Since the beginning of settled civilizations, people have had more mutual sharings than ever before. By the same token, there have been some conspiracy theories that are usually against the culturally accepted beliefs of religions, science and society. A conspiracy theory can be described so differently. However, as in his text, Marshall Brain explicates, a conspiracy is generally defined as a theory seeking to explain a disputed case or matter as a plot by a secret group or alliance rather than an individual or isolated act (Brain). Especially, after the new media has become quite popular, more and more conspiracies are theorized every single day, which aim to catch society’s attention via such media tools as the internet, journals and newspapers. Thus, people who theorize those conspiracies tend to use such objects as spiritual and mysterious ones in order to interest people. To illustrate, many examples can be given. For instance, many people have claimed that they were abducted by aliens, although they could show no evidences. Here, a citation from Blackmore could facilitate to understand the circumstance better. She states that people occasionally claim that they have been abducted from public places by aliens, in this case that may provide them with witnesses and affirmations but no evidence could be shown so far (Blackmore). As it is well known, only a small number of people believe such alien abductions, however, rating of this kind of news is quite high on media, because humankind has been wondering if there are extraterrestrial creatures out of the earth. Another example can be conspiracy theories which are about the origins of religions such as the rejection of Jesus Christ. There are some people who pay attention to... ... middle of paper ... ... Corner, Dan. "Ten Areas of Roman Catholic Deception." Roman Catholic fDoctrine. N.p. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. "Data Mining Reveals How Conspiracy Theories Emerge on Facebook | MIT Technology Review." MIT Technology Review. N.p. 18 Mar. 2014. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. Grant, Michael. Jesus: “A Historian's Review of the Gospels”. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1977. Web. Jolley, Daniel. "The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories." The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories. N.p. 22 Mar. 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. Perina, Kaja. “Alien Abductions: The Real Deal?” Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness, Find a Therapist. 1 Mar. 2003. 11 Apr. 2014. Web. Reeves, Thomas C. "The Empty Church." Google Books. N.p. 1998. Web. 16 Apr. 2014. Seaman, Andrew M. "You're Not Alone: Medical Conspiracies Believed By Many." Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 18 Mar. 2014. Web
Another popular conspiracy theory contains the Illuminati society. The Order of the Illuminati was an Enlightenment-age secret society founded by university professor Adam Weishaupt on May 1, 1776, in Upper Bavaria, Germany. The movement consisted of advocates of freethought, secularism, liberalism, republicanism, and gender equality. In 1785, the order was infiltrated, broken up and suppressed by the government agents of Charles Theodore, However, there is no evidence that the Bavarian Illuminati survived its suppression in 1785 (“History of Beliefs”, 2006).
The mass hysteria of UFOs and the Salem Witch Trials share many similarities between each other. Some that were stated were the fact that people claim that they have witnessed UFOs or witnessed a Witch. These claims also lead to the similarities of how people were split in both topics, never agreeing to one side of the hysteria. A difference was also expressed in this paper saying that in the Trials people died compared to UFO sightings where no one died related to them. Overall they share many similarities and differences and there are many more that can be
It has been 42 years since the Nixon presidency was brought to an end by the Watergate scandal. All the President's Men, the movie depicting the Watergate Scandal, accurately portrays the events surrounding President Nixon and the taping of the Democratic
There were several conspiracies about the planes that attacked the Twin Towers. One of the planes left Boston's Logan Airport at 7:59 a.m. The hijackers zoomed the plane into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. The other plane left Logan Airport at 8:14 a.m. The hijackers flew the plane into the South Tower of the World Trade Center at 9:03 a.m. America had stated that 10 planes were suppose to be hijacked on that day. “Providing new details on the planning of the plot, the commission staff said that al-Qaida planner Khalid Shaihk Mohammed initially proposed a Sept. 11 attack involving 10 planes that would be used to attack CIA and FBI headquarters, unidentified nuclear plants and tall buildings in California and Washington state,” (Brunker). Both planes that flew into the Twin Towers were Boeing 767. The plane was 159 feet long. Another thing that seemed odd was that 9,700 gallons when it should usually have nothing less than 14,000 gallons. The engine was found on Murray Street when it should have been right around the Tower. Things were said about the plane being like a missile since the engine was dropped so far from the Towers. According to German TV footage, the planes front nozzle was caught on fire before going through the building. Conspiracy theories state that there were three things attached to the plan that were likely to explode. After the plane went into the building the plan some how exploded making it look like a missile went into the building or some how it was some sort of bomb. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, drew out the plane and the way the plane was flown into the Towers and it did not seem right. The plane propellers of the Boeing 757 were smaller than the hole it actuall...
The day that President Kennedy was assassinated, people started to view the world differently. His death was the first time that a conspiracy theory transformed into a conceivable form of knowledge among the general public. "It was because of Kennedy's death in Dallas that the conspiracy theory was born" (Wensley). It started with an article written ...
Jay Mocks article “Is Santa Clause a Conspiracy?” first appeared on The River Journal website on December 11th, 2009. Mock, an online blogger who has the mindset that there are conspiracies behind many things that go on in the world, seeks to encourage readers to discover whether there is a conspiracy behind Santa Claus. If so, whether or not it is maintained by the lies of parents, and whether or not their intentions are good because they support good, and even so would that still qualify as a bad thing? “We sometimes knowingly lie or overlook a lie if the reason is to support ‘good’” (Mock p4). The legend of Santa Claus can be the lure to which mankind falls into a ploy of conspiracy that may fortify a manipulative mindset and devious conduct in people. This article is a good example of how conspiracy theorist can appeal to readers through persuasion by the use of three kinds of proofs, reasoning (logos), credibility (ethos), and emotion (pathos). Although this article is a great attention grabber, it lacks the ability to impose the authors’ thoughts and feelings upon its readers.
In researching this and many other conspiracy theories, one can see many uses of sensationalism, mainly by the media. This media- the news (local and national), magazines, tabloids, television shows, movies, and so on- has a huge e...
It is hard to believe that a country founded on honesty, hard work, and good morals is involved with lies, deception, and manipulation. Since birth, as U.S. citizens, there has always been an underlying theme to accept things as is. Questioning the way society runs has never been popular. There are very few who actually go against the grain and offer inquisitions when they suspect things are differently than they appear. Rather than dismaying the skeptics or completely trusting the media, everyone should examine the facts individually and question the amount of government involvement and distorted truth in the American people's lives- and particularly in Sandy Hook on December 14, 2012.
For someone with no prior introduction to conspiracy theories, and the lives of frantic conspirators, Conspiracy Theory is a great introduction. Mel Gibson plays a rather smart but paranoid conspiracy theorist, who suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Under the guise of a New York City cab driver Jerry (Gibson’s character,) writes and distributes a newsletter about conspiracy theories.
I’d have to say that it is difficult to view all of the footage of the World Trade Center and not think that some stories that are being fed to us Americans are not the full truth. For all of the events that take place in the world to be so heavily covered by the media, I still don’t seem to grasp a clear picture of what’s really going in the world abroad and neither do the rest of the American people. I believe that the president is to alert the American people of important matters concerning our well being. I can’t help but feel a certain amount of betrayal from our president and administration for not taking further action to stop these planes while they were still in the air seeing that they indeed had prior knowledge of these attacks. I am glad to see that the American people are seeking the truth and I believe that we have every right to ask the government questions. The problem that is posed is the fact that the government is not answering these questions for us nor are attempting themselves to research these concerns that we have.
The Illuminati is not a conspiracy theory; it is a real thing that is happening today. With all the facts and information about the illuminati, it cannot still be considered a conspiracy theory. The illuminati symbol can be seen all over the place in all parts of the world, including famous entertainers that have Illuminati symbols tattooed on their bodies. With all the turmoil on this planet, it will soon collapse. When it does, who is going to take over? The illuminati will take over. The illuminati has been an organization for a long period of time and they are just hiding out and waiting for their opportunity to take over. A secret society is what they are right now, and there are many questions that can be asked about them. What exactly is the Illuminati? Who is involved in the illuminati and who is taking charge? There are various rumors that the Devil has influence and power in the illuminati, but is this really true? These are all questions that can catch one’s attention. The illuminati is a broad subject in which there are many theories about it. Those questions will be answered in the remainder of this paper.
What do you think the outcomes of people collectively believing in these conspiracy theories, on the presidents, will be and how could it affect the future of the government?
“Look, if you think any American official is going to tell you the truth, then you’re
Have you ever thought that the possibility exists that inanimate objects are in fact “plotting against people” in an effort to make our lives even more difficult than they actually are? In “The Plot against People,” Russell Baker, a newspaper columnist and humorist, adopts a wry view of the world in which he gives inanimate objects mischievous aims. As a class assignment, I was called upon to write my own version in the style of Baker.
By taking advantage of others on the Internet, conspiracists threaten the safety and progress of the world. For example, in 1998, the medical journal The Lancet published a solitary study that showed a correlation between the MMR vaccine and autism. Still, 18 years later, it is fueling a worldwide panic that is threatening our entire population. People fall prey to these false ideas, refuse to take vaccines, and ultimately jeopardize the safety of all humans (through herd immunity). Asides from being imperilling, conspiracists are also stagnating. The conspiracy theories they imagine threaten progress, by misleading others in a manner similar to trolls. A few years ago a study was conducted in which a group of participants were shown the movie JFK, a fictional film where Kennedy was murdered by a conspiracy within the U.S. government. The film was not a documentary and didn't claim to include real footage or real witnesses, yet, surveys of the participant's emotions after they'd finished watching the movie showed that most left with feelings of anger and hopelessness, as well as a general unwillingness to accept the official story. In another study, people who heard conspiracy theories about global warming were less interested in lowering their carbon footprint. In both cases, the theory gave them the excuse to do what they wanted to do anyway: give up. And in a world of issues, this mentality is incredibly