Ghosts and goblins are more than Halloween decorations or costumes for many Americans who confessed they believe in the supernatural and returning from the grave.

Thirty-seven percent of 2,100 adults questioned in a Zogby Interactive poll said they think ghosts are real, and 23 percent believe they have been visited by a deceased relative or friend.

Even the 22 percent who said they have not had any ghostly experiences themselves know someone who has.

"More than a third of Americans have this belief that ghosts do exist," said a spokesman for Zogby, adding that the findings were surprising.

Nearly half of those questioned said if they could be a ghost, they would choose to come back as themselves.

But belief in the supernatural is not required to enjoy Halloween. Eighty-seven percent of parents said their children would be dressing up for the holiday and 71 percent would be trick-or-treating.

But 41 percent of adults said they were not celebrating Halloween, including 12 percent who cited religious reasons.

Serial killers were deemed to be the scariest costumes, followed by the walking dead and zombies.

(Read by Renee Haines. Renee Haines is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

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(Agencies)