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:
