Belief in science and belief in magic do not fit neatly onto opposite ends of a scale. A US study in Social Forces found magical beliefs were particularly associated with an outlook combining scientific orientation, spiritual independence and continuing religious ties.
Paul Froese, Isaiah King and Ruiqian Li analysed a nationally representative survey of 1,812 American adults. The paper was published on 20 July 2026, with renewed attention in a 7 November ScienceAlert report.
The finding concerns how people combine beliefs. It neither verifies ghosts and curses nor shows that trusting science causes magical thinking. A survey taken at one point cannot establish whether these beliefs are increasing over time.
For paranormal discussion, the question is useful: how do people decide which authorities to trust, and which unseen possibilities to keep open?
Research spotlight: Published 20 July 2026, with renewed coverage on 7 November. This is a US survey, not a UK estimate or a new study today. The primary abstract and publication details were checked; the full paper is access-restricted.