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A biweekly discussion about why conspiracy theories and alternative beliefs capture our imagination and gain popularity.
Episodes
Tuesday Jan 29, 2019
Tuesday Jan 29, 2019
Episode 19 - Flat Earth Theory (Part 2)
Howdy Theoryologists. Let’s continue our discussion on Flat Earth Theory. In part 1, we focused on the history of modern flat earth theory, it’s introduction in the mid-nineteenth century, and the contemporary philosophical musings at the time, which were opening up new thought on reality and existence. In our theoryology discussion we explored the beginnings of existential thought being introduced by Soren Kierkegaard, and dove into the psychology of perceptual constancy, which should make us all question our certainty about the “reality” of the world around us as we perceive it to be.
So, we’ve covered perception, and the wiggle room that can give when observing the world around us. But perception only gives us a piece of the puzzle. It gives us the data from observation. It tells us what we see and how things appear. What is does not do, however, is explain how that turns into something we understand to be true. That’s where belief comes in.
Defining belief is a difficult task, and it’s a term that is used in a multitude of ways depending upon context. The term is used to identify psychological phenomenon in conscious thought. It’s used in philosophical discussion to explore the study of knowledge. Beliefs are categorized with qualifiers such as core beliefs and dispositional beliefs. They are separated into groups of epistemological beliefs and religious beliefs. Even the formation of belief is a topic of discussion. All that said, we aren’t going to drill into every nook and cranny of the study of belief, but we do need to understand it superficially in order to discuss Flat Earth Theory. For our purposes, belief can be viewed rather simply. Beliefs are often formed by creating compelling explanations for why something is true.
email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com
Twitter - @TheoryologyPod
Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast
Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology
Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com
Links:
https://alanzosblog.com/beliefs-vs-facts/
http://socialpsychonline.com/2016/11/belief-perseverance/
https://www.theclinicondupont.com/the-neuroscience-of-core-beliefs/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belief
https://www.thealignedlife.co/question-your-reality/
https://www.quora.com/At-what-altitude-do-you-see-the-curvature-of-the-Earth
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/painting-tree-trunks-white.htm
Tuesday Jan 15, 2019
Tuesday Jan 15, 2019
Episode 18 - Flat Earth Theory (Part 1)
This is the theory to end all theories. Flat earth posits that our understanding of earth as a heliocentric globe is, at best, a misguided and faulty understanding of the physical nature of our world. At worst, a concerted effort to propagate a lie, contrary to our observation and perceptions of the world around us.
In this first part of our three part series, it will be helpful to understand the history surrounding the modern origins of flat earth theory. Not just of those that developed and promoted the ideas, but of the current state of thinking contemporary at the time. The 19th century was a time of change, thought, new ideas, and reformations throughout much of the world. Ingrained psychology plays it’s part as well, as usual in our discussions. Notably, the philosophical movements of the time paved the way for openness to new perceptions of reality and existence.
email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com
Twitter - @TheoryologyPod
Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast
Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology
Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com
Links:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absurdism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_Earth#cite_note-144
https://theflatearthsociety.org/home/index.php/featured/Flat-Earth-Historical-Figures-People
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utopian_socialism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Owen
http://www.sacred-texts.com/earth/za/
https://thecreative.cafe/the-paradox-of-absurdity-13543b76d0da
Thursday Dec 20, 2018
Thursday Dec 20, 2018
Episode 17 - The War On Christmas
In 2005 a War On Christmas resurfaced, and took the News Media by storm. Seemingly driven by political correctness, or the frustration thereof, many have drawn political lines seeing the omission of the term “Christmas” in holiday greetings as an assault on the conservative Christian aspects of this holiday season, while other observances, such as Hanukkah and Kwanza are apparently left unscathed. While Christmas, as most of us would recognize it, is a rather modern rendition, the evolution of the Christmas holiday and, in fact the festive observance of the winter season entirely, goes back millenia. Theories abound about the specific religious underpinnings of Christmas, as well as origins of many traditions and iconography of the season. And history shows us that Christmas has been under attack for a long time. In fact, Christmas as we know it, may very well be a conspired invention itself to replace the untamed observance that preceded it.
Ultimately, we celebrate Christmas and the holiday season as we, individually have always observed it, and we do find any attempt to change our perspective extremely upsetting. Well, there seems to be some psychology behind Christmas that might just explain it.
email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com
Twitter - @TheoryologyPod
Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast
Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology
Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com
Links:
https://www.libertarianism.org/media/liberty-chronicles/christmas-conspiracy
https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/War_on_Christmas
https://medium.com/crobox/the-psychology-of-christmas-a3fbccd93197
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_controversies
https://skeptoid.com/blog/2013/12/19/when-did-christmas-become-so-commercial/
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/19/us/war-on-christmas-controversy.html
https://www.influenceatwork.com/dr-robert-cialdini-on-the-principle-of-reciprocity/
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/319/5870/1687
https://www.jstor.org/stable/1251931?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0148296304002000?via%3Dihub
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ulterior-motives/201311/what-does-nostalgia-do
http://www.directcreative.com/influence-and-persuasion-the-rule-of-consistency.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/15/opinion/the-puritan-war-on-christmas.html
https://erenow.com/common/the-battle-for-christmas/
Thursday Dec 06, 2018
Thursday Dec 06, 2018
Episode 16 - The Fluoride Conspiracy
Water fluoridation is a hot button topic, that has proven controversial since the practice began in the 1940’s. The suspicion that rather than the stated purpose of preventing tooth decay, water fluoridation is a practice of involuntary medication and experimentation, and a conspiracy of social engineering that is at best, driven by industrial lobbying to make profitable the sale of industrial waste, and at worst, a concerted effort to affect cognitive function and advance control over a more docile population through chemically induced compliance.
The regulation around fluoride is all about maximums and safe limits. There are no guidelines about adding a required minimum, only about what levels you don’t want to exceed. Does that sound like a harmless chemical? Oh, and guidance given for water sources that exceed the maximums is to notify the public with a specified time, because it is cost prohibitive to remove the fluoride concentrations.
If public water fluoridation is such a profound scientific discovery, then why are more and more people moving to filtered bottle water, or filtering tap water in efforts to remove the fluoride and chlorine, along with particulates and impurities? Seems like there is a commercial benefit to putting fluoride in the water, doesn’t it? Oh, and add to that more and more communities are electing to stop water fluoridation. So maybe it’s over the top to suspect nefarious plots to indoctrinate the public to social medicines, or that the government is trying to chemically placate an entire population, but when the practice goes against your internal risk management, your subconscious precautionary principle, then it’s no wonder the mind moves toward suspicion.
email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com
Twitter - @TheoryologyPod
Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast
Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology
Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com
Links:
https://www.astdd.org/docs/natural-fluoride-fact-sheet-9-14-2016.pdf
https://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/engineering/wfadditives.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_fluoridation_controversy
https://befreetech.com/wp/fluoride/
https://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/statistics/2014stats.htm
https://fluoridealert.org/content/bfs-2012/
http://fluoridealert.org/issues/caries/who-data/
https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/magazine/pipe-dreams-americas-fluoride-controversy
https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/worry-and-a-lack-of-trust-americans-and-drinking-water/
http://www.wcponline.com/2016/06/15/drinking-water-issues-worry-americans/
https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/forced-fluoridation-community-water-supplies-open-letter
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precautionary_principle
https://www.ada.org/en/public-programs/advocating-for-the-public/fluoride-and-fluoridation
https://www.nap.edu/read/11571/chapter/1#iii
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/b331/16d62868c4f22e539e5c5bd2563d23da4eb9.pdf
Wednesday Nov 21, 2018
Wednesday Nov 21, 2018
Episode 15 - The Polygraph Test
The polygraph has a long and tenuous history rooted in efforts to advance interrogation techniques. Currently it is dismissed by scientists, and is inadmissible in court, yet, the polygraph examination is still used by federal agencies, businesses, investigators and police forces.
The lie detector is often used within the realm of conspiracy theory and alternative beliefs as an offering of proof on the basis of honesty and integrity of those making extraordinary claims. But do we trust it? Do we really care about the outcome of polygraph tests, given the controversy surrounding their validity? The truth is, yes we do. We want to put stock in these tests, and we want to have proof put before us.
email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com
Twitter - @TheoryologyPod
Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast
Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology
Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com
Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygraph
https://theintermediateperiod.wordpress.com/2017/09/16/aldrich-ames-on-beating-a-polygraph/
https://www.antipolygraph.org/ceppa.shtml
https://www.counterpunch.org/2013/12/20/the-myth-of-the-polygraph/
http://stlr.org/2018/01/10/does-fmri-lie-detection-have-a-future-in-the-courtroom/
http://clbb.mgh.harvard.edu/deception/
https://brainworldmagazine.com/the-neuroscience-of-lying/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/spycatcher/201203/the-truth-about-lie-detection
http://jaapl.org/content/38/4/446
https://www.nap.edu/read/10420/chapter/5
https://www.vox.com/2014/8/14/5999119/polygraphs-lie-detectors-do-they-work
http://jimfishertruecrime.blogspot.com/2012/03/jorelys-rivera-murder-case-polygraph-as.html
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-human-beast/201303/do-lie-detectors-work
https://www.area51polygraph.com/polygraph
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22467640
https://evolutioncounseling.com/the-need-for-validation/
https://chintanzalani.com/psychology-behind-seeking-validation-need/
Tuesday Nov 06, 2018
Tuesday Nov 06, 2018
Episode 14 - Psychic Detectives
The use of psychic abilities to find answers, uncover clues, find victims and even uncover identities of criminal perpetrators goes way back. In ancient times, those who sought missing persons could consult an oracle or divine with activities such as astrology. By the sixteenth century, dowsing became a practiced means of tracking culprits with the use of divining rods. In the nineteenth century, sensitives claimed to receive information for a crime in their dreams, and at the height of Spiritualism, some mediums claimed to solve crimes through the help of their spirit guides.
Modern psychic approaches utilized pretty much all of these old arts, along with many others. A psychic superstar, Noreen Renier, employs still another old divination technique called psychometry, by which she purportedly gets psychic impressions from objects connected with a particular person. Many psychics claim to use clairvoyance ("clear-seeing”) whereby they supposedly “see” remote images and scenes as if they were viewed on a movie screen. Some psychics even study people’s “auras” or read the lines in their palms.
Psychic detective work has been credited for providing valuable information, if not outright solving, many missing persons and murder cases over the years. Of course, some claims are made only from the psychics themselves, and critics are quick to site the lack of any scientific backing and the failure of many purported psychics when their skills are tested and held up to scrutiny.
Regardless, we are fascinated by the idea of psychic abilities providing investigative support, especially in the most unnerving, unsettling, and unsolved cases.
email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com
Twitter - @TheoryologyPod
Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast
Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology
Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com
Links:
http://articles.latimes.com/1987-03-27/local/me-381_1_murder-victim
http://www.skeptically.org/spiritualism/id10.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychic_detective
https://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/police_psychics_do_they_really_solve_crimes
https://complicatedgrief.columbia.edu/professionals/complicated-grief-professionals/overview/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/because-im-the-mom/201602/the-myth-complicated-grief
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/understanding-grief/201709/ambiguous-loss
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchoring
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-and-praxis/201804/the-uncanny-fear-loss-part-1
Tuesday Oct 23, 2018
Tuesday Oct 23, 2018
Episode 13 - Exorcism
Exorcism, as a practice in some form or another has been around about as long as human beings have been asking themselves why things happen, and it’s never been completely abandoned. Yet, by the mid 20th century, the practices has waned considerably as had public interest. That all changed in 1973 with the cinematic release of “The Exorcist”. This horrific, and terrifying tale, based on a book, which claimed to be based on actual events, scared the pants off of us, and got everyone filling up their bottles of holy water again.
The art of exorcism and demonic possessions are very real for a large percentage of the population. Statistic show that over 50% of Americans believe in the possibility of demonic possession, and current demand for exorcisms have skyrocketed in Europe and Mexico. Clearly there is something happening and people are looking for answers.
Of course, there are criticisms of the practice. While some hold a secular dismissal of the practice as an archaic, medieval throwback, others take a more sympathetic perspective. Those in the mental health fields, psychologists, psychiatrists and fields of neuroscience offer explanation through greater understanding of psychological and physiological disorders that often mimic, symptomatically, conditions of possession.
email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com
Twitter - @TheoryologyPod
Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast
Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology
Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com
Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exorcism
http://historyhole.com/the-history-of-exorcisms/?con=&loc=&utm_source=
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4744643/
https://www.vox.com/2016/10/30/13413864/satanic-panic-ritual-abuse-history-explained
https://thefearandanxietysolution.com/portfolio-items/the-fear-of-losing-control/
Wednesday Oct 10, 2018
Wednesday Oct 10, 2018
Episode 12 - Alien Abductions
The phenomenon, as documented by researchers, journalists, and skeptics alike, over the years, has become pretty well defined in terms of key aspects, and has led to an array of collected testimonies, assertions to either the validity or the incredulity of the phenomenon, and even the occasional conspiracy theory or two.
The terms alien abduction or abduction phenomenon describe "subjectively real memories of being taken secretly against one's will by apparently nonhuman entities and subjected to complex physical and psychological procedures".
Most discussion of the phenomenon focuses on trying to explain the experiences either through proof of the extraterrestial or through mundane terrestial influences and psychological basis. But what about the rest of us? What explains our fascination with alien abduction stories? Why do we want it to be the subject of our movies, tv shows and books? Perhaps it is because it speaks to a root fear. A fear of the unknown.
email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com
Twitter - @TheoryologyPod
Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast
Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology
Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com
Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_abduction
https://www.mufon.com/travis-walton-abduction---1975.html
https://www.mufon.com/betty--barney-hill-abduction---1961.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant%C3%B4nio_Vilas_Boas
http://www.differencebetween.info/difference-between-abduction-and-kidnapping
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0887618516300469
https://www.somewhereintheskies.com/
https://audioboom.com/channels/4938828
https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Alien_abduction
http://www.look4ward.co.uk/weird/tales-of-fairies-modern-concept-of-alien-abduction-experience/
Tuesday Sep 25, 2018
Tuesday Sep 25, 2018
Episode 11 - Workers Buried in Hoover Dam
A worker falls into a pool of wet concrete that’s being poured as part of a major construction project. Before he can be saved, his body slips beneath the surface and he drowns in the thick soup of the concrete.
Pouring concrete is a slow and tedious job, and once “the pour” is started, it can’t be stopped without ruining the whole block, and that section of the project has to completely re-done. So, rather than dig the dead workman out of the concrete pool, construction supervisors and bosses let the body sink further into the concrete, and the poor workman gets entombed forever in the structure he was helping to build.
That's the legend anyway, and it gets told generation after generation when people discover this mega-structure. Is it really just that good of a legend that it keeps going on it's own merits, or is there something else about the Hoover Dam itself that resonates within the public mind?
email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com
Twitter - @TheoryologyPod
Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast
Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology
Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com
Links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortality_salience
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terror_management_theory
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_Dam
https://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/hoover-dam
https://www.sarahwolfe.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/RossWolfe_2015.pdf
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/tomb-of-the-dammed/
http://professorbuzzkill.com/construction-workers-entombed-concrete-myth/
Tuesday Aug 28, 2018
Tuesday Aug 28, 2018
Episode 10 - Q Clearance
The term "Q Clearance" has been in the news because of the QAnon claims that originated out of 4chan and have since gone mainstream. The claim of a Q level clearance, gave "Q" the nickname and is the basis for supposed insider above-top-secret access within the current US Administration. In this episode, we delve into the claim of Q Clearance, and explore the history of security clearance, some of the misunderstanding about holding a security clearance, and the mystery and public concern of those holding high security access. Join me as we explore this highly touted and misunderstood security clearance, known as Q Clearance.
email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com
Twitter - @TheoryologyPod
Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast
Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com
Links:
https://fas.org/sgp/othergov/gss98.html
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2018/07/taming_swamp_critters_with_security_clearances.html
https://www.ndtv.com/topic/nuclear-secrets
https://www.sandia.gov/fso/fso_conferences/2011_FSO_Conference/2011_FSO_OriginQandL.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee_White
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2013/06/09/government-security-clearance/2406243/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/06/06/who-has-security-clearance/102549298/