Helping People Escape a Rabbit Hole of Conspiracy Theories

Interacting with someone who believes in conspiracy theories such as chemtrails, flat earth, and reptilian aliens can be frustrating, especially for families and friends. It is difficult not to become impatient and react with anger. Even more frustrating, using logic and reason to convince a believer that their belief is wrong typically backfires. Cognitive dissonance kicks in, forcing the person to double down on their beliefs and dismiss any contrary evidence as “fake news.”

How can any sane person fall prey to such beliefs? Lack of understanding about how undue influence works might lead to the assumption—incorrect—that such a person must be stupid or gullible. Otherwise, who would believe aliens have landed on earth or microchips are put into vaccines to gain control over people?

The proliferation of misinformation online and vlogging pundits masquerading as news sources has thrown our culture into a chaotic blend of half-truths, fabrications, and an epidemic of failure to check sources. Reliable sources are pejoratively dismissed as “mainstream,” while conspiracy narratives spread virally across social media. One result is arguments that are not only splitting apart families but endangering our democracy.

My work in cult deprogramming focuses on understanding and undoing the effects of undue influence, and I always research online sources of indoctrination. Some authoritarian cults, like QAnon, have been incorrectly portrayed in the media as merely a conspiracy theory. QAnon is far more than a belief; it is a PSYOP, a deliberate psychological operation to control behavior, information, thoughts, and emotions (BITE).

QAnon started as a joke, gained the involvement of Russia and disgruntled American military intelligence officials like Michael Flynn, and now has the goal of polarizing Americans, sowing discord, and undermining trust in America’s leaders and institutions, for example in asserting that Democrats are traffickers and pedophiles. QAnon narratives borrow heavily from that motherlode of conspiracy theories, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a fabricated text first published in Russia in 1903. According to scholars who closely track the group, QAnon has recently splintered into a variety of groups. Warning: They now avoid “QAnon” but use “UltraMAGA” when communicating on social media.

Understanding who is doing what and how it works will be crucial to saving democracy. Political polarization and widespread belief in online conspiracy theories amplify distrust, uncertainty, and feelings of helplessness. Until we learn to talk to each other openly, we are doomed to a poisonous level of societal polarization between those who believe these conspiracies and those of us who think they would never be so “stupid.” Interestingly, conspiracy theory debunker Mick West, author of Escaping the Rabbit Hole, has arrived at similar observations on what works to help people reevaluate their current beliefs.

Humans are hard-wired to seek order and meaning in a way that gives them a sense of mastery over their lives. It is usual for humans to look for confirmation of already held beliefs and to want to feel special. As social beings, humans are very susceptible to psychogenic contagion. Under the right set of circumstances, anyone can “catch” a conspiracy theory that provides a simple explanation for a situation that is, in fact, much more complex. Millions of people can access quick and easy answers to life’s most profound complexities with a simple click of a button. But who is providing what information, and how trustworthy are the sites and the information?

I have developed a Strategic Interactive Approach (SIA) that aligns perfectly with Mick West’s advice.

● Patience: Helping someone regain the ability to think for themselves and be willing to give up a belief that has sustained them is not a quick, one-shot process. It takes time!

● Respect: Treat the person with respect. Understand that your beliefs likely seem as odd to them as their beliefs are to you. Ask them to explain their understanding and avoid making judgments.

● Integrity: The purpose of intervention is to free the person to think clearly for themselves. This is best accomplished by asking questions that help the person to reflect and reality-test. It is legitimate to feel good about it when allowing someone to do that. But it is essential to take your ego out of the situation.

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● Self-Awareness: Understand where your beliefs come from and be open and honest about their validity. Be willing to change your beliefs if there is evidence to do so.

Countering Efforts by Bad Actors to Polarize People

Without U.S. government regulation on data privacy and clear guidance for social media platforms, conspiracy theories and disinformation of all kinds will continue to be a huge problem. While belief in conspiracy theories is certainly not new, social media sites have given them an almost unlimited audience. Interestingly, China, Russia, and other dictatorships control what information their citizens can access.

Distrust of government is sometimes warranted, and healthy skepticism is not necessarily wrong. However, rampant conspiracy theories are dangerous because they fuel unwarranted distrust, confusion, and suspicion. This distrust significantly reduces willingness to consider the common good and causes a severe breakdown in civil discourse and cooperation.

Being willing to pursue truth by identifying reliable sources of information and being open to complex explanations are critical. The survival of our democratic way of life depends on it.