People Who Believe in Guardian Angels Rarely Take Risks: Study

A new study says people who have faith in guardian angels or fairies are not risk takers.

Stories, fables and legends about an unknown entity watching over us sure sounds assuring and safe in an uncertain world. A new research says having a mere belief on the concept has an influences people's personality. The experts from the York University; David Etkin, Jelena Ivanova, Susan MacGregor, and Alalia Spektor interviewed about 198 individuals to note their spiritual inclinations and faith on the existence of a guardian angel.

About 68 percent of the respondents who believed the concept was real said it had greatly affected their risk taking decisions. These subjects were asked if they would ever indulge in risky driving and it was observed majority of them were not open about taking such risks compared to people who had no belief in guardian angels. The non-believing participants rated driving a car above the speed limit of 20 kilometers per hour at two on a scale of one to five. But, participants who believed in the unknown entity rated it three on five.

"It may be that people who have a tendency to view the world as being risky or potentially dangerous are more inclined to have a belief in personal guardian spirits," the authors write in the study, reports the Business Standard.

The authors believe these results point at the immense potential faith has in helping people become more resilient and overcome traumatic experiences. This explains why people who survive war, calamity and extreme situations turn to spirituality, theology and religion to heal mentally.

"I originally thought, Okay, if you believe in a guardian angel, you'll feel more protected which means you'll probably feel more willing to take risks. But I think believing in guardian angels is a coping mechanism, to make themselves feel safer," said David Etkin,study author and professor of disaster management at York University, reports the New York Magazine. 

More information is available online in the journal SAGE open.