Most Adults Believe In Ghosts?

Just about every town in the U.S. has its allegedly haunted places.  Here in Billings, the Moss Mansion, Dude Rancher Lodge, and the Alberta Bair are just a few of the places where people have reported having supernatural encounters.

I have to admit, I find it strange when I meet an adult who has a fear of ghosts.  For me, ghosts fall into the category of elves, fairies, monsters, trolls, etc.  Today I learned that the majority of adults (60%) believe in ghosts and 40% of those people believe their pets are able to see ghosts.  Surely these numbers can't be accurate.  If you're a believer, then let me know why.

If you've had an encounter, I'd love to hear from you, especially if it happened in one of Billings' locations notorious for ghost encounters.