From the supernatural to the insane.
Researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK worked to determine whether paranormal beliefs – whether in religion, witchcraft or New Age spirituality – are an indicator of how well people manage stress. .
They discovered a connection between a set of beliefs and a reduced ability to deal with stressors.
Participants in the study were tasked with filling out a questionnaire called the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale. This scale measures the degree of belief in each of these seven categories: traditional religious belief, PSI, witchcraft, superstition, spiritualism, paranormal life forms, and precognition.
These are further divided into dimensions: first, “traditional” paranormal beliefs, which include religious belief and witchcraft. Second, New Age philosophy covers things like spiritualism, precognition, and paranormal life forms.
A quarter Most adults in the US consider themselves superstitious, and recent trends show that young people are more superstitious than older adults.
Research team leader Kenneth Drinkwater, Ph.D., and his colleagues had 3,084 people complete questionnaires assessing various aspects of perceived stress.
Their findings, published today in the journal one morediscovered that people who scored higher for traditional paranormal belief reported increased levels of distress and a decreased ability to manage stress.
However, belief in New Age philosophies, including PSI, was not associated with increased distress and/or decreased ability to cope.
Prior research has suggested that, in general, belief in the paranormal is not associated with sensitivity to stress. As yet Research on superstition, a subset of paranormal belief, have suggested that people rely on superstitions to gain the illusion of control over outcomes in stressful situations.
as an article In International Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Says, “Superstition has its roots in the youth of our species, when our ancestors could not understand the forces and whims of people.” [the] Natural world. existence of our ancestors There was danger from hunting or other natural forces.
These latest findings are consistent with the idea that traditional paranormal beliefs a response Feelings of anxiety related to a person’s lack of control over external forces.
The research team says the study is exploratory and does not support any causal relationship.
The study authors say more research is needed to fully understand the connection between stress and paranormal beliefs, as these beliefs have a direct impact on behavior and attitudes, including conspiracy theories, alternative medicine, and anti-vaccination agendas. Includes reactions.
The authors continue, “The findings support the notion that traditional paranormal belief is associated with external control, specifically the belief that unknown supernatural forces/powers influence existence. However, additional research is still needed to further explore these fascinating relationships with respect to perceived stress, well-being, and coping styles.
