If someone told you they sometimes hear voices, you might think he or she was nuts. And yet, how many of us have heard a voice that came out of the blue, seemingly outside ourselves, that we chose to either listen to or ignore?
It’s a phenomenon we’ve observed in the stories told to us by the readers and contributors of Mysterious Ways, and we were curious to find out just how common it is.
To do so, we commissioned the first survey of its kind to determine how many believe that these mysterious thoughts, urges, and sounds represent the voice of God. How would they describe it? Do these experiences have certain themes in common? More than 3,000 people responded to our multiple-choice “Have You Heard the Voice?” survey in the October/November 2016 issue of Mysterious Ways, both by mail and online. After weeks of tabulation, we’re happy to finally share the results!
Fascinatingly, 68% of respondents are certain that what they’ve heard is from God (22% were unsure). Two-fifths described it as “a thought or idea that I wouldn’t have had on my own,” while nearly a third heard “an audible voice.” And when “God speaks,” 64% do what he says immediately.
Click through our slideshow below, or go here to view the full breakdown of responses.
Many readers also sent in their personal stories. Click here to read our favorites, which reveal the variety of ways those with faith believe God reached out with a message they needed to hear. You can share your own experiences with us here.
