Exploring Prevalent Beliefs in the Supernatural Today
According to a series of recent polls, belief in the existence of UFOs and alien life is significant and growing, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom.
In the United States, a 2025 Pew Research Poll found that 68% of Americans believe intelligent alien life exists, up from 54% in 2020. However, the percentage who believe that UFO sightings are evidence of alien visits is lower; in 2022, 34% of Americans thought UFO sightings were proof of alien life, rising from 20% in 1996.
The belief in UFOs is not limited to sightings. According to a Huffington Post/YouGov poll from September 2013, 48% of Americans believe that "some people have witnessed UFOs that have extraterrestrial origin."
In the United Kingdom, a March 2025 YouGov poll reported that 32% of British people believe intelligent aliens have visited Earth.
Regionally, belief varies. For example, a 2025 survey in Chile found that 78% of Chilean residents believe in aliens.
Belief in the paranormal is also common in both countries. Nearly half of Americans believe in the existence of ghosts, according to a Huffington Post poll, while 52% of Britons believe in paranormal activity, according to a YouGov study.
Interestingly, Bigfoot or the Yeti may exist, according to scientists such as Jane Goodall and David Attenborough. A graphic by Joshua Stevens showed 3,313 Bigfoot sightings reported throughout the U.S. from 1921 to 2013, with the number of sightings highest in the western U.S. However, only 28% of Americans claimed to have ever personally encountered a ghost, according to the Huffington Post poll.
Seth Shostak, an expert in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, believes that we will find evidence of intelligent extraterrestrial life by the year 2025. He is not alone in his belief, as a 2005 poll found that 60% of Americans believe that "some form" of extraterrestrial life exists on other planets.
It's important to note that while public belief is high, there remains no scientific consensus or definitive evidence of aliens or UFOs as alien crafts, which contrasts with the high public belief levels. Experts caution that the rise in belief may be influenced by psychological factors, as well as increased UFO sighting reports due to technology and media coverage.
| Region | Percentage Believing in Alien Life | Percentage Believing UFOs Are Alien Visits | |---------------|-----------------------------------|--------------------------------------------| | United States | 68% (2025 Pew Poll) | 34% (2022 data) | | United Kingdom| Not specified | 32% (2025 YouGov) | | Chile | 78% (2025 survey) | Not specified |
In summary, belief in the existence of extraterrestrial life and UFOs is growing, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom. However, it's important to remember that while public belief is high, there remains no scientific consensus or definitive evidence.
[1] Source: Pew Research Center [2] Source: Huffington Post [3] Source: Chilean survey [4] Source: Scientific American
In the realm of pop-culture, discussions about extraterrestrial life and UFOs have become a significant part of home-and-garden and lifestyle conversations, driven by rising beliefs and increased media coverage. For instance, entertainment outlets often feature documentaries and series exploring these phenomena like " Unidentified: Inside America's UFO Investigation" on History channel.
Additionally, belief in extraterrestrial life embodies both pop-culture and entertainment, as evidenced by the release of movies such as "Arrival" and "The Fourth Kind," which depict the interaction between humans and aliens. Moreover, home-and-garden magazines and websites occasionally publish articles discussing UFO sightings and their potential implications for our understanding of the universe, thus bridging the gap between the supernatural and the ordinary.
