Conspiracy theories have to begin with a token of truth or something that is plausible and accepted by at least two or more people.
In most of these theories, a secret is being kept by an organization, government, or high-ranking officials. Some of these fanciful theories have been used in movies and television shows to make viewers question what they thought they knew to be true but might not actually be true.
Let’s look at a few conspiracy theories that might actually be true.
The 9-11 Attacks
It’s well-known that the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on September 11, 2001, were the direct result of a conspiracy led by noted terrorist Osama bin Laden. This attack spurned years of war and servicemembers being sent to the Middle East, specifically Afghanistan and Pakistan, to hunt down terrorist cells.
For some this is too simple and their theory is that the President, Vice President, and top advisors were all aware of the events that were about to unfold. Another theory is that the planes didn’t actually take down the tower because some believed jet fuel can’t melt steel beams. Thankfully, the jet fuel theory has been debunked. The first theory still stands for some people who believe it impossible for these attacks to take place while completely undetected until that fateful day.
Subliminal Advertising Is Everywhere
Why do you suddenly get hungry while watching a movie or have the urge to shop for something when you sit down on the sofa and watch your favorite shows? Some who subscribe to conspiracy theories believe there is subliminal advertising at play, working in the background to make you want something that you didn’t even know you wanted in the first place.
Subliminal messaging received such a widespread concern that books written about it have had to be debunked, and some musical groups, such as Styx and Judas Priest, were thought to be weaving subliminal messaging into their music, leading to a teen’s suicide. Thankfully, none of these things were ever proven to be true and were, in fact, debunked.
The Moon Landing
How could an entire country and scientists from around the world keep NASA faking the moon landing a secret for so long? The answer is simple; they can’t. The moon landing actually took place in 1969 and there’s ample scientific evidence to provide it. Unfortunately, some people want their 15 minutes of fame and have come out to try and claim the events were faked.
This particular conspiracy theory went so far as to be in a book and a Fox documentary that made some people think the whole thing was faked. What some forget is that the people who were part of the events are extremely offended by anyone questioning their validity. This went so far as to have Buzz Aldrin punch conspiracy theorist Bart Sibrel in the jaw in 2002 when he confronted the astronaut.
John F. Kennedy Assassination
The Kennedy Assassination in Dallas in 1963 was one of the most horrific moments of that decade. It was quickly proven that Lee Harvey Oswald was the gunman, but there are conspiracy theories surrounding the idea that a second gunman could have been present.
The second gunman theory is even more possible and questionable because Oswald was murdered in the basement of the Dallas Police Headquarters two days after the assassination. He was murdered while surrounded by police officers, which caused many people to wonder what happened and how he came to be murdered in this setting unless someone didn’t want Oswald to talk.
A Panic Over Satanism
During the 1980s and 1990s, many Americans were convinced there was an underground group of Satanists working to kidnap, torture, and abuse children around the country. This was entirely false, but this is one of the many conspiracy theories that destroyed many lives.
This was also a time when some daytime shows claiming to bring actual news to the masses simply provided sensationalism to keep their ratings high. None was more damning than Geraldo Rivera’s special about Satanism, which was based on misleading and inaccurate statistics. These types of reports led to daycare operators being questioned and jailed because children were making accusations that were eventually found to be false. This led to a discredited method of questioning small children.
These five conspiracy theories started with something that was true but eventually was found to be false and without merit. Unfortunately, some of these theories spread to the point that organizations have spent millions of dollars to disprove them.