The human imagination is a curious thing. It can distort, embellish, or exaggerate a kernel of truth, twisting and turning it into entire myths. Sometimes, the truth is lost. Other times, the stories are passed down from generation to generation. We do not claim to know the truth about the supernatural wonders of the earth, but here is a list of 15 supernatural things few or many people believe in.
Ghosts
Ghosts have captured the imagination for centuries. Long before Casper the Friendly Ghost, writers, poets, and artists have recorded, interpreted, and embellished what they see out of the corner of their eyes. The verdict is evenly divided. Almost half the population believes ghosts are real. What do you believe? Do you have any ghost stories?
Aliens
Since man has looked up at the stars, we have pondered the existence of other life forms. We got closer to the answer once we sent astronauts into space. Even before that, unidentified flying objects (or UFOs) were spotted in the sky when history was first recorded. Pop culture likes to imagine aliens as green little guys with big eyes and big heads. The US Government has begun declassifying information pertaining to UFOs and aliens, but many questions still remain. “The truth is out there.”
God
Religion gives meaning to many people’s lives. Whatever your specific beliefs are, believing in a high power and predetermined destiny calms the mind whenever faced with trials and tribulations. Although there are different religions—Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism—they all believe in an almighty god or gods. Skeptics question their existence, but believing in something without irrefutable evidence is an aspect of most religions: faith.
The Devil
Every day, people do horrific things that make you believe that evil exists. Just turn on the news. Murders, rapists, and thieves consistently hog the headlines. Some people blame these terrible misfortunes on the devil, a fallen angel whose creed is to cause as much pain, destruction, and agony as possible. Christians believe if they commit sin, they will be damned to hell for all of eternity, tortured and surrounded by brimstone and flames as they suffer the consequence of their greedy impulses.
Afterlife
One of the enduring questions for humanity has been: Where do we go when we die? Most people seek answers through religion. Christians believe they will fly to heaven as long as they follow God’s rules. If they had lived a debaucherous life, they were sent to hell. Other religions, like Hinduism, believe you become reincarnated after you die. But no one knows the correct answer. It remains life’s biggest question.
Telepathy
Think of how many husbands could have been spared from sleeping in the dog house because they can’t read their wife’s mind. Jokes aside, research reveals telepathy—or at least some form of it—might exist. Researchers asked mothers to think of questions for their children with nonverbal autism. Without hearing the questions, the children responded at startling success rates.
Angels
Miracles happen like someone with cancer beating the odds and living well past their life expectancy or someone pressing the brake just before a car zooms through a red light. Some people believe they have a guardian angel watching over them, intervening whenever death is afoot. Some things are hard to explain; one way to make sense is to believe in the supernatural.
Precognition
Precognition is the ability to see the future. It can happen in dreams or flash before your eyes during the day. Some people visit mystics like fortune tellers to make better decisions if the outlook doesn’t seem prosperous. There’s no way to really prove that someone has the ability, but some people claim to be blessed with this power. I bet sports gamblers wish they had this.
Werewolves
In the early colonies, around the same time as the infamous Salem witch trials, werewolves were believed to be real. Originating from folklore, the story goes that if you are scratched or bitten by a werewolf, you are cursed with the same fate. Every full moon, fur covers their bodies, their teeth become sharp, and their ears become pointed—essentially transforming them into a wolf-human hybrid. Though it’s less common, some people still get nervous when they see a full moon.
Bigfoot
Some people believe there is a seven-foot hairy man-like creature with big feet roaming around in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Also known as Sasquatch, the mythical beast has appeared in American and Canadian folklore. Despite anecdotal and shaky evidence, some still believe Bigfoot exists. If anything, it attracts tourists.
Demons
Demons have long terrified those who believe. They are found in folklore, mythology, religion, and literature. Satan, or Lucifer, is usually considered the King of the Demons, and his demons rank under him. They corrupt humans into doing terrible things. Some people think there are many demons, all inflicting a different kind of suffering on humanity. Demonic possessions are one way they carry out insidious objectives. Even if you don’t believe in demons, they make great horror films.
Dragons
Dragons have always existed in a world of fantasy. The long, serpent-like creature with talons, sharp teeth, and wings also could breathe fire, posing a threat for many knights. The mythical beast appears in the folklore of cultures worldwide, leading some to believe they might actually exist. Dragons have captured our imagination since medieval times, and we continue to be fascinated by their features today.
Witches
Every Halloween, many candy-eager girls dress up as witches—with black hair, a black hat, a broomstick, etc. The origin of witches, witchcraft, and the practice of dark magic can be traced back to ancient Mesopotamia and medieval times. When pilgrims settled in the New World, witches were believed to terrorize the residents of Salem. To this day, some call themselves witches and practice witchcraft, believing they curse their victims with spells.
Vampires
Vampires have been a thing of nightmare since its inception in Bram Stoker’s 1897 Dracula. The book inspired the silent German expressionist film Nosferatu, produced in 1922. The blood-sucking, bat-transforming creatures continued to rise from coffins, appearing in literature, poems, paintings, movies, and TV. Although a product of our imagination, some people believe vampires live amongst us. Ward them off with garlic and land the final blow in the heart with a wooden cross. They are also allergic to sunlight.
Zombies
Zombies rose from the ground in Haitian folklore. The undead were believed to be able to come back to life through the magic of Voodoo. In the late 1960s, the horror film Night of the Living Dead expanded upon this mythology by turning them into brain-craving, bloodthirsty monsters. Despite their fictional origins, some people actually believe zombies exist. Either way, they make for thrilling entertainment.
