Those who only dabbled in the conspiracy theory may shrug and move on, Cohen said. QAnon supporters will respond in different ways as reality undermines their beliefs, according to Ziv Cohen, a forensic psychiatrist and expert on extremist beliefs at Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University. If you have a loved one who is in it, make sure they know they are loved.” “I think after the inauguration a lot of them realized they’ve been taken for a ride,” he said.
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He said that while mocking the group has never been more popular online, it will only further alienate people.įrink said he never believed in the QAnon theory but sympathizes with those who did. Michael Frink is a Mississippi computer engineer who helps administer a QAnon recovery channel on the social media platform Telegram. His advice to those fleeing QAnon? Get off social media, take deep breaths, and pour that energy and internet time into local volunteering. I’m here to preach empathy, for the normal people, the good people who got brainwashed by this death cult.” “It’s not about who is right or who is wrong. “They are our friends and family,” said Jadeja, of Sydney, Australia. Three new moderators had to be added just to keep up. Membership has doubled in recent weeks to more than 119,000 members. “I came out on the other end because I wanted to feel better.”Īnother ex-believer, Jitarth Jadeja, now moderates a Reddit forum called QAnon Casualties to help others like him, as well as the relatives of people still consumed by the theory. “I was one of those people too,” she said of QAnon and its grip. She said she no longer believes in the theory, and wanted to share her story in the hopes it would help others. Her then-boyfriend saw her decision to move on from QAnon as a betrayal.
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“Anyone can cut and paste anything.”Īfter a year, Smith wanted out, suffocated by dark prophesies that were taking up more and more of her time, leaving her terrified. “We as a society need to start teaching our kids to ask: Where is this information coming from? Can I trust it?” she said. She said she fell for QAnon content that presented no evidence, no counter arguments, and yet was all too convincing. Soon, Smith was spending more time on fringe websites and on social media, reading and posting about the conspiracy theory. Officials debunked theories that he was murdered, but to Smith and other QAnon supporters, his suicide while facing child sex charges was too much to accept. At first she was skeptical, but she became convinced after the death of financier Jeffrey Epstein while in federal custody facing pedophilia charges. It was all he could talk about, she said. Smith’s then-boyfriend introduced her to QAnon. QAnon, they say, offers simple explanations for a complicated world and creates an online community that provides escape and even friendship. QAnon is also growing in popularity overseas.įormer believers interviewed by The Associated Press liken the process of leaving QAnon to kicking a drug addiction. It’s not clear exactly how many people believe some or all of the narrative, but backers of the movement were vocal in their support for Trump and helped fuel the insurrectionists who overran the U.S. It is named after Q, an anonymous poster who believers claim has top-secret government clearance and whose posts are taken as predictions about “the plan” and the coming “storm” and “great awakening” in which evil will be defeated. At root, the movement claims Trump is waging a secret battle against the “deep state” and a sect of powerful devil-worshipping pedophiles who dominate Hollywood, big business, the media and government. The QAnon conspiracy theory emerged on fringe internet message boards in 2017. But others like Smith are turning to therapy and online support groups to talk about the damage done when beliefs collide with reality.
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More than a week after Donald Trump departed the White House, shattering their hopes that he would expose the worldwide cabal, some QAnon adherents have concocted ever more elaborate stories to keep their faith alive.