Hello readers, I am Yousif, a freshman journalist here at Hayward High. I write for about different things, but from here on out, I am creating an ongoing column called ¨Yousif´s Conspiracy Corner.¨ I like conspiracies because I like the strange and the unknown, and I know you do too.
What’s a conspiracy in the first place? A conspiracy, according to the Oxford dictionary, is “a belief that some secret but influential organization is responsible for an event or phenomenon.” Humans have been looking at the skies from the beginning of time , and in that darkness you can see extraterrestrial objects, ALIENS. The oldest recorded alleged sighting was in 1480 BCE and was in ancient Egypt , which describes “circles of fire” in the lost Tulli Papyrus.
Theories of aliens conspiring to visit the earth is a popular theory with many including the idea that the government is hiding an alien spaceship in Area 51, or that foreigners assisted in building ancient structures like the pyramids. Reports of UFO sites have been rampant for decades and so have stories of people abducted by aliens, which helps contribute to the sustenance of these theories in popular culture and media. Though the proof does not exist, the mystery of space makes it convenient for people to believe that there is life other than us.
Psychologists state that people believing in these theories is the outcome of multiple reasons. One of the reasons includes having a brain that is hard-wired to see patterns and explanations, says the American Psychological Association. These types of brains opting for the much easier choice to believe aliens interfering in the strange occurrences around them rather than accepting that the unknown exists. The mix of weight and a puzzling narrative alongside interest makes sure that conspiracies relating to things like aliens boom in the world.
The Psychology Behind Alien Conspiracies
According to psychologists, alien conspiracies are a manifestation of mental workings. Human brains are pattern-seeking and try to fill the gaps with some kind of explanation for something weird, according to PMC.gov. “When something inexplicable captures human consciousness, some lights in the sky or the puzzles of some bygone days, aliens might become a probable explanation,” according to NASA. Believing that aliens came here is far easier than admitting there is no answer at all. So, adopting something — however absurd it might seem — would enable the feeling of having power over one’s life and act as an anxiety-reducing mechanism in the center of uncertainty.
People enjoy alien conspiracy theories because they’re fun and interesting to think about. Stories about government secrets or aliens building the pyramids spark curiosity. Movies, books, and TV shows help keep these ideas popular and make them seem believable. Even without proof, these theories come and go, giving people something exciting to talk about.
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