It is easy to dismiss conspiracy theories as beliefs held by members of the paranoid tin-hat society; however, they are always a fun topic to bring up in a dead conversation. Is the moon landing real? Are Beyoncé and Taylor Swift the matriarchs of the Illuminati? Where is the real Kate Middleton? Conspiracy theories might be ramblings of madness, but they might also reveal something about our society.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a conspiracy theory is “a theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators”. Conspiracy theories are offered as dark explanations for certain happenings in the world. Theorists often view space as the final frontier, and many theories are launched from there, with matters such as the moon landing, UFOs, aliens, or even the shape of the earth coming into question.
The recent total solar eclipse of 8 April created a nova-like explosion of new theories. The biggest theory is that the American government would take totalitarian control over the population during the eclipse, which would be easy considering the large area that was in the viewable zone. States and counties had prepared for the eclipse accordingly by declaring a state of emergency to coordinate more resources in case of disaster. As conspiracy theorists often turn to predictions of world domination anytime a big event happens, these emergency declarations were enough to launch their theories into full flight.
Unfortunately, this is not the craziest-sounding theory for the event. Some claimed that the Large Hadron Collider at CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research) was going to open portals to other dimensions. Of course, the usual end-of-days and apocalypse predictions were also floating around. Alas, the theories of diabolical organisations seemed to not have panned out as anticipated. But the question remains, what makes people believe in such theories in the first place?
Reasons behind the beliefs
Shauna Bowes, a doctoral student in clinical psychology, led a study analysing research about the reasons that people are drawn in by conspiracy theories. In this study, which was published in Psychological Bulletin, Bowes and her colleagues state that “most surveyed participants all over the world endorse at least one conspiracy theory”. (The tin-foil hat society might be closer than you think.) Bowes and her colleagues identify three main motivations why people find conspiracy theories appealing.
Firstly, conspiracy theorists may be driven by a need to understand a world that is unpredictable, chaotic and filled with ambiguous events. For example, some people could not accept that Princess Di’s death was just the tragic result of a drunk driving accident, she must have been assassinated. Death cannot be so senseless.
Secondly, conspiracy theories allow people to feel secure and in control, especially when facing an existential threat. Conspiracy theorists appreciate this security because they tend to be more cynical and regard the world as dangerous, unstable and threatening. For instance, to combat fears about the threat of cancer, some believe that a cure-all already exists but that Big Pharma is hiding this to protect their profits on chemo and other forms of treatment. This makes the theorists feel more in control of a feared illness because we actually do have the means to overcome this easily.
Thirdly, people use conspiracy theories to feel better about themselves and the group they belong to. According to Bowes and her colleagues, “ascribing blame to an outgroup for societal ills may reinforce notions that one’s ingroup is blameless and superior”. Take the theory that Bill Gates and groups such as the UN created the Coronavirus as a form of population control. This gives people villains to blame for all the deaths and trauma that occurred, and it paints the general population, including the theorists, as the good guys who have suffered unjustly. Bowes also indicates that conspiracy theories can boost individuals’ self-image because they see themselves as superior to others who are blind to the “truth”. Non-believers are automatically placed in a separate, inferior group.
The world of conspiracy theories is a deep web of interlinked ideas which can involve anything from world control and the Illuminati to portals and other dimensions. The conspiracy theorist’s universe is a strange place to explore, with double negatives, manipulated facts and wild goose chases that leave the observer stuck in a complicated maze leading to a desired narrative. But for some, this universe makes perfect sense and helps them to find meaning in chaos, provides them with safety and a sense of control, and makes them feel superior. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, most of these theories have been proven wrong ten times over. But maybe, somewhere out there, one might potentially be true. If not in this universe, perhaps in a parallel one…
