Recently, I’ve been watching a lot of Shane Dawson Youtube videos, just starting out with watching him eat Taco Bell and critique it (because what else should I do with my time off, right?) Well, I started watching his conspiracy theory videos and other really creepy videos he films for youtube, and I began to form a huge interest in them. So, to further fuel my love and obsession for wacky conspiracy theories, here are ten that I think will blow your mind.

Before we began, I just want to say a couple things: in no way, shape, or form are these conspiracies meant to harm anyone or their families. They are just for entertainment purposes, and in no way meant to cause trouble.

1. Mandela Effects

A Mandela Effect is described as a large misremembering of things that have happened, such as lines in movies being said a certain way, or spelling something a certain way; it’s also a theory of a parallel universe, and that there are glitches in the universe that fix itself without us knowing. It was first stated by Fiona Bloome, who stated she remembered seeing newscasts that said Nelson Mandela (South African President) died in prison, when he actually died in 2013. There have been many instances where people remember something a certain way, such as the line in the Snow White movie where she says “Mirror, Mirror on the wall…” Apparently, she says “Magic Mirror on the wall,” instead of what everyone originally thought. Another scary example is Chick-fil-A. I don’t know about you guys, but I always remembered spelling Chick-Fil-A “Chik-Fil-A,” but the owner has even issued a statement saying that it’s always been spelled Chick-Fil-A. There are so many crazy circumstances where people around the world remember a certain spelling, line, moment, or otherwise, and it has mysteriously changed.

2. The Illuminati

Okay, so the Illuminati I’m sure is something you’ve all heard of, and considered a joke, but it’s actually a real group, and has been around for a long time. In the 1700’s, it was known as the Bavarian Illuminati, a secret-society formed on the basis of ending public injustices, such as the abusing of state power, or the use of religion over public life. Today, it is believed that the Illuminati brainwashes many celebrities to distract us from the government, such as Britney Spears shaving her head, or Amanda Bynes having a breakdown. However, these are all just theories, and nothing has ever been confirmed about the Illuminati brainwashing people. Do I believe it? Not really, but it’s fun to think about.

3. The Reptilian Conspiracy Theory

This is one of my personal favorite conspiracy theories, and that is many people believe our country is run by a group of lizard people called the “Annunaki.” It is said that the Annunaki are some of the most powerful people in the world, from Queen Elizabeth, to Barack Obama, to even Justin Bieber. A video surfaced of Justin Bieber’s eyes changing from his normal brown eyes, to something that resembles reptile’s eyes. Many people were very freaked out about it, and it sparked even more controversy that there actually are lizard people parading as our favorite celebrities. Again, I don’t personally believe this one, but it’s one of the more light-hearted conspiracy theories out there.

4. The First Moon Landing is Fake

This is one of the darker conspiracy theories, but it has been speculated that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin never landed on the moon, and it was in fact filmed on a film set somewhere deep in Hollywood or in Area 51 in order to beat the Russians in the Space Race. It has also been pointed out that in the film that shows when Aldrin planted a U.S flag on the moon, it was blowing in the wind, which is impossible in a vacuum in space.

5. Avril Lavigne is Dead

To lighten the mood a little bit, the conspiracy theory is that Avril Lavigne has actually been dead since 2003. Youtuber Shane Dawson discussed this theory in one of his videos, saying that there a huge differences in the way Avril acted when she first started, and the way she acts now, as if it’s a completely different person. It is theorized that Avril became severely depressed after the death of her grandfather and killed herself; however, she then was replaced with someone who looks just like her, and continued making music. I personally love Avril Lavigne and her music, but there are some interesting points in this. What do you think?

6. Subliminal Messaging

Subliminal messaging is the use of pop-culture to put secret messages out to the public, including sex, drugs, murder, suicide, etc (it can get pretty scary). One example that is particularly interesting (and also discussed by Shane Dawson) is the song by Britney Spears “Hit Me Baby One More Time,” which is said to be selling sex. If you play the song in reverse, specifically the chorus, you’ll hear Britney sing the words “sleep with me, I’m not too young.” This is incredibly creepy!!! Another example is the Monster energy drink, which is said to be advertising satan. The three lines that form an “M” on the can are not connected, and look very similar to a symbol in Hebrew that means “6”. Put that into context, and you get “666” on the can. There are so many of these creepy messages all over the place that encourage some really bad stuff, so be careful the next time you listen to your favorite song, or drink your favorite drink: it could be advertising something much darker.

7. iPhone Conspiracies

There are so many theories surrounding iPhone, including the controversy over the face ID with the release of the new iPhone X. One creepy conspiracy is that Siri, the feature on your iPhone that talks to you, actually records everything you say. To preface the rest of this theory, it has been said that the government and Apple work hand in hand on keeping an eye on the public, so the theory came about that Siri records everything you say. Scarily enough, THIS IS ACTUALLY TRUE. It has been confirmed that Siri records everything you say for data purposes, to better respond to your commands. Still, this is super creepy, and it wouldn’t be outrageous to believe that there’s an ulterior motive behind Siri recording you.

8. Disney Channel Conspiracy

There has always been a lot of backlash regarding Disney Channel and its stars, but the conspiracy theories might not be as crazy as you think. It is speculated that Disney gives its a stars a contract that states Disney basically owns them for a period of time, and that they have to do whatever they’re told to do. With this theory, it is also said that there is a way to break this contract: by acting a little crazy. From Miley Cyrus, to Bella Thorne, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, and so many other former Disney Stars have acted differently than their former “Disney” selves. I wouldn’t be surprised if acting differently and acting more “provocative” was the only way to get out of a strict contract. However, I don’t think these stars need an excuse for acting a little more sexy than normal: they’re free to express themselves in any way, so this theory is a little strange to me.

9. Michael Jackson’s Death

It was a shock to the world when Michael Jackson passed away on June 25th, 2009, due to a drug overdose. However, people think there was something else to explain his death besides a drug overdose: many people believed Michael Jackson was murdered, including his daughter, Paris Jackson. She has stated in multiple interviews that her dad would constantly say someone was out to get him, and that somebody was going to kill him. From this information, people believe the government sent for someone to kill Michael because he knew too much, and was close to sharing. This same theory can be said for other celebrity deaths, like Tupac and John Lennon.

10. Who Murdered JonBenet Ramsey?

This is more of a “whodunit” than anything else, but there are a huge amount of theories surrounding the murder of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey on December 26, 1996. The case has been left a cold case, meaning that it was never solved, but there is a great supply of people who think they know the answer to it. First, some background information on the case: on the night of December 25th, Patsy Ramsey, the mother of JonBenet, found JonBenet missing from her bedroom. She woke her husband, John Ramsey, and they both found a ransom note in the kitchen telling them someone kidnapped their daughter. The note also said that they would not kill JonBenet in exchange for $118,000. However, they called the police and they found her body in the basement of the house. On the scene, she had been strangled, but there is a lot of evidence that proves she wasn’t strangled. There is a bump on her head that could have potentially been fatal, and there was something wrong with her private area, pointing to some sort of sexual harassment. As far as theories go, it has been said that her brother killed her, or her parents killed her, but the most plausible theory is that her father killed her and had her mother, Patsy, help cover it up because she loved her husband. It has also been said that JonBenet was sexually abused by her father for years and that one night she tried to fight it, and John accidentally killed her. Other theorists claim that the murder of JonBenet goes up higher than just her father: the Illuminati. However, I’ve done a lot of research on this case my senior year of high school, and it’s very likely that John Ramsey killed JonBenet. But, the case is unfortunately closed, so we might never see justice for poor JonBenet.

Hopefully, these conspiracy theories brought a little joy to your new year, and makes you think a little bit more about buying the iPhone X, Monster, or listening to Britney Spear’s “Hit Me Baby One More Time.” Whatever the takeaway, remember that these theories are not confirmed to be real, and are purely for entertainment. My thoughts and prayers go out to JonBenet and her family, and the victims of other cold cases. If you are interested in learning more about conspiracy theories or looking for a fun YouTube channel, here is the link to Shane Dawson’s YouTube channel, whom I received a lot of this information from. I will also link other articles regarding conspiracy theories and other interesting things below!

Shane Dawson’s youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV9_KinVpV-snHe3C...

Conspiracy Theory Articles:

The 12 craziest conspiracy theories on the internet - Business Insider

Complete List - Conspiracy Theories - TIME

https://www.snopes.com/2017/12/29/2017s-biggest-conspiracy-theories/