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Articles
Worldview Survey
While Directors of the NSAC
Department of Phenomenal Evidence, Tom and Lisa Butler conducted a survey to see how well some key metaphysical concepts are
accepted by the general public.
The objective of the survey was to determine how well concepts such as
Infinite Intelligence, personal responsibility and Natural Law are
accepted. We do not pretend that this will give us a
"scientific" view. It will give us an idea, however.
Results
These are the results of the Worldview Survey that we have
been conducting. The questions are designed to determine how well accepted
important metaphysical concepts are to the general public.
You will notice in Question 13, concerning how well
informed the respondent is about metaphysical concepts, most who have responded
are well informed. Thus, you must assume that these results are biased
toward agreement.
Legend: Percent of respondents in
a category (Number of responses)
Question 1
Everything in reality is managed by some form of intelligence and this
intelligence has a purpose.
|
I Strongly Agree
|
I
Agree |
Do
not know |
I
Disagree |
I
Strongly Disagree |
I
do not understand |
Respondents
|
|
45% (85) |
27% (51) |
18% (34) |
5% (10) |
4% (7) |
1% (2) |
Well
Informed |
|
22% (4) |
22% (4) |
28% (5) |
17% (3) |
11% (2) |
0% (0) |
No
Exposure |
|
33% (2) |
67% (4) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Have
not Considered Concepts |
|
50% (1) |
50% (1) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Religion
Disagrees with Concepts |
Question 2
There is a First Cause, Prime Creator, Infinite Intelligence or God that
is the creator of reality.
|
I Strongly Agree
|
I
Agree |
Do
not know |
I
Disagree |
I
Strongly Disagree |
I
do not understand |
Respondents
|
|
46% (86) |
25% (48) |
15% (29) |
9% (16) |
5% (10) |
0% (0) |
Well
Informed |
|
28% (5) |
11% (2) |
44% (8) |
6% (1) |
11% (2) |
0% (0) |
No
Exposure |
|
50% (3) |
33% (2) |
0% (0) |
17% (1) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Have
not Considered Concepts |
|
50% (1) |
0% (0) |
50% (1) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Religion
Disagrees with Concepts |
Question 3
All processes in reality operate according to knowable principles.
|
I Strongly Agree
|
I
Agree |
Do
not know |
I
Disagree |
I
Strongly Disagree |
I
do not understand |
Respondents
|
|
28% (52) |
23% (44) |
23% (43) |
17% (32) |
6% (12) |
3% (6) |
Well
Informed |
|
11% (2) |
44% (8) |
11% (2) |
22% (4) |
6% (1) |
6% (1) |
No
Exposure |
|
17% (1) |
17% (1) |
32% (2) |
17% (1) |
17% (1) |
0% (0) |
Have
not Considered Concepts |
|
50% (1) |
50% (1) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Religion
Disagrees with Concepts |
Question 4
Principles governing the operation of reality emanate from a creator
entity.
|
I Strongly Agree
|
I
Agree |
Do
not know |
I
Disagree |
I
Strongly Disagree |
I
do not understand |
Respondents
|
|
31% (58) |
26% (50) |
22% (42) |
14% (26) |
6% (11) |
1% (2) |
Well
Informed |
|
11% (2) |
28% (5) |
39% (7) |
11% (2) |
6% (1) |
6% (1) |
No
Exposure |
|
66% (4) |
0% (0) |
17% (1) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
17% (1) |
Have
not Considered Concepts |
|
50% (1) |
0% (0) |
50% (1) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Religion
Disagrees with Concepts |
Question 5
There are levels of reality, one of which is the physical aspect of reality that
we exist in.
|
I Strongly Agree
|
I
Agree |
Do
not know |
I
Disagree |
I
Strongly Disagree |
I
do not understand |
Respondents
|
|
58% (110) |
34% (65) |
5% (10) |
0% (0) |
2% (3) |
1% (1) |
Well
Informed |
|
39% (7) |
39% (7) |
17% (3) |
0% (0) |
6% (1) |
0% (0) |
No
Exposure |
|
67% (4) |
33% (2) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Have
not Considered Concepts |
|
50% (1) |
50% (1) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Religion
Disagrees with Concepts |
Question 6
We as Self exist in many levels of reality at the same time.
|
I Strongly Agree
|
I
Agree |
Do
not know |
I
Disagree |
I
Strongly Disagree |
I
do not understand |
Respondents
|
|
25% (48) |
38% (72) |
29% (55) |
3% (5) |
4% (7) |
1% (2) |
Well
Informed |
|
11% (2) |
28% (5) |
44% (8) |
6% (1) |
6% (1) |
6% (1) |
No
Exposure |
|
17% (1) |
17% (1) |
67% (4) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Have
not Considered Concepts |
|
0% (0) |
50% (1) |
0% (0) |
50% (1) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Religion
Disagrees with Concepts |
Question 7
We as Self live in this physical aspect of reality in a symbiotic relationship
with our physical body. We are not our body. We are dwelling in our
body.
|
I Strongly Agree
|
I
Agree |
Do
not know |
I
Disagree |
I
Strongly Disagree |
I
do not understand |
Respondents
|
|
44% (83) |
35% (67) |
14% (26) |
4% (7) |
2% (5) |
1% (1) |
Well
Informed |
|
17% (3) |
39% (7) |
22% (4) |
11% (2) |
6% (1) |
6% (1) |
No
Exposure |
|
33% (2) |
33% (2) |
33% (2) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Have
not Considered Concepts |
|
0% (0) |
50% (1) |
50% (1) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Religion
Disagrees with Concepts |
Question 8
We as Self survive after the death of our physical body.
|
I Strongly Agree
|
I
Agree |
Do
not know |
I
Disagree |
I
Strongly Disagree |
I
do not understand |
Respondents
|
|
47% (89) |
31% (59) |
18% (34) |
1% (2) |
2% (3) |
1% (2) |
Well
Informed |
|
11% (2) |
33% (6) |
44% (8) |
6% (1) |
0% (0) |
6% (1) |
No
Exposure |
|
67% (4) |
17% (1) |
17% (1) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Have
not Considered Concepts |
|
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
100% (2) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Religion
Disagrees with Concepts |
Question 9
It is possible to improve the health of a physical body by conveying
nonphysical energy to it, either through such practices as positive thinking or
through forms of "spiritual" healing.
|
I Strongly Agree
|
I
Agree |
Do
not know |
I
Disagree |
I
Strongly Disagree |
I
do not understand |
Respondents
|
|
46% (87) |
41% (77) |
9% (17) |
2% (4) |
2% (4) |
0% (0) |
Well
Informed |
|
11% (2) |
56% (10) |
33% (6) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
No
Exposure |
|
33% (2) |
33% (2) |
33% (2) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Have
not Considered Concepts |
|
0% (0) |
50% (1) |
50% (1) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Religion
Disagrees with Concepts |
Question 10
It is possible for Self, while dwelling in a physical body, to sense
entities and objects exiting outside of physical reality.
|
I Strongly Agree
|
I
Agree |
Do
not know |
I
Disagree |
I
Strongly Disagree |
I
do not understand |
Respondents
|
|
51% (97) |
37% (70) |
10% (18) |
0% (0) |
2% (4) |
0% (0) |
Well
Informed |
|
6% (1) |
50% (9) |
39% (7) |
6% (1) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
No
Exposure |
|
33% (2) |
33% (2) |
33% (2) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Have
not Considered Concepts |
|
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
100% (2) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Religion
Disagrees with Concepts |
Question 11
Self's purpose in the physical is to gain understanding about the
operation of reality by having experiences and by learning from those
experiences.
|
I Strongly Agree
|
I
Agree |
Do
not know |
I
Disagree |
I
Strongly Disagree |
I
do not understand |
Respondents
|
|
35% (67) |
44% (83) |
17% (32) |
2% (4) |
2% (3) |
0% (0) |
Well
Informed |
|
11% (2) |
33% (6) |
44% (8) |
6% (1) |
0% (0) |
6% (1) |
No
Exposure |
|
50% (3) |
17% (1) |
17% (1) |
17% (1) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Have
not Considered Concepts |
|
0% (0) |
50% (1) |
50% (1) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Religion
Disagrees with Concepts |
Question 12
Self continues to experience and learn after the death of the physical
body.
|
I Strongly Agree
|
I
Agree |
Do
not know |
I
Disagree |
I
Strongly Disagree |
I
do not understand |
Respondents
|
|
40% (75) |
32% (61) |
25% (47) |
1% (1) |
2% (5) |
0% (0) |
Well
Informed |
|
0% (0) |
33% (6) |
56% (10) |
6% (1) |
6% (1) |
0% (0) |
No
Exposure |
|
33% (2) |
50% (3) |
17% (1) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Have
not Considered Concepts |
|
0% (0) |
50% (1) |
50% (1) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
0% (0) |
Religion
Disagrees with Concepts |
Question 13
So that we may
gain a sense of your background, please indicate how you view yourself from one
of these answers:
88% (189)
I am well informed about concepts addressed in this survey
8% (18) Other than through the media, I have no exposure to these concepts
3% (6) I have not thought much about these ideas
1% (2)
These concepts generally do not agree with my religious training
Conclusions
We
have designed the Worldview Survey to permit people to provide their opinion
without needing to reveal personal information. In doing so, we have
limited the conclusions we can draw from responses to just that of how well the
concepts are accepted.
A
further limiting consideration is that the survey is only accessible from this
NSAC, DPE site, http://aaevp.com and
http://ethericreality.aaevp.com.
These sites are more likely to attract people who are familiar with these
concepts. The result is that respondents are primarily in the
"familiar with these concepts" category.
Observations
that do seem valid include:
-
Respondents
may believe in Natural Law, but may not accept the existence of Infinite
Intelligence as its source. This may be the response of a person who
believes in a totally spontaneous evolutionary, physical universe. In
this view, such a universe could come to be without the intervention of the
external intelligence usually attributed to a nonphysical creator entity.
-
There
have been a number of respondents who are clearly well studied in
metaphysical concepts, but who do not accept the existence of any form of a
nonphysical reality. It is not safe to say that this view is
equivalent to atheism. The survey simply does not collect enough
information for this conclusion. However, it does seem reasonable to
conclude that these respondents have relegated such concepts as creation and
purpose to "faith" concepts that have nothing to do with the
"real" world.
Experience has shown that there is a common ground between this view and the
view represented by an "agree" answer in the survey. If
nonphysical phenomena is approached from the perspective that it exists and
must be reconciled with known physical principles, and if the demonstrated
facts are logically examined, then the conclusion can be based on
"real" information that is not dependent on any external
influence. In other words, let the demonstrated phenomena do the arguing.
-
Some
respondents accept Infinite Intelligence, knowable Natural Law and levels of
reality but not abilities such as healing and mediumship. This may be
a worldview that is influenced by religious training that discourages modern
"miracles."
-
Some
respondents answer "strongly agree" to every question. Since
the questions are essentially a rewording of the NSAC Declaration of
Principles, it is easy to conclude that these respondents are
Spiritualists--or could be.
-
It
is interesting to note that the respondents who say that the questions are
contrary to their religious training or that they have not thought much
about these concepts, tend to agree with the concepts more than some who are
well informed.
-
Responses
to this survey make it clear that what is obvious to a Spiritualist is not
so obvious to people not well trained in Spiritualist concepts. It is
clear that the
phenomena does not lead to the conclusion that there is a nonphysical aspect
of reality for every worldview. For this reason, it is important that
everyone resist establishing "final" conclusions. It is
important for a person to say that, "The phenomena suggests
this." But is is also important to say that, "I believe
it means this."
It is okay for some conclusions to be based on faith until more is
understood about the phenomena. Accepting that some concepts in
Spiritualism are based on faith, even though it may seem clear that they are
factual, makes it easier for people who do not understand Spiritualism to
study the phenomena and collaborate with Spiritualists in the conclusions.
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