Do young people experience sacred moments?
Springtide Research Institute asked 4,546 young people, ages 13-25, about sacred moments, defined as “those things, places, or moments that feel special and set apart from others—experiences that evoke a sense of wonder, awe, gratitude, deep truth, and/or interconnectedness.” The data reveal that the majority of teens and young adults across diverse religious identities experience sacred moments.
Most teens and young adults experience sacred moments.
Over half (55%) of young people say that they have experienced a sacred moment while 29% say they have not experienced a sacred moment. A smaller proportion (16%) are unsure, reporting they have “maybe” experienced such a moment.
Both religious and non-religious young people say that they have experienced a sacred moment. A greater share of religiously affiliated young people report having experienced a sacred moment compared to their non-religiously affiliated peers, but 29% of young atheists, 39% of young agnostics, and 40% of young people who identify as “nothing in particular” note that they have experienced a sacred moment, too.
Many young people have experienced a sacred moment, regardless of religious identity
% of young people, by religious affiliation, responding, “Yes” to the question, “Have you ever experienced a sacred moment?”
Notes: Due to the limited number of Hindu respondents, they are omitted from this breakdown. Sacred moment was defined in the survey as “those things, places, or moments that feel special and set apart from others—experiences that evoke a sense of wonder, awe, gratitude, deep truth, and/or interconnectedness.”
Source: Springtide Research Institute survey of 4,546 young people in the US, ages 13 to 25, conducted in 2022.
Young people most commonly experience sacred moments in nature and at home.
Over half (55%) of young people who say they have experienced a sacred moment have, on more than one occasion, experienced these moments within a place of worship. A greater share report having experienced multiple sacred moments in the privacy of their home (68%) or in nature (69%). Less than half tell us they have experienced multiple sacred moments at religious or spiritual retreats (49%), while in transit (49%), at social gatherings (45%), while visiting somewhere new (45%), at a musical event (43%), at school (39%), online (36%), at work (33%), or at a protest or other political demonstration (25%).
Young people experience sacred moments in a variety of places
% of young people choosing ______ in response to the question: “Have you ever experienced a sacred moment in any of the following locations on more than one occasion?”
Notes: Percentages reflect responses from young people who report having had a sacred moment at some point in their life (n=2497). Respondents were allowed to select more than one option. Sacred moment was defined in the survey as “those things, places, or moments that feel special and set apart from others—experiences that evoke a sense of wonder, awe, gratitude, deep truth, and/or interconnectedness.”
Source: Springtide Research Institute survey of 4,546 young people in the US, ages 13 to 25, conducted in 2022.
Looking for more on young people’s experiences with the sacred?
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Note: The above data are excerpted from Springtide’s report The State of Religion & Young People 2023: Exploring the Sacred. Learn more and purchase the report here.
