Society–Knowledge–Discourse

Spread and Reception of the Paranormal

Introduction: Everyday Miracles

“From time immemorial, people’s lives have been accompanied by experiences that were perceived as exceptional. Premonitions, dreams, second sight, apparitions, poltergeist phenomena point to a ‘hidden reality’, the mysteriousness of which has always aroused people’s minds. The taboo of the Enlightenment was unable to eradicate what has been part of the real human being for centuries.” (Hans Bender, 1974, p. 7)

In fact, interview studies show that extraordinary experiences are far from being rare. According to a representative survey conducted by IGPP in 2003, more than half of the German population have had their own experiences with the supernatural and have personally experienced phenomena such as telepathy, dreams, UFO sightings or apparitions of the deceased.

In this sense, at least, the paranormal seems to be quite normal. Therefore, such experiences should not be labelled as ‘abnormal’ or even ‘pathological’. Nevertheless, it is the paranormal’s special, extraordinary quality of experience that justifies constant media and aesthetic-artistic interest in these ‘everyday wonders’, as well as scientific and life-worldly interest.

Fig. 1

Occurrence of paranormal phenomena in West and East Germany (2003)

Additionally, the authenticity of paranormal phenomena and their parapsychological evidence, as well as the difficulty of explaining them scientifically, are still subjects of passionate debate today. This probably explains the communicative paradox that emerged during the interviews: although everyday miracles are widespread and an integral part of culture, people only talk about paranormal experiences very cautiously and in a protected setting. This is because such experiences are generally considered to be outside the bounds of orthodox science, and those who have had such experiences may even be stigmatised as pathological.

Everyday Miracles 2.0

To mark the 75th anniversary of IGPP in 2025, the above-mentioned population survey was repeated. As well as enabling a direct comparison with the original study, this involved examining the thesis of the ‘uniformity of the occult’ (Hans Bender), i.e. whether such experiences are equally widespread and constant in everyday life over time.

For the most recent survey, more than 2,050 people aged 18 and over were questioned online in December 2024. The composition of the representative sample was based on the quotas for gender, age and federal state. The questionnaire contained a total of 50 items – a mixture of repeat questions from the first survey as well as new questions about other extraordinary experiences (e.g. near-death experiences and out-of-body perceptions) and practices (e.g. astrology, spiritual healing, meditation). The survey also examined at how individuals deal with everyday miracles, particularly with regard to their possible need for information and advice.

What did we find out? Compared to the already high figures from the first study, the prevalence rates have risen once again: around three-quarters of the population have had an unusual experience themselves, and once again there remains a high level of openness to paranormal phenomena.