Belief in Spirits

Abstract

AbstractThe definitions of religion that depend on ‘belief in spirits’ are inadequate as they usually fail to explain the experience of many Boomers, and their children, who describe themselves as not religious but believing in an ‘elsewhere’ populated by the continuing presence of deceased relatives. This, to some, seemed more ‘believable’ than the idea of a god. Reflecting a generally shared faith in science, some Boomers were prepared to accept these extraordinary experiences with the idea that one day an explanation will be found. Many could accept the possibility of the continuity of the soul, a belief in the ultimate truth of science and human agency, and a belief in the authenticity of others who share such accounts. Their secular, supernatural experiences of sensing deceased loved ones share four characteristics of being socially binding, embodied, comforting, and reflecting the same relationship on earth as beyond.