Tuesday 25/Feb/2025 – 05:52 AM
A recent study revealed that belief in ghosts and supernatural phenomena may be linked to high levels of tension, not to a lack of intelligence or psychological disorders, as some believe, according to the British Daily Mail newspaper.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Manchester Metropolitan and the University of Liverpool John Morris, showed that the belief in ghosts may be a psychological way to deal with life pressures.
Tension and faith in lives … a close relationship
According to the published research, about a third of the British believe in the presence of ghosts or supernatural phenomena, especially in times of stress and stress.
The results showed that believing in these phenomena does not mean poor mental health, but rather is related to the feeling of individuals that the events around them are caused by forces outside their control.
Professor Neil Dagenal, a researcher in supernatural psychology at the University of Manchester Metropolitan, indicated that traditional supernatural beliefs increase the feeling of psychological distress and weaken the ability to adapt, because it reduces the person’s sense of controlling his life.
The researchers conducted a survey that included 3084 participants in the United Kingdom, as the level of their belief in the supernatural phenomena was evaluated, in addition to measuring their stress rates, and the team analyzed two types of beliefs:-
- Traditional supernatural beliefs (TPB): such as believing in ghosts, souls, destiny, and supernatural powers.
- The Philosophy of the New Age (NAP): which includes faith in astrology, reader reading, energy therapy, and individual spiritual experiences.
Traditional supernatural beliefs
The results revealed that the traditional supernatural beliefs (TPB) was more related to high levels of tension, because it makes the person feel that he does not control his life, and on the contrary, belief in the concepts of the philosophy of the new age did not have a clear impact on stress rates.
The researchers pointed out that belief in supernatural phenomena may give some people temporary psychological comfort, as they explain negative events as the result of hidden powers such as ghosts or fate, for example it may be easier to believe that demons or evil spirits are the cause of problems in life, rather than confronting Reality and dealing with pressure directly.
However, Dr. Dagenal warned that this type of thinking can reduce a person’s ability to adapt, and increase the levels of tension in the long run, since believing in superpowers enhances the feeling of losing control of events.
