ABSTRACT
The notion of a conspiracy implies a group that threatens the very existence of the society in which it has infiltrated. These conspiracy narratives served to enhance communal identity against enemies–foreigners or deviants who no longer belonged in the national community because of their evil thoughts or acts. Social psychologists and historians have emphasized the psychological benefits of conspiracy theories in reducing uncertainty. Personal involvement in conspiracy theories often takes the form of play, mixing humor and distance with paranoia and belief. Conspiracy fiction and denunciations of conspiracies tell stories of people whose actions are determined through mind control or implanted technology. The idea of the evil elite has links with three different but complementary universes of meaning: the call to action of social protest movements, the scary and funny realm of popular fiction, and the opinions of "the common people" on the subject of their reactions to disasters.
