I’m sure you’ve seen it in documentaries of birds and animals living in the wild. The doe, the fox, rabbit or bird cautiously approaches the edge of the stream or pond, then looks all around, to the left, to the right, and only then lowers its head to drink. And then, quickly, lifts its head for another look all around.

This ever-present, lingering, awareness or fear of some sensed, but unseen, danger probably survives to some extent in all of us, and may have some survival value.

I used to wonder why anyone would pay money to watch a horror movie, where terrifying sights and sounds are aimed at scaring the audience. But for those, who are constantly on guard against the sensed, but unseen threat of dangerous things and forces all about them, the horror movie affords a narrative and a very delicious sense of relief. For then, they can finally point their finger at the big, black, hairy thing that comes creeping over the horizon and say, ‘You see, there it is! That’s it! Watch out! I knew it! I told you it was coming to get us! You see how awful it is! That’s horrible!’

Once you know exactly what and where the threat or danger is, you have some chance to contain or control it, or, at least know which way to start running. In this way, horror movies can bring pleasure and relief to those who sense unseen danger and evil forces lurking all about them.

Outing a terrifying fear by making it concrete and visible, as the horror movie does, feels great and brings relief, even if it isn’t so!

We’ve just gone through several years with a morbid fear of a virus that can kill you slowly and painfully, but can’t be seen with the naked eye, in a world where global powers and rogue states threaten war, the supply chain is broken, children are going hungry, the elephants and rhinos are all being slaughtered in Africa, and young folks are bought and sold. It’s been a pretty scary world for quite some time, now.

Perhaps it always was.

I suspect, that conspiracy theories serve the same purpose, as do the horror movies. Knowing what awful things “they” are planning gives us a chance to contain or control “them,” or at least, prepare for the worst. Making up scary stories about people planning in secret, gives substance and a plot to the danger we may sense and satisfies our hunger for story or narrative that was denied us when the pandemic closed movie theaters, and the public production of plays and opera.

A good conspiracy theory lets us say, ‘Look, look! You see, that’s who they are! Watch out for them! They are going to destroy us! I knew it! I told you they were doing it! You see how awful they are! They’re horrible!’

A charge of conspiracy can bring pleasure and relief to those who sense danger and harm from unseen and unknown people plotting against them in secret. Belief in a conspiracy can moderate their fear by giving the conspirators substance and an identity. And so, a good conspiracy theory brings pleasure and relief to those who fear their secret neighbor.

Outing a terrifying conspiracy feels great and brings relief, even if it isn’t so!

Orrin Frink is a Kennebunkport resident. He can be reached at ofrink@gmail.com.

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