Paranormal Experiences and Beliefs
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Abstract
Abstract
Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) have entered formal governmental discourse in North America, yet systematic evidence on public opinion remains limited. Using nationally administered, government-commissioned data from the 2025 Sky Canada Project (N = 1,008), this study provides the first comprehensive portrait of UAP-related beliefs and policy preferences in Canada. Approximately 27% of respondents report a lifetime UAP experience, while about 19% endorse the existence of extraterrestrials. Attention to UAP is moderate and concern modest, indicating that the UAP issue is socially present without being highly salient. Multivariate analyses show non-negligible gender differences in attention to UAP (lower among women) and support for government action (higher among women), but not in concern, funding, or disclosure. STEM education predicts greater attention and concern and lower support for disclosure, but not for funding support or belief in extraterrestrials. Higher educational attainment is negatively associated with extraterrestrial belief. Overall explanatory power of the regressions is limited, suggesting that UAP attitudes remain weakly structured across major demographic and socioeconomic characteristics in Canada. The implications are discussed.
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@article{Dilmaghani2026What,
title = {What Canadians think about unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP): Evidence from the 2025 Sky Canada Project},
author = {Maryam Dilmaghani},
journal = {The Social Science Journal},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1080/03623319.2026.2757009},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1080/03623319.2026.2757009}
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