Talking to the Dead: Survey Results

To compare how people of different faiths answered the questions, click here.

In addition to the multiple choice questions, thousands of readers wrote in answers to the optional essay question: "Have you ever felt as if a dead person was trying to communicate with you? Describe your experience." Click here to read a selection.

Results Overall
1. You believe that when people die, their souls/spirits:
Remain earthbound temporarily	8.9%
Move on to an eternal afterlife	50.4
Go to an in-between stage	12.1%
Are reincarnated	12%
No longer exist	2.2%
I don't know	14.4%

2. What best describes for you the relationship between the living and the dead?
The souls of the dead protect the living as angels or spirit guides	42.6%
The souls of the dead haunt us as ghosts	11.5%
Souls in heaven can hear our prayers/intercede for us with God	34.1%
The dead can communicate but have no power over our lives	30%
The dead cannot communicate with the living in any way	12.8%
I'm not sure	24%

3. Have you ever tried to contact the dead by:
Consulting a psychic or medium	21%
Using a Ouija board	28%
Performing a seance	14%
Praying or meditating	63%
Speaking, either out loud or in your head	69%
Using EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena)	3%

4. You believe the ability to communicate with the dead is:
Something everyone has the potential for	35.9%
A spiritual gift that only some people have	25%
An evil power/dangerous occult activity	7.2%
I don't know if it's possible	23.7%
There is no such thing	8.1%

5. Have you ever:
Felt the presence of a dead person	68%
Felt the presence of a guardian angel or spirit guide	77%
Spoken with the spirit of someone who has died	25%
Seen a "sign" from one who has died	57%
Dreamed about someone who has died	92%
Experienced paranormal activity	56%

6. Your experiences with the dead have been mostly:
Positive	51.5%
Negative	2.4%
Neutral	24%
N/A	22.1%

Results by Faith
1. You believe that when people die, their souls/spirits:
	Christians	Jews	Muslims	Buddhists	Hindus	Wiccans	Atheist/ Agnostic	Spiritual not Religious
Remain earthbound temporarily	8.7%	8.4%	5.6%	8.3%	8.4%	12.5%	5.7%	9.1%
Move on to an eternal afterlife	64.8%	29.8%	45.3%	4.9%	20.5%	13.7%	3.3%	25.8%
Go to an in-between stage	10.1%	8.4%	31.7%	13.2%	6%	20.2%	3.3%	16.4%
Are reincarnated	4.9%	15%	3.1%	46.3%	48.2%	41.1%	10.7%	25.6%
No longer exist	1.3%	4.7%	2.5%	6.3%	1.2%	0%	41.8%	1.7%
I don't know	10.1%	33.7%	11.8%	21%	15.7%	12.5%	35.2%	21.4%

2. What best describes for you the relationship between the living and the dead?:
	Christians	Jews	Muslims	Buddhists	Hindus	Wiccans	Atheist/ Agnostic	Spiritual not Religious
The souls of the dead protect the living as angels or spirit guides	40.7%	31.5%	15.5%	22.9%	43.4%	61.9%	15.6%	52.1%
The souls of the dead haunt us as ghosts	8.8%	6.1%	3.1%	11.2%	6%	35.1%	11.5%	17%
Souls in heaven can hear our prayers/intercede for us with God	37.1%	21.7%	19.9%	11.2%	27.7%	26.2%	5.7%	31.9%
The dead can communicate but have no power over our lives	26.7%	22.3%	28.6%	35.6%	32.5%	48.2%	15.6%	39.6%
The dead cannot communicate with the living in any way	15%	15%	26.7%	16.6%	7.2%	1.2%	45.9%	3.8%
I'm not sure	23.4%	39%	28%	30.7%	27.7%	16.1%	35.2%	23%

3. Have you ever tried to contact the dead by:
	Christians	Jews	Muslims	Buddhists	Hindus	Wiccans	Atheist/ Agnostic	Spiritual not Religious
Consulting a psychic or medium	16%	18%	7%	16%	15%	46%	6%	37%
Using a Ouija board	24%	23%	15%	33%	16%	52%	33%	38%
Performing a seance	10%	9%	4%	14%	6%	38%	16%	22%
Praying or meditating	58%	49%	30%	57%	50%	88%	42%	77%
Speaking, either out loud or in your head	66%	66%	29%	68%	43%	89%	48%	85%
Using EVP*	2%	2%	2%	3%	1%	15%	3%	5%

4. You believe the ability to communicate with the dead is:
	Christians	Jews	Muslims	Buddhists	Hindus	Wiccans	Atheist/ Agnostic	Spiritual not Religious
Something everyone has the potential for	28.8%	26.8%	14.9%	38%	24.1%	73.1%	17.4%	56.9%
A spiritual gift that only some people have	26.4%	17.3%	23.6%	22%	31.3%	19.8%	12.4%	24.6%
An evil power/dangerous occult activity	10.4%	2.8%	6.2%	0%	2.4%	0%	0%	1%
I don't know if it's possible	25.7%	39.1%	31.1%	28.8%	31.3%	6.6%	26.4%	15.4%
There is no such thing	8.8%	14%	24.2%	11.2%	10.8%	0.6%	43.8%	2.1%

5. Have you ever:
	Christians	Jews	Muslims	Buddhists	Hindus	Wiccans	Atheist/ Agnostic	Spiritual not Religious
Felt the presence of a dead person	55%	60%	38%	59%	51%	93%	37%	72%
Felt the presence of a guardian angel or spirit guide	77%	55%	53%	63%	50%	89%	26%	84%
Spoken with the spirit of someone who has died	31%	28%	17%	28%	23	70%	17%	53%
Seen a "sign" from one who has died	54%	45%	30%	47%	36%	87%	27%	73%
Dreamed about someone who has died	93%	89%	83%	89%	85%	96%	72%	95%
Experienced paranormal activity	50%	50%	31%	67%	37%	92%	41%	75%

6. Your experiences with the dead have been mostly:
	Christians	Jews	Muslims	Buddhists	Hindus	Wiccans	Atheist/ Agnostic	Spiritual not Religious
Positive	49.7%	44.6%	29.2%	39.5%	38.6%	64.3%	19.7%	61.3%
Negative	2.4%	1.9%	3.7%	2%	3.6	1.2%	4.9%	1.8%
Neutral	22.5%	27.6%	21.7%	35.1%	28.9%	29.8%	31.1%	26.3%
N/A	25.4%	25.9%	45.3%	23.4%	28.9%	4.8%	44.3%	10.6%