Ghosts 'more believable'

2005-11-01 10:16

London - More Britons believe in ghosts than in God, according to an informal survey published on Monday.

Of 2012 people who completed a questionnaire, 68% said they believed in the existence of ghosts and spirits, while 55% said they believed in the existence of a god.

The Halloween survey was carried out by retailer ChoicesUK. But since it was not a random sample, its findings do not represent a statistically valid barometer of British opinion.

Some 26% said they believed in the existence of unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, while 19% believed in reincarnation. Just 4% admitted believing that the Loch Ness Monster was more than a myth.

Of those who believed in ghosts, 12% said they had actually seen an apparition and 76% said that TV reality shows about the supernatural and films like the spooky Blair Witch Project had played a part in convincing them that ghouls exist.

"We want to believe in ghosts more than ever and are far more likely to take the word of a reality documentary or convincing movie than hearsay or ancient ghost stories," ChoicesUK spokesperson David Rich said.

"Seeing it with our own eyes helps feed our imagination and makes the unbelievable believable."

- AP