Americans, and addressing these questions is a crucial next step in the study of belief.
