Spot on, man! In simplest terms running on the conveyor belt of conspiracy theories resembles religion... even if you can find lunatics both among religious people and atheists.
The whole mindset escapes clear-cut classification and has more to do with personal psychology IMO!
The ingredients are: mistrust in science or in rational thinking in broader terms, denial of facts, belief in alternative reality, confirmation bias, cognitive closure (very well researched), lack of analytical thinking in favour of far-fetched synthesis, paranoia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and sometimes depression (psychiatric conditions in general).
But it's hardly an effect of radical politics... I am a radical myself, an anarchist, but I couldn't say I fall into the trap of conspiracy mindset... and I don't trust government either, but it doesn't mean I tend to see deep state everywhere!
Absolutely, the similarity between conspiracy theorists and the "religious" groups (although exactly like you said, that includes die-hard atheists as well) is staggering.
I suspect you're right about it having more to do with personal psychology, as with most things in reality nothings clear-cut.
You've hit the nail on the head there buddy, that is definitely what I've experienced with the majority of these people. The lack of analytical thinking and confirmation bias in particular is very common.
I'm with you bud, I don't really have a label for myself, but I have a growing distrust of government and authoritarian ways of thinking, but the reality these people describe... it's terrifying. It truly is, and I feel for them. If they do wholeheartedly believe what they say, then life must be miserable for them. The isolation alone would be enough to send anyone into crazy territory. I'm all for alternative perspectives, and I really want to hear differing opinions to my own... but I have no time for pandering to these groups anymore. I've got bigger things to do!
Thanks for stopping by, it's reassuring to hear that I'm not the only one that feels this way.
They are lunatics! And I also feel sorry for them... I mean it's one thing to completely reject 500 yrs of hard science and much more in terms of rational observation, but it's completely different when you start building theories that are COMPLETELY MAD and can be cut short by 15 minutes of googling things up!
Did you know that flat earthers believe we are surrounded by blocks of ice from all sides and if we break them then we fall into outer space?
It's beyond comprehension, but the worst thing is that you can't even debate with sth like that, cause it's like fuckin' dogma, thus completely immune to argumentation!
And this is the problem! There's no way we can find a common space here! It's total detachment from reality as we know it! It's like a rabbit hole! Different dimension!
That's the bit that gets me, denial in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. I read an interesting article the other day, in a nut shell "social pain" or being told you're wrong hurts just the same as physical pain: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/feb/28/why-being-wrong-really-hurts
Ha, yes I've heard that one, the flatearthers I find particularly amusing. There's a million different ways to prove that they are wrong, but I think even Neil Degrasse Tyson has given up on that one. I read that they accept that Mars and the others planets are round, but it's just Earth for some reason...
Sadly you're right about debating it, I stupidly tried once. If you have a spare few hours and don't mind losing some of your sanity, you can see the results of that encounter here: https://steemit.com/vaccines/@truthtrain/people-want-proof
It's a shame because this backwards thinking needs to be abandoned before we can really start moving forward. They've rejected both the red and blue pills in favour of the black pill!