Toolkit on dealing with conspiracy narratives, July 2023

This toolkit is providing you with practical insights and suggestions on how to potentially work with a person who believes in conspiracy narratives. The aims of this toolkit are to explain what a conspiracy narrative exactly is, what a conspiracy narrative may offer to someone and how to help them reconsider their beliefs.

Why do we use ‘conspiracy narratives’ instead of the more common word ‘conspiracy theory’? We want to deny its legitimacy by referring to it as narratives instead of theories. Additionally, conspiracy narratives differ from genuine conspiracies, which relate to an agreement between two or more people who aim to commit an act against something or someone.

What are ‘narratives’? Narratives are stories that offer meaning, purpose and belonging. Everyone believes in narratives, be they religious or not. Conspiracy narratives are special in the way that they blame what is wrong with a person’s life, or the world in general, on a supposedly hidden and powerful elite and/or other groups of people (out-groups). Conspiracy narratives promise someone a life and status upgrade within the group of conspiracy believers (in-group) by downgrading others, who are supposedly misled, ignorant or dangerous.

And is there a link with extremism? Similarities between extremist ideologies and conspiracy narratives are evident. While most conspiracy believers do not become extremists, most extremists believe in conspiracy narratives. Extremist ideologies are often based on centuries old conspiracy narratives. For example: “a hidden Jewish elite is in control of the world´s governments and therefore is also behind the supposed wars against “the white race”, Islam or “the workers”.