Blimey, I hadn't thought of that, no wonder people are getting sucked into the rabbit hole.
Yeah... Once I realised that, I also realised i could use it as a way to demonstrate how they’re being manipulated. With some people (by no means all) it can really help them see a different perspective.
But on the whole, it’s no use. It’s like a mass hysteria, or like an addiction.
There’s a kind of event horizon, with a gravitational pull. Once someone is over that line, there’s very little one can actually do to bring them back.
Like others on here, I’ve been reading around the experiences of those who’ve lost people to the rabbit hole, and also those (worryingly few) who have broken out.
There’s a mind experiment that I do, have done for years, specially with stuff that I’m fundamentally opposed to. I try to spend a few minutes imagining they’re right, they are correct and righteous, and that I’m deluded, misinformed, wrongheaded. It can be really disturbing for sure, but it’s aided me in trying to connect with some people in a way that has proven to be helpful in the long term.
In this instance - the whole Covid conspiracy stuff - it’s allowed me to keep channels of communication open, and thus some kind of option for them. I’m not saying it’s making a difference, or at least not yet, not that I’ve noticed. But when I read about what has helped those who
have managed to break out, having access to sensible options is one of them. I’m not going down the rabbit hole to fetch them out (that would be pointless), but I’m prepared to stand at the rim and keep that rope ladder in good working order.