Could a curse make you work worse?

Do you believe in things that go bump in the night? Well apparently, most of us do, and it could be affecting us at work as one in five Brits believe that a work colleague may have put a curse on them.

A nationwide study into our beliefs and fears around the supernatural has revealed almost two-thirds of Brits believe there is magic around us, while as many as 29 per cent think vampires are real.

According to the study, as many as 45 per cent said it’s highly likely that witches, vampires and demons are secretly living and working alongside us in everyday life. And more than four in ten UK adults are convinced they have met someone who possesses magical powers, while one in ten (11 per cent) of those quizzed said they had thought about – or had tried to put a love spell on someone.

While 13 per cent of the 1,500 polled admitted that had tried to “curse” someone and give them bad luck, while a further 20 per cent think a work colleague is casting spells on them.

According to the poll, commissioned by Sky One to launch its new original drama, A Discovery of Witches, 44 per cent of us avidly read and believe our horoscopes, despite 43 per cent describing them as a form of magic and not an exact science.

By far the most popular magical power Brits would like to possess is time travel, with 44 per cent of adults wishing they could travel back to the past and forward to the future. 11 per cent would want to have telekinesis – the power to move objects with their mind – the same number said they would love to have the opportunity to control the elements, such as fire, wind and water. Exactly half of those polled said they have found a fictional vampire such as Edward Cullen from Twilight or Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to be extremely attractive.

Commenting on the research a ‘Discovery of Witches’ author Deborah Harkness said: “This research gives a fascinating insight into Britain’s beliefs in the supernatural, and it would appear many of us are not just open-minded about the existence of witches and vampires – but intrigued and attracted to them.”

Speaking about the new show Anne Mensah, head of drama at Sky, said: “In this hectic science led world we live in, it’s interesting that two-thirds of us still believe in magic.”

Most likely suspects for being supernatural

1. A work colleague (20%)
2. Myself (14%)
3. An ex (12%)
4. My mother-in-law (9%)
5. My Partner (8%)
6. My boss (8%)
7. My friend’s partner (7%)
8. My mother (7%)
9. My cousin (7%)
10. My grandmother (6%)