Vladimir Putin at centre of barmy 'time traveller' theory as century-old photos fuel viral conspiracy
femalefirst.co.uk
Century-old military photos that look eerily like Putin have gone viral again — but is it time travel, immortality, or just the human brain finding faces it expects?
PareidoliaIllusory CorrelationAvailability HeuristicConspiracy Theory Psychology
Theory Briefing
- Decades-old military photographs bearing a striking resemblance to Vladimir Putin have repeatedly resurfaced online, each time reigniting the same conspiracy theory.
- The theory claims Putin is either a time traveller or an immortal, based solely on visual similarity to historical figures.
- Our brains are wired to recognise familiar faces even in ambiguous images, making lookalike photos feel like hard evidence when they are not.
- The conspiracy has gone viral multiple times despite no new information — repetition alone makes the claim feel more credible to many viewers.