Conspiracy theory is normalized schizophrenia


As someone who has a mentally ill relative and studied abnormal psychology, what's always struck me is how conspiracy theory mimics schizophrenic thinking exactly. Paranoid schizophrenics suffer from the persistent delusion that there is a conspiracy. Many of them are so creative that they're able to craft very elaborate narratives with a few scraps of information--narratives, I might add, that sound very convincing because they will often be full of rich detail (like dates, names, places, what people allegedly said or did).

Conspiracy theory is just schizophrenic thinking that has been mainstreamed into American society and repackaged as anti-disinfo. Anti-disinfo agents like Alex Jones saw there was a gold mine in exploiting this type of thinking and earned millions of dollars writing books, hosting radio shows and podcasts pushing it, in the process normalizing it. And now, thanks to them, millions of people have been indoctrinated into thinking schizophrenically, being taught that they're finally unveiling "truths" about why their lives are messed up, they can't get a job or developed things like cancer. (It can all be explained because of The Jews/Illuminati/One World Order, etc.)

They are taught how to develop the disordered thinking of schizophrenics, too, as in how to cull together completely innocuous events and string together a richly detailed narrative about how "they" are "behind" X, Y or Z, particularly how to jump to conclusions about what they are seeing and hearing.

The irony is that as the American and British public becomes bogged down in conspiracy theories, thinking they're discovering "truth", they are being blinded to the real conspiracies around them. They become obsessed with George Soros as great Puppetmaster, but never learn about how Rupert Murdoch in the 1970s-1990s completely dumbed down journalism and media in the US and UK by establishing near-monopolies in both country and pushing his toxic brand of Rightwing politics. They become obsessed with The Illuminati, but never learn about how Neoliberal and Libertarian Elites (the Koch Brothers, Reagan and Thatcher) completely destroyed capitalism. Bottom line, conspiracy theories isn't about uncovering the truth; it's ironically part of the plan to dumb down and confuse the public by teaching them how to think schizophrenically so that like in Orwell's 1984, they can convince themselves that 2+2=5 and really believe it.

reply

Alex Jones is controlled opposition.

And I'd advise you to actually watch this documentary before you keep spouting more psychological fluff.

Unless of course, you are happy keeping your head in the sand. Or perhaps you're too comfortable in your safe space of familiarity and are afraid to venture out in case it comes crashing down with possible hard truths. It's okay if you are like that; some people just dont like being uncomfortable.

But if you really wanna be civilised here, all you gotta do is politely state why this particular documentary is nonsense. And had you been polite, I could have been too by stating a few facts about this documentary; such as why does youtube keep deleting this guys documentary on ALL channels? If theres nothing to truly hide, then why persist on removing the same documentary over and over again? I also would have kindly asked if you had seen the video in the first place!

But nope, instead you come along with your so called expertise on the human mind and start spouting arrogant nonsense with no actual substance. And best of all, commenting on something you haven't even watched yet! Because had you watched this, you'd be saying very different things right now.

With your severe lack of ability to exercise free will and thought, that probably made your relative go mental in the first place!

Can't wait for your response.

reply

And now upon writing this, you've added onto your post with more jargon without still seeing the subject you are commenting on!

You are making this post look like a joke.

And I usually dont reply to simple people, but you, with your desperate act to sound like you got the worlds shit all figured out, is truly truly worth replying too for entertainment.

reply

It's psychological fluff to you because like every crackpot, anything above your educational level confuses you.

And I also sense that you're scared because you recognize a part of yourself in the "fluff" I posted. There are ample studies showing that there's a link between schizophrenia and conspiratorial thinking. But you don't care because you might be schizophrenic yourself and one of the hallmarks of someone suffering from a mental disorder is the inability to recognize that they are suffering from it:

From Psychology Today: Conspiracy Theories Explained
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/200411/conspiracy-theories-explained

From Brightquest
https://www.brightquest.com/schizophrenia/types-of-schizophrenia/

Study links facets of schizotypy to belief in conspiracy theories
https://www.psypost.org/2017/10/study-links-facets-schizotypy-belief-conspiracy-theories-50027

So, call what I said "fluff" all you want. What do have to say to the psychiatrists who've done studies about this? Are they in the "conspiracy," too? As in only claiming that conspiracy theorists are crazy as part of a large cover up?

reply

Someone call Comedy Central! This loony bin is on a roll here!

Where can I sign up to your classes, Sigmund?

reply

> There are ample studies showing that there's a link between schizophrenia and conspiratorial thinking.

Just because you are paranoid doesn't mean they are not out to get you.

The work of a lifetime, "Only the Paranoid Survive" by Intel's Andy Grove is a classic of managerial and leadership skills.

reply

Do you grasp the unintentional irony of your post?

reply

Oh my lol, you got that right, kwestmo. To the OP: Way to disprove your own shit!

The 1st paragraph is somewhat interesting, though misgeneralised and inaccurate, and as such not on point. I'll clarify.

I had an uncle with schizophrenia, and he came up with some wild ideas. I also have friends who have the same ailment, and they sometimes are unable to differentiate between imagination and reality, but not always. The thing with all of them is that when you talked with them about the problems of those lines of creative reasoning, or the underlying paranoia, they quickly see those themselves and are a bit embarassed. It helps all my contacts have been with academics, intelligent people, just ill. I don't want to generalise that, but I will point out that a theory as a term is something that has been tested and there's evidence for it, so maybe not use "theory" to criticise it inaccurately, ok?

I'll also point out that conspiracies have and do occur, they're just hidden from plain sight, othewise they would just be plans and actions. Admittedly actual, certainly large scale conspiracies are not that common, contrary to the massive conspiracy you, OP, claim to be occuring planet-wide. Do you not see how you fall into your own critique, OP?

reply

All of your and other comments are basically attacking the person, nothing of substance or fact here, therefore they are useless, just picking on someone using words you most likely do not even understand.

reply

Bottom line, conspiracy theories isn't about uncovering the truth; it's ironically part of the plan to dumb down and confuse the public by teaching them how to think schizophrenically so that like in Orwell's 1984, they can convince themselves that 2+2=5 and really believe it.


So, belief in conspiracy theories is an indication of mental illness as many/most/all conspiracy theories are false, and as the use of conspiracy theories in public discourse is actually part of a secret plan by a shadow elite working together to dumb-down and confuse the public, thereby making the public easier for them to control?

You do realize that you've presented a conspiracy theory to prove the falsehood of conspiracy theories?

reply

Neoliberals and Libertarians are not a "shadow elite". They've always been out in the open (Rupert Murdoch, the Koch Brothers, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Bill Maher, South Park creators, etc.). The only reason why you called them "shadowy" is intellectual dishonesty. That's all. Or maybe you're just not that well-read. If the latter is the case, it's never too late to learn:

A Brief History of Neoliberalism, by David Harvey:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/183033.A_Brief_History_of_Neoliberalism

The neoliberalism of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan has run its course
https://www.smh.com.au/opinion/the-neoliberalism-of-margaret-thatcher-and-ronald-reagan-has-run-its-course-20170718-gxda42.html

BTW, learn what a conspiracy theory is. If there's actual proof that people are maneuvering behind the scenes to engineer something--and it's borne out by actual fact--then it's not a conspiracy theory to point that out. For example, when DNC HQ were raided, it wasn't a "conspiracy theory" on the part of Woodward and Bernstein to say that Nixon was in on it.

It's the same with neoliberals/libertarians and the so-called "dumbing down of America." It's not a conspiracy theory, because this issue has been well-documented since the 1970s and has been written about to hell and back by scholars, political pundits and even scientists like Carl Sagan, who famously said:

"The dumbing down of American is most evident in the slow decay of substantive content in the enormously influential media, the 30 second sound bites (now down to 10 seconds or less), lowest common denominator programming, credulous presentations on pseudoscience and superstition, but especially a kind of celebration of ignorance.”

Source: https://sciencevibe.com/2017/08/13/carl-sagan-on-dumbing-down-of-america-and-related-quotes-must-read/


One of the people making this claim is also Charlotte T. Iserbyt, who worked as a cabinet member under the Reagan administration.

reply

I notice the word 'Neocon' conspicuously missing from the vocabulary in your posts.

Can I assume your use of Neoliberal is synonymous with Progressive?

reply

No she doesn't

reply

Atomicgirl was making sense for the first three paragraphs, then fell victim to conspiracy theorizing herself. I guess nobody is immune.

And yeah, toxic rightwingers really have monopolized journalism and the media in the U.S. and U.K. From CNN to NPR to the New York Times, those conservative bastards dominate everything!

reply

'Schizophrenics tend to believe in conspiracy theories, therefore all conspiracy theories are false' isn't the most convincing refutation I've ever come across. It's like saying 'hypochondriacs tend to think they're terminally ill, therefore terminal illnesses don't exist'. If 80% of the American public believe there was a conspiracy, does that mean 80% of Americans are schizophrenic?

It seems like the real issue is that you're bitter that people aren't talking about your favourite conspiracy theories. Why is Murdoch as puppet master more plausible than Soros? Because one favours left-wing causes rather than right? Because one's a crusty old gentile and the other's a crusty old Jew? It's kind of ironic that the documentary you're complaining about was broadly anti-neocon.

reply

Epstein said the same thing.

Weird eh?

reply

I bet the more you slam your head into the sand like that, the more likely you are to develop CTE.

reply