#conspiracy-theories — Public Fediverse posts

DATE: October 15, 2026 at 08:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
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TITLE: Psychologists identify three distinct profiles of support for free speech

URL: https://www.psypost.org/support-for-free-speech-is-linked-to-conspiracy-beliefs-and-low-trust-in-institu/

People who express the most permissive attitudes toward free speech often harbor stronger beliefs in conspiracy theories and lower trust in societal institutions. These patterns suggest that advocating for unrestricted expression is not always driven by a commitment to democratic values, but might also stem from a deep skepticism toward official narratives. The research was published in Personality and Individual Differences.

Psychologists have traditionally measured support for freedom of speech as a single, overarching attitude. This approach assumes that a person who defends the right to speak freely will do so evenly across all situations. In recent years, researchers have proposed that this support is actually broken down into different categories, depending on the type of speech involved. A person might tolerate everyday disagreements but draw the line at speech that is deeply offensive or threatens social order.

To capture these nuances, researchers have recently defined free speech support across four specific dimensions. The first is tolerance for offensive speech, which involves accepting language that challenges deeply held moral frameworks or sacred values. The second is tolerance for disagreement, or allowing others to express contradictory beliefs that might cause interpersonal tension.

The third dimension is tolerance for heterodox speech. This involves an openness to non-mainstream or unconventional ideas, even those that seem irrational. The final dimension is tolerance for socially divisive speech, which reflects support for public advocacy or protests that could be seen as threatening societal cohesion.

Researchers also suspected that attitudes about free speech might relate to how people view information and authority. People who distrust dominant institutions, such as the government or the news media, might favor completely unrestricted expression as a way to bypass what they perceive as informational control. Nejc Plohl, a psychologist at the University of Maribor in Slovenia, led a research team to investigate how these different dimensions of free speech support combine within individuals. Plohl and his colleagues, Dean Korošak and Boris Podobnik, wanted to see if specific types of people share distinct patterns of tolerance for controversial speech.

The researchers surveyed 563 European adults online. The participants completed a 24-item questionnaire designed to measure their tolerance for the four specific types of speech mentioned above. Participants rated how much they agreed with statements assessing their willingness to allow offensive, disagreeing, heterodox, and socially divisive speech.

Alongside the free speech questionnaire, the participants answered questions about their political ideology, their level of education, and their gender. They also completed measures to gauge their belief in conspiracy theories and their trust in three major societal institutions. To assess institutional trust, participants estimated the percentage of journalists, politicians, and scientists who prioritize truth and public well-being over other interests. To measure conspiracy ideation, participants rated how strongly they believed that official accounts of events are frequently designed to hide the truth.

The researchers first used a statistical technique called confirmatory factor analysis to see if the participants’ answers naturally grouped into the four proposed categories of speech. This method tests whether a set of survey items accurately measures the distinct concepts they were designed to evaluate. The analysis showed that people do indeed view offensive, disagreeing, heterodox, and socially divisive speech as distinct concepts. The researchers found no statistical support for a single, general attitude covering all forms of free expression.

Next, the team used a method called latent profile analysis to sort the participants into groups based on their shared response patterns. This technique identifies hidden subgroups within a larger population by finding people who answer questions in very similar ways. The analysis revealed three distinct profiles of free speech support.

The majority of the participants, making up about 57 percent of the group, fell into a “conditional tolerance” profile. These individuals showed average tolerance for offensive speech and disagreement, but were slightly less tolerant of heterodox and socially divisive speech. This suggests they hold a moderate, context-sensitive view of free expression.

About 20 percent of the participants formed a “low tolerance” profile. These individuals consistently reported the lowest acceptance of controversial or norm-challenging speech across all four categories. They were especially intolerant of offensive speech and basic disagreement.

The remaining 23 percent of the sample fell into a “broad tolerance” profile. These participants expressed highly permissive attitudes toward all forms of speech, including ideas that most people would find offensive or socially destructive.

When the researchers looked at how these profiles aligned with other personal characteristics, several patterns emerged. Men and highly educated individuals were heavily overrepresented in the broad tolerance group. Women were more prevalent in the low tolerance group. Age differences between the profiles were not statistically significant.

In terms of politics, the low tolerance profile leaned slightly more conservative than the other groups. The broad tolerance profile leaned more liberal, with the conditional tolerance profile falling in the middle. The most pronounced differences, however, appeared in how the groups viewed institutions and information.

Participants in the broad tolerance group reported the highest levels of belief in conspiracy theories and the lowest levels of trust in science, politics, and journalism. Conversely, the conditional tolerance group exhibited the highest trust in these institutions and the lowest endorsement of conspiracy theories. The researchers concluded that a blanket endorsement of free speech often co-occurs with an underlying distrust of official authorities.

The study relied on an abstract questionnaire that asked participants how they felt about hypothetical types of speech. People often respond differently when confronted with specific, real-world examples of controversial statements. Because the survey did not present concrete scenarios, the findings represent how people think about free speech in theory rather than how they might react in practice. The researchers noted that individuals might support free speech in principle but oppose it when faced with specific topics or targets.

The research relied on data collected at a single point in time, meaning it cannot determine the direction of the relationship between free speech attitudes and institutional trust. It is unknown whether a deep skepticism of institutions causes people to support unrestricted speech, or if holding permissive views on speech naturally leads to greater distrust of authority. It is also possible that an unmeasured factor drives both of these attitudes simultaneously.

The researchers measured political ideology and conspiracy beliefs using very brief questionnaires to reduce the time burden on participants. While these shorter surveys are common in psychological research, they cannot capture the full depth of a person’s political worldview or their specific conspiratorial beliefs. Future studies will need to use more comprehensive assessments to fully understand how these complex traits relate to free speech attitudes.

The study, “Distinct profiles of free speech support and their demographic, ideological, and epistemic characteristics,” was authored by Nejc Plohl, Dean Korošak, and Boris Podobnik.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/support-for-free-speech-is-linked-to-conspiracy-beliefs-and-low-trust-in-institu/

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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #FreeSpeechProfiles #ToleranceOfSpeech #OffensiveSpeech #HeterodoxSpeech #DisagreeingSpeech #SociallyDivisiveSpeech #ConspiracyTheories #InstitutionalTrust #PublicDiscourse #PsychologyOfSpeech

https://www.europesays.com/iran/328745/ Iranian influence campaign helped spread antisemitism, degrade US institutions #antisemitism #ConspiracyTheories #Diaspora #Iran #IRGC #IslamicRevolutionaryGuardCorps

Kari Lake turns James Talarico’s flu recovery into a ridiculous ‘bottom surgery’ conspiracy theory

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/james-talarico-bottom-surgery-conspiracy

The Endless Labyrinth: Inside the Secret Societies and Elite Networks Shaping Global Power

There is a persistent belief that if you follow the money, the connections, and the coincidences far enough, all roads lead to a single room where the world's true rulers sit. The reality, according to decades of research, leaked documents, and insider testimony, is far more unsettling: the roads do not converge. They loop back into one another in an endless labyrinth—a hydra designed so that cutting off one head produces two more. What follows is a synthesis of the most documented claims about the networks that allegedly bind global power.

The Founding Trident: Bilderberg, CFR, and Trilateral Commission

The modern architecture of elite coordination is often traced to three interlocking organizations. The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), founded in the United States, functions as a foreign policy think tank that has supplied personnel to nearly every administration since World War II. The Bilderberg Group, launched in 1954, is an annual private gathering of politicians, businesspeople, and intellectuals that operates under the Chatham House Rule—no attributions, no minutes. The Trilateral Commission, founded in 1973 by David Rockefeller and Zbigniew Brzezinski, extended this model to include Japan and Western Europe.

What makes these groups significant is not just their individual influence, but their cross-membership. According to official membership rosters, the first Trilateral Commission was composed of CFR and Bilderberg members at a rate of nearly 65 percent. The Trilateral Commission is explicitly described as being linked to, or even forming part of, both the Bilderberg Group and the CFR. Ronald Reagan's 59-person transition team alone included 28 CFR members and 10 Bilderbergers. This is not a conspiracy of strangers; it is a revolving door.

The Secret Societies: Skull and Bones, Bohemian Grove, and the Zodiac

Beneath the public-facing institutions lies a layer of oath-bound secret societies. Skull and Bones, founded at Yale in 1832, is the most famous. Its roster of "patriarchs" includes the names of America's oldest and wealthiest dynasties: Whitney, Adams, Lord, Rockefeller, Payne, Pillsbury, and Weyerhaeuser. Three U.S. presidents—William Howard Taft, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush—have been members. The society's alumni include multiple CIA directors and Supreme Court justices. Its symbol is the skull and crossbones, and it has long been accused of serving as a recruiting pipeline for the intelligence community.

Bohemian Grove, a 2,700-acre campground in Monte Rio, California, hosts an annual summer encampment for approximately 2,500 of the most powerful men in America. Its most infamous ritual is the "Cremation of Care," a mock sacrifice performed before a giant owl statue. Henry Kissinger, the former Secretary of State, has been described as a "high priest" at Bohemian Grove, a claim that circulates widely in alternative research circles. The Grove is not a secret society in the traditional sense—it is a private club—but its rituals and the concentration of power within its gates have made it a permanent fixture in conspiracy literature.

Then there is the Zodiac Club. According to emails from Jeffrey Epstein, the Zodiac is "one of those last secret type societies" with only twelve members at any one time. Membership is reportedly for life: you only leave when you die. Founded in 1868, the club has historically included figures such as J.P. Morgan and his son, along with politicians and military veterans. The twelve members are each assigned a zodiac symbol, and the club's dinners are said to have continued for over 150 years. Epstein's description of the Zodiac Club surfaced in the so-called Epstein files, which have become a flashpoint for claims about intelligence connections.

The Epstein Files and the Intelligence Nexus

Jeffrey Epstein's network is one of the most documented case studies of how elite social circles, financial power, and intelligence agencies can intersect. According to multiple reports, Epstein maintained connections to the "highest levels" of both American and Israeli intelligence. An undercover FBI informant became convinced that Epstein was an Israeli spy. U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated publicly that Epstein "seemed to be connected" to elements of the "Israeli deep state" as well as the "highest levels of American intelligence". The Epstein files document his funding of Israeli groups and his contact with former CIA Director William Burns. Whether Epstein was a CIA asset, a Mossad operative, or simply a wealthy predator who cultivated intelligence ties for protection remains officially unresolved—but the files have made the intelligence connection impossible to dismiss as mere speculation.

The Knights of Malta and the OSS-CIA Continuity

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), a Catholic lay religious order with diplomatic status, has long been accused of serving as a vehicle for intelligence coordination. William Donovan, the head of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the "Father of the CIA," was a Papal Knight of St. Sylvester. William Casey, a Knight of Malta, later became CIA Director. The OSS network in Switzerland during World War II was enlarged to include future CIA figures who were also Knights of Malta. The order's membership lists, when leaked, have been described as reading like a "Who's Who of the global establishment," including heads of the CIA, politicians, and lobbyists.

This continuity matters because it suggests that the transition from the OSS to the CIA was not a clean break but a reconfiguration of existing networks. The same families, the same orders, and the same ideological commitments carried over. The Knights of Malta provided a transnational, nominally religious framework that could operate outside the scrutiny of national governments.

P-2, the 962 Names, and the Masonic Shadow State

In Italy, the Propaganda Due (P-2) Masonic lodge became the most dramatic example of a secret society penetrating a democratic state. When police raided the office of Licio Gelli, the lodge's master, on March 17, 1981, they found a list of 962 names. The list included cabinet ministers, undersecretaries, 30 members of Parliament, 50 generals and admirals, 36 senior police officers, magistrates, journalists, bankers, and business leaders. Italian magistrates described P-2 as a "state within a state". The scandal brought down Italy's 40th postwar government. The P-2 affair demonstrated that a secret society could, in practice, function as a parallel government, coordinating actions across the executive, legislative, military, and media sectors without public knowledge.

The World Economic Forum: "Penetrating Governments"

The World Economic Forum (WEF), founded by Klaus Schwab in 1971, is the most public-facing node in this network. Its annual meeting in Davos brings together heads of state, central bankers, CEOs, and celebrities. But the WEF's own materials describe its function in terms that have alarmed observers. According to the WEF's website, its annual meeting "has become the world's foremost summit for shaping global, regional and industry agendas". The WEF invites its Partners and Members to "engage through its collaborative Platforms, digital interaction and knowledge networks". It describes itself as "the international organization for public-private cooperation".

Klaus Schwab has been described as the "man who could summon kings and captains of industry with a letter". One analysis of the WEF's role states that it "actively penetrated the senior leadership of national governments". The WEF's own language—"shaping agendas," "public-private cooperation," "penetrating"—is not the language of a neutral conference organizer. It is the language of an institution that sees itself as a governance mechanism.

The WEF's current priorities include artificial intelligence governance, digital identity systems, and what critics describe as an "ownership-free subscription society"—a model in which citizens own nothing and rent everything, from housing to transportation to digital services. The WEF has also been a leading advocate for the "Great Reset," a post-COVID economic restructuring framework that its critics view as a blueprint for accelerated centralization of wealth and power.

David Gergen, a presidential advisor to four U.S. presidents and a former CNN commentator, has been identified as a member of the elite network that includes the Trilateral Commission, CFR, and Bilderberg Group. Gergen reportedly resigned from the Bohemian Club and 17 other organizations, a detail that appears in transcripts discussing the interconnectedness of these groups. His career—spanning the Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton administrations—illustrates how individuals move seamlessly between media, government, and private elite networks.

The Hierarchical Pyramid: From Lucifer to the Committee of 300

Alternative researchers have long described a hierarchical structure that allegedly governs the network. At the apex sits the "all-seeing eye" of Lucifer, represented on the U.S. dollar bill's pyramid. Below that is the "inner Rothschild court," which, according to some accounts, serves as the tribunal that rules the Illuminati. The Rothschild family is described as the creator of the pyramid and the ultimate authority to whom even the Council of 13 answers.

Below the Rothschilds is the Council of 13, also called the Grand Druid Council. This body is said to consist of thirteen members who take orders only from the Rothschilds. The number 13 is significant in this mythology: the pyramid on the dollar bill has 13 levels, the Illuminati hierarchy is said to have 13 steps, and the Council of 13 is described as the highest and most sacred number in the religion of the Illuminati.

Beneath the Council of 13 is the Council of 33, and below that, the Committee of 300. The Committee of 300 is described in some sources as the "ultimate secret" body, a group of approximately 300 individuals drawn from the old-line ruling families, intelligence agencies, and financial institutions that coordinates global policy. The Committee of 300 is said to trace its lineage to the British East India Company's Council of 300 and to be composed of individuals who "all know one another".

This hierarchy is not a single organization with a membership card. It is better understood as a framework for interpreting the overlapping memberships, family connections, and shared institutional loyalties that characterize the elite network. The pyramid is a metaphor for a system that is deliberately opaque, with multiple layers of plausible deniability separating the visible from the hidden.

The Hydra Problem: Why the Trail Never Ends

David Rockefeller's 1991 statement at the Bilderberg meeting in Baden, Germany, is frequently cited as an admission of intent: "It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subjected to the lights of publicity during those years. But the world is now more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries."

Whether this quote is authentic or apocryphal, it captures the logic that believers in this network attribute to its architects: a gradual, patient, multi-generational project to transcend national sovereignty in favor of elite governance. The means are not a single coup but an endless series of incremental steps—trade agreements, central banking coordination, public-private partnerships, digital identity systems, and crisis-driven expansions of authority.

This is why the trail never ends. The network is designed so that every node—Bilderberg, CFR, Trilateral, WEF, P-2, Skull and Bones, the Knights of Malta—is connected to every other node without any single node being the center. Cutting off one head produces two more because the system is not a hierarchy in the traditional sense. It is a distributed network with a shared culture, shared personnel, and shared objectives, but no single command-and-control center that can be decapitated.

The result is a labyrinth that is self-repairing by design. Every investigation that uncovers a new connection leads to another investigation, another set of names, another organization. The hydra does not need a single head because it has learned to grow without one.

Conclusion

The evidence for discrete conspiracies—a single room where a cabal decides the fate of nations—is weak. The evidence for a networked elite culture—a series of overlapping institutions, secret societies, and intelligence connections that collectively shape policy in directions that benefit their members—is overwhelming. The Bilderberg Group, the CFR, the Trilateral Commission, the WEF, Skull and Bones, Bohemian Grove, the Zodiac Club, the Knights of Malta, P-2, and the Epstein network are not the same thing. But they are connected by people, by money, by ideology, and by a shared commitment to a form of global governance that operates above and beyond democratic accountability.

The labyrinth is real. It is not a single room. It is a maze of rooms, each one connected to the next, each one with its own secrets, and each one designed to lead the investigator in circles. The question is not whether the network exists. The question is whether it can ever be mapped, let alone dismantled, when its architecture is built to ensure that the answer is no.

Trump’s New Mouthpiece Katie Zacharia Caught Pushing Jaw-Dropping Conspiracy Claims

The incoming White House press secretary’s old posts are coming back to haunt her. Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for…
#NewsBeep #News #Topstories #ConspiracyTheories #donald-j-trump #Headlines #katie-zacharia #MAGA #TopStories #TruthSocial
https://www.newsbeep.com/767091/

https://www.europesays.com/news/86842/ Trump’s New Mouthpiece Katie Zacharia Caught Pushing Jaw-Dropping Conspiracy Claims #ConspiracyTheories #DonaldJTrump #Headlines #KatieZacharia #MAGA #News #TopStories #TruthSocial

Newly Appointed White House Press Secretary Promoted Conspiracy Theories on Truth Social

📰 Original title: 'Sick cannibals': Unearthed posts expose new Trump press secretary's bonkers beliefs

🤖 IA: It's clickbait ⚠️
👥 Users: It's clickbait ⚠️

👇👇👇 https://en.killbait.com/newly-appointed-white-house-press-secretary-promoted-conspiracy-theories-on-truth-social.html?utm_source=mastodon_social&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=killbait.mastodon_social

#politics #conspiracytheories #truthsoc...

Washington Examiner | Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government

Just three years since the brutal Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas on Israel from the Gaza Strip,…
#EuropeSays #Headlines #News #Europe #Europa #EU #Israel #antisemitism #Christianity #conspiracytheories #Judaism #October7 #socialmedia
https://www.europesays.com/iran/325170/

https://www.europesays.com/iran/325170/ Washington Examiner | Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government #antisemitism #Christianity #ConspiracyTheories #Israel #Judaism #October7 #SocialMedia

ICE Emails Discuss Using Palantir-Supported Tool to Investigate Voter Fraud

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.wired.com/story/ice-emails-discuss-using-palantir-supported-tool-to-investigate-voter-fraud/

ICE Emails Discuss Using Palantir-Supported Tool to Investigate Voter Fraud

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.wired.com/story/ice-emails-discuss-using-palantir-supported-tool-to-investigate-voter-fraud/

The Hairbrush

https://bolesblogs.com/2026/10/07/the-hairbrush/

Justice Dept. Turns to Partisans and Conspiracists to Fill Depleted Ranks

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/06/us/politics/justice-department-civil-rights-division.html

Maria Popova: "Make of it what you want but a journalist from a French leftist media outlet contacted me to talk about the theory that the deaths on Maidan were a false flag and when I told her Im happy to explain why this stupid conspiracy theory needs to die, she never got back to me to schedule the interview."

#Maidan #ConspiracyTheories #EuroMaidan

CAM antisemitism report – Israeli heroism inspires antisemitic conspiracy tirade

The latest Global Antisemitism Report highlights 104 new incidents of antisemitism monitored worldwide by the Antisemitism Research Center…
#NewsBeep #News #BreakingNews #antisemitism #breakingnews #CombatAntisemitismMovement #ConspiracyTheories #Flydubaiattemptedhijacking #Israel
https://www.newsbeep.com/757155/

CAM antisemitism report – Israeli heroism inspires antisemitic conspiracy tirade

The latest Global Antisemitism Report highlights 104 new incidents of antisemitism monitored worldwide by the Antisemitism Research Center…
#EuropeSays #Headlines #News #Europe #Europa #EU #Israel #antisemitism #CombatAntisemitismMovement #conspiracytheories #Flydubaiattemptedhijacking
https://www.europesays.com/iran/317110/

https://www.europesays.com/iran/317110/ CAM antisemitism report – Israeli heroism inspires antisemitic conspiracy tirade #antisemitism #CombatAntisemitismMovement #ConspiracyTheories #FlydubaiAttemptedHijacking #Israel

Conspiracies spread blaming Israel for staging flydubai incident

Antisemitism watchdogs reported that online conspiracy theories accusing Israel of orchestrating a false flag operation began circulating on…
#NewsBeep #News #BreakingNews #antisemitism #breakingnews #ConspiracyTheories #Dubai #Flydubaiattemptedhijacking #Israel #SaudiArabia
https://www.newsbeep.com/753719/

Conspiracies spread blaming Israel for staging flydubai incident

Antisemitism watchdogs reported that online conspiracy theories accusing Israel of orchestrating a false flag operation began circulating on…
#EuropeSays #Headlines #News #Europe #Europa #EU #Israel #antisemitism #conspiracytheories #Dubai #Flydubaiattemptedhijacking #SaudiArabia
https://www.europesays.com/iran/314527/

https://www.europesays.com/iran/314527/ Conspiracies spread blaming Israel for staging flydubai incident #antisemitism #ConspiracyTheories #Dubai #FlydubaiAttemptedHijacking #Israel #SaudiArabia

Survey: Over one-quarter of Muslim Americans blame Israel, Zionists for 9/11

A  new survey released on Sunday by the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA) finds substantial…
#Israel #News #9/11 #alQaeda #anti-zionism #CIA #Conspiracytheories #hasanpiker #JCFA #Muslims #september11
https://www.europesays.com/3275928/

Survey: Over one-quarter of Muslim Americans blame Israel, Zionists for 9/11

There has been substantial acceptance of 9/11 conspiracy theories, and many people blame the CIA or Zionists for…
#NewsBeep #News #BreakingNews #9/11 #alqaeda #Anti-Zionism #breakingnews #CIA #ConspiracyTheories #HasanPiker #Israel #JCFA #muslims #September11
https://www.newsbeep.com/748549/

https://www.europesays.com/3275928/ Survey: Over one-quarter of Muslim Americans blame Israel, Zionists for 9/11 #9/11 #AlQaeda #AntiZionism #CIA #ConspiracyTheories #HasanPiker #Israel #JCFA #Muslims #September11

Survey: Over one-quarter of Muslim Americans blame Israel, Zionists for 9/11

A new survey released on Sunday by the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs (JCFA) finds substantial…
#EuropeSays #Headlines #News #Europe #Europa #EU #Israel #9/11 #alqaeda #Anti-Zionism #CIA #conspiracytheories #HasanPiker #JCFA #muslims #September11
https://www.europesays.com/iran/309015/

https://www.europesays.com/iran/309015/ Survey: Over one-quarter of Muslim Americans blame Israel, Zionists for 9/11 #9/11 #AlQaeda #AntiZionism #CIA #ConspiracyTheories #HasanPiker #Israel #JCFA #muslims #September11

Why did Manson keep walking free after so many arrests? This book digs for the answer.
#books #bookreview #TomONeill #ConspiracyTheories
https://smpl.is/an4ir

It’s all bullshit. It’s ONLY about #SelfEnrichment

#RFKJr Drew $4 Million in Book Advances From Publisher Who Also Monetized #MAHA

A new disclosure also shows $210,000 in consulting fees paid to #CherylHines, the “health” secretary’s wife, by one of several MAHA-affiliated groups capitalizing from his agenda.

#PublicHealth #HealthCare #science #medicine #Trump #ConspiracyTheories #disinformation #law #policy #HealthyIfYoureWealthy #SocialCleansing #eugenics
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/23/us/politics/rfk-jr-book-advances-maha.html?unlocked_article_code=1.DVE.HvcR.sPIcWm-B4wFB&smid=nytcore-ios-share

Research Unit sponsored by the #GermanResearchFoundation examines #ConspiracyTheories from a new perspective: EUR 4 million for collaborative research project in #psychology and #CommunicationScience led by #MainzUniversity 👉 https://press.uni-mainz.de/dfg-sponsored-research-unit-examines-conspiracy-theories-from-a-new-perspective/

@dfg_public

#CommunicationStudies #PoliticalScience

"The Kremlin continues to obfuscate Russia’s atrocities in Bucha with increasingly absurd conspiracy theories.

The evidence leaves no room for doubt: videos, satellite imagery, intercepted Russian military communications, survivor testimonies and forensic investigations all provide overwhelming proof of the war crimes committed by Russian soldiers."
- EUvsDisinfo

#Russia #Bucha #WarCrimes #ConspiracyTheories #EUvsDisinfo

I hope #AI does us in in a cool way, like:
- Releasing the killer bees we were promised in the 70s
- Releasing the Kraken
- Expanding the Bermuda Triangle to encompass the entire planet

#ConspiracyTheories #70s

President Bukele’s head of marketing Lina Seiche uses misleading techniques to sell autocracy online

Lina Seiche began as a cryptocurrency influencer, but has risen to become a close aid of El Salvadoran autocrat Nayib Bukele.

https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2026/09/president-bukeles-head-of-marketing-lina-seiche-uses-misleading-techniques-to-sell-autocracy-online/

#ConspiracyTheories #Politics

Probably one of the first #ConspiracyTheories that I believed in (and may have helped spread)... When #PrincessDiana died, I had a bad feeling that the #RoyalFamily wasn''t happy about her dating #DodiFayed. Having been engaged to a Brit, I can tell you that he flew into a rage when, after our breakup, I dated a fella from Pakistani. The hate is REAL!

#CharlesSpencer 's striking claims about the royal fallout following Princess Diana's death

By Mark Phillips
September 20, 2026

"Was it malice? 'I think a lot of people in the British establishment didn't know what to do with this totally rogue but brilliant force,' Spencer said. 'And there were a lot of attempts during her time on the public stage where they tried to suppress her. Diana would call them the 'men in gray suits' – people working for the royal family in particular.' '

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/charles-spencers-striking-claims-about-the-royal-fallout-following-princess-dianas-death/

#UKPol #Islamophobia #WhoKilledPrincessDiana #NoKings #BritishRoyalFamily #KingCharles #QueenElizabeth

So why am I interested in Conspiracy Theories? Why do I write about them alongside spirituality and meditation? Let's chat . . . https://www.xenofact.com/2026/09/19/why-conspiracy-theories/

#conspiracytheories #psychology #culture #spirituality

Why Conspiracy Theories?

DATE: September 19, 2026 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG

** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
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TITLE: Conspiracy theories appear to erode public faith in meritocracy

URL: https://www.psypost.org/conspiracy-theories-erode-public-faith-in-a-fair-society/

When people buy into conspiracy theories, their faith in the fairness of society begins to erode. New research published in Political Psychology shows that exposure to conspiratorial narratives directly reduces the belief that resources are distributed based on merit, equality, or need. The findings suggest that suspicions of hidden plots foster a deep distrust of institutions, coloring how individuals view the basic rules of social and economic life.

Meritocracy is the idea that society rewards talent and hard work. Many political leaders and cultural narratives lean heavily on this concept to motivate citizens and justify existing economic structures. Alongside equality and need, meritocracy forms the foundation of what psychologists call distributive justice. This term refers to the perceived fairness of how a community divides its wealth, opportunities, and resources.

Public perception of these justice principles dictates how well a society functions. When people believe the system is fair, they are more likely to cooperate and follow the rules. Alternatively, widespread perceptions of injustice can foster resentment and social instability.

Researchers have extensively studied how income disparities and social mobility affect these views. Little research has examined how conspiratorial thinking influences ideas about fairness. Conspiracy theories typically allege that malevolent, secretive groups are orchestrating events for their own benefit. Because these narratives frame elites as exploitative and corrupt, they naturally conflict with the notion of a fair society.

A team of researchers led by Qi Zhao, a psychologist at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, set out to test this dynamic. They wanted to know if believing in a conspiracy theory makes people less likely to view the world as fair. The team designed a combination of survey analyses and experiments to see if conspiratorial beliefs alter how people perceive the distribution of resources.

In their first study, the researchers analyzed data from the World Value Survey, a large international dataset. The sample included 90,837 participants across 68 different societies. The researchers looked at survey items measuring beliefs in election fraud conspiracies, such as the idea that rich people buy elections or that television news manipulates voters.

They compared these responses to a question asking whether hard work usually brings a better life. The results showed a consistent negative relationship between conspiracy beliefs and faith in meritocracy. People who endorsed election fraud narratives were less likely to believe that effort leads to success.

This pattern held true regardless of whether a country had a highly democratic government or an authoritarian one. The researchers also accounted for national differences in economic inequality, gross domestic product, and expert ratings of corruption. The link between conspiracy beliefs and diminished faith in meritocracy remained intact across these varied environments.

Because the survey could only show a correlation, the researchers conducted an experiment to test for a causal effect. They recruited 403 participants in the United States for an online study. Half of the participants read a news report about a fictional local government misusing public funds, accompanied by evidence supporting the conspiracy theory. The other half read the same report but with evidence refuting the allegations.

Afterward, participants rated their agreement with statements about how resources were handled in the fictional community. Those exposed to the supporting evidence reported lower belief in meritocracy. They also expressed less belief in the principles of equality, which assumes everyone gets an equal share, and need, which dictates that resources go to those who require them most.

The experiment demonstrated that adopting a conspiracy belief directly lowered perceptions of distributive justice. The researchers also tested potential psychological mechanisms behind this shift. They found that distrust in government acted as a primary bridge, explaining how exposure to the conspiracy theory led to lower ratings of fairness.

The researchers then replicated this experiment with 788 participants in China to see if the effect crossed cultural boundaries. Chinese culture traditionally places a stronger emphasis on equality and need compared to the merit-focused culture of the United States. The scenario in this experiment involved a local government colluding with the media to suppress negative news and control the public.

Just as in the American sample, participants who read evidence validating the conspiracy theory reported lower faith in all three justice principles. They were less likely to believe that the fictional society rewarded hard work, distributed resources equally, or helped those in need. Institutional distrust once again served as the psychological mechanism driving these negative perceptions.

To test whether these dynamics exist outside of civic government, the team conducted a final experiment focused on a corporate workplace. They recruited another 403 American participants and asked them to imagine working for an electronics company. The participants read a rumor that the company’s administration was deliberately hiding the presence of dangerous chemicals to avoid bad publicity.

Similar to the previous experiments, participants received information either confirming or debunking the corporate cover-up. Those in the confirmation group displayed a pronounced drop in their belief that the company operated fairly. They doubted that the administration rewarded good work, treated employees equally, or accommodated worker needs.

The researchers concluded that conspiracy theories degrade trust in administrative bodies, which in turn poisons the perception of fairness in an organizational setting. The effect was especially pronounced for the principles of equality and need. Meritocracy perceptions were also reduced, though they remained slightly more resilient, likely because performance-based rewards are deeply ingrained in corporate structures.

A few caveats apply to how these results translate to the real world. The experiments relied on fictional scenarios to manipulate beliefs, which might not perfectly mirror the deeply entrenched narratives people encounter online or in their communities. Real-world conspiracy theories often tie into long-standing political identities, making them harder to accept or reject based on a single piece of evidence.

The studies focused entirely on conspiracy theories involving powerful institutions like governments and corporate boards. It is unknown if conspiracies targeting marginalized groups or ordinary citizens would have the same effect on perceptions of societal fairness. Future research might explore whether narratives about less powerful groups also erode trust in the broader economic system.

Additionally, while the experiments showed that conspiracy beliefs cause a drop in perceived fairness, the reverse might also happen outside the laboratory. Experiencing genuine unfairness might make people more susceptible to conspiratorial thinking. Examining this cycle could help psychologists understand how institutional distrust deepens over time.

The study, “Not a real meritocracy? How conspiracy beliefs reduce perceived distributive justice,” was authored by Qi Zhao, Jan-Willem van Prooijen, and Giuliana Spadaro.

URL: https://www.psypost.org/conspiracy-theories-erode-public-faith-in-a-fair-society/

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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #ConspiracyTheories #Meritocracy #DistributiveJustice #FairnessPerception #InstitutionalTrust #PublicOpinion #SocialEquity #EconomicJustice #CivicKnowledge #MediaInfluence

Conspiracy theories often originate from a commercial industry that profits from their storytelling, rather than being merely individual beliefs. While real conspiracies exist, conspiracy theories thrive on emotional narratives. #conspiracytheories https://connectparanormal.net/2026/09/16/understanding-the-big-conspiracy-industry/

The positive sides of "Bill Gates has put microchips in me" 🤣
https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/gates-3

#conspiracytheories #ramshortage #chipprices

‘Jews are welcome, Zionist aren’t,’ say owners of Colorado Vietnamese restaurant https://www.diningandcooking.com/us/13126/ #9/11 #antisemitism #Antizionism #colorado #ColoradoDining #ColoradoFood #ColoradoGroceryStores #ColoradoRestaurants #ConspiracyTheories #Diaspora #restaurant #UnitedStates #USA

Ah, yes, the quest for AI-generated mediocrity continues! 🤖✨ In this riveting tale of zero suspense, we explore the mysterious algorithmic forces behind #F-Droid, as if the world needed another conspiracy theory involving lines of code. Spoiler alert: It’s less about AI and more about humans pretending to be AI. 🙄🔍
https://tintotint.eu/whacky-corner/f-droid_slop/ #AImediocrity #ConspiracyTheories #CodeMysteries #HumanAI #Interaction #HackerNews #ngated

More of this please…

#SCOTUS Rejects #Trump Restrictions on #MailVoting

The ruling blocks the Trump admin from dramatically changing how Americans vote by mail in the #midterms.

#law #SeditiousConspiracy #TrumpCoup #ElectionInterference #VotingRights #Constitution #Congress #states #Federalism #ElectionLaw #midterms #elections #VoterSuppression #BigLie #ConspiracyTheories #WhiteSupremacy #SouthernStrategy #JimCrow #USpol
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/09/14/us/supreme-court-mail-voting-trump?unlocked_article_code=1.BFE.FfLd.69AVDQ4wq0IN&smid=nytcore-ios-share

‘Jews are welcome, Zionist aren’t,’ say owners of Colorado Vietnamese restaurant

Denver restaurant Sap Sua drew public scrutiny last Tuesday after social media exchanges on Instagram revealed an account…
#Germany #DE #Europe #EU #Europa #SAP #9/11 #antisemitism #Antizionism #colorado #conspiracytheories #Diaspora #Restaurant #sap #united-states #USA
https://www.europesays.com/germany/90981/

‘Jews are welcome, Zionist aren’t,’ say owners of Colorado Vietnamese restaurant https://www.diningandcooking.com/restaurants/26774/ #9/11 #antisemitism #Antizionism #colorado #ConspiracyTheories #Diaspora #Restaurant #UnitedStates #usa #VietnameseRestaurant #VietnameseRestaurants

Council on Foreign Relations: Ten Resources Debunking September 11 Conspiracy Theories. “Left unrebutted, conspiracy theories can extend their reach, especially through social media as new generations of Americans come of age. So, if you doubt the official story of the September 11 attacks, or know someone who does, check out one or more of the ten resources below. Three are books and reports, […]

Logical Fallacies in Politics: How Bad Arguments Win Anyway http://dlvr.it/TVS79c #conspiracytheories #Gaslighting #mentalhealthandwellness

'Happy 9/11 anniversary, I guess everyone is just insane now.'
– Red-n-Black Salamander

https://www.patreon.com/RnBScartoons/posts/next-generation-169199489

#911anniversary #ConspiracyTheories
#Covid19 #Sept11
#USpol #Politics #Cartoon
#RednBlackSalamander

Five Reflections On The 25th Anniversary Of 9/11

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.pressenza.com/2026/09/five-reflections-on-the-25th-anniversary-of-9-11/

The Trump Alien ‘Disclosure Speech’ Rumors Are Reaching a Fever Pitch

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.wired.com/story/the-trump-alien-disclosure-speech-rumors-are-reaching-a-fever-pitch/

How 9/11 Made Everyone a Conspiracy Theorist

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.wired.com/story/conspiracy-how-9-11-broke-americas-brain/

9/11 Conspiracy Theories That Will Make Your Mind Boggle: From Controlled Demolition To Insider Trading

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://in.mashable.com/culture/113871/911-conspiracy-theories-that-will-make-your-mind-boggle-from-controlled-demolition-to-insider-tradin

" #Antisemitic #conspiracytheories blaming #Jews and #Israel for the September 11, 2001, #terrorist attacks have resurfaced on #socialmedia ahead of the day’s 25th anniversary.

#CyberWell, an #Israeli non-governmental organization dedicated to fighting #antisemitism #online, recently identified numerous posts across #Meta, #Reddit, #TikTok, and #X/ #Twitter claiming Jews had planned 9/11, knew the attacks were coming, or secretly had a hand in controlling the terrible events.

Some of the posts used a juice box emoji to subtly refer to the #Jewish people in a way that would prevent the post from being flagged by the sites' moderation systems, according to CyberWell.

Others were more direct, pairing images of 9/11 alongside the antisemitic “ #HappyMerchant” caricature, explained CyberWell, while others still targeted individual Jews directly, calling them antisemitic slurs and accusing them of being involved in the terror attack."

https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-908360

Charlie Kirk Was Shot a Year Ago. The Conspiracy Theories Are More Rampant Than Ever

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.wired.com/story/charlie-kirk-was-shot-a-year-ago-the-conspiracy-theories-are-more-rampant-than-ever/

"The Official Council of #Swedish #Jewish Communities has renewed its warnings regarding persistent #antisemitism within the #LeftParty ( #Vänsterpartiet), following a fresh wave of expulsions involving local #candidates.

The renewed scrutiny comes after the Left Party removed eight additional candidates from its #electoral lists.

According to reporting by #Expressen and regional media outlets, the candidates faced disciplinary action after internal investigations and journalistic exposés revealed they had shared #antisemitic #conspiracytheories, praised #Russian #President #VladimirPutin, and expressed support for #Hamas.

According to public broadcasts by #SverigesRadio, these latest removals bring the total number of candidates ousted from the party over #antisemitism, #Holocaust denial, support for #terrorism, #homophobia, and praise for authoritarian regimes to 33."

https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-907999

@TCatInReality @thetnholler.bsky.social
Maybe the full truth is that Trump sponsored the 9/11 terrorists to ensure that his building became once again the tallest in New York? 😜
#ConspiracyTheories