Sixteen percent of New Jerseyans believe the New Jersey Devil might be real, and 44% think it’s possible that some places are haunted by ghosts, according to a Fairleigh Dickinson University Poll released this morning, four days before Halloween.
The New Jersey Devil is part of the state’s folklore and haunted the Pine Barrens since a woman named Jane Leeds (also known as Mother Leeds) gave birth to the monstrous child in 1735; the legend is it flew up the fireplace and into the woods. Witnesses over the years have described it as the head of a dog with horns, talons, and leathery wings.
Nearly six in ten (58%) of New Jersey residents say the New Jersey Devil is not at all likely to be true, while another 18% believe it’s not very likely to be true. But 10% of the state give credence that it’s somewhat likely to be true, and 6% believe that it is very likely to be true.
“Almost every part of the country has its own regional monsters,” said Dan Cassino, the poll director. “Even in the 21st century, beliefs in those creatures persists.”
Younger New Jerseyans are more likely than older ones to think that the New Jersey Devil could possibly be real, and those who live close to the Pine Barrens are less likely to believe the legend than those who come from other parts of the state.
“The Jersey Devil may have started off as a regional cryptid,” Cassino said. “But at this point, he’s been adopted by the state as a whole.”
Still, a relatively large percentage of New Jerseyans (44%) have not abandoned the supernatural entirely, agreeing with the possibility that some places are haunted.
Nearly one-third of the state (32%) reject the idea that ghosts haunt some places outright, while another 16% say it’s not very likely to be true. But 27% of New Jerseyans say ghosts are somewhat likely, and another 17% believe they are very likely.
“Not believing in Bigfoot or the Jersey Devil doesn’t mean giving up on all paranormal beliefs,” said Cassino. “There are lots of otherwise skeptical and scientific people who say that they’ve seen a ghost.”
Most residents between 18 and 30 (54%) are on board with the possibility that ghosts haunt some places, while more than two-thirds of New Jerseyans aged 65 and older (68%) dismiss the notion.
And a majority of women (50%) agree, while men are at 37%.
Asian (55%) and Hispanic (52%) residents are more likely to believe some places are haunted by ghosts than Black (48%) or White (38%) New Jerseyans.
Cassino told the New Jersey Globe that ghosts are one area where partisanship doesn’t matter; there was no discernable difference between Democrats and Republicans when it comes to the supernatural.
Where New Jerseyans draw the line is over the Flukeman of the Newark sewer system, a creature from a 1994 episode of The X-Files; 82% don’t think it’s real, and just 5% say it is.
Just 20% of New Jersey residents are astrology believers, saying that the position of the stars and planets at birth determines your destiny; 71% don’t think that’s true.
The Fairleigh Dickinson University poll was conducted between October 6-14 with a sample size of 813 adult New Jersey residents and a margin of error of +/- 3.5%.
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