Cults and Conspiracy Theories - Division of Arts & Humanities
artshumanities.berkeley.edu
Cults and conspiracy theories aren't random madness — they follow predictable psychological blueprints that explain why smart people fall for them and can't escape.
Cognitive DissonanceSocial Identity TheoryEpistemic ClosureRadicalization Theory
Theory Briefing
- Cults and conspiracy theories share structural features — closed belief systems that actively resist outside falsification.
- Berkeley's Arts and Humanities lens frames both phenomena as social, not just psychological, failures of critical thinking.
- Once inside a cult or conspiracy worldview, cognitive dissonance and sunk-cost dynamics make exit feel impossible.