Conspiracy Theoryology
Conspiracy Theoryology focuses on why some alternative theories and beliefs capture popular imagination and work themselves into the public consciousness. Often times it's just a matter of good timing, the "right place, right time" scenario. Other times it seems all too convenient, and the popularity only strengthens the skeptics while deepening the suspicions for the proponents all the more. The conspiracies are summarized, with the most well-known version and details discussed. Then we dive into historical events, contemporary social occurrences, and even layman explorations into psychology and sociology as an explanation for the widespread appeal. There are so many conspiracy theories, urban legends, paranormal beliefs, popular rumors, and mythical lore, that we often take for granted that we know what they are really about. Once you gain a fresh perspective, you may just find yourself taking a new look at old stories.
Podcast Episodes
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Pandemic Panic (Part 1) - Wuhan Coronavirus OutbreakJanuary 31st, 2020
Episode 42
Part 1 of our discussion on pandemic fears, where we will dig into the unfolding coronavirus outbreak and explore the basis of our fascination with pandemic threats.
Okay, so the world is on fire, being burnt to a cinder by the flames of the dreaded ‘coronavirus’. The angel of death itself, shrunk to the size of an adorably large version of an RNA virus is wreaking havoc on all of mankind. This Sasquatch of the virus world which normally preys on cows, pigs, chickens, and I would assume any hapless, happy-go-lucky barnyard animal, has gone Cryptid. A were-creature upon us again, that has jumped the infection to humans, by giving us a cold. Oh the humanity! There is no cure. There is no vaccine. It is intent on taking us out, one by one, through a serious case of the sniffles, until we are all gone...and there is nothing we can do about it.
Okay, so I guess it’s not that bad. Wash your hands. Avoid crowded and unsanitary places during the cold and flu season, and don’t go sticking your fingers in your face all willy-nilly without washing your hands.
So what is really going on? In this episode we will breakdown the group of viruses known as 'coronaviruses'. We discuss what they are, what they cause, and where they have raised their ugly head in the past. After that, we really get into what has been unfolding with the current coronavirus outbreak that originates in Wuhan China.
Once we get all the info out of the way, we finally dig into the possible sources for our fascination into the threat of pandemic outbreak, and what social and economic motivations drive the frenzy of media attention and medical marketing.
Recommended Reading - Amazon Affiliate Links
Conspiracy Theoryology Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod
email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com
Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast | Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology
Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com
Links:
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/deadly-coronavirus-could-already-uk-21336004
https://www.webmd.com/lung/qa/how-can-i-prevent-coronavirus-infection
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SynchronicityDecember 30th, 2019
Episode 41
Synchronicity. A concise, yet allusively defined term first coined by the Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung. Simply put, synchronicity is understood to be meaningful coincidence. The concept of synchronicity has been a topic of exploration for decades since Jung introduced it, with expansive explanation in his work titled, “Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle”. In it he states “Therefore it cannot be a question of cause and effect, but of a falling together in time, a kind of simultaneity. Because of this quality of simultaneity, I have picked the term “synchronicity” to designate a hypothetical factor equal in rank to causality as a principle of explanation.”
While many have embraced this idea of orchestrated purpose through superficially unrelated events, others simply dismiss it as psycho-babble used to further our psyche’s false narrative of personal identity. Most recently, the interest in synchronicity has been piqued with the introduction of the documentary series “Hellier”. The concept of synchronicity, often so easily dismissed away with a hand wavy gesture by the skeptical crowd, is at it’s heart about making connections. Of course, connections are at the core of any conspiracy theory, paranormal experience, and alternative belief. If we can understand the allure of synchronicity, perhaps we can better understand our fascination with so much else.
Recommended Reading - Amazon Affiliate Links
Conspiracy Theoryology Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod
email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com
Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast | Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology
Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com
Links:
Carl Jung - Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle - https://amzn.to/2PS6EbF
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/synchronicity
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/emotional-freedom/201003/the-magic-synchronicities
https://heartofsubstance.com/signs-of-synchronicity/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/epiphany/201101/how-do-you-we-i-define-epiphany-exactly?amp
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Do Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence?November 26th, 2019
Episode 40
We have all heard the adage, “Extraordinary Claims require Extraordinary Evidence.” Have you asked yourself, “what does that even mean?” Chances are, when you’ve heard it, or even used it, it has been in relation to a topic that you already feel confident is all but impossible to prove anyway. But where did it come from, and why has it become the go-to gotcha phrase for calling someone’s bluff , especially in regarding to conspiracy theory and the paranormal or supernatural? Come to think of it, how do we know when it applies? What exactly makes a claim “extraordinary”?
To do this, I think we need to first understand the phrase itself. Where it comes from, and what it is actually saying. After that, we can explore other aspects of popular thinking which make this resonate so well with the general public.
Now, I’ve been wanting to talk about this for a long time. Exploring cases and beliefs often leads to the inevitable discussion board with the oft repeated phrases “prove it” and “that’s proven false”. I realized that I couldn’t simply pick a single example or event and boil it down to that. We needed to discuss the axiom itself. That “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence” is often taken as a conclusion to the discussion itself. As though it states a given truth about a claim, establishing it’s impossibility. At least impossibility in so far as the claimants ability to prove anything.
Recommended Reading - Amazon Affiliate Links
Conspiracy Theoryology Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod
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/Pierre-Simon_Laplace
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hot-thought/201303/what-is-evidence?amp
https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2017/11/22/scientific-proof-is-a-myth/#59b71ce92fb1
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Haunted Houses and Prospect-Refuge TheoryOctober 31st, 2019
Episode 39
Haunted houses have a long and storied history. One of the earliest stories which we have originates in Ancient Rome. Pliny the Younger writing in the first century, recounts in a letter the story of the philosopher Athenodorus and his brush with a haunted house. Per the story, Athenodorus arrives in Athens and picks up a villa with a very reasonable rent, largely due to it’s haunted reputation. On his first night in the home, the philosopher is confronted by the ghost of an old man bound with chains. The apparition leads Athenodorus to the courtyard, at which point, he vanishes. The following day Athenodorus has that location excavated, resulting in the discovery of a skeleton. These remains are then given a proper burial and the ghost never appeared again.
Tales of this nature have permeated throughout centuries of media and entertainment, filling our literature, cinemas, theater stages and televisions with ghostly tales of haunted residences. I could spend the entire episode simply listing all the epic poetry, tombs of short stories, prose and novels, and the catalog of movies, radio shows, television series and now even social media content, that encompasses the topic. We won’t, simply out of practicality, and I would assume that you already have your never-fail-go-to haunted house story favorites of books and movies.
More than any other haunted location the haunted house resonates. Today ghost stories and paranormal investigations are replete with tales of haunted houses and residing spirits that run the gamut from past residents, and lingering family members, to frightening entities and residual haunting that act as living memories of the home, or the land on which it sits.
The haunted house is now such a part of our culture that we have turned them into attractions, even going so far as to build them and recreate the spooky experience with special effects and actors. And in truth, we can’t bring up the concept of the haunted house, without exploring this most visible manifestation of our infatuation with the spirit laden domicile.
Skeptics are quick to claim reasonable explanations for the phenomenon, crediting the power of suggestion and confirmation bias. The physical effects of toxic exposure to carbon monoxide, pesticides and formaldehyde are also used to justify the haunting experiences as hallucinations.
These perfectly rational and mundane explanations are so common that any respectable paranormal investigation team called into a home by the concerned owners will first exhaust these influential possibilities as an explanation before even considering the paranormal option. If you’ve ever wondered why so many investigators use devices that seem best suited for use by electricians, plumbers and home inspectors, now you know.
This skeptical view certainly does provide evidence for why we might find a location haunted, and why the label of “haunted” can come to be attributed to otherwise average homes of any given time period. I think it appropriate to emphasize this, as I had made it clear earlier that I come to this topic with a definite bias. It is true that haunting can be explained, and I do make sure when approaching a story of experience with a checklist of physical world possibilities. Yet, these explanations don’t answer every situation, and they certainly do not explain why we find the haunted house so fascinating and why they have pervaded our imaginations for so long.
Conspiracy Theoryology Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod
email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com
Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast | Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology
Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com
Links:
https://time.com/5433554/haunted-houses-fear-brain/?amp=true
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/history-haunted-house-180957008/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/out-the-ooze/201511/what-makes-house-feel-haunted
https://psychcentral.com/blog/the-psychology-behind-instilling-a-sense-of-home/
https://medium.com/@social_archi/prospect-refuge-theory-ca5d80379e51
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Seeking Witchcraft (w/ guest Ashley of Seeking Witchcraft Podcast)October 18th, 2019
Episode 38
Witchcraft intrigues us and captures our imagination. The concept is steeped in history, and the practice is shrouded in magick and the mystical. Even so, many have no idea how this ancient practice has translated into the modern day. In fact, most don't even realize that it exists in modern day, and that witches are in their midst within everyday life. Witchcraft, through all it's incarnations in our pop culture, is explored through stories. Movies, television, books and other media all use witches are often used as character reflections for ourselves, and our desire to influence and control the chaos around us. Ultimate it's left to personal interpretation and impact. Still, as much as we surround ourselves with the imagery, most of us have little, if any, understanding of the witches that live next door. You probably don't even realize they do, because they do not fit the mold of expectation.
But modern witches are just modern people. They grew up in regular households. They face daily challenges. They have degrees in Psychology and deal with a commute to work, and find time to get their cats to the veterinarian....and that is exactly who our guest is on this episode.
This time I am joined by a Wiccan Priestess named Ashley, who also hosts the amazing podcast "Seeking Witchcraft". Ashley has joined this discussion to introduce us to the modern concepts of witchcraft and the Wiccan religion, and share with us a bit of her story that began this journey of exploration and adherence to a modern "pagan" religion that is born of ancient beliefs and understanding.
This is not our usual research driven episode. It's a story. Witchcraft is a personal journey for it's practitioners. Even when covens are formed such as those of the various Wiccan traditions, initiates are guided by the experienced members and encouraged to explore their own understandings. On Seeking Witchcraft, Ashley takes her listeners through her personal understandings of Wicca and witchcraft, introducing tools, concepts, rituals and practices that she has found beneficial and effective, while also not being afraid to bring in guests to explore topics that she is still exploring as well.
Links:
https://anchor.fm/seekingwitchcraft
Conspiracy Theoryology Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod
email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com
Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast | Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology
Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com
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