Spirituality Could Appeal To Young Americans More Than Organized Religion, Research Study Reveals

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Ingenio brands - Astrology.com, the most comprehensive offering of free and premium personalized Astrological and Tarot content and reports on the web and Keen, the foremost leader in personal psychic advice -  announced results of a month long research study focused on the rise of alternative/non-traditional spirituality in American society. Conducted in collaboration with Wakefield Research in December 2018, the comprehensive study surveyed 1,000 Americans 18 years and older about their views on spirituality vs. organized religion and their preferences.

Research found the following:

• 91% of Americans feel that some aspects of spirituality are more appealing than organized religion
• 62% value spirituality over traditional religion within their daily lives
• 66% of Americans have engaged in New Age or non-traditional practices
• Top three spiritual habits / New Age practices that Americans engage in include reading horoscopes (42%), meditating (33%) and pulling tarot cards (16%)
• Women report that spirituality is more important to their daily lives  – 67% of American women compared to 57% of American men
• 53% of survey respondents believe it's more acceptable to talk about spirituality at work compared to five years ago, while 25% believe that this practice is much more acceptable
• Astrology is the most popular new-age practice taking hold. More than 2 in 5 (42%) Americans have read horoscopes

"The research study validates the growth we're experiencing at Astrology.com, where unique users increased 25% last year," stated Josh Jaffe, General Manager of Ingenio's Media arm that comprises Astrology.com, Horoscope.com, Horoscopo.com and Astrocenter.com and is the top destination for astrological content on the web. "Astrology is having a moment and is being embraced by American culture. We're proud to be at the forefront of that movement across the digital landscape."

The data proves that this growing movement isn't simply a passing trend. While more prevalent amongst young Americans, it's taken hold multi-generationally as well. Gen Zers (83%) and Millennials (75%) are more likely than their older counterparts to practice and engage in spirituality. However, more than half of Gen Xers (64%) and Boomers (56%) still feel spirituality is more important to their daily life than traditional, organized religion. 

The top three reasons that Americans feel more inclined towards spirituality include:

• Personalization. Nearly half of the people that were surveyed (45%) answered that they were drawn to spirituality over organized religion because it is more personal and oftentimes it's something that they chose for themselves.
• Flexibility. 28% of respondents cited that spirituality allows people to embrace their own beliefs and it is more flexible, allowing individuals to pick and choose parts that are important to them.
• Increased Fulfillment. More than 1 in 4 respondents (27%) find spirituality more fulfilling than organized religion because it can be incorporated into more aspects of their lives, such as exercise.

These factors aren't the only appeal for younger Americans. The majority of survey respondents (63%) reported that they believe that spiritual Advisors possess unique skills. These non-traditional skills include empathy, such as the ability to relieve grief (33%), dream interpretation (24%), connecting with spirits through mediumship (24%) and tarot (23%).

"Keen has been the leading provider of personal and spiritual advice since 1999, so we've watched in earnest as our customers regularly tap into our network of thousands of Advisors for advice on love and relationships, career, finances and more through psychic readings via phone, chat and email," said Laura Walsh, newly appointed COO of Ingenio and former VP of Marketing for Keen.  "Despite our internal growth, the category remained niche due to a lasting stigma around seeking out psychics or spiritual Advisors for clarity and guidance. With this research study, it's apparent that that stigma is losing its grasp on American society, especially with women. We're very excited that the data reflects that more Americans are more open to the different forms that spirituality can take."

The Keen/Astrology.com Survey was conducted online by Wakefield Research among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults, between December 13-December 20, 2018. The margin of error was +/- 3.1 percentage points.

About Astrology.com
Established in San Francisco in 1999, Astrology.com is the leading authority in its category, providing the highest volume of astrological and esoteric video and editorial content than any other online destination. The content featured includes personalized, positive messaging on zodiac signs, love compatibility, career, money and more. The depth and breadth of astrology and tarot content provided by Astrology.com, Horoscope.com and the other Ingenio Media brands is unrivaled, reaching 14M unique visitors per month and 4M active subscribers.

For more information about the site, please visit Astrology.com or download the Horoscope.com mobile app on the App Store or Google Play. Follow Astrology.com on Facebook (facebook.com/astrologycom), Instagram(@astrologydotcom) and Twitter (@astrology_com).

About Keen
Established in San Francisco, Keen has been providing reliable personal psychic advice worldwide since 1999. Keen offers its users the opportunity to get peace of mind and absolute clarity from a network of thousands of uniquely qualified Advisors at any time of day or night, via phone or chat. With more than $1 billion in transactions since its inception, Keen has facilitated more than 40 million conversations and thousands of Advisors have helped hundreds of satisfied customers get guidance on anything from Love & Relationships, to Career, to Astrological Compatibility and more. Its unique service boasts more than 12 million positive customer reviews.

Customers can always connect with an Advisor 24/7/365, over the phone, through online chat, via email at www.keen.com, 1-800-ASK-KEEN (800-275-5336) or through our app, available at the iTunes App Store or Google Play. Follow us at @keenpsychics on Instagram and Facebook and @keenpsychic on Twitter to see what we're up to in real (and future) time.

SOURCE Astrology.com; Keen

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