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2010-11-17T14:12:42Z

CocoaSlurper: /* New articles */

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==Welcome to Psiram.com==

Welcome to the wiki of irrational belief systems. We hope you find something useful or interesting. If you want, you can [[join]] us. View a [[Special:Random|Random page]] if you want to get an idea what this is about. Go to the [http://forum.psiram.com forum] if you want to talk to us.

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==Belief systems==
* [[Esoterics]], [[Anthroposophy]] or everything related as [[:category:Esotericism]]
* [[Conspiracy Theory|Conspiracy theories]] like [[Chemtrails]]

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==Quackery==
* [[Germanic New Medicine]], [[Ryke Geerd Hamer]] and his [[Victims_of_New_Medicine|victims]] [[Sodium Bicarbonate Therapy according to Tullio Simoncini]]
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==New articles==
[[Chemtrail]] ⋅ [[Victims of New Medicine]] ⋅ [[Conspiracy Theory]] ⋅ [[Miracle Mineral Supplement]] ⋅ [[Jim Humble]] ⋅ [[Eleanor McBean]] ⋅ [[Esotericism]] ⋅ [[Deer Tribe]] ⋅ [[Night Milk Crystals]] ⋅ [[Mayan Prophecy and 2012]] ⋅ [[Hopi and Pseudo Hopi Prophecies]] ⋅ [[Prahlad Jani]] ⋅ [[Andreas Moritz]] ⋅ [[Sodium Bicarbonate Therapy according to Tullio Simoncini]] ⋅ [[Cancer Diet]] ⋅ [[Ralph W. Moss]]

[[category:!Psiram]]

Chemtrails

2010-11-17T11:20:25Z

CocoaSlurper: Redirected page to Chemtrail

#REDIRECT [[Chemtrail]]

Chemtrail

2010-11-17T11:19:50Z

CocoaSlurper: Chemtrail part one

[[image:ctvor1967.jpg|Picture of a contrail in a book from 1967|left|thumb]]
[[image:contrail1.jpg|Contrails during WWII|thumb]]
[[image:ctww2-2.jpg|Contrails during WWII|thumb]]
[[image:Ctww2-3.jpg|Picture from WWII|thumb]]
'''Chemtrail''' is, according to a common [[Conspiracy Theory|conspiracy theory]], the name for certain types of contrails. According to this [[Pseudo-Science|pseudo-scientific]] idea at least a part of the known contrails consist of various added substances, whose composition however can not be agreed upon by followers of this idea. The modified contrails supposedly show a different behavior from regular ones. They are claimed to remain longer visible in the sky, and to sometimes appear in a checkerboard pattern. There is no consensus among followers of the chemtrail idea on which airplanes spread the additives. Some believe chemtrails are caused by all different kinds of planes, while others believe only certain military aircraft to be responsible. An extended version of the theory claims that chemtrails can ''dissolve'' carbon-dioxide, resulting in local decrease in temperature due to the diminished greenhouse effect. This creates a huge depression that sucks in surrounding air, causes thunderstorms, intense rain, storms and hail.

==The History of the word Chemtrails==
[[image:stetter.jpg|G. Stetter|100px|thumb]]
[[image:Cliffordcarnicom2.jpg|Clifford Carnicom|left|thumb]]
[[image:williamThomas.jpg|William Thomas|left|thumb]]
[[image:Jimphelps.jpg|Jim Phelps|thumb]]
The term chemtrail was coined around 1998 in the US. In the early days the word "cloverleaf" was more common, until the year 2000.<ref>18.07.2000 - http://www.rense.com/general2/pat.htm</ref><ref>27.07.2000 - http://www.clydelewis.com/invest/contrails/msnbc72798.html</ref><ref>22.05.2000 http://www.anomalies-unlimited.com/Chemtrails/Witness_2.html</ref> Barium and aluminum were introduced into the debate around 2001.<ref>23.05.2001 - http://www.anomalies-unlimited.com/Theories.html</ref> Clifford Carnicom from Santa Fe in New Mexico and the Canadian William Thomas from Duncan (British Columbia) are often labeled the creators of the chemtrail hypothesis. They are the only ones who left behind well dated material. Carnicom's records begin in the summer of 1999 with the double title Contrail/Chemtrail. Carnicom latterly presents himself on a website called CACTUS (Citizens Against Chemtrails U.S.) According to him barium is radioactive, which adds another [[Pseudo Science|pseudo-scientific]] note to his [[Conspiracy Theory|conspiracy theories]]. The journalist William Thomas first wrote about the topic in January of 1999 (article in Environment News Service - ENS)<ref>1999-01-08 http://www.netowne.com/environmental/contrails/willthomas/contrails.htm</ref>, but was still using the word contrails.

Further historical documents exist parallel to that, for example the well known radio talk show with Art Bell from 1999.<ref>1999-02-10 http://web.archive.org/web/20051109173010/http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/4809/reports.html</ref><ref>1999-03-09 http://web.archive.org/web/20070315131454/http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/4809/reports2.html</ref> While the first report talks only about (poisonous) contrails, the second one marks the birth of the word ''chemtrails' only one month later, albeit still set in quotation marks. The book "Chemtrails over America" by William Thomas was released shortly after that.

Another (self-proclaimed) inventor of the word is Jim Phelps. Here a quote to get a little insight into the mind of Mr. Phelps:''These truths revealed on the use of Chemtrails will show that the US Govt. has long known the truth on what causes the AIDS epidemic. Chemtrails use a truncated version of the Manna effect. And AIDS is the direct result of too much fluoride in the environment that is upsetting the beneficial trace metals in the human cells and immune system. This leads to a lower level of metals, like manganese, that block the reverse transcription of HIV. This is a very important concept from the End-Times predictions of huge health plagues sweeping the planet and all very predictable from the old biblical times for those that knew the mining industries.''<ref>http://www.assatashakur.org/forum/open-forum/12258-god-chemtrails-jim-phelps.html</ref>

==The abstruse conspiracy theory==
[[image:testflugzeug.jpg|Rear of a test plane for simulating icing|300px|left|thumb]]
[[image:Nkc135spay.jpg|The same plane in action|thumb]]
Supporters of the 1990s chemtrail hypothesis believe, that certain substances that are not described clearly, are being mixed with the jet fuel, to create an effect on the global climate, especially the greenhouse effect. Other conspiracy theorists believe, that it is part of a world wide program to reduce the global population, or for birth or mind control. Behind these programs are, according the chemtrail groups, the [[Freemasonry|Freemasons]], the [[Illuminati]] or a Jewish conspiracy. There are often ties to right wing groups, "brown [[esotericism]]" and supporters of [[cloudbuster]], [[colloidal silver]] and [[Zapper|zappers]] according to [[Hulda Clark]]. Typical supporters of the chemtrail hypothesis are [[Georg Ritschl]], [[Werner Altnickel]], [[Peter Platte]], [[Helmut Gobsch]], [[Heinz Gerhard Vogelsang]], [[Don Croft]] and [[Rosalie Bertell]]. In Germany the far right NPD party started an inquiry into ''chemtrails'' in the state parliament of Saxony. The topic of chemtrails is often used as a catch in the right wing scene.

Fallacious and unsupported assumptions are often promoted in the esoteric Swiss publication "Zeitenschrift"<ref>Zeitenschrift issue 49, 2006</ref>, in the [[Scientology]] affine "Neue Impulse Treff" network, and by the esoteric-libertarian "live Net Concept 2010" association. A popular photo "proof" of alleged chemtrail operations can be seen in the picture on the right: A modified Boeing NKC-135A Stratotanker (717-100) with the number 17244, stationed at the Edwards AFB in California.<ref>http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?cnsearch=17244&distinct_entry=true</ref> It sprays water to test the flight quality of planes under icing conditions. Tests are done on various kinds of planes, such as fighter jets<ref>[http://www.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/040213-F-9999M-002.jpg USAF picture of icing experiment on a fighter jet]</ref> or a Embraer EMB-120RT.<ref>http://aircrafticing.grc.nasa.gov/courses/inflight_icing/resources/pdf/monroe_accident_report.pdf</ref> That plane has been decommissioned, now.

Popular among chemtrail supporters is the claim that so called low budget airlines, like the Irish Ryanair, are able to offer their flights at such a low price, because their secret main job is the creation of chemtrails.

==Contrails and cloud formation==
[[image:Ct1905-9.jpg|Photo of clouds before 1905<ref>Clayden, Arthur W. Cloud Studies (1905) Verlag: KESSINGER PUB CO Nachdruck 2008 ISBN-13: 9780548985267 ISBN-10: 054898526X</ref>|300px|thumb]]
[[image:contrail.jpg|Meteorological conditions for the creation of contrails|600px|thumb]]
[[image:contrail2.jpg|thumb|600px]]
Contrails (also called Ice-SuperSaturated Regions(ISSR)) are visible clouds of liquid (condensed) or frozen water droplets, that form when the hot exhaust stream of airplanes meets cold air under the right circumstances. That decompression leads to cooling and condensation can be seen when a bottle of sparkling wine is opened. "Fog" appears above the liquid. The same process plays a big role in the creation of clouds and rain in the atmosphere.

Some forms of clouds that are caused by planes appear without the interference of any exhaust gases, for example ''winglet-contrails'', which can be observed by passengers forming at the wing tips of planes under the right conditions, even at low altitudes. Typical turbofan exhaust temperatures are at around 600 K.

The formation of contrails can be explained physically: Generally water gets visible in the air, when the relative humidity (the number of water droplets in relation to the temperature of the air) exceeds 100%. The warmer the air is, the more water vapor can it hold. Modern planes travel at high altitudes, where it is very cold. The cold air can only hold small amounts of water. Water is created chemically when jet fuel is burnt, which exits the engines as an invisible gas. The surrounding cold air rapidly cools down the hot exhaust gas, and after a few meters (depending on temperature and humidity), lets the water crystallize, forming the contrail. The contrail remains visible until the water crystals are dispersed to the point where humidity drops below 100%. In a high pressure area with low humidity this happens rather fast, and no contrail at all forms when temperatures are high enough in the summer, like it is often the case in southern Europe for example. In the Arctic and Antarctic however contrails can sometimes form even at ground level.

At certain weather conditions the contrails can expand, remain visible for hours, or gather more clouds to the point where it starts to rain. Supporters of the chemtrail hypothesis then say that the plane ''made'' the bad weather. In reality it is exactly the other way around. The persistent contrails indicate the upcoming bad weather, because low pressure areas typically have high humidity, and the added water (water vapor from the exhaust gas) is more than the air can absorb, and thus remains visible as fog or clouds. Sometimes the chemtrail supporters ask why the "spraying" has stopped. A quick look at the weather map helps: Usually there's a stable high pressure area with low humidity. Then, as soon as a low pressure area approaches, the ''chemtrail reports'' come in again. Generally contrails appear at temperature below -35°C, depending on altitude and humidity.

*'''Short contrails''' form at an altitude of about 10km, if the temperature of the tropopause (10-15km) lies around -50°C with an humidity of below 70%. Ice crystals form, but sublimate after a few seconds and become invisible.
*'''Persistent contrails''' that may expand and even lead to the formation of artificial cirrus clouds form, when the tropopause reaches a humidity from 80-100%.<ref>http://www.welt.de/print-welt/article217386/Weisse_Streifen__am_Himmel.html</ref><ref>http://naca.central.cranfield.ac.uk/reports/1942/naca-wr-l-474.pdf</ref><ref>http://www.env.leeds.ac.uk/envi1200/slides/Chapter%209.pdf</ref>
*'''No contrails at all''' even at high altitudes form, when the temperature close to the ground during the summer increases to 25°C or higher, and the temperature of the lower tropopause (10-12km) reaches -40°C and higher, with a humidity below 30%. This happens in ''chemtrail free'' southern Europe during the summer. Below 25% humidity at 10km no ice crystals form.

During the day contrails cover about 0.7% of the sky over Europe over the course of the year, at night (when contrails have an insulating effect) they cover about 0.25%. On average they cover about 0.5% of the sky.

When a plane flies through the not always straight and level (but wavy) border between warmer and colder air, it may appear as if the contrail is suddenly turned off or on, even repeatedly when there are turbulences. Air warms quicker over large dark (tarmac) surfaces than over wet meadows, and begins to rise, forming bubbles or "chimneys" of warm air. Different thermal phenomenons can exist next to each other. The results are the typical hops and bumps pilots of small airplanes experience. When contrails persist long enough their form gets changed by winds and turbulences - just like regular clouds. Different colors are the result of refraction and reflection of sunlight. These aspects are displayed on websites of chemtrail believers as unnatural, and evidence of chemicals. But they can actually be explained naturally, and are consistent with our understanding of meteorology and physics, requiring no additional hypotheses or conspiracy theories.

Cloud-pictures of the kind that, according to supporters of the chemtrail hypothesis, are evidence of sprayed chemicals, are photographically documented from times even well before the first powered flight of the Wright brothers, for example in the 1905 book ''Clouds studies''.<ref>Clayden aW: http://contrailscience.com/files/Cloud_Studies.pdf</ref> The first actual contrails have been recorded shortly after World War I<ref>http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/049/mwr-049-07-0412c.pdf</ref><ref>Everett Wells: Artikel in Scientific American, ”Clouds formed by Airplanes“, 7.6.1919, page 60</ref>, when ever more powerful planes reached ever higher altitudes. The first report of a contrail is based on a flight of pilot Franz Zeno Diemer, who reached an altitude of 9,300 m over Munich in 1919.

==Distrails==
''Inverted contrails - distrails'' is the name for the more rare breakup of clouds caused by airplanes. Water droplets vaporize faster in the hot exhaust gas, creating a cloud free trail. This can also be caused by mixing in dry air from above or under the the cloud layer.

==Alleged chemical composition of the chemtrail additives according to different sources==
The following substances are to be found in chemtrails, according to followers of the idea:
*Barium or barium compounds
*Aluminum compounds
*Titanium
*Teutonium
*radioactive thorium
*synthetic fibers of unknown composition
*Ethylene dibromide (EDB)
*Mycoplasma, Pseudomonas and allegedly existing ''nanobacterias''
*Vaccines against anthrax, tularemia, brucellosis and measles in aerosol form
*Pathogens, genetically modified microbes of unknown kind

Aluminum and barium are insoluble in kerosene, but there are compounds of either element that are. However even small traces of them would easily be detectable with modern analytic methods (e.g. ICP or AAS). Furthermore neither the application of aluminum nor that of barium make sense from a chemical or physiological point of view (especially regarding the desired harm). Aluminum is covered with an oxide layer, rendering it mostly inert. Barium on the other hand is so reactive, that is cannot be used here. It would immediately and violently react with humidity and oxygen (creating barium hydroxide). Barium sulfate is physiologically harmless, it is insoluble in water. It has no bioavailability, hence the reason it is orally administered as radio-opaque substance for x-rays. Teutonium is not one of the known elements. In how far pathogen germs, bacterias, spores, vaccines etc. remain stable under the existing conditions remains questionable.

So far none of the aforementioned substances could be clearly identified in contrails or jet exhaust gas.

Speculations of anti-vaccination activist Anita Petek-Dimmer turned into a source of amusement in 2005, when she proclaimed that the bird flue (caused by the H5N1 virus) was the result of ionizing radiation from chemtrails. Petek-Dimmer believed that plutonium had been added to chemtrails. Furthermore she assumed: ''This radioactive radiation does not also dissolve animal cells, but also those of plants.<ref>A. Petek-Dimmer: Vogelgrippe oder Vogelwahn. Wie man mit gezielter Propaganda Angst und Hysterie erzeugt. AEGIS IMPULS Nr. 23 2005</ref>

==Known releases of substances in aviation==
[[image:chemtrail44.jpg|actual chemtrail|thumb]]
[[image:hagelflieger.jpg|Cloud seeding equipment|left|thumb]]
Cloud seeders disperse silver iodide (with acetone) specifically into thunderstorms to prevent hail. Smoke is often used in air shows, or to study wake turbulence. Water can be used for the same purposes. As part of military operations clouds can be manipulated to create rain. Such interventions are regulated in the ENMOD provision of the United Nations. In the Vietnam war ''agent orange'' has been used to defoliate forests. In case of emergency planes are allowed to dump fuel. Contrary to contrails smoke trails form directly at the outlet. Contrails form a little bit behind the engines.

==Chemtrail and weather radar==
[[image:chaff2.jpg|Chaff cloud over the Netherlands|left|thumb]][[image:chaff.jpg|Radar chaff|thumb]]
Supporters of the chemtrail conspiracy theory occasionally claim that there are sometimes strange signals on the weather radars of meteorological services, that appear to be ''ghost clouds''. For example on July 19th 2005 the radar screens of the German Weather Service (DWD) showed a small compact cloud formation on the north sea coast of the Netherlands, that looked like rain. Within two hours the radar showed a 300 km long cloud strip, reaching from the East Frisian Islands down to the northern Ruhr Area. But at the same time no clouds were visible, neither from the ground nor on satellite images, nor anything that might look like a mass of contrails. In this case as well as in similar ones ''chaffs'' (''Rapid Bloom Chaff(RBC))'' had been dispersed as part of a military exercise. Chaffs are small metal threads that reflect radar waves and disturb radar<ref>http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/mensch/0,1518,445727,00.html</ref><ref>http://www.presse.uni-karlsruhe.de/6428.php</ref>. Supporters of the chemtrail idea cannot be talking about chaff. Even they don't claim a correlation between supposed chemtrail sightings and strange radar echoes.

==Logical counter arguments==
A world wide UN coordinated secret program for creating artificial contrails, like chemtrail believers proclaim, would have to be kept secret by a large number of adept people, who at the same time would be breaking the law. Belonging to this group would be aircraft crews, manufacturer of the used technology and means, ground crew and airport employees. Chemtrail Supporters like Platte claim, that there are even pilots who have been fired for refusing to take part in this hypothetical chemtrail project. But so far not a single one of them has come forth as a whistle blower.

To achieve a concentration of 1 mg per square meter of a specific substance one needs to disperse 1 kg of that substance per square km. Europe has an area of 10.5 million square km, requiring 10,500 tons of that substance for a single spraying event. A typical large aircraft such as the Boeing KC-135 has a maximum load of 85 tons of fuel<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_KC-135_Stratotanker</ref>. So 123 aircraft of this type are needed to get the job done, when each plane only flew once. The surface of the whole earth is about 510 million square km. 510,000 tons of material were needed for a single spraying, equaling 6,000 tankers. This assumes that the fuel itself is the pure substance. If the substance had to be thinned however (for example 1:9) then 5,100,000 tons of the spraying solution are required, equaling 60,000 Phantom tankers. That is 3.2 times the official number of jets world wide.

Another argument against the chemtrail hypothesis is the fact that since the 1970 until today (2009) the number of foggy days in Europe has been receding. That is based on an examination of data from 342 weather stations across Europe. This was published in "Nature Geoscience" by scientists around Robert Vautard. The decrease in fog is based on advanced filtering technology in power plants, that cut back sulfur dioxide emissions. Cleaner air is clearer air. And because of that more sunlight reaches the ground<ref>http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/ngeo414.html</ref><ref>http://www.welt.de/welt_print/article3050704/Der-Nebel-ueber-Europa-zieht-langsam-ab.html</ref>.

Esotericism

2010-11-03T14:02:56Z

CocoaSlurper: /* Esotericism in health care */ Link to Pseudomedicine

[[image:esoterik1.jpg|thumb]]
The term '''Esotericism''' derives from the Classical Greek term ''esoterikós'', which means "within" or "inwards". Its original meaning is "secret lore". In contemporary use, it is largely identical to the more modern ''New Age'' or ''New Occult''.<ref>Bochinger, Christoph (1994): 'New Age' und moderne Religion. Gütersloh</ref> The term esotericism used to apply to rites and custom within closed societies which were hidden from outsiders and kept secret from them. Today it stands for a large number of very different doctrines and convictions which are based on assumptions, according to which a scientific, rational description of the world is impossible. Consequently, all esoteric doctrines share a common feature: They cannot be tested or falsified, but are represented with the claim of absoluteness. There is no commonly accepted single esoteric lore, and no such lore is desired by the esoteric scene.

==General==
Terms like Esotericism, New Age and Occultism embrace certain non-religious paths to insight and forms of action. They often emphasize the role of the individual, subjective and often out-of-the-ordinary experience, especially when it avoids rational communicability and intersubjective scrutiny. Esotericism embraces certain spiritual qualities of the individual which typically cannot be falsified scientifically. Nonetheless followers of esoteric beliefs occasionally claim scientific testability for certain aspects of their, leading to [[Pseudo-Science|pseudo-scientific]] arguments. A conspicuous feature of Esotericism is the inconsiderate "borrowing" of words and concepts from other fields of knowledge, often that of natural sciences.

A uniting element of many esoteric tenets is the claim of offering ultimate answers to the key questions of humanity. They assert to have knowledge of "higher powers", of past and future of mankind, and promises ascent to higher realms or higher forms of knowledge which are denied to the uninitiated.<ref>Heelas, Paul (1996): The New Age Movement. Oxford.</ref> This restriction of knowledge to insiders is the exact opposite of an important principle in science: Any good idea is accessible to all mankind, and not just to a circle of a chosen few.

A part of the seductive power of Esotericism is initiated by narcissistic needs: Who wants to be a mere letter in the big book of evolution? A "nano-particle" in an inconceivable and infinite universe, if one can instead interpret one's own birth as having been inspired by cosmic fate and relevance. Worries about a fundamentally uncertain future call for a higher power which guides us. Another source of its appeal may be the complexity of the world which makes it hard to understand, and the fact that getting into the established sciences is tedious and complicated. Engagement in Esotericism can lead to the flattering impression of being able to understand and add meaning to everything.<ref>H. Uhlen: Vom ungläubigen Thomas lernen. Warum sich Wissenschaft und Religion nicht vertragen. K. Fischer, Aachen 2006, S.225</ref>

The human soul is often portrayed as eternal, the fate of each individual as predetermined. Esoteric practices and lores focus the craving for the mysterious which allegedly is veiled behind the mundane material world. Communication with other people, and even "higher beings" or the deceased is possible according to esoteric comprehension, requiring "channels" in addition to our five senses. Such phenomena present no logical problem to esoteric thinkers, since according to their understanding the known laws of nature are too restricted to explain the world.

All in all the esoteric scene shows a weak institutionalization.<ref>Knoblauch, Hubert (1989), Das unsichtbare neue Zeitalter. "New Age", privatisierte Religion und kultische Milieus, in: Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie</ref>

==Substitute religion==
Evidence-based scientific thinking as well as common religions are insufficient to explain the world in the eye of Esotericism. Esoteric lores have been seen as "substitute religions"<ref>Möth Ingo: (1989) New Age und Esoterik – Ersatzreligionen oder Protestbewegung? IWK-Reihe "New Age"</ref> or "secular substitute religions" in the past.

==Subjectivisation of nature==
The personification or subjectivisation of nature as ''Mother Earth'' or [[Gaia]] is another typical characteristic of many esoteric concepts.<ref>Irmgard Oepen, Krista Federspiel, Amardeo Sarma: Lexikon der Parawissenschaften: Astrologie, Esoterik, Okkultismus, Paramedizin, Parapsychologie kritisch betrachtet. Lit-Verlag 1999, Seite 88. ISBN-10: 3825842770</ref>

==The language of Esotericism==
Esotericism uses its own lexicon. There are terms such as ''Cosmic Consciousness'', ''change of paradigms'', ''transformation'' or the ''Age of Aquarius''. These terms, however, lack a clear definition. The avoidance of clear definitions can even be seen as a typical sign of Esotericism. Some of these words are borrowed from various fields of science and converted to new, ambiguous meanings. It is usually not defined what quantum, [[energy]] or vibration and frequencies mean in the esoteric sense. And if there is a definition or explanation, it is typically kept vague and diffuse, which often leads to esoteric points of view being accused of consisting of drivel.

The fuzzy vocabulary of Esotericism obstructs the understanding of esoteric context, but enables followers to immunize their doctrine from criticism and from "the outside" in general. They also welcome this because it creates a pleasant feeling of being understood by like-minded persons. It is often observed that consumers of esoteric products are rather uncritical in this context. Demanding explanations would disturb the pleasant feeling, because it exposes the inquirer as not belonging to the circle of those "in the know".

==Present==
Today's flavor of Esotericism saw its first big wave at the end of the 19th century and then especially in the 1970s. It has a big economic impact (see: [[esoteric market]]) and reaches far beyond the initial audience. Contrary to the past, today's Esotericism views everyone as a potential customer of esoteric products and services. Esoteric lore is no longer secret, but the air of a "higher" knowledge with which one can set oneself apart from the masses is still a big part of its appeal.

A huge number of esoteric authors, advisors and healers create billions in revenue every year in Germany alone. Millions of people look for esoteric solutions for everyday problems as well as severe crises, even though the effectiveness of the products and services offered is typically unknown at best. Providers themselves often do not know the details and history of their esoteric doctrines. It has become a product much like other consumer goods. The preference of followers changes accordingly. If a given practice fails or gets boring, it will simply be replaced by another.

Esotericism offers an individual way to separate oneself from the masses, to view oneself as a keeper of a "higher knowledge", while at the same time ridding oneself of personal responsibility. Followers can be taught in accordance with the lore, to view all events in the world as rightful and a given, including social inequity and racism. In this way, esoteric irrationality can work to protect and shield a system of oppression. Under the fuzzy reign of a holistic concept as understood by Esotericism, people can be robbed of their individual freedoms. They can be convinced to accept their situation, or that of other people, as cosmically predetermined and intended (see: [[Karma]]).

==National Socialism and extremist right groups today==
A special chapter is Esotericism in National Socialism and modern day "[[Brown Esotericism]]". Connections between Esotericism and the extreme right are indeed visible today, in Germany as well as in other countries. According to Barth, the esoteric movement has aided in making positions acceptable to a broad public which would not have been tolerated some ten years ago, in particular trivializing the crimes of German Fascism.<ref>Claudia Barth, Über alles in der Welt - Esoterik und Leitkultur - eine Einführung in die Kritik irrationaler Welterklärungen. Alibri-Verlag, 2003, 206 Seiten, ISBN 3-932710-36-3</ref> It is not unusual in those groups to explain the holocaust as the inevitable result of Jewish [[karma]].

There are also intersections between Esotericism and the left wing alternative milieu, for example in [[Veganism]] and [[Environmentalism]].

==Examples of esoteric lore==
Typical examples of esoteric lore and ideology are [[Astrology]], [[neopagan]] interpretations of [[shamanism]], [[theosophy]] and [[anthroposophy]] by [[Rudolf Steiner]]. Further examples of currently popular esoteric ideas are [[breatharianism]] ([[Light fasting]]) and [[indigenous spirituality]].

==Esotericism in health care==
Many products of the [[alternative medicine]] are influenced by esotericism. A typical exponent of that scene is Rüdiger Dahlke who claims to practice "esoteric medicine".<ref>http://www.metamedizin.info/imma/artikel_ruedigerdahlke_krankheitalssprachederseele.shtml</ref> Esoteric axioms appear to be essential, in the absence of proof of effectiveness, to make a product more appealing and separate and protect it from conventional therapies. The ambiguous and differing terminology of today's Esotericism apparently simply shrugs off rational critique of such medical practices.

The transition to [[alternative medicine]] which claims to be based on science is blurry: Esoteric elements can be found in the description of [[Pseudomedicine|pseudo-medicin]]al methods like [[Energy medicine]], [[Quantum medicine]], [[Bioresonance]] and so on. This applies for example to the avoidance of a well defined terminology.

The market for esoterically influenced medicine often not only makes unsustainable promises about health, the methods frequently even present a potential danger for clients or patients: Critical thinking, necessary for survival, is in danger of being neglected. Competent help from actual experts can be missed or declined. A notion of anti-scientific bias is common. Prejudice and reservation are fostered by esoteric literature as well as websites and TV channels. A typical example for this is the esoterically influenced [[anti-vaccination]] attitude common among many esoteric doctrines, such as [[Anthroposophy]].

==Literature==
* Antoine Faivre / Wouter J. Hanegraaff (Hrsg.): Western Esotericism and the Science of Religion. Leuven 1998
* Wouter J. Hanegraaff: Dictionary of Gnosis & Western Esotericism, Bd. 1, Leiden / Boston 2005

==References==
<references/>

[[category:Esotericism]]

Main Page

2010-11-02T18:56:41Z

CocoaSlurper: /* New articles */ Conspiracy Theory

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==Welcome to Psiram.com==

Welcome to the wiki of irrational belief systems. We hope you find something useful or interesting. If you want, you can [[join]] us. View a [[Special:Random|Random page]] if you want to get an idea what this is about. Go to the [http://forum.psiram.com forum] if you want to talk to us.

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==Belief systems==
* [[Esoterics]], [[Anthroposophy]] or everything related as [[:category:Esotericism]]
* [[Conspiracy Theory|Conspiracy theories]] like [[Chemtrails]]

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==Quackery==
* [[Germanic New Medicine]], [[Ryke Geerd Hamer]] and his [[Victims_of_New_Medicine|victims]] [[Sodium Bicarbonate Therapy according to Tullio Simoncini]]
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==New articles==
[[Conspiracy Theory]] ⋅ [[Miracle Mineral Supplement]] ⋅ [[Jim Humble]] ⋅ [[Eleanor McBean]] ⋅ [[Esotericism]] ⋅ [[Deer Tribe]] ⋅ [[Night Milk Crystals]] ⋅ [[Mayan Prophecy and 2012]] ⋅ [[Hopi and Pseudo Hopi Prophecies]] ⋅ [[Prahlad Jani]] ⋅ [[Andreas Moritz]] ⋅ [[Sodium Bicarbonate Therapy according to Tullio Simoncini]] ⋅ [[Cancer Diet]] ⋅ [[Ralph W. Moss]]

[[category:!Psiram]]

Main Page

2010-11-02T18:55:05Z

CocoaSlurper: /* Belief systems */ Made "conspiracy theories" a link to the relevant page.

__NOTOC__
{| width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
| colspan="2" |
==Welcome to Psiram.com==

Welcome to the wiki of irrational belief systems. We hope you find something useful or interesting. If you want, you can [[join]] us. View a [[Special:Random|Random page]] if you want to get an idea what this is about. Go to the [http://forum.psiram.com forum] if you want to talk to us.

|-
| width="50%" style="vertical-align:top;padding:10pt" |

==Belief systems==
* [[Esoterics]], [[Anthroposophy]] or everything related as [[:category:Esotericism]]
* [[Conspiracy Theory|Conspiracy theories]] like [[Chemtrails]]

| width="50%" style="vertical-align:top;padding:10pt" |

==Quackery==
* [[Germanic New Medicine]], [[Ryke Geerd Hamer]] and his [[Victims_of_New_Medicine|victims]] [[Sodium Bicarbonate Therapy according to Tullio Simoncini]]
|}

---------------------

==New articles==
[[Miracle Mineral Supplement]] ⋅ [[Jim Humble]] ⋅ [[Eleanor McBean]] ⋅ [[Esotericism]] ⋅ [[Deer Tribe]] ⋅ [[Night Milk Crystals]] ⋅ [[Mayan Prophecy and 2012]] ⋅ [[Hopi and Pseudo Hopi Prophecies]] ⋅ [[Prahlad Jani]] ⋅ [[Andreas Moritz]] ⋅ [[Sodium Bicarbonate Therapy according to Tullio Simoncini]] ⋅ [[Cancer Diet]] ⋅ [[Ralph W. Moss]]

[[category:!Psiram]]

Conspiracy theory

2010-11-02T18:52:07Z

CocoaSlurper: Added new (translated) page. To do: Add pictures.

A '''conspiracy theory''' is the attempt to explain certain events, conditions or developments by a conspiracy, meaning the goal-oriented, secret acting of a group of people, towards an illegal or illegitimate purpose. Often the term conspiracy theory is used in a degrading or defaming manner regarding opinions, that are seen as unfounded, irrational, remote, paranoid or ideologically closed. On the other hand it is often used by supporters of irrational convictions as the easiest explanation of their failures. [[Ryke Geerd Hamer]] ([[Germanic New Medicine]]) for example claims the existence of a world wide Jewish conspiracy aimed at keeping their alleged knowledge hidden from non-Jews.

Conspiracy theories are gladly used, because they typically form self-contained systems of arguments. These are framed in a way which makes it hard to refute them (falsifiability). In the eyes of supporters of a conspiracy theory, non-believers are either part of the conspiracy, or simply not aware enough.

Conspiracy theories often contradict each other and can sometimes be refuted that way, or at least have some doubts cast on them.

Typical signs of a conspiracy theory are:<ref>http://www.scienceblogs.de/zoonpolitikon/2009/11/checkliste-verschworungstheorien.php</ref>

# There is an alleged elite behind the conspiracy, people with alleged or real power (e.g. in politics, science or the economy). These can be secret societies operating in the background, or people officially occupying the corridors of power. This elite, and this is usually a fundamental theme, covers their true motives and purposely deceives the public on their intents. The brave conspiracy theorist Davids are fighting against the powerful Goliath.
# Supporters of the conspiracy theory are members of a small minority that knows the truth. Only they see in clear what should be obvious to everyone. But the small group of those who have seen through the conspiracy knows what's coming, and wants to warn everyone else. Often these small groups believe their movement is growing constantly.
# Questions are raised without actually wanting to get answers. Usually these questions are counterfactual, making it difficult to unmask them. They are rhetorical in nature, even though they appear as legitimate questions. Even a sufficient answer to such a question does not stop conspiracy theorists from asking it over and over again.
# Conspiracy theorists have their own answers ready, the conspiracy theory of course. At a closer look however they usually rely on many additional assumptions and implausible premises.
# Even facts that are objectively wrong are repeatedly used in arguments. This works, because supporters of the theory are not interested in discerning the plausibility of the arguments, but rather want to confirm their preconceived opinions. They are building their arguments around the intended results.
# Counter arguments are rarely addressed. Everything is about the confirmation of their conspiracy theory. There is no evaluation of the pros and cons. Claims are never tested for plausibility. The thesis justifies the arguments.
# Often the biggest contradiction of a conspiracy theory lies in the need for secrecy, which is in itself a central tenet of the conspiracy theory. On the one hand the conspirators manage to keep huge operations secret, contrary to common experience, and at the same time they make bumbling mistakes, that only a conspiracy theorist can see.
# A reality check never happens. They just move on to the next idea, but the flavor of the month theory is never evaluated. So it comes that the end of all times and the enslavement, poisoning and control of all humanity is predicted over and over, without any of that ever actually happening.

==Literature==
*Wilson, Robert Anton(1998). ''Everything is under control''. Harper Paperbacks

==Weblinks==
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy_theory Wikipedia on the issue]

==References==
<references/>

[[category: Conspiracy theory]]