While I, as much as any hoax disprover, have plenty of fun rubbishing conspiracy theories, I do have another reason for doing this blog. I am simply fascinated by the mindset of the conspiracy theorist.

The most common psychological explanation of conspiracy theories is that we, as humans, seek to find patterns in choas. Patterns make us feel better; we like routine, we like things we can see. As children, one of the first games we

Do you see a young woman or an old lady?

play is “connect the dots”, and we don’t want to stop doing that in our adult life. Look at the success of things like Magic Eye and other optical illusions; humans enjoy finding patterns where things only appear to be random.

For these reasons, I have a little more sympathy for the hard line conspiracy theorists who insist that 9/11 was a Government set up, or that Kennedy was killed by the CIA. These are terrible events, and if we are honest with ourselves, we probably find it more palatable that George W Bush was “in on it” (therefore giving America an element of control) rather than the complete chaos of an attack by a silent enemy. We want to connect the dots, finish the pattern.

What I cannot understand is why this same mindset would be applied to the moon landing. The moon landing was good. I firmly believe those who support and, to an extent, force the hoax belief upon others are actually doing their fellow human a disservice. The moon landings showed what mankind is capable of; “exposing the lie” does nothing but ruin an event that inspired thousands of people to go into the sciences. Why do they want to take that from people?

So you see, I am left trying to connect the dots, to see where the notion for conspiracy theories comes from. I am a keen amateur psychologist, and it fascinates me no end. My conclusion, though still in development, leans toward the idea that the people who support the hoax are the same people who do not trust “the man”. NASA was a government agency, and it is therefore not to be believed. The most popular conspiracy theories do centre around government or ruling operations: Kennedy, 9/11, Princess Diana, the New World Order. All involve the idea that those that rule us are not to be trusted.

There’s probably something in that; we should not become a world of sheeple, calmly believing what we are told. Man should question fellow man… but not for the sake of it. There is an argument that people need to know 9/11 was an “inside job”, as it endangers the possible future safety of the American people. The same for the New World Order. But what does “exposing the moon hoax” do for humanity?

There is also a phenomenal feeling of superiority that surrounds conspiracy theorists. They, above all others, have identified THE TRUTH – and they feel mighty good about themselves, so good they can wash away all scientific basis and insist they are correct. While I believe many conspiracy theorists are doubtful over the hoax but enjoy the financial rewards of spouting their lies, I also genuinely think some of them are convinced of the hoax. So convinced they can deny all scientific fact, all rational thinking. They have identified THE TRUTH, and we are all silly little sheeple indeed for buying the lies.

I have three passions in life; the Apollo missions, Tudor history and the Titanic. All three, to a degree, are involved in conspiracy theories. Did we really land on the moon? Did Anne Boleyn poison Catherine of Aragon? Was the ship that really sank in 1912 the already-doomed sister ship Olympic? Conspiracy theories seem to follow me, and I think for this reason alone I have a fascination with what drives the people who support hoax theories.

The problem with conspiracy theorists is that, somewhere, they lose you. Take the Titanic for example. It all sounds so good for awhile; the Olympic was damaged in a collision with another ship! Well, that’s true, think I… carry on. The Olympic wasn’t fit for repair so they switched it with the Titanic! Well, technically, that’s possible to the outside observer… They then sank the Olympic, under the name of the Titanic, to claim insurance! The real Titanic continued as the Olympic! Ack, no, sorry, you’ve lost me – a Titanic historian only need study the wreck to see that isn’t true, as while the two sisters appeared similar, in other ways they weren’t. (I’ll happily elaborate in comment if anyone is interested).

Titanic and Olympic: Majestic vessels, or one big insurance scam?

The point I am making, however, is that one needs to have a certain level of specialist knowledge to be able to dismiss a conspiracy theory. I know that the deck design differed slightly on the two ships… but only because, when the theory was presented to me, I’d had a long standing fascination with the doomed Titanic and had studied it in detail. I was lucky, in that conspiracy theory – I knew THE TRUTH as soon as I heard the conspiracy.

But what are the chances of that happening? Slim. This is what conspiracy theorists need; a general ignorance. This is what they capitalise on when they start telling stories of stars that can’t be seen, ships that are masquerading for their sister and prop letters on moon rocks. All of their theories sound good, and unfortunately, many will never come to a site like this and see the actual TRUTH.

So I have concluded how they do it; vague assertions that capitalise on the general populace not knowing. But I am still wondering why. Is it just for the superiority kick? To try and show “the man” that they aren’t gullible, even if it means denying a great achievement and flying in the face of scientific fact? Or is it just that ever-present “because people need to know”?

I’ve been looking at conspiracy theories for a long time; to an extent, I grew up with them as they surround the things I love. Yet I cannot claim to understand the people who push the hoax, and what’s more, I don’t think I ever will.