{
  "id": 1341837,
  "title": "From evil spirits to the Illuminati: How we learned to love conspiracy theories",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/from-evil-spirits-to-the-illuminati-how-we-learned-to-love-conspiracy",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-16T19:46:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Haaretz",
    "slug": "haaretz",
    "url": "https://www.haaretz.com/science-and-health/2026-08-16/ty-article-magazine/from-evil-spirits-to-the-illuminati-how-we-learned-to-love-conspiracy-theories/000001a0-009a-d75f-a3be-18fa14800000"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "When faced with an incomprehensible world, the human mind turns to blame someone for the chaos. Today, conspiracy theories serve the same psychological function that superstitions did in the past. In the past month, the author encountered two individuals who displayed a surprising understanding of the Illuminati and the idea that biometric IDs could extract blood for DNA storage. Additionally, a Greek acquaintance shared a superstition from her childhood, explaining why some women only have one child. This led the reporter to realize that modern conspiracy theories are a modern incarnation of ancient superstitions. Anthropologists and psychologists have long acknowledged that alongside mythology, primitive superstitions developed to explain natural phenomena. Before understanding bacteria, weather patterns, or genetics, people needed explanations for problems they couldn't grasp. To fill the void, they invented concepts like evil spirits, vengeful entities, and rituals to provide answers, villains, and a sense of control. As empirical science emerged, superstitions were replaced with the scientific method, but today, the primary source of anxiety is not natural instability but the opacity of human power. While past power figures were relatively easy to identify, modern power dynamics are shrouded in mystery, making it difficult for people to grasp the complexities of global institutions. Evolution favored humans who attributed intentional actions to unexplained events, as these individuals had higher chances of passing on their genes. In ancient times, this mental bias helped explain the actions of kings, lords, and priests. However, today, as people struggle to comprehend global systems, the same bias leads them to believe in hidden conspiracies, such as secret meetings between powerful figures plotting the world's fate.",
  "summary": "When the world is too complex to understand who holds the power, the mind seeks someone to blame. Today, conspiracy theories play the psychological role that superstition once did",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}