Survey: Majority of Americans Believe in the Existence of Satan and Demon Possession

The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness

The Story: A new survey finds that a majority of Americans personally believe in the existence of the devil and believe that demons can possess humans.

The Background: The latest YouGov research has found that more than half of all Americans (57%) believe in the existence of the devil and a slight majority (51%) believe in possession by evil spirits. Regardless of religious identity levels of belief top 50%, except for Jews, who theologically reject the idea of a sentient Satan. "Born-again" Christians are the most likely to both believe in the devil (86%) and possession (72%). Keep reading