Episode 56 Since the last episode, the conflict unfolding in Ukraine has escalated. While "hot war" is confined within the borders of Ukraine, the entire world is weighing in on this issue, and the truth is that economic, cyber and political combat is world wide.  Once again, this is an unfolding event and while we recorded on 3/9, and a lot of things have happened since then, this discussion is still very relevant because many of these questions have still not been answered. In order to continue this discussion about this unfolding topic, I'm joined by Scott Compton, fellow podcaster and co-host of the America Today Podcast Thanks for joining us today in this discussion. If you found value in this episode content, please consider supporting the podcast using the link below.   Value-for-Value Paypal Donation - Paypal.me/theoryology Conspiracy Theoryology Show Merchandise Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod Conspiracy Theoryology Inspired Etsy Store - https://www.etsy.com/shop/theoryology www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Minds - @conspiracytheoryology | FLOTE - @TheoryologyPod  Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://americatodaypodcast.com/

Episode 55 In early February 2022, in a US White House press briefing, the public was informed of "intelligence" indicating the execution of a false flag to be developed by Russia in order to instigate an invasion of Ukraine. This admission of the use and legitimacy of false flags as a tactic presents a much larger discussion than simply the Russia/Ukraine conflict. In fact, it seems the false flag announcement was itself the false flag meant to goad Russia into a corner and make invasion certain.  In order to have a robust discussion about this unfolding topic, I'm joined by Scott Compton, fellow podcaster and co-host of the America Today Podcast Scott and I discuss the announcement of the false flag, as well as a longer discussion on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, trying to understand the greater motivations driving the global response. Thanks for joining us today in this discussion. If you found value in this episode content, please consider supporting the podcast using the link below.   Value-for-Value Paypal Donation - Paypal.me/theoryology Conspiracy Theoryology Show Merchandise Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod Conspiracy Theoryology Inspired Etsy Store - https://www.etsy.com/shop/theoryology www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Minds - @conspiracytheoryology | FLOTE - @TheoryologyPod  Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-business-europe-belarus-jens-stoltenberg-43c9151532de706a2edec5684dfcf07d https://academic.oup.com/analysis/article/70/4/615/106991?login=false https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103108000760 https://citizenfreepress.com/breaking/this-is-rather-freaky/ https://americatodaypodcast.com/  

Episode 54 In January 2022, US President Biden and the White House released a media statement announcing an all-encompassing effort to produce, provide and distribute rapid COVID tests throughout the entire country, along with free and readily available access to testing facilities. The seemingly magnanimous effort, predicated on public safety and national defense, may, in reality, be a means of working around the inexplicable public aversion to vaccination mandates, but pushing the public into a forced vaccination mindset of their own design.  This tactic is built on a not well-understood issue within medicine that has come to be known as Overdiagnosis, and its key ingredient…excessive and unnecessary testing.   Value-for-Value Paypal Donation - Paypal.me/theoryology Conspiracy Theoryology Show Merchandise Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod Conspiracy Theoryology Inspired Etsy Store - https://www.etsy.com/shop/theoryology www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Minds - @conspiracytheoryology | FLOTE - @TheoryologyPod  Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links:   Overdiagnosis: causes and consequences in primary health care Fact Sheet: The Biden Administration to Begin Distributing At-Home, Rapid COVID-19 Tests to Americans for Free | The White House

Episode 53 Welcome Back, Theoryologists! New year, and new topics! Also, we are taking the growing approach of value-for-value funding for the show. Please consider donating if you found value in this episode. On December 6th, 2021, the US District Court in Georgia issued a nationwide 50 state injunction against the enforcement of the vaccine mandate imposed on federal contractors. But is this really a win for the freedom minded, anti-mandate movement? Or, is this extreme overreach just a negotiating tactic meant to make the public more accepting of seemingly scaled back requirements that may prove just as imposing, though more palatable to the courts and a worn down population? It’s time to talk about mandates.   Value-for-Value Paypal Donation - Paypal.me/theoryology Conspiracy Theoryology Show Merchandise Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod Conspiracy Theoryology Inspired Etsy Store - https://www.etsy.com/shop/theoryology www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Minds - @conspiracytheoryology | FLOTE - @TheoryologyPod  Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: Negotiating tactic: Reciprocal Concession | by Polygyan Kroger to take away paid Covid benefits for unvaccinated employees For Federal Contractors | Safer Federal Workforce Executive Order on Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors | The White House Panic? US Mega-Corporations Rush To Abandon Vax Mandate | ZeroHedge Fact Sheet: The Biden Administration to Begin Distributing At-Home, Rapid COVID-19 Tests to Americans for Free | The White House WATCH: President Biden unveils plan to boost Covid vaccinations and fight Delta variant — 9/9/2021

Episode 52 Welcome Back, Theoryologists! New year, and new topics! Also, we are taking the growing approach of value-for-value funding for the show. Please consider donating if you found value in this episode. This time we have a special guest appearance. We are joined by the wonderful NK Kranda, experiencer researcher. NK has joined me in-studio for this episode, which proved fraught with recording issues, derailments, and lots of laughter and distractions! Regardless, this topic is a perfect discussion to have with her.  NK surprised me with the unique pleasure of premiering an interview she held with Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), Jim Denning, M.A., LPC, LCDC, of The Denning Center. After a bit of fun and casual discussion with NK, we discussed the challenges around discussing "Awakening" as a topic, as ambiguous as it is. Then, after a more to the point introduction, you will have the opportunity to hear the full interview held in January.  Awakening is subjective and personal for each experience and experiencer. What is often overlooked is what happens after that. When experience can lead to paradigm-shifting, life-altering changes in perspective and belief, how can someone best confront it? What resources are available? Who is there to listen, counsel, and advise?  I think you will enjoy this entire episode, so enjoy and start this year in a positive state of mind.   Value-for-Value Paypal Donation - Paypal.me/theoryology Conspiracy Theoryology Show Merchandise Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod Conspiracy Theoryology Inspired Etsy Store - https://www.etsy.com/shop/theoryology www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Minds - @conspiracytheoryology | FLOTE - @TheoryologyPod  Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://www.thedenningcenter.com/  

Episode 51 This time, we continue our Bones of Tyranny discussion by exploring the concept of the Stand Alone Complex and why fires of civil unrest and the breakdown of public confidence is exactly where tyranny is born and martial law is enacted.   Conspiracy Theoryology Show Merchandise Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod Conspiracy Theoryology Inspired Etsy Store - https://www.etsy.com/shop/theoryology www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast | Parler - @ConspiracyTheoryologyPodcast Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: WTPC Calls for Trump to Declare Limited Martial Law An Insight Into the Concept of Normalcy Bias in Psychology Much Todo About Nothing.: Anonymous - A RL Stand Alone Complex? What a new U.S. civil war might look like

Episode 50 In 2006, the United States Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act, which, among other things, allowed for the president to declare martial law, take command of National Guard Units without state governor consent, and use military force to address domestic disturbance, acts of terrorism, insurrection, and civil unrest. The drastic expansion of powers this handed to a President of the US did not go unnoticed, and in 2008, the Act was revised in an attempt to reign in the potential abuse of such broad powers. Even with revision, the National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive, more commonly known as Executive Directive 51, has not been rescinded. With it, the approach to maintaining a functioning federal government, known under the term “continuity of government”,  in the event of catastrophic social unrest, civic breakdown, and outside attack or disaster was centralized and militarized. With all this, the specter of martial law has since permeated the public consciousness, and since this time, the fear and accusations of tyrannical intent and potential of martial law have followed each successive administration.  At the time of recording this episode, the current president, Donald Trump, along with the first lady, and a cadre of staff and ranking personnel were tested positive for COVID-19 infection. Because of media focus on discussions of presidential succession plans and impacts on election debate schedules, the real question was not given attention. What happens if a substantial portion of government infrastructure becomes unable to function? And, if the public can be convinced to accept that their way of life was in jeopardy, would they be willing to concede their personal freedoms and liberties to a presumptively temporary martial structure of government to protect the future?  This time, as we begin our series titled “Bones of Tyranny”, we address Continuity of Government contingency operations.   Conspiracy Theoryology Show Merchandise Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod Conspiracy Theoryology Inspired Etsy Store - https://www.etsy.com/shop/theoryology www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast  Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: Exclusive: Inside The Military's Top Secret Plans If Coronavirus Cripples the Government Martial law Tyrant United States federal government continuity of operations Top Secret Pentagon Operation "Granite Shadow" revealed. Today in DC: Commandos in the Streets? Operation 'Granite Shadow' - The US Military's Above-To-Secret Plans If COVID-19 Cripples Government NORTHCOM Operational Plans, Pandemic and Endemic Continuity of Government https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/defenseissues/cog/ADA518896.pdf

Episode 49   Question: Do you think there is merit to the idea that governments and societal authorities use social control theory and moral panic to shape public behavior at the expense of personal freedoms and liberties? We have previously discussed the psychology of masks and the impact on social interaction, empathy, and personal inhibition. This time the discussion focuses on the sociology of these issues, and the use of social controls to establish, implement, and normalize desired behaviors within the population.  In order to discuss the relationship between the issues of vaccination and face masks, and understand the current divide in public opinion on both topics, we must understand the terms and tools being used to execute this shaping of social norms. This time, on Conspiracy Theoryology, we discussion Social Control Theory and Moral Panic. Two concepts that may just help us to understand the public fascination, and social divide occurring over the issues of mandatory vaccination and face mask policies.   Conspiracy Theoryology Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast | Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: Stop Smoker-Shaming Background of Smoking Bans Secondhand smoke isn't as bad as we thought. Secondhand Smoke and Cancer Forms Of Social Control | Informal Social Control | Social Control | Social Control Theory | Social Control Definition How Sociologists Define Social Control Moral panic Moral Panic: Who Benefits From Public Fear? A Sociological Understanding of Moral Panic Moral Panics and the Media – ReviseSociology Self-Deception I: Rationalization Vaccines Protect Everyone

Episode 48 For many, the world seems to have lost its mind. For others, the world became a very threatening and scary place. Society is under attack and upheaval from both a  “natural” public health emergency and social unrest born of long-simmering civil rights concerns and race relations here in the US. Ultimately theories abound as to the cause, purpose, and even understanding of this all-out assault on society. I’m sure you are wondering if we are diverging from the typical format to voice concerns on either the public health emergency or to make a personal stand on the modern civil rights movement, in one way or another. Well, I prefer to think I have managed to stay true to the intent of Conspiracy Theoryology while making a timely episode addressing current events. In fact, there is a conspiracy for us to consider. Throughout the last 6-7 months, theories have surfaced in an attempt to explain events not only as they have occurred, but in relation to everything else preceding it this year. Attempts are being made at explaining the origins and distribution of the SARS-CoV2 virus at the heart of the COVID-19 outbreak. Questions abound as to the accuracy of testing, tracking, and reporting of infection and deaths. Then, when it felt like we had enough, a poor excuse for a police officer either with murderous intent or through sheer incompetence took aggressive and brutal action during a questionable arrest that led to the death of a black man in Minneapolis. We are all trying to understand why, and what it means for societal advancement. How much improvement has actually been made in race relations, if any, if something like this can happen? Well, there a lot of questions that can come out of everything that has happened in 2020, but most poignantly, why these events, in contrast to any other health emergency or civil rights violation that has occurred over the last several decades, have managed to ignite a powder keg of social unrest, demonstration, and resistance. I’m going to attempt to aggregate the various theories that have surfaced, connecting the dots into a single cohesive theory that seems to reflect the opinions of those questioning the narrative. Additionally, we can discuss some derivations from this to consider other narratives that might be more palatable for others. Something had to change public psychology to make these events feed each other. Whether a hand was at play every step of the way, or it’s been simply a series of unfortunate events, something was different. That difference, I think, was facemasks.   Conspiracy Theoryology Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast | Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: The Story: An Overview of the Experiment Effect of facemasks on empathy and relational continuity: a randomised controlled trial in primary care How Masks Change Us: On Anonymity, Road Rage & Rituals A psychotherapist explains why you want to wear a face mask — even though it probably won't help you avoid illness Coronavirus: Why face masks are not very effective for prevention How Sunglasses and Masks Affect Moral Behavior Face Masks Can Be Deadly To Healthy People Says Neurologist Wearing Face Masks and Gloves Don't Really Prevent You From Getting Sick — and 6 Other Germ Myths to Know

Episode 47 When life ends, tragically and suddenly, or perhaps even naturally in its due course, can those final moments provide an opportunity for a final goodbye, or a heartfelt thank you to those that mean the most to us, even if they are not with us at our last breath? Is there more connecting us to each other than we think, that may remove even death as a barrier to communication? These are the questions we will explore this episode. For those that are unfamiliar with this ghostly phenomenon, this critically-timed appearance of family and loved ones at the time of either death or near-death critical moments is aptly named as crisis apparition. I say aptly named because of what the phenomenon is not. These apparitions are not “ghosts” in the usual sense, though they can at times have a “ghostly” appearance. As well, this is not a “haunting”. These are not entities attached to a person or place or object, and they only occur once, for a varying period of time. This phenomenon is also not very well understood. The apparition itself does not provide much explanation, often not speaking at all in most examples. The focus is usually to convey some sort of emotional personal message through facial expression and gesture. Even in those cases where a spoken interchange is reported, it is not to provide exposition but rather a message of love or appreciation. At a minimum, these apparitions are there to announce their death at a personal, individual level.  Of course, with such an ambiguous description, while we may understand what this phenomenon looks like, it does not really tell us what they are? Let’s start with ideas as to the source. How is it created? If it’s not the ghost of a dead or dying loved one, and it is more than just the hopeful imagination of the experiencer, who made it?  Once that is answered, understanding what these apparitions may be, and how they might be created does certainly help us to grasp the phenomenon, giving some definition and description, but we are left with the question of why. Why might these individuals in crisis mode feel so compelled, even subconsciously, to create this telepathic image to someone else? Answering this question may give us an idea as to the basis of fascination for these crisis apparition experiences thus providing the core theoryology for the phenomenon. Some of the stories shared in this episode come from the CNN.com article referenced in the links below.   Conspiracy Theoryology Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast | Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://www.cnn.com/2011/09/23/living/crisis-apparitions/index.html?hpt=hp_c1 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/out-the-darkness/201611/connectedness https://www.stevenmtaylor.com/ https://imaginespirit.com/what-are-crisis-apparitions/

Episode 46 Dogs play a role in all aspects of human history. They are part of our history, lore, our ancient belief systems, and our families. Dogmen, black dogs and hell hounds, werewolves, skinwalkers, shapeshifters, Ancient gods.. By no means, extensive, this short list provides a glimpse at the doglike creatures with which our imaginations and experiences are replete.  If you sniff around long enough, it’s easy to catch the scent of truth that canine-like creatures and cryptids permeate our history. Modern anthropology has often attributed this fascination with wolf and dog like creatures to be the mythologizing and anthropomorphizing of the dominant competing predator to ancient humans. Embracing what we fear to make sense of it. Archaeology has also weighed in on the role of dogs in advancing human civilization through evidence of domestication and interaction as far back at 16,000 years ago and perhaps even farther. This modern view creates a dichotomy of perspective. We simultaneously fear the canine for the threat it provides, while we also embrace it for the unique bond and relationship it holds with humans. This is all well and good, but can that strange balancing act of love and hate actually explain our fascination with these dog-like creatures that exist in every facet of our storytelling and experiences? Or, is there more to mankind’s history with our faithful four-legged companion than we realize? Something that might make us more connected and more alike than we readily acknowledge today.  One thing is certain, this episode has truly gone to the dogs.   Conspiracy Theoryology Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast | Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://www.thoughtco.com/how-and-why-dogs-were-domesticated-170656 https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/animal-emotions/201811/dumping-the-dog-domestication-dump-theory-once-and-all https://www.dogbehavior.it/index.php?journal=dogbehavior&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=73&path%5B%5D=58 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animal-emotions/201712/the-first-domestication-how-wolves-and-humans-coevolved https://neuroanthropology.net/2010/08/23/the-dog-human-connection-in-evolution/ http://www.blurryphotos.org/ep-220-dogman-tales-part-1/ http://www.blurryphotos.org/ep-220-dogman-tales-part-2/ https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/into-the-portal-609887/episodes/110-legend-of-the-dogman-part-49301190 https://listverse.com/2016/12/23/10-species-that-are-evolving-right-now/ https://phys.org/news/2018-11-human-evolution-possibly-faster.html

Episode 45 This time on Conspiracy Theoryology, we wrap up on discussion of the Spanish Flu, exploring the medical knowledge of the time, what we now know to be true, and some other influences and conditions that may have attributed to the most lethal viral outbreak of the 20th century, and, in light of our recent events, how it really compares to the first truly global pandemic panic of the 21st century. The Spanish flu pandemic was certainly deadly but it did not kill 50 million people. Not without the help of its friends. You know, famine, malnutrition, and world war 1. Horrible roommates, all of them.  Up until this year, the effort to hyperbolize severity of the Spanish flu has been extremely popular, because fear is a great motivator. And that motivation ya been very profitable for the pharmaceutical industry for 40 year. The bogeyman of annual flu has led the charge into a vaccination mindset that makes a lot of money for the industry and gives a great deal of power to those that wield political influence.  Unfortunately, that same exaggeration is now yielding its fruits, and has caused the public to react in an irrational manner to the Covid19 pandemic. And when I say public, I mean everyone. Both sides of the opinion spectrum.  So, you have probably noticed that there was a large gap between part 3 of this series and this episode. In truth, I didn’t know how to frame this discussion, in light of current events. Up until March of 2020, research on the Spanish flu was academic and historical. There was very little reference to any modern context other than the oft repeated phrase “It’s not of, but when.”  A very convenient phrase to use to maintain fear and worry, without having to actually provide any real information proving the statement.  Now, though, I challenge you to go to your search engine of choice and find information on Spanish flu. The first page of results will undoubtedly be filled with recent articles comparing the Spanish flu to COVID 19. The two events have become entwined. I cannot present historical factors of Spanish flu, without now providing context for viewing the current pandemic. Likewise, we can better understand the true behavior of the Spanish flu pandemic given a current framework with which to compare.  To not do either of those things would be as irresponsible as those that have made the point to draw extreme views through comparison of the two events. That said, let’s first understand the death toll of the Spanish flu. After we explore the many factors that influenced the mortality rate, we can wrap up this discussion talking COVID.    Several Factors influenced and bolstered the severity of the pandemic. First being the approach to calculate the mortality impact. The number has grown steadily since early estimates in the 1990s. 20MM to 50MM in 2005, to upwards of 100MM (5% of the global population). But a reassessment in 2018 put a more realistic number at 15-17MM.   Conspiracy Theoryology Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast | Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links:   https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/187/12/2561/5092383 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haemophilus_influenzae https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3109405/ https://slate.com/technology/2012/12/spanish-flu-mystery-why-dont-scientists-understand-the-1918-flu-even-after-digging-up-its-victims.html https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2376985/ https://i2.wp.com/www.compoundchem.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Chemical-Warfare-World-War-1-Poison-Gases1.png?ssl=1 https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091002132346.htm https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/health/13aspirin.html https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/49/9/1405/301441 https://academic.oup.com/jid/article/196/11/1717/886065 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/ten-myths-about-1918-flu-pandemic-180967810/ 

BONUS Episode Hey there theoryologists. This time I have a bonus episode for you. Many of you are restricted to home, and the short radius of permissible travel from outside of the house, just trying to maintain as much normalcy for yourself and your families. Conversely, many of you are out there doing what you do, keeping the daily essentials of life moving along without a hitch. Whichever camp you find yourself, know that I appreciated very much the fact that through all this, you have taken time to listen to this little podcast.  NK approached me a little more than a week ago, suggesting that we record and take a moment to change the subject a bit. For those of you long time listeners, you know that NK is a very special previous guest and now friend of the show, and she has become a very dear and wonderful personal friend. So, when she suggested we record, I jumped at the chance to set aside the stress of the day and spend a bit of time catching up with a great person.  So, with that, I am very pleased to introduce, for this bonus episode of Conspiracy Theoryology, a special event  we call “Quarantine Quiet Time with NK and Ryan”. For this episode, the music is again brought to you by the amazing Adam Henry Garcia. Enjoy!   Conspiracy Theoryology Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast | Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/somewhere-in-the-skies-520284/episodes/our-alien-planet-personal-jour-56422427

Episode 44 We continue our discussion on pandemic mania, and this time we are getting to the heart of the matter. The reason for the season. The baseline by which all modern outbreaks are weighed and measured. The Spanish Flu of 1918. Let us begin first by understanding first what exactly the Spanish Influenza pandemic of 1918 was. As we go through, this, there will be plenty of facts, figures, dates, and percentages. Don’t worry about following the details. The key, just as when we discussed COVID19, is to register the enormous scale to which the influenza outbreak is attributed.  The Spanish Flu is more accurately labeled the 1918 Influenza Pandemic. It is widely accepted to be a pandemic involving the H1N1 influenza virus, a precursor to the H1N1 that we are familiar with today. It received the moniker “Spanish Flu” as a result of press reporting received from then neutral Spain. When much of the news in Europe and the United States was minimized and censored under the auspices of morale during the war, unrestricted reporting in Spain presented a false impression of epidemic severity in contrast to other countries, thus establishing the popularity of the name “Spanish Flu, especially in the United States.  It is estimated to have infected a quarter of the world population, then 1.8 billion. The death toll is as broad and uncertain as other aspects of this outbreak, with estimates from 20-50 million. Some even attribute up to 100 million, though that requires lumping pretty much every potential respiratory and secondary infection mortality under the blame of the flu. Though historical study and epidemiological research has shed some light on the possible causes and details of this expansive and deadly disease, much remains unknown. The point of origin remains unknown, since the disease seems to have surfaced almost simultaneously in multiple regions, with theories pointing to China, the United States or France. Likewise, the details of the virus, which caused the resulting pandemic to appear extremely virulent and deadly, are in dispute. While some research shows the virus itself to be a deadly strain, other analysis indicates that the infection was no more aggressive or severe than previous influenza events. Wikipedia expands on this contraindication, stating that this would then attribute the high mortality to the state of the global population at the time, experiencing undernourishment, crowded medical camps, congestion and diversity on battlefields, and expansive travel and mobility of previously isolated populations. All of which resulted in the possible development of a bacterial super-infection.    Conspiracy Theoryology Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast | Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://www.amazon.com/Americas-Forgotten-Pandemic-Influenza-1918/dp/0521541751/ref=sr_1_1?crid=22OHMUFST1XWG&keywords=americas+forgotten+pandemic&qid=1583560063&sprefix=americas+for%2Caps%2C162&sr=8-1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_flu

Episode 43 Part 2 of our discussion on pandemic fears. As the current outbreak in China continues to evolve in both scale and impact, we take the time to review current status, hear some interesting news regarding the coronavirus outbreak in China, and explore the importance of communication tactics.  It is time to continue our discussion on pandemic mania. While I originally planned, and promised, that we would begin exploring the history of the Spanish Flu, as is usual with our topics that begin as envisioned two-parters, quickly become trilogies. The reason for this is two-fold. First and foremost, the coronavirus, as suspected, had a lot of news since Part 1. Not only does the coronavirus have an official name, but the world has been issued an official naming convention. The hot new website development trend is to set up a coronavirus information dashboard, and some pretty fascinating conspiracy theories have surfaced regarding the origin of the coronavirus. Oh, and spotlight envy has generated backlash against coronavirus media coverage and public focus, as we are now being reminded that the flu and flu-related illness was the real killer and this flash in the pan interloper needs to be put in it’s place.  Secondary to all this, the Spanish flu has been a fascinating research effort, and in truth I knew I would not do it justice trying to get the episode out, while also keeping up with all things Coronavirus. As it is, this episode is releasing much later than I planned. The Spanish flu is inseparably linked to World War 1, which means that historical research is more than just a medical timeline of outbreaks and tracking statistics.  Part 3 will give us plenty of room to discuss the 1918 Influenza Outbreak without having to preface the episode with lots of current events updates at the top of the episode.  All this today, and a little theoryology as we explore the psychology of pandemic, and try to understand why we respond the way we do, and what approaches are being taken by world governments, international organizations, and news media, intentionally to shape the public response.  Recommended Reading - Amazon Affiliate Links Conspiracy Theoryology Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast | Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6 https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2020-wuhan-novel-coronavirus-outbreak/?fbclid=IwAR0o-gMCf35h2V_Y1ma8Bf7ckjRvzx6xl3_5GLtOHgLaalyAcHVpEDCt7Y0 https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/coronavirus-gets-official-name-who-covid-19-n1134756 https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/163636/WHO_HSE_FOS_15.1_eng.pdf;jsessionid=22D4EB087DC8D873A6369B27A212A532?sequence=1 https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/a-modern-guide-to-naming-diseases https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/08/the-psychology-of-pandemics/ https://www.theburningplatform.com/2020/02/09/coronavirus-of-extraterrestrial-origin/

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 www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast | Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/30-01-2020-statement-on-the-second-meeting-of-the-international-health-regulations-(2005)-emergency-committee-regarding-the-outbreak-of-novel-coronavirus-(2019-ncov) https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/deadly-coronavirus-could-already-uk-21336004 https://www.weareiowa.com/news/national-news/verify-headlines-comparing-the-coronavirus-to-spanish-flu-are-missing-context/ https://www.globalresearch.ca/big-pharma-and-big-profits-the-multibillion-dollar-vaccine-market/5503945 https://www.webmd.com/lung/qa/how-can-i-prevent-coronavirus-infection

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 www.conspiracytheoryology.com 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/passion/201712/synchronicities-sure-sign-youre-the-right-path 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 https://www.hellier.tv/about

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 www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast | Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-scientific-fundamentalist/201103/do-extraordinary-claims-require-extraordinary-evidence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre-Simon_Laplace https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hot-thought/201303/what-is-evidence?amp https://www.patheos.com/blogs/notesfromanapostate/2015/04/do-extraordinary-claims-require-extraordinary-evidence/ https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/scientists-are-searching-mirror-universe-it-could-be-sitting-right-ncna1023206 https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2019/07/16/you-must-not-trust-experiments-that-claim-the-existence-of-parallel-universes/#2b86060f2fbe https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2017/11/22/scientific-proof-is-a-myth/#59b71ce92fb1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3114207/

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. Recommended Reading Conspiracy Theoryology Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast | Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://theconversation.com/amp/evolutionary-psychology-explains-why-haunted-houses-creep-us-out-48209 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://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/02/10/the-earliest-known-story-about-a-haunted-house-tells-of-the-encounters-of-the-greek-philosopher-athenodorus-in-a-haunted-villa-he-rents-in-athens/ https://psychcentral.com/blog/the-psychology-behind-instilling-a-sense-of-home/ https://medium.com/@social_archi/prospect-refuge-theory-ca5d80379e51  

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 Recommended Reading Conspiracy Theoryology Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast | Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com

Episode 37 Spoiler alert. Mass Hallucination is not a real phenomenon. It does not exist. At least not as depicted in popular media. Regardless, it’s a term bantered about by both sides in many skeptical debates. Today we’re going to break down the mass hallucination theory and find out why it often surfaces as the go-to excuse for the unexplained. This time I am joined by guest host, Jason Charbonneau, creator of the fascinating YouTube channel, Think Anomalous. As you will see, I reached out to Jason for very good reason, I think you will very much enjoy. Links: http://www.thinkanomalous.com/myth-of-mass-hallucinations.html https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13423-016-1127-1 https://www.compellingtruth.org/hallucination-theory.html https://www.emmys.com/bios/jason-charbonneau https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Strauss http://www.process.org/discept/2012/07/12/mass-hallucination-hysteria-miracles/ Recommended Reading Conspiracy Theoryology Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast | Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com

Episode 35: Theoryology Bites Time for a short Bonus Episode! Theoryology Bites is a bit of a side show idea to cover things that simply don't have any theoryology behind them. These are ideas, beliefs, and even conspiracy theories that didn't gain any traction in the public imagination....usually for good reason. Still, they are fun to talk about and this gives y'all a chance to hear about them without trying to create an episode that created a theoryology that wasn't there. Hopefully you find it entertaining. Also, Ryan takes the time to update listeners with updates on the show, explain what it upcoming, and announce the arrival of the Conspiracy Theoryology merchandise store!!!!! Links: Last Thursdayism - http://www.last-thursday.org/ Conspiracy Theoryology Store - https://www.zazzle.com/store/theoryologypod Recommended Reading www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast | Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com

Episode 34 Welcome back Theoryologists! We are talking about the theory of Peak Oil. The Peak Oil theory has a long history, that, while coined in 1950’s, is rooted in studies and predictions going back to the late 19th century, and in short proposes that oil, as a limited and exhaustible resource, will reach a point of peak discovery, production and availability at some point. In other words, we will eventually figure out where all of it is hiding within the Earth’s crust, and when there is no more new oil to be found, eventually the curve for the amount we are pumping out will take a turn as well and it follows that it’s all diminishing returns from that point onward. We are going to explore it’s history, at least in brief, along with it’s impact on how we think of oil as a commodity. We can also look into contrasting viewpoints, and new priorities that may deserve better focus in  modern day. At the end of the day, the goal is to have introduced you the real reason that the Peak Oil Theory had such an impact on the public imagination (and continues to even today). That of the Scarcity Principle. More pointedly, it seems like the scarcity principle results in outcomes for oil that you wouldn’t expect, nor would it benefit everyone using it as a marketing tactic for their particular issue.  Oh yeah, and to do all that, we are going to talk about Twinkies!  Recommended Reading www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast | Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com

Episode 33 "Honor yourself because you survived." - NK Kranda These words encapsulate a unique and welcomed approach for those that have experienced the unexplained and inexplicable. And, it exemplifies the empathetic and generous nature of our guest today. On this episode of Conspiracy Theoryology, The Story Keepers. Joined by experience preservationist NK Kranda, as well as Travis, a personal experiencer with his own story to share, we explore the growing field of Experiencer Research, and discuss the power of stories, the impact of sharing personal experience, and the unique approach to engaging with individuals that have amazing and often hard to believe stories. Ultimately, this discussion should remind us all that there are very real and ordinary people behind these extraordinary experiences. Language warning for those that are used to the regular shows. Recommended Reading www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod | Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast | Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Need a better recording resource? Affiliate Link - Squadcast Links: NK Kranda - Facebook Strange Word - Travel Channel Hysteria 51 Podcast - NK Kranda Interview Somewhere in the Skies - NK Kranda Interview

Episode 32 This episode we explore our fascination with the Petrified Forest, located in Arizona. Specifically we will discuss the curse that has been associated with this amazing National Park, and reported by visitors since the 1930s. I say reports, but they are really attempts to lift this curse by returning stolen pieces of petrified wood, often with letters explaining the streak of misfortune and bad luck that had been wrought upon them following their larcenous indiscretions. Now, it may seem like we will be exploring the history of curses and legends, but that is actually not the most fascinating part of this particular story. See, what it more interesting is the realization that this particular tale of woe befalling the naive and curious sightseer and thrill seeker takes on mythological proportions of tragedy and warning. Inspired by some fellow podcasters over at the “It’s Real I Swear” podcast, we will introduce ourselves to the Curse of the Petrified Forest, and find out why it just may be a lesson on par with Greek mythology. www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://badluckhotrocks.com/ https://www.legendsofamerica.com/az-petrifiedcurse/ https://www.thoughtco.com/what-was-pandoras-box-118577 https://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-conscience-letters-of-the-petrified-forest-20141203-story.html

Episode 31 Welcome back, Theoryologists. We are wrapping up our discussion of Jade Helm 15 and addressing our suspicions that is was, at the very least, used as a convenient opportunity for psychological operations training. Conversely, and more likely, the social manipulation and psychological triggers introduced with the Jade Helm operation were intrinsic of the training exercise itself, intended all along within the planning of this operation. In part 1 of this series, I introduced you Jade Helm 15, a joint military training exercise that was helmed by the US Special Operations Command, along with subordinate SOCOMs, and executed simultaneously in multiple US states in the southwest. We experienced the months leading to the July 2015 start of the operation through the concern and public backlash witnessed in the central Texas town of Bastrop. Remember what we discovered? We found out that with the actual start of operations, the high adventure, information leaks and media frenzy all came to an abrupt and anticlimactic halt. It seems that the only story worth telling is the story before Jade Helm ever began. That is, unless Jade Helm 15, at least some part of it, started much earlier than the much publicized date of mid-July. This time we attempt to pull all the information together. Now that we have re-familiarized ourselves with the event so of Jade Helm 15, and learned a good deal of the history and execution of PSYOP strategy and the Special Operations Command, it's time to figure out exactly what made Jade Helm so controversial, and why the public suspicion grew exponentially in the days preceding the training exercise. www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: http://nsiteam.com/social/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/SOF-OHD-Concept-V1.0-3-Aug-15.pdf https://www.270towin.com/2012_Election/  

Episode 30 To some, it produces images of government controlled communications/mass media, telling the people only what the government wants them to hear. To others, it raises the horrid specter of Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s Propaganda Minister, practicing the technique of the "big lie" which has incorrectly become synonymous with "propaganda". Still to others, the mere mention of "psychological" operations or warfare invokes visions of "mind control" through some mysterious means of brainwashing. It should be clear that modern psychological operations, or PSYOP, is none of those things. - Maj. Ed Rouse (retired) Welcome back, Theoryologists. With this episode we continue our discussion of Jade Helm 15, by introducing ourselves to the world of Psychological Operations, and gain an understanding of the structure of Special Operations Command within the military. There was really no way of discussing PSYOPS without turning the discussion into a history lesson in psychological operations and warfare, as well as a review the evolving strategy within the US military. We glossed over the full industry of PSYOPS and special operations in the first episode, so this time we are giving full review. I wanted to really understand this beyond a simple wikipedia entry, so I went right to the source. In doing so, I found excellent information that provided the history, strategy, and future direction for psychological operations. www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: http://www.psywarrior.com/psyhist.html http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/au/goldstein/goldstein_b18.pdf https://www.usapova.com/welcome-to-pova

Episode 29 Welcome back, Theoryologists. When you hear the term “psyop”, in context of the military, what comes to mind? Does it conjure up thoughts of leaflet air drops? Radio broadcasts behind enemy lines? Loudspeaker announcements? Are you even familiar with the term at all? While for some it may conjure the thought of clandestine psychic warfare and espionage tactics, Psyop is, in fact, an abbreviation of the term “psychological operation”.  These operations are defined by the Department of Defense as “planned psychological activities in peace and war which normally pursue objectives to gain the support and cooperation of friendly and neutral countries and to reduce the will and the capacity of hostile or potentially hostile countries to wage war.” Psyops have been employed by the US military in some form since the American revolution, and examples of these strategic psychological activities can be found during every major US military conflict since. This includes the American Civil War, Vietnam, and more recently the military conflicts in the Middle East. In fact, psychological operations are utilized by all major militaries throughout the world. While tactics employed, as mentioned before, such as leaflets and propaganda driven radio broadcasts are more properly defined as aspects of psychological warfare, the US Military is quick to point out that psychological operations during peacetime take a very different tact. These psyops do not involve misinformation, but are designed, in fact, to deter conflict through well crafted, truth based persuasive communications and terminology. We will begin our story, and learn about the military training exercise known as Jade Helm 15 through it’s impact on a small town in central Texas.  This will be a two part episode, simply because there is just so much to explore. Today we will introduce ourselves to this training exercise through the lens the residents in the town of Bastrop. As you hear the story and follow the events as they play out, keep the concept of psyops in the back of your mind. In May 2018, news outlets and newspaper articles circulated an update to the 2015 joint operation training exercise known as Jade Helm. Outlets reported on an MSNBC interview with, Michael Hayden, who had served as former head of both the CIA and NSA, during which Hayden made comments indicating that the frenzy of public concern and media coverage was fueled by a Russian disinformation campaign. This, of course, settled the issue and ended any further media interest for the 3 year old topic. Seemingly providing explanation for the escalated alarm, claims of conspiracy theory, and public backlash, Hayden rested the blame on Russian bots and the alt-right media, answering the question of how the whole conspiracy theory got started in the first place.  The problem is, it was never a question anyone was asking. Not during media coverage leading up to the exercise in 2015, and certainly not in 2018, long after most people forgot that anything had ever happened. So if no one was asking the question, then why provide an unprompted answer? Well, we could point some motivation to the fact that Michael Hayden was promoting his book during the interview, but it still seems a bit random. That is, unless this latest revelation of information is just another phase of the Jade Helm exercise itself. To make a determination like that, though, we should first understand what exactly happened in the months leading up to the Jade Helm training exercise during the Spring of 2015 www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com

Episode 28 Welcome back Theoryologists. What happens when your brain hears a question? In fact, the answer is just what happened when you heard my question. Interestingly, you focused in and everything else, at least for a moment, was put to the side while your mind attempted to address the question at hand. Neuroscience research has found that the human brain can only think of one thing at a time. According to the book Brain Rules, “we are biologically incapable of processing attention-rich inputs simultaneously.” Questions trigger a mental reflex known as “instinctive elaboration”. In which, when a question is posed, it takes over the brain’s thought process. And when your brain is thinking about the answer to a question, it cannot contemplate anything else. Behavioral scientists have also found that just asking people about their future decisions significantly influences those decisions, a phenomenon known as the “mere measurement effect.” This time I am again joined by Mike on co-host duty as we continue our discussion on the Ancient Aliens phenomen; focusing specifically on the ancient aliens television series. The series, which began formally in 2010, and appears in the History Channel, just began its 14th season and continues to prove wildly popular and successful, pulling in over a million viewers weekly on a regular basis. As we jump into the discussion, think about the aspects of the show that we highlight as possible drivers for the success and popularity with the public. What you will find is that the series is designed, very intentionally, to focus your attention and peak your interest by proposing the varied theories as questions. These questions guide the viewers in digesting the ideas presented, and actually increase the likelihood that they will accept the possibility, and find the show more engaging. www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://www8.gsb.columbia.edu/decisionsciences/newsn/5051/want-to-know-what-your-brain-does-when-it-hears-a-question  

Episode 27 Continuing the discussion of Ancient Astronaut Theory, this time we explore another approach to understanding history, known as Big History. This educational approach to the exploration of history is much more than a timeline of human history, or even of Earth history. Big History goes all the way back to the Big Bang as a starting point, and presents a timeline, in a narrative form, leading all the way to the modern era. It doesn't stop there, using this big picture approach to draw a conclusion that we, as a species, have a tremendous responsibility and influence in ensuring that history continues into the future.  Led by historian, Dave Christian, a growing group of scholars and educators are encouraging a shift in how we think about history. Emphasizing that modern human history did not emerge out of nowhere, but rather at a particular time and place, in specific historical context. Through compelling argument, they present a big picture view and a unifying concept of the human condition. As we explore the theoryology behind our fascination with Ancient Astronaut Theory, we come to understand that both it and Big History are focused not in just presenting "facts" as they are understood with each approach. More importantly, they are endeavoring to provide an origin story. Origin stories have been constructed since the beginnings of human civilization, through mythologies, religious beliefs, early explorations into experimental and observational studies, and currently into the modern realm of scientific exploration and experimentation.  We understand the past to be our origins, and we understand ourselves through these ancient origin stories. They were central to education in the ancient world, giving shape and meaning to knowledge. This broad approach to understanding and learning, though, had been lost in the modern world, and instead replaced with fragmented, compartmentalized studies that are discipline specific. The narrative has been lost, with the focus so much of the "what" and the "when" of history, that we don't even ask "why?". Big History is out to change that, taking standard accepted science and history, across multiple disciplines, to make history "big" again. It appeals to our desire for origin stories. This is the same appeal found in the Ancient Astronaut hypothesis.  Joined again by guest co-host Mike Nelson, we tackle Big History and draw conclusions about Ancient Astronaut Theory that hopefully provides a bit more understanding of its pervasive influence to the public. www.conspiracytheoryology.com 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/Big_History https://blog.bighistoryproject.com/2017/08/22/the-power-of-origin-stories-in-big-history/ https://theconversation.com/big-history-why-we-need-to-teach-the-modern-origin-story-10405 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-knowledge/201611/three-cheers-big-history?amp http://www.bighistory.info/bhi_005_004.htm https://www.bighistoryproject.com/home  

Episode 26 Published in 1968, Chariot of the Gods?, written by Erich Von Daniken, sparked a movement of thought and belief that endeavored to rewrite our understanding of the origins of human civilization and advancement. Von Daniken proposed that the historical record was proof of ancient extraterrestrial visitation and intervention across nearly all of the developing cultures throughout antiquity. These records, comprised of ancient artwork, mythological and religious texts, and even architectural structures, were not symbolic of supernatural belief systems and figurative understandings of mythical beings, but rather literal, misunderstood depictions of alien astronaut interactions with early cultures. Mankind advanced by learning from these ancient visitors, undertaking massive stone construction, advanced mythologies, astronomical reference, and even advanced technological mechanics. These ideas influenced pop culture and media for decades, spurring televisions shows, books and movies based on these ideas. Even today, Ancient Alien hypothesis is discussed and debated.  Von Daniken was not the only major influence though, and any discussion of Ancient Aliens would be remiss without a thorough review of the works of Zecharia Sitchin. Sitchin brought a different approach to the influence of ancient alien visitors in antiquity. Building his research from self-taught translation of cuneiform texts, Sitchin proposed an entire origin story to the very biological beginnings of mankind, stemming from an ancient race of alien beings, known as the Anunnaki. Heralding from the planet Nibiru, a far reaching planet within our own solar system, these Anunnaki came to Earth in search of gold to protect their planet's atmosphere. The Anunnaki, wanting their own race of workers to serve their needs, created, through genetic experimentation, modern humans, influencing their development and ultimately forming the early Sumerian culture.  Joined by guest co-host Mike Nelson, we tackle the history and ideas of these two influential authors that gave rise to the massive phenomenon known as Ancient Alien Theory. www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://www.grimerica.ca/ep163/ https://thoseconspiracyguys.com/zecharia-sitchin/  

BONUS - Patreon Teaser This week I have a bonus episode for you to enjoy. A heavily abridged version of the conversation I had with my guest host, Mike Nelson, over on Patreon. Mike and I explored the Mandela Effect as a follow up to the Food Pyramid episode which only briefly touched on the topic. Mike brought a fresh perspective and some great research and we had a great time! The entire discussion was about an hour and a half, so I pulled out about 30 minutes to highlight and give you a feel for what is available over at the Patreon page. Introducing a concept known as "Collective Effervescence", Mike walks us through a plausible explanation of how the Mandela Effect functions as a beneficial function in social memory...at some of the examples! This Patreon exclusive feed is called Expanded Theoryology and is available to all patrons. Mike and I hopped onto SquadCast to record a remote session and just couldn't put away the microphones!  www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com

Ep. 25 - Finland Doesn't Exist In the Cold War era, Japan and the Soviet Union supposedly shared a secret about a stretch of the Baltic Sea between the Soviet Union and Sweden. Around the mid-20th century, the two nations collectively spread the idea that there was a landmass known as Finland on that stretch of ocean, to keep the good fishing between themselves. The Japanese were free to fish as much as they liked there without worrying about international laws, so long as they give a share to Russia. The company of Nokia is actually owned by the Japanese and is used to hide the shipments  from this secret fishing industry in the guise of hardware. To get all this food across the continent, the trans-Siberian railway was built for this express purpose. This is the conspiracy theory that surfaced in 2015 on an unassuming Reddit thread. Not long following, it went viral, traveling across social media and taking on a life of it's own. The fallout was fast and fierce. While many responded jokingly or dismissively, some responses were highly critical, and even outright insulting. Understandably, some Finnish users within Reddit were offended that such a claim was gaining traction. And traction it saw. Spreading across social media sites such as Tumbler and 4chan. The question remains, what made this amusing conspiracy theory resonate so well with the public? Why did it capture our imagination, inspire discussion and spur debate? Is it due to some internet "law" that speaks to parody and sarcasm, or is it rooted in something more substantial in literature, like the concept of satire? Why does it speak to us? We try to tackle this issue on this episode of Conspiracy Theoryology. www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: http://yourbrainonfacts.com/ http://turnofphrases.com/ https://explorefinlandpodcast.com/ https://truecrimefinland.squarespace.com/ https://inktank.fi/podcasts/ https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xyd48w/this-dude-accidentally-convinced-the-internet-that-finland-doesnt-exist https://theculturetrip.com/europe/finland/articles/does-finland-exist-many-dont-think-so/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poe%27s_law https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/2qjohv/what_did_your_parents_show_you_to_do_that_you/cn6pn30/?context=8&depth=9 https://poseidon01.ssrn.com/delivery.php?ID=362104126089102077125098103024071124050050034063008064066127015031027097112117071089098124053005104010109116078101117081119071104015058046044076005011115077027011064090081060009019103123026083118095091029113076094006066024126126099098024124026086119091&EXT=pdf https://www.reddit.com/r/finlandConspiracy/comments/2y0oog/the_finland_conspiracy_and_all_you_need_to_know/ http://www.bodahub.com/does-finland-exist-conspiracy-theory/ http://www.stat.fi/tup/satavuotias-suomi/suomi-maailman-karjessa_en.html https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/12/safe-happy-and-free-does-finland-have-all-the-answers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satire https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.bing.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1065&context=srhonorsprog https://thetowerphs.com/2015/12/arts-and-entertainment/satire-influencing-audiences-through-emotional-appeal/ https://theculturetrip.com/europe/finland/articles/podcasts-to-help-you-understand-finland/

Ep. 24 - Sleep Paralysis Why talk about sleep paralysis? Isn’t it usually just an explanation in itself for strange phenomenon? Actually, it’s not a definitive answer to all night time visions and experiences. Blaming sleep paralysis is simply blaming a physiological function as a means of dismissing strange experiences. Yet, it has become the go-to explanation, and we are eager to accept it as the reason for any sort of frightening tales of experience that remotely include aspects associated with this poorly understood physical response. These experiences run the gamut. Sleep paralysis is now the primary accepted explanation for the night time visitation from demons, witches, ghosts and shadow people, alien visitation and abduction, even spiritual and out-of-body experiences. So again, we are left with a phenomenon that would come up again and again in topics of the paranormal and supernatural, but itself is really just as mysterious. Just as fascinating in itself. Which means there is probably some theoryology behind it. Well, let’s try to understand sleep paralysis better. www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dream-factory/201409/sleep-paralysis https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-22/edition-8/terror-night https://www.livescience.com/61123-sleep-paralysis-stress-supernatural.html https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/what-predicts-distress-after-episodes-of-sleep-paralysis.html https://theconversation.com/understanding-sleep-paralysis-a-terrifying-but-unique-state-of-consciousness-48509 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-wise-brain/201601/what-makes-you-feel-threatened https://www.luciddreamsociety.com/sleep-paralysis-stories/ https://www.nosleeplessnights.com/sleep-paralysis-stories-intruder-demon-or-delusion/ https://esotericscience.org/article12b.htm https://thriveglobal.com/stories/the-neuroscience-of-sleep-paralysis/ http://behdad.org/mirror/www.braindecoder.com/neuroscience-of-sleep-paralysis-1113306867.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explanatory_gap https://bigthink.com/neurobonkers/the-seductive-allure-of-the-seductive-allure-of-the-seductive-allure-of-neuroscience-explanations http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/neuroskeptic/2009/01/06/critiquing-a-classic-the-seductive-allure-of-neuroscience-explanations/#.XK7UVphKhPa http://sleepingresources.com/scary-sleep-paralysis-stories-waking-up-in-a-nightmare/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reductionism https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5002400/

Podswap - Burst Your Bubble Podcast A wonderful episode swapping project coordinated by the lovely and talented host and creator Moxie at Your Brain on Facts. Inspired by the days of comic strip artists swapping characters, this operation is meant to introduce new podcasts, not only to you the listener, but us as well, that we think our listeners will find interesting and enjoyable. Today, I have to pleasure of bringing you the 50th episode of the Burst Your Bubble podcast, with host Morgan Jaffe. Just like you and I do here at Conspiracy Theoryology, Morgan takes an idea and breaks it down in ways that we might not consider. Finding themes in pop culture, television or film, she dissects the -isms and phobias that are often hidden, or not so hidden within the media. Whether you agree or disagree, Morgan is going to guide you through ideas and perspectives that you may never have considered, peering through a media literacy lens, with a dash of history in the mix. Morgan is fun and insightful, and frankly, just fun to listen to. I recommend that you jump over to BurstYourBubblePodcast.com to check out more about the show, and don’t be afraid to subscribe and add the show to your listening repertoire. And don’t worry, I’ll be back next week with another episode of Conspiracy Theoryology. I’ll see you then. www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com

Episode 23 - Spontaneous Human Combustion This phenomenon, also known as SHC, probably because it gets old saying the full term pretty quickly in a long conversation, goes back hundreds of years and still befuddles investigators in cases today. This isn’t really a tale of the supernatural, although it certainly gives that vibe. It’s certainly paranormal in the very literal sense of being out-of-the ordinary. The term is used in different ways; By investigators and coroners as a means to close a case and ascribe a lack of explanation as a conclusion; By survivors as a means of giving cause to an otherwise unexplained loss; By story tellers as a means of warning against behaviors and lifestyle. Ultimately it’s a phenomenon that’s captures our imagination because spontaneous human combustion hits on so many elements of fear and expectations. The best way to talk about SHC is to hear the stories and think about their elements. Only after you get a feel for the stories can we look into look into some possible psychological basis for our fascination.  www.conspiracytheoryology.com 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/Spontaneous_human_combustion https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/8200790/spontaneous-human-combustion-real-burns-incendiary-bomb-scientist-claims/ http://www.science-rumors.com/top-10-real-spontaneous-human-combustion-stories-in-the-history/ http://anomalyinfo.com/?q=Topics/spontaneous-human-combustion-reports-chronological-order http://www.newser.com/story/129338/dead-man-spontaneously-combusted-coroner.html https://www.thoughtco.com/likelihood-of-scary-things-4151051 https://psychcentral.com/blog/catastrophic-thinking-when-your-mind-clings-to-worst-case-scenarios/ http://www.harleytherapy.co.uk/counselling/cognitive-distortions.htm https://www.harleytherapy.co.uk/counselling/catastrophizing-always-assuming-the-worse-heres-why-you-should-stop.htm https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sapient-nature/201310/how-negative-is-your-mental-chatter https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228818558_Overweighting_of_Small_Probabilities https://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2012/12/how-to-avoid-spontaneously-combusting.html https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/conquer-fear-flying/201512/fear-can-make-you-believe-the-worst-will-happen-how https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2015/10/engulfed-in-blue-flames-when-spontaneous-human-combustion-strikes/ https://www.cremationresource.org/cremation/how-is-a-body-cremated.html

Episode 22 - The Food Pyramid Howdy Theoryologists. Let’s talk about the infamous USDA Food Pyramid. Think back to when you first saw it? That pyramid poster on the wall. When do you remember seeing it? Grade school? On TV? When was that? How old is that colorfully pyramid shaped stack of food? Regardless, that now infamous visual was meant to convey, in summary, the recommended dietary guidelines as outlined by the US Department of Agriculture. The food pyramid was controversial from it’s very introduction. Backed by research, then influenced by agriculture lobbyists, the graphic (and many of the recommended guidelines behind it) were heavily criticized for vague categorization of some food types, ambiguous and undefined serving recommendations, and the blatant politicizing and alteration of the nutrition science of the time. Criticism notwithstanding, it was rolled out with a huge marketing campaign, and food pyramid posters appeared in school cafeterias and public clinics throughout the country. The guidelines drive planning for multiple USDA managed food programs, and the impact has been felt since. In fact, it’s very shape has played a part in its influence. So influential this graphic became and so pronounced the criticism for it, that although it’s been replaced with something not triangular in shape, the term “food pyramid” has become synonymous with the entirety of the history that is the USDA Nutrition Guidelines, and has even created a bit of a Mandela effect. www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/09/invented-food-pyramid/ https://www.ditchthecarbs.com/why/food-pyramids/ https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/07/magazine/what-if-it-s-all-been-a-big-fat-lie.html https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-pyramid/ https://www.manufacturing.net/blog/2015/05/history-usda-nutrition-guides https://www.healthline.com/health/history-food-pyramid#1 https://www.healthyway.com/content/how-did-the-government-get-the-food-pyramid-so-terribly-wrong/ https://www.honeycolony.com/article/food-pyramid-rebuilt-my-plate/ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/an-epidemic-of-obesity/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_USDA_nutrition_guides http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Fall02/Greene/problems.htm https://www.verywellfamily.com/the-food-pyramid-and-child-nutrition-2633612 https://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/usda-nutrition-assistance-programs https://www.sweetspot.com/en/2014/05/20/focus-visualizations-funnel-charts/ https://visme.co/blog/geometric-meanings/ https://www.shutterstock.com/blog/psychological-meaning-shapes-use https://www.creativebloq.com/logo-design/psychology-logo-shapes-8133918 http://www.whale.to/a/light_h.html

Episode 21 - Pseudo-Skepticism Howdy Theoryologists. Today we are discussing the broad brush stroke term “skepticism”, and specifically the misuse and mislabeling of a falsely skeptical approach that hides an objective of debunking. See, underlying any topic we have had, or might have in the future on Conspiracy Theoryology, is the skeptical perspective. That point of view which says “I’m not just taking this at face value,” and rightly so. There would be no such thing as a conspiracy theory, or alternative belief, if things always were, or they weren’t, in our minds. In fact, there wouldn’t be much of anything if we never questioned the truth of what we know at that moment. There’d be no advancement. No discovery. No need for proof. Fortunately, that’s not the case. Skepticism is quite popular. It’s even trendy to consider yourself a skeptic. This is why I decided it needed its own devoted episode, otherwise it just goes piecemeal into every episode, and never adequately. Skepticism is a part of our everyday lives, and something that most would consider pretty healthy. No one would debate the need to be a bit skeptical of the safety railing at a scenic lookout along a mountain path, or the need to be skeptical of the expiration date before taking a gulp of milk from the carton in the refrigerator when you aren’t sure how long it’s been there. Yeah, skepticism is healthy, but that’s not where skepticism causes an issue. In fact, it’s rarely called skepticism. That’s just safety consciousness, or good sense. No, skepticism has become an almost professional moniker for those that question beliefs, theories and experiences that fly in the face of mainstream accepted reality, as well as those that call into question our understanding of the world and how we live and interact. Skepticism, as a way of thinking, and "Skeptic" as a title, has been appropriated almost exclusively by those that ascribe to a mainstream position of scientific skeptical inquiry. In reality, though, skepticism has an identity crisis.   www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://www.theepochtimes.com/what-is-unhealthy-skepticism_603148.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoskepticism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcello_Truzzi http://amasci.com/pathsk2.html https://atlantisrisingmagazine.com/article/pathological-skepticism/ https://scottbarrykaufman.com/podcast/science-skepticism-michael-shermer/ https://www.csicop.org/si/show/proper_criticism https://www.wordonfire.org/resources/blog/3-simple-ways-to-debunk-relativism-skepticism-and-materialism/4747/ https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica/esp_sociopol_mindcon57.htm https://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica/esp_sociopol_mindcon57.htm#A_Modern_History_of_Debunkery_ https://debunkingdenialism.com/scientific-skepticism/ https://www.energypsych.org/page/Debunking_article https://theethicalskeptic.com/2014/04/14/the-appeal-to-skepticism-fallacy/ https://files.turri.org/research/Appeal.pdf http://ilj.law.indiana.edu/articles/15-Zamir-Ritov-Teichman.pdf https://john.turri.org/about

Episode 20 - Flat Earth Theory (Part 3) Howdy Theoryologists. This time we will really pull together the reason for first exploring the concepts of belief and perception. I knew we would need to have a good context of those idea before we jumped into the evolution of flat earth theory. Our discussions previously have approached Flat Earth as a proposed idea. Really a hypothesis to be tested and proven. But of course, we like to talk conspiracy, and yes, flat earth has it’s conspiracies.   In one sense, the conspiracy is that of cover up. An effort to hide the truth. In another sense, it’s the idea of a flat earth itself that is the conspiracy, or at least a means of conveying the conspiracy. The idea that reality contradicts perceived reality. That the natural laws that govern the way we understand the world are there to hide a true reality. Perhaps even programmed to deceive. Finally, there is the conspiracy of collective consensus. The idea that the scientific community, and even the general population, simply dismisses flat earth because it is a threat to the reality we’ve made for ourselves, and feel comfortable in.   www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depersonalization_disorder https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depersonalization https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derealization https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1GCjggflEU https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-search-self/201610/depersonalization-philosophical-awareness https://psychcentral.com/lib/is-depersonalization-disorder-a-form-of-enlightenment/ https://futurism.com/the-history-of-the-voyager-program-2 https://medium.com/starts-with-a-bang/ask-ethan-what-does-the-edge-of-the-universe-look-like-3d7121a59a30 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation_hypothesis https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/oct/11/simulated-world-elon-musk-the-matrix https://phys.org/news/2017-01-reveals-substantial-evidence-holographic-universe.html https://phys.org/news/2015-04-universe-hologram.html https://www.simulation-argument.com/simulation.pdf

Episode 19 - Flat Earth Theory (Part 2) Howdy Theoryologists. Let’s continue our discussion on Flat Earth Theory. In part 1, we focused on the history of modern flat earth theory, it’s introduction in the mid-nineteenth century, and the contemporary philosophical musings at the time, which were opening up new thought on reality and existence. In our theoryology discussion we explored the beginnings of existential thought being introduced by Soren Kierkegaard, and dove into the psychology of perceptual constancy, which should make us all question our certainty about the “reality” of the world around us as we perceive it to be. So, we’ve covered perception, and the wiggle room that can give when observing the world around us. But perception only gives us a piece of the puzzle. It gives us the data from observation. It tells us what we see and how things appear. What is does not do, however, is explain how that turns into something we understand to be true. That’s where belief comes in.    Defining belief is a difficult task, and it’s a term that is used in a multitude of ways depending upon context. The term is used to identify psychological phenomenon in conscious thought. It’s used in philosophical discussion to explore the study of knowledge. Beliefs are categorized with qualifiers such as core beliefs and dispositional beliefs. They are separated into groups of epistemological beliefs and religious beliefs. Even the formation of belief is a topic of discussion. All that said, we aren’t going to drill into every nook and cranny of the study of belief, but we do need to understand it superficially in order to discuss Flat Earth Theory. For our purposes, belief can be viewed rather simply. Beliefs are often formed by creating compelling explanations for why something is true. www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://alanzosblog.com/beliefs-vs-facts/ https://www.sciencealert.com/one-third-millennials-believe-flat-earth-conspiracy-statistics-yougov-debunk http://socialpsychonline.com/2016/11/belief-perseverance/ https://bigthink.com/stephen-johnson/understanding-the-really-ridiculous-core-tenets-of-the-flat-earth-hypothesis https://www.theclinicondupont.com/the-neuroscience-of-core-beliefs/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belief https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/enlightened-living/200808/core-truths-core-beliefs-and-obstacles-progress-pt-2 https://www.thealignedlife.co/question-your-reality/ https://spencerinstitute.com/beliefs-and-opinions-vs-facts-and-evidence-a-coaching-perspective-and-solution/ https://www.quora.com/At-what-altitude-do-you-see-the-curvature-of-the-Earth https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psych-unseen/201702/flat-earthers-belief-skepticism-and-denialism https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/painting-tree-trunks-white.htm https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/when-continental-drift-was-considered-pseudoscience-90353214/

Episode 18 - Flat Earth Theory (Part 1) This is the theory to end all theories. Flat earth posits that our understanding of earth as a heliocentric globe is, at best, a misguided and faulty understanding of the physical nature of our world. At worst, a concerted effort to propagate a lie, contrary to our observation and perceptions of the world around us. In this first part of our three part series, it will be helpful to understand the history surrounding the modern origins of flat earth theory. Not just of those that developed and promoted the ideas, but of the current state of thinking contemporary at the time. The 19th century was a time of change, thought, new ideas, and reformations throughout much of the world. Ingrained  psychology plays it’s part as well, as usual in our discussions. Notably, the philosophical movements of the time paved the way for openness to new perceptions of reality and existence. www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absurdism https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/have-you-ever-wondered/201503/the-blueblack-whitegold-dress-questioning-reality?amp https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_Earth#cite_note-144 https://theflatearthsociety.org/home/index.php/featured/Flat-Earth-Historical-Figures-People https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utopian_socialism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Owen https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/compassion-matters/201601/can-you-trust-your-own-perceptions?amp http://www.sacred-texts.com/earth/za/ https://thecreative.cafe/the-paradox-of-absurdity-13543b76d0da

Episode 17 - The War On Christmas   In 2005 a War On Christmas resurfaced, and took the News Media by storm. Seemingly driven by political correctness, or the frustration thereof, many have drawn political lines seeing the omission of the term “Christmas” in holiday greetings as an assault on the conservative Christian aspects of this holiday season, while other observances, such as Hanukkah and Kwanza are apparently left unscathed. While Christmas, as most of us would recognize it, is a rather modern rendition, the evolution of the Christmas holiday and, in fact the festive observance of the winter season entirely, goes back millenia. Theories abound about the specific religious underpinnings of Christmas, as well as origins of many traditions and iconography of the season. And history shows us that Christmas has been under attack for a long time. In fact, Christmas as we know it, may very well be a conspired invention itself to replace the untamed observance that preceded it. Ultimately, we celebrate Christmas and the holiday season as we, individually have always observed it, and we do find any attempt to change our perspective extremely upsetting. Well, there seems to be some psychology behind Christmas that might just explain it. www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://www.libertarianism.org/media/liberty-chronicles/christmas-conspiracy https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/War_on_Christmas https://medium.com/crobox/the-psychology-of-christmas-a3fbccd93197 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_controversies https://skeptoid.com/blog/2013/12/19/when-did-christmas-become-so-commercial/ https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/19/us/war-on-christmas-controversy.html https://www.influenceatwork.com/dr-robert-cialdini-on-the-principle-of-reciprocity/ http://science.sciencemag.org/content/319/5870/1687 https://www.jstor.org/stable/1251931?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0148296304002000?via%3Dihub https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ulterior-motives/201311/what-does-nostalgia-do http://www.directcreative.com/influence-and-persuasion-the-rule-of-consistency.html http://www.emotionlab.se/mechanisms-of-social-avoidance-learning-can-explain-the-emergence-of-adaptive-and-arbitrary-behavioral-traditions-in-humans-3/ https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/15/opinion/the-puritan-war-on-christmas.html https://erenow.com/common/the-battle-for-christmas/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby,_It%27s_Cold_Outside http://www.apuritansmind.com/puritan-worship/christmas-and-the-regulative-principle/once-upon-a-time-when-christmas-was-banned-by-c-danko/

Episode 16 - The Fluoride Conspiracy   Water fluoridation is a hot button topic, that has proven controversial since the practice began in the 1940’s. The suspicion that rather than the stated purpose of preventing tooth decay, water fluoridation is a practice of involuntary medication and experimentation, and a conspiracy of social engineering that is at best, driven by industrial lobbying to make profitable the sale of industrial waste, and at worst, a concerted effort to affect cognitive function and advance control  over a more docile population through chemically induced compliance. The regulation around fluoride is all about maximums and safe limits. There are no guidelines about adding a required minimum, only about what levels you don’t want to exceed. Does that sound like a harmless chemical? Oh, and guidance given for water sources that exceed the maximums is to notify the public with a specified time, because it is cost prohibitive to remove the fluoride concentrations. If public water fluoridation is such a profound scientific discovery, then why are more and more people moving to filtered bottle water, or filtering tap water in efforts to remove the fluoride and chlorine, along with particulates and impurities? Seems like there is a commercial benefit to putting fluoride in the water, doesn’t it? Oh, and add to that more and more communities are electing to stop water fluoridation. So maybe it’s over the top to suspect nefarious plots to indoctrinate the public to social medicines, or that the government is trying to chemically placate an entire population, but when the practice goes against your internal risk management, your subconscious precautionary principle, then it’s no wonder the mind moves toward suspicion. www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://www.astdd.org/docs/natural-fluoride-fact-sheet-9-14-2016.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/engineering/wfadditives.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_fluoridation_controversy https://befreetech.com/wp/fluoride/ https://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/statistics/2014stats.htm https://fluoridealert.org/content/bfs-2012/ http://fluoridealert.org/issues/caries/who-data/ https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/magazine/pipe-dreams-americas-fluoride-controversy https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/worry-and-a-lack-of-trust-americans-and-drinking-water/ http://www.wcponline.com/2016/06/15/drinking-water-issues-worry-americans/ https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/forced-fluoridation-community-water-supplies-open-letter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precautionary_principle https://www.ada.org/en/public-programs/advocating-for-the-public/fluoride-and-fluoridation https://www.nap.edu/read/11571/chapter/1#iii https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/b331/16d62868c4f22e539e5c5bd2563d23da4eb9.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db53.htm https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3956646/

Episode 15 - The Polygraph Test   The polygraph has a long and tenuous history rooted in efforts to advance interrogation techniques. Currently it is dismissed by scientists, and is inadmissible in court, yet, the polygraph examination is still used by federal agencies, businesses, investigators and police forces. The lie detector is often used within the realm of conspiracy theory and alternative beliefs as an offering of proof on the basis of honesty and integrity of those making extraordinary claims. But do we trust it? Do we really care about the outcome of polygraph tests, given the controversy surrounding their validity? The truth is, yes we do. We want to put stock in these tests, and we want to have proof put before us. www.conspiracytheoryology.com 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/Polygraph https://theintermediateperiod.wordpress.com/2017/09/16/aldrich-ames-on-beating-a-polygraph/ https://www.polygraph.org/ https://www.antipolygraph.org/ceppa.shtml https://www.counterpunch.org/2013/12/20/the-myth-of-the-polygraph/ http://stlr.org/2018/01/10/does-fmri-lie-detection-have-a-future-in-the-courtroom/ http://clbb.mgh.harvard.edu/deception/ https://brainworldmagazine.com/the-neuroscience-of-lying/ https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2012/09/25/nsa-whistleblower-reveals-how-to-beat-a-polygraph-test https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/spycatcher/201203/the-truth-about-lie-detection http://jaapl.org/content/38/4/446 https://www.nap.edu/read/10420/chapter/5 https://www.vox.com/2014/8/14/5999119/polygraphs-lie-detectors-do-they-work http://jimfishertruecrime.blogspot.com/2012/03/jorelys-rivera-murder-case-polygraph-as.html https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-human-beast/201303/do-lie-detectors-work https://www.area51polygraph.com/polygraph https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22467640 https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/weird-news/694430/news-ufo-aliens-lie-detector-test-buzz-aldrin-astronauts https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2018/04/10/buzz-aldrins-ufo-sighting-moon-missions-mystique-might-have-simple-explanation/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.21dad0110f4e https://evolutioncounseling.com/the-need-for-validation/ https://blogs.psychcentral.com/healing-together/2012/07/important-validation-for-the-aftermath-of-adult-trauma/ https://chintanzalani.com/psychology-behind-seeking-validation-need/ http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Maslow/motivation.htm https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/pieces-mind/201204/understanding-validation-way-communicate-acceptance https://www.apa.org/research/action/polygraph.aspx

Episode 14 - Psychic Detectives The use of psychic abilities to find answers, uncover clues, find victims and even uncover identities of criminal perpetrators goes way back. In ancient times, those who sought missing persons could consult an oracle or divine with activities such as astrology. By the sixteenth century, dowsing became a practiced means of tracking culprits with the use of divining rods. In the nineteenth century, sensitives claimed to receive information for a crime in their dreams, and at the height of Spiritualism, some mediums claimed to solve crimes through the help of their spirit guides. Modern psychic approaches utilized pretty much all of these old arts, along with many others. A psychic superstar, Noreen Renier, employs still another old divination technique called psychometry, by which she purportedly gets psychic impressions from objects connected with a particular person. Many psychics claim to use clairvoyance ("clear-seeing”) whereby they supposedly “see” remote images and scenes as if they were viewed on a movie screen. Some psychics even study people’s “auras” or read the lines in their palms. Psychic detective work has been credited for providing valuable information, if not outright solving,  many missing persons and murder cases over the years. Of course, some claims are made only from the psychics themselves, and critics are quick to site the lack of any scientific backing and the failure of many purported psychics when their skills are tested and held up to scrutiny. Regardless, we are fascinated by the idea of psychic abilities providing investigative support, especially in the most unnerving, unsettling, and unsolved cases. www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Patreon - www.patreon.com/conspiracytheoryology Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: http://articles.latimes.com/1987-03-27/local/me-381_1_murder-victim https://news.gallup.com/poll/4483/americans-belief-psychic-paranormal-phenomena-over-last-decade.aspx http://www.skeptically.org/spiritualism/id10.html https://www.lifedeathprizes.com/real-life-crime/psychic-detectives-that-have-helped-to-solve-crimes-43235 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychic_detective https://swallowingthecamel.me/2009/04/21/psychic-detectives-part-ii-dorothy-allison-and-noreen-renier/ https://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/police_psychics_do_they_really_solve_crimes https://news.gallup.com/poll/4483/americans-belief-psychic-paranormal-phenomena-over-last-decade.aspx https://complicatedgrief.columbia.edu/professionals/complicated-grief-professionals/overview/ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/because-im-the-mom/201602/the-myth-complicated-grief https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/understanding-grief/201709/ambiguous-loss https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shadow-boxing/201806/unsolved-murder-and-the-seductions-focalism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchoring https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-and-praxis/201804/the-uncanny-fear-loss-part-1 http://www.globalnetresearch.com/statements.html

Episode 13 - Exorcism Exorcism, as a practice in some form or another has been around about as long as human beings have been asking themselves why things happen, and it’s never been completely abandoned. Yet, by the mid 20th century, the practices has waned considerably as had public interest. That all changed in 1973 with the cinematic release of “The Exorcist”. This horrific, and terrifying tale, based on a book, which claimed to be based on actual events, scared the pants off of us, and got everyone filling up their bottles of holy water again. The art of exorcism and demonic possessions are very real for a large percentage of the population. Statistic show that over 50% of Americans believe in the possibility of demonic possession, and current demand for exorcisms have skyrocketed in Europe and Mexico. Clearly there is something happening and people are looking for answers. Of course, there are criticisms of the practice. While some hold a secular dismissal of the practice as an archaic, medieval throwback, others take a more sympathetic perspective. Those in the mental health fields, psychologists, psychiatrists and fields of neuroscience offer explanation through greater understanding of psychological and physiological disorders that often mimic, symptomatically, conditions of possession. www.conspiracytheoryology.com 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/Exorcism http://historyhole.com/the-history-of-exorcisms/?con=&loc=&utm_source= https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4744643/ http://orderofexorcists.com/ https://www.vox.com/2016/10/30/13413864/satanic-panic-ritual-abuse-history-explained https://www.madinamerica.com/2016/08/not-so-rare-but-rarely-diagnosed-from-demonic-possession-to-anti-nmda-receptor-encephalitis/ https://thefearandanxietysolution.com/portfolio-items/the-fear-of-losing-control/

Episode 12 - Alien Abductions The phenomenon, as documented by researchers, journalists, and skeptics alike, over the years, has become pretty well defined in terms of key aspects, and has led to an array of collected testimonies, assertions to either the validity or the incredulity of the phenomenon, and even the occasional conspiracy theory or two. The terms alien abduction or abduction phenomenon describe "subjectively real memories of being taken secretly against one's will by apparently nonhuman entities and subjected to complex physical and psychological procedures". Most discussion of the phenomenon focuses on trying to explain the experiences either through proof of the extraterrestial or through mundane terrestial influences and psychological basis. But what about the rest of us? What explains our fascination with alien abduction stories? Why do we want it to be the subject of our movies, tv shows and books? Perhaps it is because it speaks to a root fear. A fear of the unknown. www.conspiracytheoryology.com 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/Alien_abduction https://www.mufon.com/travis-walton-abduction---1975.html https://www.mufon.com/betty--barney-hill-abduction---1961.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant%C3%B4nio_Vilas_Boas http://www.differencebetween.info/difference-between-abduction-and-kidnapping https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0887618516300469 https://www.somewhereintheskies.com/ https://audioboom.com/channels/4938828 https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Alien_abduction https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201611/study-fear-the-unknown-compounds-many-anxiety-disorders http://www.look4ward.co.uk/weird/tales-of-fairies-modern-concept-of-alien-abduction-experience/

Episode 11 - Workers Buried in Hoover Dam A worker falls into a pool of wet concrete that’s being poured as part of a major construction project. Before he can be saved, his body slips beneath the surface and he drowns in the thick soup of the concrete. Pouring concrete is a slow and tedious job, and once “the pour” is started, it can’t be stopped without ruining the whole block, and that section of the project has to completely re-done. So, rather than dig the dead workman out of the concrete pool, construction supervisors and bosses let the body sink further into the concrete, and the poor workman gets entombed forever in the structure he was helping to build. That's the legend anyway, and it gets told generation after generation when people discover this mega-structure. Is it really just that good of a legend that it keeps going on it's own merits, or is there something else about the Hoover Dam itself that resonates within the public mind? www.conspiracytheoryology.com 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/Mortality_salience https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terror_management_theory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_Dam https://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/hoover-dam https://www.sarahwolfe.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/RossWolfe_2015.pdf https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/tomb-of-the-dammed/ http://professorbuzzkill.com/construction-workers-entombed-concrete-myth/

Episode 10 - Q Clearance The term "Q Clearance" has been in the news because of the QAnon claims that originated out of 4chan and have since gone mainstream. The claim of a Q level clearance, gave "Q" the nickname and is the basis for supposed insider above-top-secret access within the current US Administration. In this episode, we delve into the claim of Q Clearance, and explore the history of security clearance, some of the misunderstanding about holding a security clearance, and the mystery and public concern of those holding high security access. Join me as we explore this highly touted and misunderstood security clearance, known as Q Clearance. www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://fas.org/sgp/othergov/gss98.html https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2018/07/taming_swamp_critters_with_security_clearances.html https://www.ndtv.com/topic/nuclear-secrets https://www.publicintegrity.org/2016/02/03/19243/workers-threw-out-us-nuclear-secrets-common-rubbish-20-years http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3077346/Ex-CIA-officer-NY-Times-leak-case-gets-42-months-prison.html https://www.sandia.gov/fso/fso_conferences/2011_FSO_Conference/2011_FSO_OriginQandL.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee_White https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2013/06/09/government-security-clearance/2406243/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/06/06/who-has-security-clearance/102549298/ https://fas.org/sgp/classdoe.htm https://www.dni.gov/files/documents/Newsroom/FY16-Report-Security-Clearance-Determinations-PubRelease-20171017.pdf

Episode 9 - Crop Circles The name conjures the image in the mind. A crop circle means a golden geometric pattern has been shaped into a field somewhere, and eventually turned into a poster on someone's cubicle wall. Some believe that they are made by extra-terrestrial visitors, or perhaps by magnetic fields flowing from deep within the earth along leylines. Others simply chalk them up to the result of weather phenomena or the artful endeavor of hoaxers known as "cereal artists". Crop circles, whatever the cause, capture our imagination, but why? The answer may lie with an ancient symbol known as the mandala. Thanks to analytical psychologist Carl Jung, we can explore the deep psychological value of both mandala and crop circles as reflections and representation of self and our understanding of our identities, and maybe discover why we find these fanciful field formations so fascinating! www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://m.theepochtimes.com/historical-crop-circles-before-people-knew-what-crop-circles-were_1752290.html https://artifactsjournal.missouri.edu/2015/08/crop-circles-explained/ https://www.livescience.com/26540-crop-circles.html https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Crop-Circle https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/10217151/Crop-circles-demystified-how-the-patterns-are-created.html http://www.world-mysteries.com/science-mysteries/strange-phenomena/crop-circles/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crop_circle https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/crop-circles-the-art-of-the-hoax-2524283/ https://temporarytemples.co.uk/visiting-the-circles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandala https://nexusnewsfeed.com/article/spiritual-psychic/psychology-of-the-mandala/ https://fractalenlightenment.com/14683/life/carl-jungs-psychological-diagnosis-using-mandalas https://www.carl-jung.net/mandala.html http://www.cropcirclesecrets.org/crop_circles_sacredgeo2.html

Episode 8 - Ghost Photography You've seen them on the internet. You may even have some within your own collection. Ghost photos. Also known as paranormal or spirit photography, the practice of capturing ghostly apparitions on camera is as old as the field of photography itself. Thought to be caused by the environmental affect by the apparition, either through radiation, ionization, or some impact to non-visible light spectrums, the camera captures images that are not seen by the naked eye. Well, it may be a ghost, or it might just be that you are hard wired to make sense of randomness of all that background noise in the photograph. In this episode we explore the history of spirit photography, and discuss the psychological phenomenon of pareidolia that might help explain at least some of those spooky ghost photos that we all love to stare at, looking for something otherworldly. www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140730-why-do-we-see-faces-in-objects http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3280816/What-photos-s-faces-suffer-facial-pareidolia.html http://mentalfloss.com/article/87784/13-historys-most-famous-ghost-photos http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150629-the-intriguing-history-of-ghost-photography https://psmag.com/social-justice/believe-ghosts-youll-see-ghost-69599 https://futurism.com/pareidolia-why-we-see-what-isnt-there/ https://www.popphoto.com/parapsychologist-steve-parsons-discusses-fallacy-ghost-photography#page-14 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shadow-boxing/201310/how-fake-ghost-photo https://psmag.com/environment/bloody-mary-bloody-mary https://neurosciencenews.com/face-pareidolia-frontal-cortex-1019/ https://www.prairieghosts.com/ph_history.html http://www.theoccultmuseum.com/echoes-from-beyond-the-strange-history-of-spirit-photography/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-sensed-presence-effect/

Episode 7 - The Question of Shakespeare Authorship We've all studied Shakespeare. You read him in school. You performed a soliloquy in drama class. You've watched all the bad coming of age teen remakes. Did you know, though, that Shakespeare didn't actually write any of his works? At least, that's the theory, and we discuss the historical thought of the day that inspired this hotly debated and contemptuous accusation. We also explore an area of pursuasive argument known as the Argument of Authority, that just might explain why people today continue to jump on the band wagon of Shakespeare "doubters" whether they have a literary background or not. www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare_authorship_question http://realunexplainedmysteries.com/the-william-shakespeare-conspiracy-theory https://www.doubtaboutwill.org/declaration http://ourfakehistory.com/index.php/season-1/episode-5-did-shakespeare-write-the-plays/#more-131 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/playwrights/shakespeare-the-conspiracy-theories/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_authority#Fallacious_appeal_to_authority https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_Reasonable_Doubt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argumentum_ad_populum https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_criticism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delia_Bacon

Episode 6 - The New Coke Conspiracy Are you old enough to remember the introduction of New Coke? Afterward, when Coca-Cola Classic was re-introduced, did you hear all the stories about how the whole thing was a big marketing conspiracy, and New Coke was always meant to fail? Well, join me as we discuss the story behind the well intentioned but ill conceived business decision that lead to one of the biggest consumer backlash events in soda history. Also, find out how a better understanding of how and why rumors spread can help improve discussions of actual conspiracy theory. www.conspiracytheoryology.com email - contact@conspiracytheoryology.com Twitter - @TheoryologyPod Facebook - @TheoryologyPodcast Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com Links: http://socialpsychonline.com/2015/09/psychology-why-rumors-spread/ https://www.conspiracies.net/coke-conspiracies-capitalism-finest/ http://www.obscure.org/~bob/stuff/coke.html https://www.coca-colacompany.com/stories/coke-lore-new-coke https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Coke  

Episode 5 - Area 51 - Part 2 The conclusion of our discussion about of one of the most secure, highly restricted military installations in the United States, Area 51. This time we dive into an understanding of narrative psychology and how the concept of narrative identity can be used to explain the public appeal of Area 51. Doesn't the whole thing sometimes feel like a great story? Almost a movie plot, that starts with a crashed UFO, leads into a secret base the is so secure it's own existence isn't acknowledged, and onto the accelerated advancement of our military technology through the reverse engineering of the crash debris. Well, if you think it reads too well to be coincidence, or, you think it's too good to be true because it isn't, this episode is for you. No matter what you think of Area 51, you think of it. And...you like it. It captures the imagination and sparks a fascination like few other places. www.conspiracytheoryology.com Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com

Episode 4 - Area 51 - Part 1 The first part in the discussion of one of the most secure, highly restricted military installations in the United States, Area 51. Ask yourself, what is the first thought that comes to mind when you hear "Area 51?" Did you say flying saucers, alien bodies and Roswell? Well, if you did, you share that opinion with a majority of the population. It may surprise you to know that those associations were not made of Area 51 until the 1990's, and that memory you have of Area 51 being in all the UFO stories since the early days of alien conspiracy is false. On this first part, we talk about the history and origin of the conspiracy and Area 51, and discuss the standard argument given for why it holds such popular interest in the public consciousness. An argument that doesn't actually explain the fascination and longevity of Area 51 appeal in pop culture and public imagination. www.conspiracytheoryology.com Music is by adamhenrygarcia.bandcamp.com  

Episode 3 - Paul McCartney is dead, and the world hears about it after some astute college journalists follow the trail of clues left within song lyrics and album art. The world of Beatlemania is turned upside down and a new conspiracy is born that has endured for over half a century as a text book example of "confirmation bias."  On this episode we discuss the possible motivations that lead to the unplausible acceptance of this theory, and the real power of secrets and super-fandom. For further information regarding areas of discussion, please visit the links below: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles http://turnmeondeadman.com/the-paul-is-dead-rumor/ https://www.dawn.com/news/1307942 https://www.thedailybeast.com/what-made-the-beatles-so-big-diagnosing-beatlemania https://psmag.com/social-justice/rihanna-doesnt-give-a-crap-about-you http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-fam-0923-keeping-secrets-20140923-story.html https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/the-science-behind-secrets http://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/ptn/2016/05/teaching-the-beatles.aspx Connect with me at Facebook.com/TheoryologyPodcast  and on Twitter @TheoryologyPod. Leave comments on the website, at Apple Podcast, Podbean, Google Play Music, or wherever fine podcasts are sold... And as always, this podcast would not sound cool at all without the help of awesome music by AdamHenryGarcia.Bandcamp.com 

Episode 2 - Bigfoot steps on the scene and into our hearts. This is a fun episode as we figure out how a 1950's television western, a fish, and a trip to the zoo all helped to make Bigfoot the top tier celebrity that he is today.  Below is a list of links for source information covered in this episode: http://www.bigfootencounters.com/articles/true1959.htm https://www.outsideonline.com/2095096/man-who-created-bigfoot http://cliffbarackman.com/pre-1958-bigfoot-reference/ https://storify.com/SpencerAhles/the-psychology-behind-cryptozoology https://owlcation.com/stem/Coelacanth-Fish-Tops-List-Prehistoric-Animals-Found-Alive https://lflank.wordpress.com/2015/04/21/21st-century-arks-the-history-and-future-of-zoos/ https://storify.com/SpencerAhles/the-psychology-behind-cryptozoology Connect with me at Facebook.com/TheoryologyPodcast . Leave comments on the website, Apple Podcast, or whenever fine podcasts are sold... And as always, this podcast would not sound cool at all without the help of awesome music by AdamHenryGarcia.Bandcamp.com 

Episode 001 - A quick welcome episode in which I explain the origin and structure of the show, and hopefully set the stage for a lot of great episodes and topics in the future. As we begin this show series, please connect with me at Facebook.com/TheoryologyPodcast  There's not a lot of content this week, but continue to check show notes in future episodes for links to research documents and informative podcasts, videos and books that I use in preparation for the shows. Music for this episode is by Adam Henry Garcia AdamHenryGarcia.Bandcamp.com