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A nationwide poll shows pragmatism sometimes takes a back seat to faith for fully two-thirds of adults in this country, with 67% of Canadians believing in angels.

Of the 1,022 Canadians surveyed by Ipsos Reid, 37% said they believed with certainty, while 30% said they believed somewhat.

Slightly more than three-quarters of respondents in each of Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Atlantic Canada said angels exist; 66% of Ontarians, 63% of Quebecers and 61% of British Columbians agreed.

"There's a lot of untapped religiosity in Canada," said Irving Hexham, professor of religious studies at the University of Calgary. "The question behind whether you believe in angels or not is whether you believe there's a world beyond this world."

But Mr. Hexham noted that people can also have a secular belief in angels to the extent they see ordinary people as spiritual conduits.

Twenty-nine per cent of Canadians characterize an angel as a "good-hearted, charitable or loving person," according to the poll conducted For Canwest News Service and Global National. Another 30% say a "fellow human who enters your life because God wants them to perform a certain task for you" is the description that most closely resembles their idea of an angel.

Sixteen per cent of Canadians think of angels as paranormal creatures of heaven who resemble humans, only with wings as well as arms. Another 25% view angels as something else entirely; Mr. Hexham, for example, believes in the Biblical tradition that angels are not necessarily just mouthpieces for comfort.

"They can also bring messages of judgment," he said. "A messenger of God could be coming along to say, 'Hey, you've blown it.' "

Although Paul Christoffersen says he is "not a churchgoer," he nonetheless believes he had an encounter with an angel in 2000, when he came close to dying as a result of post-operative complications.

The Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., man said that while in a medically induced coma, he had an out-of-body experience in which he heard beautiful, soothing music and saw cherub-like faces surrounding his body as doctors worked to restart his heart.

"It's been an amazing journey since that happened to me," said Mr. Christoffersen, a retired RCMP officer. "When you almost cross over, it doesn't make you religious so much as aware of how fortunate you are."

His wife, Charlene, is also a believer. The homemaker said her sensitive nature allows her to feel the presence of angels on a regular basis.

"If you've ever had that feeling like you're on cloud nine, multiply that by 100,000 times or more.... It's beyond words," she said. "I know they're there, not just in my heart but in my soul."