Exists A Conspiratorial Spirit?

A 2017 analysis of government survey data by the University of Oxford found that over a quarter of the American population believes there are conspiracies behind many things in the world. Christian belief posits that there is a divine conspiracy behind our observable cosmos, glimpsed in the life of Jesus Christ. When a group of self-proclaimed “patriots” stormed the Capitol on January 6, many among them were followers of QAnon, including the “Q Shaman” Jake Angeli. Spiritual conspiracists are often expressing the same impulse for a sense of superiority and exclusivity in two different areas: spirituality and conspiracy theories.

The psychological (dark triad, propensity to share false information online) and non-partisan/ideological political (populism, Manicheanism, etc.) aspects of spirituality and conspiracy theories are often situational rather than propositional. Reading reported conspiracy beliefs deepens our understanding of these beliefs.

Conspirationality is increasingly pervasive, with extreme right-wing views and the wellness community not being obvious pairings. A recent survey of 5,625 Americans by the Public Religion Research Institute found that 8 (N = 141) of Democrats and 14 (N = 244) of independents surveyed used spiritual warfare to interpret the presidency of Donald Trump. The spirit of doubt that pervades the conspiracy-minded internet is actually a key opening for rational thought, as explained by Jovan Byford.