Is global warming a hoax? Is Earth actually flat? Is the CIA responsible for the attack on the WTC in New York? Why do many believe various bizarre theories despite the wealth of counter-evidence? The rise of fake news, alternative facts, and conspiracy theories, along with the fundamentalism, fanaticism, and propaganda of totalitarian governments from around the world, call for a no-holds-barred depth psychological exploration. Jung’s insights provide rich ways of the understanding these phenomena. In this course, we’ll explore:
1) the psychological phenomena and dynamics underlying conspiracy theories;
2) how the Self—namely non-credible representations of numinous energies—influences the way the ego holds on to conspiracy theories;
3) the unconscious (excessive, unhealthy) dynamics that maintain the ego’s adherence to conspiracy theories;
4) mythological and clinical parallels of the phenomena;
5) examples of how conspiracy theories shape politics and public affairs.