TLDR; Yes. ⬇️
A Conspiracy Theory is a substitute for religion without the ritual, like Philosophy (I said what I said). There is a psychological process that drives people to believe in conspiracy theories despite the variability of these theories. One trait of a conspiracy theory is to refute their falsification through circular reasoning, where evidence and lack of evidence are interpreted as truth and fact. Elaborate presentations of evidence copycat orthodox scholarship. However, the methods of research are often flawed. The conspiracy theory can neither be proven nor disproven, but it has been taken on as an act of faith. Any knowledge contradicting the conspiracy theory is often regarded as disinformation or fake news.
Psychological Need for Religion
Conspiracy theories and religion can fulfill similar psychological needs for creating meaning, purpose, and understanding in a complex and chaotic world. Both can offer a sense of belonging to a community of like-minded individuals and provide a framework for interpreting events and phenomena meaningfully and coherently. Religion and conspiracy beliefs share similar ideas of explanations of the paranormal, esoteric issues, millennialism, and prophecy. In this way, conspiracy theories are a continuation of religious thinking and are a secular substitute for religion itself. In other words, the need for truth and authority does not diminish in a secular society; it shifts from religion to conspiracy theory.
In the context of similarities between religion and conspiracy theories, Anthropologist Emile Durkheim (1858-1017) would argue that they are both culturally relative, meaning that each conspiracy theory and religious belief has its own logic and concepts that create proof of their existence. Accordingly, every religion has three underlying elements: sacred objects, beliefs and practices or rituals, and a moral code. Under this definition, a person could substitute religion with a conspiracy theory. In addition, each conspiracy is grounded within its own reality and social framework. The conspiracy theory in the context of cultural relativism would reinforce the collective conscience of believers.
Conspiracy theories are the result of secularization. As a surrogate religion, conspiracy theories explain ambiguity, social insecurity, and antagonistic religious beliefs of a perceived “other.” Religion and conspiracy theories can reinforce each other during political, social, and healthcare crises. This is because the same critical inquiry in scientific investigations should be applied to politics and its related studies. In this way, social laws can be reduced to meet the psychological needs of society, and when the institutions or environment do not explain the social phenomena, conspiracy theories arise. A conspiracy theory arises as an unintended consequence of intentional human action.
Differences Between Religion and Conspiracy Theory
However, it is essential to note that conspiracy theories and religion are not interchangeable and serve distinct social functions in society. Religion typically provides a comprehensive system of beliefs, practices rituals, and values that guide individuals and communities in their moral and ethical decision-making and their relationship with the divine. Conspiracy theories, on the other hand, are typically more focused on specific events or phenomena and are often centered on distrust of authorities and institutions. Yet, religion and conspiracy theories provide a social function as a tool for understanding the world with explanatory narratives.
There is another similarity between conspiracy theories and religion – conspiracy theories can function as folk religion. In other words, logic must be suspended to understand the narrative. There is a lack of empirical evidence for both; it is a mix of fact and fiction of supernatural experiences. However, conspiracy theories are distinguished from supernatural beliefs because conspiracy involves other human beings acting in unison. In addition, both religion and conspiracy theory focus on a common enemy: the nation, a degenerating moral code, or a secular evil.
Lastly, both narratives suggest that the forces of good and evil are forever involved in a heroic battle. Religious and secular millennialist narratives imagine a restorative utopian world after a dark period. In this way, both “religion and conspiracy theory can draw comfort and confidence from their beliefs since both “faith systems” claim to be part of a sort of moral crusade to solve the world’s ills.” For conspiracy believers, religious belief can be replaced with the traditional omnipotence of gods. With the promise of a reconstructed world, there is optimism for both the religious and the conspiracy theorists.
Similarities between Religion and Conspiracy
Interestingly, there are cognitive biases that lead to religious beliefs. People who espouse original ideas about their worldview convey their unique way of thinking and the special nature of their personality. The research indicates that these people are less likely to use scientific explanations as an explanation for phenomena. Also, it is found that these types of individuals are susceptible to fake news and conspiracy as profound and secretive knowledge. In addition, studies have shown that people with a high need for uniqueness prefer rare commodities, like experiences or messages, to a more significant extent than people with a low need for uniqueness. It is estimated that at least 50 percent of Americans believe in at least one conspiracy theory.
There is another parallel between religious and conspiracy beliefs. A conspiracy belief is the belief that an organization made up of individuals or groups was or is acting covertly to achieve some malevolent end. The Universe is governed by design, not randomness; nothing happens by accident or coincidence, and all actions are willed and brought about by a higher force. In conspiracy theories and religions, appearances are sometimes deceptive. Conspirators live intentionally to disguise themselves; a “good” person may be “bad.” Furthermore, everything is connected somehow through hidden patterns; everything is correlated.
It’s Good To Believe?
There can be a positive correlation between religious beliefs and conspiracy theories working together. Religion and conspiracy theories help people build a collective identity by creating categories of “believers” and “nonbelievers.” Social identity can be made through friends, common enemies, and moral communities. In this way, conspiracy theories are a secular substitute for religion by reinforcing social identity. Religion and conspiracy theories function as a moral compass, social belonging, faith, and a sense of control in modern society. Neither group relies on scientific research and empirical evidence, and both groups build their identity based on their beliefs. Both religion and religious conspiracy are unfalsifiable or incapable of being proven false, yet they build meaningful worldviews. Yet, conspiracy theories lack one thing religion contains, and that is shared rituals amongst participants. For religion, ritual practice is an essential mechanism of social cohesion, and without the component of ritual in religion, it is merely philosophy.
Both conspiracy theories and religion suggest there is more to the world than what is readily visible or explained by conventional science. Mostly, people assume that there are hidden, unknown powers behind local and world events. Turning to an omnipresent God, reaffirming one’s belief in public institutions, affirming deeply held values, and spotting conspiracies, patterns, and superstitions all help to restore a lost sense of control by making the world seem orderly and knowable. There is also evidence that those who believe in supernatural events strongly correlate with conspiracy beliefs, primarily when science cannot provide a satisfactory answer. In this way, both are seen to function as a way of affirming that the world is a place that can be known and controlled. However, the information needs to be unusual enough to be unique but not so much to seem implausible; there must be minimal counter-intuitiveness.
Further Reading
Durkheim’s View on Religion – Website
Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America – Purchase on Amazon
“Conspiracy Theories as Quasi-Religious Mentality: An Integrated Account from Cognitive Science, Social Representations Theory, and Frame Theory” – Website
Lobato, “Examining the Relationship between Conspiracy Theories Paranormal Beliefs and Pseudoscience Acceptance among a University Population.” Applied Cognitive Psychology (2014) – Free Article
Author: mountshastamyths
Lurking around here with more questions than answers