Did very many Victorian people believe in ghosts?

Yes, many people during the Victorian era believed in ghosts and the supernatural. This fascination was fueled by a growing interest in spiritualism, which gained popularity in the mid-19th century, as people sought to communicate with the dead. Ghost stories, seances, and literature featuring the supernatural were widely consumed, reflecting societal anxieties about death and the afterlife. The era's emphasis on science and reason coexisted with a strong cultural belief in the paranormal.