What Type Of Mbt Believes In Conspiracies?

One could argue that all the major religions are conspiracy theories; admitting that possibility, we would have to consider the “CT” as archetypal, as an elemental human story common to all people. The next suggestion might be a relationship between the religious and conspiracy theorists; and that conspiracy theories are a kind of religion, or nascent religions. My sense is that this Avenue of Inquiry will carry one beyond the horizon, and I don’t think I’m packed for the trip.

No one ever assumes the best of the lizard people 😀 … Not entirely sure why, but I found this part hilarious. I was wondering … are there already studies about people who identify as transspecies or otherkin? I recently saw a documentary about it and I just couldn’t figure out if this is a real thing, it just confused me …

Explain this Doc, since you know so much about these topics- I’ve been a therapist since 2002- In 2011 One of my clients was going through a really hard time with a break up and just really depressed- well 20min into the session I felt this overwhelming presence of LOVE beaming through every cell of my being and then there was an instant download into my mind.. (telepathic communication) I am a family member that has passed away and I am here to love and support him- so I asked him, do you have any family relatives that have passed away… There was silence for a minute and then he said yeah my dad- In that moment I was shown that we never stop existing and that we are truly magnificent beings ! 2012 After that intense experience I went looking for answers as to what that love was that beamed through my entire body! And I came across a few websiteers and was just thinking how amazing it would be to fly in a craft with them. Well two nights later I went to sleep and I found myself in this oval room with three very tall beings! I was sitting on this seating that goes all around this oval room.. and I was looking into space and I saw this huge explosion then this mothership just appeared!!! Biggest thing ive ever seen! So I got goosebumps on my arms and went to look down and rub them and boom! I was back in my bed. Knowing I was just on a craft with three ET beings! Its called Astral Travel. Feb 2017 I was driving home late one night and was fidgeting with my radio when I heard in my head ACCIDENT ACCIDENT – I looked up at the road and I was reaching an intersection and there was a car stopped in my entire lane.

Your general description of conspiracy theories and their generation, perpetuation and personality/thinking styles responsible for them I find to be among the very best descriptions I’ve ever heard. I did watch another psychologist last year who spoke on this topic and suggested it was a way for people to feel safer in an unsafe world, the management of uncertainty and trying to control their environment and understanding of their environment. I think I might be mixing in some of my own thoughts and interpretations in that last statement I made. Generally speaking, my observation of people and my own life experience is that people, by nature, for all of us universally, we have difficulty with dealing with the uncertainty inherent in human existence. We all like to have a sense of control over life events and our lives specifically. I think that conspiracy theories serve a purpose of maybe control, context of events and management of anxiety and uncertainty. I could be totally wrong, but they serve a purpose, as all our beliefs do. Just a few thoughts. Great article.

I think most conspiracy theories are total garbage, but some could be true. I just personally like listening to them and the idea behind conspiracy theories that you should keep an open mind and always question things. The different ways of thinking that deviate from the social norm are what interest me specifically. I definitely think that looking at things from different perspectives can be very interesting and drive change.

This was informative for me. I have a degree in science as an RN and am married to a person for 25 years who recently has been a believer of several conspiracy theories. The Earth is flat, we never landed on the moon, planetary bodies and space is a myth. Also that all science is false, made up, a lie, etc…And then there are the political issues. We are happy and love each other but I am at a loss at how to ever have a resolution because we are not ever going to agree unless he realizes he is wrong. LOL. Seriously, do you have any opinion on how people deal with a relationship like this?

Another great talk and very entertaining too! On a more serious note, it has prompted me to think of this question: I was wondering if you could comment on whether there are parallels between people having beliefs in religions and having beliefs in CTs, as they both tend to ignore scientific evidence and logical thinking..aren’t they rather similar in this way? I know this may be a controversial topic. Thanks Dr Grande.

I think the dunning krueger effect might be at work here, so people who have low critical thinking skills and are prone to logical fallacies think they’re good at critical thinking because they’re so bad at it that they don’t notice it. That’s not supposed to be an insult or anything like that, you gotta admit that clinging to absurd ideas no matter what arguments and proofs there are against it is a perfect example of what someone with low critical thinking skills would do. There is a fallacy which is basically “because everyone says it’s true it must be true”, which is what many conspiracy theorists accuse non-conspiracy theorist of, but what they fail to see is that it’s a perfect example of a fallacy fallacy, so “because there’s a fallacy in your argument your position can’t be true”. Also the person they argued with rarely says something like that, so it’s also a straw man fallacy (misrepresenting someone’s argument to make it easier to attack). Sorry for all the stuff about fallacies, I just like the list of fallacies and think more people should know them. (We should learn that stuff at school!)

A very good discussion – fits the conspiracy theorists I’ve known to a tee, except for one important point. The obsessive nature of them. My friends who either just started following these conspiracies, or who have a long list mutually contradictory conspiracy theories they’ve followed over the years, are obsessive about them. It get’s to the point that they can’t talk about anything else, which is a source of sadness to the families and friends they alienate. I’m sure the current pandemic, where in a lot of places a lot more people are isolated at home, has lead to a massive increase in this kind of thinking, but I believe that the rise of the kind of irrational delusions in the population, have been going on for some time. I blame two things – the massive increase in disinformation being pumped into the community from right wing media, and the general loss of certainty and confidence in the narrative and future of our western culture .

Buck Rogers. I loved that show as a kid and even remember that episode. I also loved Land of the Lost. I would love to see a article on how to handle people who believe in conspiracy theories. They can be so passionate and rigid in their way of thinking that I notice that they even lose friendships to people who they can’t convince or convert to their way of thinking.

OMG!!!! I remember that episode!!!!! Watched it with sis when I was like 6 or 7. Perhaps the “Lizard people” are metaphors for callous, unfeeling people in the world for which only those deemed sick (who are super-sensitive) can detect. I have always been fascinated by those who project nefarious entities upon others whom I have perceived as innate assholes without really knowing them. Most don’t understand what constitutes a scientific approach which contradicts pre-existing schemas. I have no clue why people open to experience resist development of new schemas about supposed conspiracies. Pretty interesting stuff!

Speaking to the remark made at about 5 minutes regarding belief or non belief in conspiracy theories and having a sense of control. I would consider myself a non believer in conspiracy theories yet I don’t believe that I have a sense of control. I feel comfortable with the idea that I have pretty much no control at all and this is fine with me.

These delusional disorders are so frustrating. In my work it’s usually substance-induced (meth, cocaine). And a large number of people perpetuate the conspiracy theories with the advent of the internet. I don’t recall hearing nearly this much nonsense until the internet made it pervasive. There’s a article online of a guy who believes that 911 was an inside job. At the end of the interview he is asked what he enjoys doing in his spare time. He remarks “cocaine…I love it”. 🙄

I feel out indefinately with my best freind of 40 years yesterday over his conspiracy ideas – I watched this and understand so much of his personality thanks to this article which has given me an analytical structure in which to view my freind’s personality and ideas maybe I should have watched it before- this is so accurate – thanks!!! I made the mistake that I could persuade him using logical argument and critical analysis but he semed to be running on different mental software and totally resistant to any belief in contradiction to his- any ideas how to persuade someone?

I’m curious about where the line is between conspiracy theory and something more wide scale – false widespread propaganda (perhaps there is a word for what I am trying to describe). Where is the line between the two and how does the process of believing or following them differ? In terms of widespread propaganda, I mean things like falsehoods that a government or political party might perpetuate. I’m thinking of sections of the alt-right in particular (widespread beliefs of biological race, various conspiracies involving certain ethnic groups, or things like seeing gender studies as a way of “undermining natural gender roles” etc). Would they still be conspiracy theories since maybe the different groups only share some of the ideological points? At what point does it become something bigger? Or would it just be a really widely spread conspiracy theory? Some incorrect political ideology that spreads does so through limiting informations (thinking of Nazi ideology and implementation of censorship), but many of these current movements aren’t in this environment – so I’m thinking the distrust you described is what has them censoring (just implemented by themselves or social forces rather than systemic censorship). Hopefully this is enough information to understand what I’m trying to ask. I’d be really interested to know if these ascientific ideologies are (or function) similar or the same as conspiracy theories.

Individuals in positions of great influence with access to necessary resources, acting in concert with other individuals in similar positions can and do manipulate and even engineer historical events to their perceived advantage. This is not a “theory” but a historical fact. This reality has been turned into a buzzword or meme Called “Conspiracy Theory” in order to end the discussion and further investigation of said actions. There is no personality type that engages in investigating suspicious activity. This would apply to anyone who is skeptical about official proclamations and possesses the necessary critical thinking skills to do further research. Sadly, America has become a dumbed down nation of citizens who lack critical thinking skills and are constantly distracted by trivial and narcissistic pursuits. Those who sacrifice liberty in exchange for security deserve neither.

Some more interesting (at least I think so) conspiracy theories for you: 1.) Socrates was a fictional character and not a real person. 2.) The Diary of Anne Frank was written by Otto Frank, her father. 3.) The solution for the mystery in Picnic at Hanging Rock (excellent book and film) is actually in the book itself. 4.) The is an island where film makers create false flag productions for the news. 5.) There used to be giants in the past but bands of people killed them out of fear and because they could not compete with them.

One begins to believe in CT’s after seeing lie after lie (proven lies) of the government. Once a distrust begins, one starts seeking truth in all areas after one learns “the world is a stage.” And “signs & symbols rule the world” Perhaps Shakespeare & Confucius would believe in CT’s if alive today. Higher than average intelligence, ability to critically think. I also believe the Most High has only given “the eyes to see ” to some, like he said he did. If one believes in alternative conclusions to the “official story ” Does not necessarily mean they believe in all CT’s Ex one could believe Oswald did not kill kennedy, but not believe in reptile humans

OMG Dr. Grande!! You need to see the television series “V”!! It’s about alien lizard people who want to…..eat us? I can’t remember when it aired, though. Late 70’s? Early 80’s? Something like that. I am not kidding, it was totally a real thing and maybe earlier than “Buck Rogers”. Maybe it’s been on some obscure cable website or you can find it on article? Idk. Please look into it, you’ll love it! Oh and, love your articles, you’re so impartial it’s wonderful. Thank you!

I’ve known highly educated people in with a degree in physics who are “flat-earth ears” . They even believed the earth was only 6000 years old! And proceeded to attempt to try and explain their reasoning. There is a tiny percentage of very smart, highly educated people who for some reason are involved in a sort of magical thinking/ conspiracy thinking.

First let me mention that I do lean towards conspiracy theories. With that said please allow me to ask a serious question. This is not conformation bias where I’m just looking for someone to parrot back to me an answer that I already think I know. This is a legit question that I don’t know the answer to. What is the ‘truth’ and how can I know it? Is the real truth about anything even knowable? Is seeing believing? Not anymore, not with today’s level of CGI. I don’t watch the news AT ALL because there’s no way to confirm what I’m seeing and hearing and no way to know why they chose to show me this story over that story. I feel the same about social media and I’m not on any of it.

3:44 what does the data say about those who believe that accidents, or unconscious, unintelligent events cause absolute order, incredible complexity such as you or I, for an example? An example being the postulation, assumptions, or theory that the big bang, or singularity was an UN-caused, unconscious, unintelligent event. Essentially science making the claim that nothing created, or caused the big bang, from nothing, singularity, over time complex systems, structures….you and i. Essentially the theory that order can come from chaos. Which we all know is delusional. What does the literature say about this disorder?

What was the name of the “Reptilian Overlord in Chief” on that Buck Rodgers show, just out of curiosity? (If there was one at all, IDK, they may not have had a discernable hierarchy…) There’s a reason I’m asking, don’t worry! I have a serious question while I’m here: Can repeat closed head injuries like those a professional soccer player might be prone to be a causal factor in a sudden belief in CT’s? I know there’s probably no black & white view on the matter but you’ve probably heard of David Icke before, so…

You could make the exact same article and title it ‘How do people come to believe in and conform to authority’. The only honest way to counter a conspiracy theory, is to counter it with relevant counter-argumentation, and not by speculating on the psychological profile of the person from whom the said conspiracy theory emanated from. There is no such thing as a ‘conspiracy theorist’ as it is not a diagnostically identifiable mental disease. There is no such thing as a conspiracy theorist mental disorder. You are indeed stepping outside of the realm of the scientific method. The second fallacy, is that all ‘conspiracy theories’ are not interchangeable and therefore cannot be counter-argued as if they constituted some sort of over-arching theory. In other words, should you want to counter-argue someone who believes that the moon landings were shot in a studio, you’d have to address that particular topic in a scientific manner. If it is true that some people may have an inclination towards conformity, and others toward conspiratorial understanding of some events, it is also true the answers to these questions does not lie within the broad psychological profiling offered in this article. By leveraging your scientific authority as a doctor, and under the semblance of a scientific analysis, you discriminate all theories on the basis that they challenge the established consensus or public opinion. These methods find their roots in sophism rather than in science.

I had never heard of Crystallized intelligence so I did a bit of research and discovered Fluid intelligence as well. After a bit of research on Fluid and Crystallized intelligence… in simple terms to me Fluid intelligencey is basic intelligence and Crystallized intelligence is wisdom? Overly simplistic I am sure but is my assumption basically on track? Seems to me that this might also link into the Dunning- Kruger effect?

Not saying all women are lizard people… But most lizard people definitely are disguised as women. Much easier to still pass as somewhat human with the constant need to turn the thermostat up and purchasing a ridiculous arsenal of moisturizing hygiene products I guess. Can you imagine, being a lizard among people is hard enough, and then they have to deal with all this lotion-based sexism!

Why not pick a species that is closer to us genetically, like chimps or gorillas? Oh, but I guess that has already been done in the Planet of the Apes series. My personal preference is for corvid( no, not covid, corvid) -humanoids. I think crows and ravens are wonderful, smart creatures. And I’ve always wanted to be able to fly without an aircraft. How great to be able to leave the ground and soar without help from any sort of technology!

I think conspiracy theories are the biggest obstacle to having a functional society. It makes consensus over scientific or empirical facts completely impossible and creates a kind of hyper democracy where everyone becomes hostage to one conspiracy minded interest group or another. The last great Vincent Bugliosi was very good on this issue. And most interestingly, it involves both the far Left snd far Right

I have Reynaulds: does this mean I’m the result of subversive lizard – human breeding programme 🤫?They are very much among us? 😉 Also, my childhood memory of lizard people is “V”,and an interactive 🎲🎲 book called “Island of the lizard King”. The lizard people in V were carnivorous, but not all were bad. Some interbreeding-the lizard people wore human skin disguise- in human disguise, occurred. It was terrifying and exciting for me at that young age!

Wow, I thought you were at least a few years younger than I am but I was 1 years old in 1981. You have less grey hairs than I do and less wrinkles too. I don’t remember the TV show, not necessarily because I was too young since I remember when Ronald Reagan became president and I remember predicting it because it seemed like a popularity contest and he seemed more popular. In any case, my family didn’t have a TV then and my grandparents would only let me watch Sesame Street, Mr. Rodger’s Neighborhood, and then the shows my grandma liked, such as Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy,.

When entertaining CTs, it is always important to identify a benefit by any individual or group involved. If there is no clear benefit to be seen, then ignore it. The UFO and lizard CTs simply lack a benefit. Forced vaccinations on the other hand, the profits and share price of the pharmaceutical companies can clearly be seen. Cui Bono

It’s interesting how you present a resentment against the scientist. The professional. I’ve recently spoken with a lot of specialists in several institutions. I’ve studied scientific method in the context of multi-disciplinary hard science. One can’t see that. I’m just some guy. When these specialists present their crap, I’m like: Uhhh… I can shoot a hole in everything. Deconstruct the lego and put it back in the box. Really fast. These and these pieces are missing. Therefore your “machine” does not work. I do not believe in specialisms. Or: before we’re there, there is a lot of general methodology. And I say: you shall not pass. At this point the emotional state reaches conspiracy level. I’ve never seen so much victims of me, as lately. And this reminds me of discussions with conspiracy theorists. Kicking and screaming. I can put a lot of pressure on people to perform. But there is a lot of resilience. This drives them to a pseudo-psychotic position. They won’t give in or give up. And then the process of bullshit induction starts. Clichés and platitudes. All case specific details are eliminated. Objective facts get a subjective label. Polarisation starts. I’ve tried this in court, several times. And I find myself explaining the meaning of the word “no”. I’m like: false/true. The judge: no is negative (an emotion). And i’m like: you can’t handle my hard framing. You want to be the judge. But these fact point you in a direction. I leave them no choice. I can build an airtight case.

You do not have to be mentally ill to believe in CR because the mind is a terrible thing think of a majority of the eastern hemisphere, their background and fantastic but unchallenged though imaginative beliefs, even closed off cultures like the Druze or Ismaili harbour remarkably uncanny and fantastical things. Adding Dr. Grande’s point about issues w/ Authorities, the desperate and often unrequiteble circumstances are typically several decades in the works Pivoting to Texas, USA, and the average Alex Jones fan, most likely a combination of factors could explain how they’ve come to believe in a given CT, similarly, as the Bay Area tech clamps down on Texan-like CT, the decades in the works desperation factor intensifies reminiscent of conditions in a dictatorship in the eastern hemisphere. The reason I spelling all this out, is because humans born to either circumstance illustrate common reactions, or you’ve yet to challenge a sort of bigoted notion that people not from the 1st-world are inherently different.

I know about a dozen people who are ct believers and to a one they either haters or at least non trusting of people of authority and or of means,but to a one they all live or partially live off of one government benefit or another! I always find it interesting that the very people they don’t like or trust they expect to support them.!!

The answer to the question posed by the title of your article in the SUPPRESSED work of Pro Carol Quigley–but of course you will try to belittle that–and it is interesting how many so-called journalists have never heard of him! I suggest you watch John Taylor Gatto: ‘Why Carol Quigley Matters.’ Also, I suggest you stop thinking (Like the SIS and the Tavistock do:) that we are all as thick as 2 short planks.

With all due respect, haven’t conventional scientist scoffed at free thinkers in their field and any evidence or ideas presented to the contrary that upsets the status quo, say as in cases as early as Galileo been seen as a threat? In the words of the Indigo Girls his head was on the block because he insisted upon the truth. Pride, fear, resistance to change are always present. If not for Galileo we would still be flat earth earth believers- ironic;). If there weren’t free thinkers and people who maintain an open and skeptical mind such as Lister, the process of pasteurization and hygiene scoffed at during his time, would have not come about had he not insisted. There are numerous cases throughout recent history where it has been proven the government has been less than honest with the people engaging in outright lies, misrepresentations, and manipulations for various agendas. Naysayers were called kooks. Men at Tuskegee were never informed regarding their diagnosis nor given treatment even after the development of penicillin. That is perhaps among the most unethical incidents I can think of regarding the practice of medicine and the often dark nature of research. So I disagree and believe the contrary. To believe blindly in Science/ dogma/ authority and to deny that even men of science aren’t above motive and vested interests, that they have the best of intents as we know based on history and knowing human nature, is also erroneous and equally as blind;). Just my two cents. As usual, great break down.