Britons believe in ghosts rather than in God

More Britons believe in ghosts than in God, according to new research report.

In a poll of 2,012 people, 68 percent said they believed in the existence of ghosts and spirits, while 55 percent said they believed in the existence of a god.

Some 26 percent believe in the existence of unidentified flying objects, or UFOs, while 19 percent believed in reincarnation. Just 4 percent admitted believing that the Loch Ness Monster was more than a myth.

Of those who believed in ghosts, 12 percent said they had actually seen an apparition and 76 percent said that TV reality shows about the supernatural and films like the spooky "Blair Witch Project" had played a part in convincing them that ghouls exist.

The poll for Halloween was carried out by retailer ChoicesUK.

"We want to believe in ghosts more than ever and are far more likely to take the word of a reality documentary or convincing movie than hearsay or ancient ghost stories," said spokesman David Rich.

"Seeing it with our own eyes helps feed our imagination and makes the unbelievable believable."

No margin of error was given, but in samples of this size it is usually less than 3 percentage points, the AP reports.

V.Y.