Symbol Eye Illuminati Secret by WikimediaImages licensed under Public Domain.
What are Conspiracy Theories?
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Conspiracy theorizing is not about the technical facts of a situation, but rather about putting meaning to the context of a certain situation. In simpler terms, conspiracies come from people wanting meaning or blame for a particular event. They typically focus on a specific person or small group of people. They work to find intention or motive behind the acts. They do this by piecing together bits of information in a way that makes sense to them. |
General Belief in Conspiracies
Conspiracy theorist are similar to pranksters, hoaxers, and con artists in how they decept people and exploit one's beliefs. Many conspiracies combine real historic events with their cons and pranks which is what provides the basis of belief.
Many theories are built to specifically target people that have certain beliefs. For example, early versions of the Illuminati conspiracy targeted religious conservatives who would agree with some of the wild ideas presented to them, regardless of if they were completely true or backed with evidence yet. |
All Seeing Eye Providence Masonic by John Rosa under Public Domain.
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Early Believers
Tarot Card- Eye of the Illuminati by James Oliver Bridge under CC-BY-SA 4.0.
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The Illuminati started in 1776 and by 1782 it had reached 300 members. By 1784 it skyrocketed to three thousand. Shortly after this date, the Bavarian government outlawed secret societies which is where the real followers of the Illuminati end. Also, in its early stages, people believed that the Illuminati was a group of people that were privileged and were blocking opportunities for the general public. Because of this reason, people of lower class in society were more likely to believe in the group simply so they would have someone to blame. Many people that wrote about the Illuminati and expressed their beliefs in it all shared the same characteristic of being paranoid. The paranoia affected all aspects of their life. |
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The Illuminati started out as a very strong theory. The group was credited to starting the French Revolution, which is a very large claim against them. While the group is still considered alive today by many, its aspirations have lowered a lot and they are typically only thought to be involved in celebrities lives.
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Current Demographics
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Illuminati Triangle Eye by the US Government under Public Domain.
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Citations
Anderson, J. (1996). Conspiracy Theories, Premature Entextualization, and Popular Political Analysis. The Arab Studies Journal, 4(1), 96-102. Retrieved April 20, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/27933679
Green, Hank. [SciShow Psych]. (2018, Feb 5). Why Do So Many People Believe in Conspiracy Theories?. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru4yrQFH1Uc
McLeod, K. (2014). Meet the Illuminati. In Pranksters: Making Mischief in the Modern World (pp. 94-113). NYU Press. Retrieved April 2, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9qff1p.8
Tonniges, K. (2015). The Truth Is out There. Publishers Weekly, 262(37), 54.
Wang, A. (2019, July 23). 15% of registered voters say they believe the Illuminati exists. Retrieved from https://www.insider.com/over-1-in-10-registered-voters-believe-the-illuminati-exists-2019-7
Green, Hank. [SciShow Psych]. (2018, Feb 5). Why Do So Many People Believe in Conspiracy Theories?. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru4yrQFH1Uc
McLeod, K. (2014). Meet the Illuminati. In Pranksters: Making Mischief in the Modern World (pp. 94-113). NYU Press. Retrieved April 2, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9qff1p.8
Tonniges, K. (2015). The Truth Is out There. Publishers Weekly, 262(37), 54.
Wang, A. (2019, July 23). 15% of registered voters say they believe the Illuminati exists. Retrieved from https://www.insider.com/over-1-in-10-registered-voters-believe-the-illuminati-exists-2019-7