A study published in PLOS ONE is revealing a surprising link between belief in certain supernatural forces and increased stress levels. The study sampled 3,084 participants 18 and older living in the UK. The study included an even number of men and women, with participants averaging around 50 years old.

Researchers broke the responses down into two different sets of paranormal beliefs: Traditional Paranormal Beliefs (TPB) in things such as Hell and Satan and New Age Philosophy (NAP), which included such things as paranormal abilities like mind reading, contacting spirits, and predicting future event. The study found that people who believed in more traditionally wicked forces such as Hell, Satan, and witchcraft were more likely to feel stressed about believing they lived a world with forces beyond their control. Belief in NAP supernatural forces did not seem to impact participants’ stress levels as such forces focus more on individual control.

According to researchers, the higher levels of stress in individuals with TPB made sense given that certain supernatural beliefs are embraced “as a response to uncontrollable forces.” It stated that such beliefs are “self-serving” but due to their “deterministic” nature, can induce more stress as events come under the power of “the will of powerful sacred being and/or magical/mystical forces.” The study theorized that people with TPB tend to use an avoidance coping strategy, which detrimentally increases stress levels.

The results, however, do not necessarily show a causal relationship between supernatural beliefs and higher stress levels and would require further investigation. Neil Dagnall of Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, one of the leaders of the study, stated that “these results suggest that TPB may reflect a reduced perception of control over external factors, which can increase susceptibility to stress, whereas NAP, due to its focus on more individual issues, does not appear to contribute to these dynamics.” Due to the nuanced nature of the impacts these beliefs have on individuals, Dagnall noted that “understanding the functional differences between these beliefs is essential to addressing the psychological impact of belief in the paranormal.” “TPB is not causally related to distress,” concluded Dagnall. “Rather, the relationship is more nuanced, and in some contexts reduced control may associate positively with TPB, with TPB consequently serving an adaptive function such as facilitating coping.”