Metaphysics & Psychology

New study links paranormal beliefs to increased stress levels

By T.K. Randall
March 1, 2025 ·  8 comments

There is thought to be a link between paranormal beliefs and stress. Image Credit: Pixabay / ELG21 The research, which was headed up by Neil Dagnall of Manchester Metropolitan University and Andrew Denovan of Liverpool John Moores University, involved a statistical analysis of the beliefs of more than 3,000 British citizens over the age of 18.

The researchers focused on two things: Traditional Paranormal Belief (TPB) - which concerns a belief in spirits and external supernatural forces - and New Age Philosophy (NAP) - which concerns beliefs centered on self-control and improvement such as meditation and positive energy.

The findings indicated that those who were more inclined to believe in spirits and supernatural forces had higher stress levels and were more prone to stress, while those who favored a more New Age approach did not."These results suggest that TPB may reflect a reduced perception of control over external factors, which can increase susceptibility to stress, whereas NAP, due to its focus on more individual issues, does not appear to contribute to these dynamics," Dagnall wrote.

"Understanding the functional differences between these beliefs is essential to addressing the psychological impact of belief in the paranormal."

That said, the researchers concluded that paranormal belief is not causally linked to distress.

"Rather, the relationship is more nuanced, and in some contexts reduced control may associate positively with TPB, with TPB consequently serving an adaptive function such as facilitating coping," they wrote.

Source: News Medical | Comments (8)

Tags: Paranormal, Stress