A Recipe for Conspiracy: How conspiracy theorist look for a desired outcome

When discussing conspiracy theories, the fact of the matter is that a "conspiracy theory" is simply a hypothesis of what could have happened.

Remember; the way you approach the evidence usually determines your outcome.

And conspiracy theorists usually tend to have a desired outcome in mind when explaining a conspiracy. Truth is what a theorist looks for, but conspiracy involves secrecy, and the desire to uncover truth becomes greater because of the secrecy.

Here is where the problem begins...

Conspiracy theorist already have an answer in mind when approaching evidence. But unlike a scientist who uses evidence to dictate a conclusion, a conspiracy theory uses evidence to shape a conclusion.

Much in the same way a lawyer is picking and choosing the evidence to shape their argument and make it stronger.

Seeking out a possible explanation for 9/11 or JFK's assassination can become a never-ending search because each new piece of evidence creates a deeper conspiracy, and can potentially lead us further from the truth. As I mentioned earlier, conspiracy theories are just a hypothesis of what could have happened.

But once truth is found, does a conspiracy theorist stop looking for answers? What if they are not satisfied with the results? And what kind of results are satisfying to a conspiracy theorist; the most outlandish story or the most sensible hypothesis?

Obviously, conspiracy theorists desire something when searching for an answer. But that something is "truth" only as they would understand it.

Movies 4 Your Mind: The Bourne Identity

One of my favorite movies, The Bourne Identity is an action-packed movie staring Matt Damon. This film delivers the thrills of a conspiracy led plot and entices the mind with the ideas of government mind control and behavioral programming.

A former government assassin that has to work his way out of danger in an attempt to find his memory and identity, The Bourne Identity shows us a side of the government that conspiracy theorist have speculated on for many years. The film is action-based, but the ideas it illustrates has an eerie undertone and allusion to the government's MK-Ultra experiments.  Enjoy the trailer.

Bourne Identity Movie Trailer

Manchurian Candidate Pt. 2: Project MK-Ultra and the government's conspiracy to control our minds

A C.I.A. based experiment that started in the 1950s, MKUltra (a.k.a. Project MK-Ultra) was a top-secret scientific operation that looked into the modification of human behavior. This project later worked on developing a truth serum, along with the experimenting on mind control.

Even though most of the project's files were destroyed, the remaining files were declassified in 2001. The public began to learn more about the governments experiments with mind control, and further add belief to many conspiracy theories.

This infamous project revealed how the government was conducting experiments using drugs and hypnosis on citizens without their consent. The projects overall focus revealed to have been on programming behavior and control of the mind.

Documentary clip on the history of MK-Ultra

MK-Ultra has a very dark history that many people have studied and become intrigued by. With the public learning about this secret government project, conspiracy theorists began to acknowledge certain aspects of conspiracy within this project.

JFK, RFK, and any other suspected assassination plot would be dissected again, except this time, the conspiracy would have evidence to support the idea of government involvement.

A "Manchurian Candidate" would become the focus of these theories and lead theorist to believe that the assassins were programmed to commit the crimes.

Testimony about the MK-Ultra experiments

Project MK-Ultra has been looked at by many once the remaining documents were declassified. But the paper trail that this project left behind seems to only bring up more questions.

Conspiracy theories look for evidence, to arrive to their understanding of truth. The further we explore evidence, the more evident it becomes that interpretation only leads to conspiracy when there's no conclusive answer.

MK-Ultra gave conspiracy theories an idea to work from, but the knowledge of this project has only led to more conspiracies than it has answers.

Conspiracy in the Rubble: Truth behind the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing

At 9:05 a.m. on April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh detonated a bomb at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 people and injuring over 680 more. The bomb was built by McVeigh and co-conspirators, packing 108 bags of highly-explosive fertilizer into a rental truck, and parked it outside of the building minutes before the explosion. This was considered the deadliest terrorist attack in America until 9/11.

After McVeigh's arrest, the other accomplices were detained, and the investigation proceeded.

Even though the outcome of the investigation concluding that McVeigh's bomb was the cause of the entire destruction, evidence and tests have led many to believe that something bigger was in play. Based on evidence, experts have suggested that there were more explosive devices used in this bombing, inside the building.

This federal building housed not only D.E.A. and A.T.F. offices, but a child daycare as well.

The documentary, A Noble Lie touches on the evidence that many investigators ignored, and have continued to ignore throughout the years.

Within a year of the bombing, the Anti-terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 was passed. On June 2, 1997, Timothy McVeigh was convicted and sentenced to death.

Conspiracy theorist have claimed that the bombing was an inside job, in which the government may have been involved or had knowledge about it. The evidence left from the destruction suggest that Timothy McVeigh was not the lone culprit in this attack, even though he was the only assailant sentenced to die.

These theorist feel that McVeigh was a scapegoat in this event, in order to create paranoia within the public and help the Anti-terrorism Act of 1996 pass through office.

The act impacted the habeas corpus in the United States, which effected the appeals process of the court system.

McVeigh was eventually convicted, without much of an appeal process, and sentenced to death. Even with the evidence gathered from the rubble suggesting that he was not acting alone, his accomplices could not be directly linked to committing the attack, and were only charged with aiding.

McVeigh claimed that this was an attack on the government, an even though it proved apparent, the ultimate truth is that the size of the bomb he placed in the moving truck could not cause such destruction.

Timothy McVeigh would eventually be put to death on June 11, 2001.

Whether the government was involved, or knew about the attack prior to the bomb going off, the facts show that bomb could not have done such damage.

Though it was an act of terrorism, the public has been led to believe that everyone involved has been prosecuted and convicted.

Movies 4 Your Mind: Arlington Road

In my previous post, I discussed the ideas of paranoia, and the effect it can have on one's thought process. The film Arlington Road, staring Jeff Bridges and Tim Robbins, shows how such paranoia changes not only how one views the world around them, but also how the rest of the world views such a paranoid person. This is a suspenseful thriller, with a twist at the end that makes it worth watching. Enjoy the trailer.

The Paranoia of Conspiracy: The effect paranoid thoughts have on creating conspiracy theories

“Conspiracy theories are the refuge of the disempowered.” 
― Roger Cohen, columnist New York Times

Mark Fenster, author of Conspiracy Theories: Secrecy and Power in American Culture, argues that we need to change the way we understand conspiracy theories. His thoughts on paranoia illustrate the effect that falling into a "paranoid style" of analyzation has, which can make a single incident be seen as something greater.

This can also lead to a misinterpretation or misreading of evidence when trying to explain this incident. 

(Paranoia, paranoia! Everyone is coming to get me!)

To understand a conspiracy theory, we must first understand how a theory is created. Paranoia plays a large part in creating a conspiracy, which according to Fenster, has the potential to turn legitimacy into irrationality. In his book, he goes on to argue that theories born from this style invite conflict, which only damages our society.

So, approaching evidence without a "paranoid style" can help find the truth behind conspiracy and determing whether there's conspiracy behind the truth.

And as we further explore the evidence to determine the truth, conspiracy theories offer a piece of a bigger puzzle. How we put it together all depends on the way we approach each piece.


Sources used:
Mark Fenster's Conpsiracy Theory: Secrecy and Power in American Cultre (Univ. of Minnesota Press 2008)

Movies 4 Your Mind: The Manchurian Candidate

In my previous post, Manchurian Candidate Pt. 1: RFK Must Die, I mention the documentary RFK Must Die: The Assassination of Bobby Kennedy (2007), which covers this conspiracy. Another film, rightfully titled The Manchurian Candidate (2004) staring Denzel Washington, loosely refers to the brainwashing rumored to have been a part of this conspiracy and shows the depths of the experimenting.

Manchurian Candidate Pt. 1: The Conspiracy Behind the Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy

The assassination of Robert F. Kennedy has many questions surrounding it that have led many to cry conspiracy. As these theories have stated, the assassin was brainwashed by the C.I.A. in order to commit carryout the killing.

Once arrested, the assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, had no memory of the event or even killing Robert F. Kennedy. The investigation however, seemed to settle on a clear cut crime, with no others involved.

Because Sirhan could not remember the exact details of that evening, he would be hypnotized in order to recall his memory of the event. What proceeded, suggested to psychologist that Sirhan had been programmed to kill Kennedy, then forget it ever happened.

Clip from RFK Must Die

The documentary RFK Must Die shows footage of the hypnosis as well as expert opinions. This, along with other evidence, led many to believe the C.I.A. had been involved.

Even with more investigations taking place, Sirhan was still convicted and sentenced to death. It would be later overturned to life-in prison.

Forty-three years later, Sirhan still  cannot recall exactly what happened...

Theorizing Conspiracy

“Everyone loves a conspiracy.” 
― Dan Brown, author The Da Vinci Code

Conspiracy theories captivate the minds of many people. From UFO's to secret societies and assassinations, the public craves answers for these questions, and conspiracy theories offer a way to help explain.

At times, theories fit too perfectly, but more times than not, a conspiracy pushes the boundaries of imagination. These theories help our mind construct an answer, but they could also be the furthest thing from the truth...