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In our modern world, where various information is more available than it ever was, sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between real and made-up information. That’s why conspiracy theories nowadays flourish more than ever too. 

It’s likely impossible to find an internet user who hasn’t encountered a conspiracy theory at some point in their life, even if unknowingly. That’s why when someone asked people to share some theories they’ve heard, plenty of them had something to say. So, perhaps let’s go to see what they had to say, shall we? Just beware, the question was about scary theories, so many of them are quite bone-chilling. 

More info: Reddit

#1

A large crowd gathers around an open truck, highlighting public interest in conspiracy theories. The current social wars were designed to distract us from the trillions of dollars that went from the middle class to the wealthy. It will continue to happen while people fight over body parts and bedroom activities. The people almost broke through with Occupy Wall St. but the PTB continue to divide people to make sure it can't happen again.

squirrely_danielson , Artūras Kokorevas Report

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CanadianDimes
Community Member
5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I live in the UK and I've long noticed that the upper class has done an amazing job convincing the working class that the middle class is the enemy. In the UK, working class isn't always tied to wage (I've met people who are working class that make as much or more than I do, and I'm middle class), and we often face the same struggles, but the rich need it to be an us vs. them situation so the "them" doesn't become those with all the power and money.

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    #2

    Nuclear power plant emitting steam under a cloudy sky, evoking conspiracy theories and spine-chilling speculations. That all this doomer "humanity is the REAL virus/monster, we are destroying our planet like a cancer" type of thinking was made up and spread by corporations to make regular people feel equally culpable for climate change. I'm not killing the planet, and you aren't either. Something like 70% of all global emissions are cause by 100 corporations. THEY are killing the planet, but no one will go after them because "humanity was a mistake", and that cynicism is what will actually do us in.

    1thruZero , Pixabay Report

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    Jayjay
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The problem with the climate demonstrators is that they never reach the rich and the ones in power, they just disrupt the life of fellow citizens needing to put some food on the table. Again as I said in the post above: people only attack the ones they can see, the rich looking down and having a blast! The rich know very well how the game works.

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    During your lifetime, you have likely heard of some conspiracy theories. After all, there is probably no topic that these theories don’t cover. 

    A few months ago, one Reddit user asked others what scary conspiracy theories they had heard of. And, oh boy, have they heard plenty. So, we combined a list of the best responses to this question. 

    In it, you can find theories like the Dark Forest theory, the AI-Bitcoin connection, and many others. Some are scarier than others, some more believable, but the list is undeniably captivating.

    #4

    Man in white shirt with red laser crosshairs on face, illustrating conspiracy theories in a dramatic setting. Those Facebook memes of posting a current selfie and a photo of you taken 10 years ago, is to program facial recognition software.

    mermaidpaint , cottonbro studio Report

    #5

    A person wearing a watch on an airplane, reflecting on conspiracy theories while gazing out the window at dusk. A small one:

    Samsung announced that the Galaxy Watch 4 would include a non-invasive continuous glucose monitor, which would allow you to monitor your blood sugar at any time while you wear it, for as long as you own it.

    A months before the 4 was released, that feature quietly disappeared from all of the marketing, without explanation, and now, years later, is nowhere to be found.

    I believe Abbott Laboratories, makers of the FreeStyle Light glucometer and the FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitor systems, panicked, fearing that a non-expiring, non-invasive glucose monitor would be hugely popular among diabetics, and devastate their death-grip on the market, paid a huge bribe to Samsung to drop the whole thing.

    XxSmittenKittenxxe , Donald Tong Report

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    HTakeover
    Community Member
    5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    FDA hasn't cleared any non-invasive methods yet. That includes but isn't limited to smartphone / watch / ring / etc. It's a slow but critical process because people will use it to replace other monitors, so needs to be extremely accurate consistently. They can interface with actual monitors, but can't do the monitoring themselves. https://www.verywellhealth.com/fda-warns-against-unapproved-smartwatches-glucose-levels-8599246

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    #6

    Dimly lit vintage bulbs hanging, creating a mysterious atmosphere, evoking spine-chilling conspiracy theories. When light bulbs were created, they lasted forever. Producers noticed that would be a limited business and engineered them to go out after a certain period so they could continuously sell them.

    NoSoupForYou1985 , Saya Kimura Report

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    Mgtow Smurf
    Community Member
    5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Planned Obsolescence, (noun) a policy of producing consumer goods that rapidly become obsolete and so require replacing, achieved by frequent changes in design, termination of the supply of spare parts, and the use of nondurable materials. It's not just about light bulbs.

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    There are plenty of others you might be aware of besides the ones on this list. For example, the clan of underground billionaires running the world (sometimes it’s also added that they’re lizard people), the Earth being flat, and the moon landing being fake. 

    Then, some are known in the deep corners of the internet. The reason behind the difference in their popularity usually lies in certain “requirements” they meet. For instance, having the “right” villain, addresses collective anxieties, makes people feel good about their social group, fills certain knowledge gaps, and escalates during uncertain times. 

    #7

    A starry night sky, depicting a swirling galaxy, evoking themes of conspiracy theories and cosmic mystery. Dark Forest Theory: we can't find any evidence of extraterrestrial life because the smart ones are hiding, and the dumb ones have been [ended] by... something else.

    aliasalt , Philippe Donn Report

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    HTakeover
    Community Member
    5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You also have to look at the cosmic timeline. The lifespan of an entire civilization, from cells to space-faring to extinction is a brief blip in time. The chances of two civilizations both existing at the same time, and being able to communicate/interact, let alone see each other, is extremely minute.

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    #8

    Empty classroom with rows of blue chairs and desks, evoking spine-chilling conspiracy theories atmosphere. That the public school system sucks because it was deliberately designed to fail the kids, forcing them to shuffle off to the factories once their dreams are crushed at graduation.

    LovelyLuminanceOX , Pixabay Report

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    Kelbers11
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Politicians like their constituents all nice and compliant!! (Aka stupid and gullible)

    90HD
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    they want them to take everything the mainstream news says at face value, and never to question anything

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    Earonn -
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Erm, factory work isnt' really the big market these days. (Customer) service is. So you would want people who can read, write, and do basic maths. Maybe it's because too many continue to vote for parties who funnel tax money rather to their rich friends, while blaming immigrants. But hey, that would make voters responsible, and doesn't feel as satisfying, does it.

    Just Cosmo
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I disagree with this. It's not the school system that is trying to get people to fail. Most public school systems just suck because they don't have the funding. There is a correlation with school funding and quality of education.

    axle f
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    ....kind of like how it was illegal to teach slaves to read? control minds, asses follow...

    Parmeisan
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There's a province in Canada that is introducing oil & gas as a high school elective. It's offered by a company that isn't even in that province, so best-case scenario those kids will be leaving the province when they graduate. Worst case scenario, of course, is that they are unemployed and angry about policies that advance green energy (ie, the other party's policies). We're being real open now about what we actually care about and it's not kids.

    Rahul Pawa
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't think it was deliberate. And I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse 🫤

    n75mk9nk2n
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is not a conspiracy. This is fact. And it all dates back to 1965 and the passing of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the follow-up Higher Education Act. The TL;DR is that this was the start of the shift from actual education to standardized testing. We no longer taught children how to think, only how to obey, and it was 100% intentional to turn out good little factory workers who would believe whatever they were told.

    Son of Philosoraptor
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nah. We just love a billion dollar battleship more than quality schools. It's because we can't seem to plan for more than a year in advance...

    90HD
    Community Member
    3 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My brother in Christ you are about 80 years too late on that Battleship trend.

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    LaserBrain
    Community Member
    5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Teaches them to think that sitting at a desk all day and waiting for the bell to ring so they can have lunch is a normal life. So that they don't make revolution.

    Elle Lian
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If you believe this is the average classroom, you need to go volunteer. Teachers try to make lessons engaging and hands-on. Sure, there’s fact memorization as that’s a level one for depth-of-knowledge, but most teachers, even with younger grades, want to help their students to be able to answer level three and four questions, both of which require critical thinking skills.

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    SAF saf
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The public school system is amazing....in wealthier areas. Parents fail their kids, schools exist to help the parent and not the other way around.

    Amanda Cruz
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think they worded this wrong, or maybe missed the point all together. It should say public school systems are designed to make kids into good employees/ workers not to make geniuses or scientist ect.

    Boredandsomea
    Community Member
    5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    School was made mandatory when child-labour was demanding a higher level of obedience and basic reading skills for the factories. with child-labour no longer viable in the west school became expensive so they made cost reductions on no-longer needed education. So now it´s just a storage place for kids where the only important lesson is obedience to the flag.

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    #9

    Crowded night market scene, bustling with people and vibrant stalls, linked to conspiracy theories discussions online. Human are nothing more than a virus destroying the larger organism earth. Earth will eventually get a fever in an attempt to rid herself of us.

    modsonredditsuckdk , Picas Joe Report

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    Jayjay
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We are only destroying humanity. Earth will restore itself when we are gone :).

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    This isn’t even the full list. Basically, there are many things that can make a theory more or less successful, and theorists usually attempt to check as many of them as possible. 

    Even if the theories get disproven, some people still believe in them. In fact, about 50% of Americans believe in at least one debunked conspiracy theory. 

    Research published by the American Psychological Association (APA) revealed that people are more prone to believing conspiracy theories due to certain motivations and personality traits. For example, those who feel a sense of antagonism and superiority toward others perceive threats in their environment and strongly rely on their intuition. 

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    #11

    People gathered at night with torches, creating an atmosphere associated with conspiracy theories. That governments allow events to take place so they can implement security restrictions. The riots in the UK and protests across the EU are allowed, possibly even encouraged. The citizens will demand order by any means necessary and thats when the restrictions will come in.

    LemmySixx Report

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    Kelly Scott
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Actually, this is the theory of terrorism. Terrorists commit terrorist acts in a country. The government of the country cracks down to the point where the people start to complain. The terrorists then move in to motivate the people to riot and overturn the government and at that point, the terrorists take over the government. If you squint a little, this is how the orange monkey got elected. He just made the illegals the terrorists.

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    #12

    An eerie doll amidst trash and debris, evoking spine-chilling conspiracy theories. There's plastic in our blood and every piece of tech listens to us.

    And nobody really cares.

    birdinbynoon , Sébastien Vincon Report

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    CanadianDimes
    Community Member
    5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is not a conspiracy theory and lots of people care about plastics and microplastics.

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    Additionally, the increased accessibility of information due to social media and 24-hour news cycles also helps to reach more people, thus convincing more of them to believe. 

    If you read something online and wonder whether it is a conspiracy theory or the truth, there are some things you can do to make sure. For example, seek out the evidence for the stated things, as many theories crumble after a lack of it. Then, you can also “test” the idea with logic and critical thinking. So, basically, look for evidence that contradicts and maybe even debunks it. 

    #13

    Hands manipulating puppets, illustrating conspiracy theories concept. I find the idea that powerful organizations are secretly manipulating global events the scariest. It’s unsettling to think about how much control they might have.

    Chloe_-_Willow , freepik Report

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    Toothless Feline
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The thing is, they’re not doing it secretly anymore. Their manipulations are now openly flaunted.

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    #15

    Hand holding a small globe against a scenic mountain backdrop, symbolizing conspiracy theories and global mysteries. Heres a new one for you:

    Spontaneous Life is actually extremely common in the universe.

    We talk about the primoridal ooze where the first protiens formed into a cell and all that. But this theory states that life actually spontaneously arises on a microscopic level *constantly*. Well, constantly on a universal time scale, at least. Not all of it is carbon based, and in fact life has formed in many different ways that we don't recognize as true life.

    However, there is one critical thing that acts as a gateway: reproduction. Almost all life that is spontaneously created lives a short time and dies without reproducing.

    On our world, there have been *two* instances of spontaneous life that were able to reproduce.

    1. The precursor that lead to all life as we know it on earth over millions and millions of years

    2. Viruses.

    PolloMagnifico , Porapak Apichodilok Report

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    Looking for the motives or red flags behind the theory, like prejudicial tropes, and seeking the source of the claim (besides other things) are also useful while figuring out the conspiracy theory's validity. 

    Also, if after some time you realize that you have fallen for some kind of conspiracy theory, don’t feel too bad – as we made it clear, they’re made to convince people. If you realize the fault in your logic related to them, it’s good for you, and bad for them. 

    Have you ever fallen for any kind of conspiracy theory? Share your experience with us in the comments!

    #16

    Surgeons in an operating room, focusing on a procedure, reflecting conspiracy theories discussions in professional settings. Medical knowledge and technology are more advanced than we think but are kept from the public because they would cut into corporate profits

    As a bonus, MK Ultra was not an isolated incident, USA (and other govts) continue secret tests on their own citizens, they just got better at hiding it.

    Kopalniok , Павел Сорокин Report

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    B Jones
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The only problem is that many countries have socialized healthcare and why would they not use more advanced cures.

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    #17

    Rocket in the night sky, leaving a bright trail, surrounded by dark clouds, evoking conspiracy theories. It's not particularly scary but go read a bit of Commander David Fravors' statement about his F/18 crew that were called to check on an object they had been tracking on the USS Nimitz for weeks in the early 2000s. It was dropping from 80,000' to 20,000' in mere seconds. When they managed to begin tracking it (the radar had trouble picking it up) there was no infrared heat signature for the propulsion of the craft as it hovered over the ocean and it was pulling G's no pilot could make without a full blackout. It disappeared from view of both planes and popped back onto the radar 60 miles away, in less than a minute. His crew also took a different video years later of a similar object. Really makes you wonder, there's a full statement of the hearing online.

    Jim_Lahey10 , Dirk Schuneman Report

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    LaserBrain
    Community Member
    5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Look up UAP's. There are many publicised cases with documented footage, and now even the military and government is willing to state that they exist, but we don't know what they are. Hence the "U." It used to stand for Unidentified, now it stands for Unexplained. I don't know why they had to go and change the name though.

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    #18

    Shadowy figure pressing against frosted glass, representing spine-chilling conspiracy theories. I love/hate the idea that the existence of the uncanny valley implies the existence of something that looks human but wasn't quite human and we needed to fear it.

    MaximumSeats , freepik Report

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    Earonn -
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I mean, several humanoid species lived at the same time, and each was the 'uncanny valley' to the other (and still they mated). Nothing really frightening about that.

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    #19

    Aliens inside a car at night, with eerie lighting creating a spine-chilling atmosphere. That the stereotypical Alien “encounter”, involving abduction, probing, and other experiments, are not aliens, but rather humans, from the future, coming back to try and figure out why we stopped being able to reproduce. Furthermore, that concludes that whatever brings about the potential fall of man has already begun.

    Limesy2 , Miriam Espacio Report

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    Captain Grump
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I can't help but notice that the reported incidents of alien encounters and UFO sightings dropped to essentially zero once everyone started carrying around a video recording device in the form of a phone. Also, if the mission of future time travelers is to figure out why we stopped reproducing, maybe their fixation on a**l probing is part of the answer.

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    #20

    Bitcoins on top of hundred dollar bills, symbolizing conspiracy theories related to digital currency. The one about Bitcoin being invented by an AI, which is now accumulating a huge amount of computer power by greedy humans building big bitcoin mining centres to make money, but all they are doing is building an ultra resilient network for the AI to run on. The AI also has a huge amount of wealth to now pay anonymously to humans to do it's dirty work in the physical world.
    A superintelligence at some point wants more computation and robot arms - given robot arms aren't all that great, money is the next best thing, as humans will do anything for bigger numbers on their bank account.
    For me, it's truely terrifying.

    icecoldpoker2 , David McBee Report

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    Montanavanna
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I am very fearful of growing AI and had never heard this one. Great, now I am even more afraid. How long til they use all the robotics and AI driven manufacturing to build better bodies?

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    #23

    A small green alien figure inside a miniature UFO model, symbolizing conspiracy theories. The reason we haven't found aliens is because any advanced civilization destroys itself.

    LegitSkin , Michaël Meyer Report

    #24

    People fist-bumping over a wooden table with notebooks and phones, symbolizing unity in discussing chilling conspiracy theories. That some examples of the mandela effect are actually advertisements for a firm that can counter the streisand effect for the ludicrously wealthy .

    twobit211 , fauxels Report

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    HTakeover
    Community Member
    4 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Funny enough, Terry Pratchett wrote about the Mandela Effect long before it was called that. He threw in a few blurbs in some books but did an entire book around it, Thief of Time, in 2001.

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