I'm a former QAnon believer who has recovered. I since worked with disinformation specialists to create my own debunking video called: 4th Gen Warfare: The REAL History of Military PSYOPs, the Corporate Deep-State...

What's the best thing to do to halt or reduce QAnon growth? One on one approach seems to be very time consuming.

I'm non-US but the same thing is happening around me.

I think it's to explain the truth about the motivations of a lot of these grifters and political propagandists. As well as our psychological weaknesses that can be preyed on.

But the truth can be boring, so I tried to jazz it up a bit but stay accurate.

It seems to me that religious people are more susceptible to conspiracy theories because religions discourage critical thinking. Were you also religious before getting brainwashed? And of you are religious now, do you plan to look closer at some of your faith assumptions?

Good question. Yes I was brought up Christion. And my mum is still a Christian. She fell into the disinfo targeting the wellness and spiritual communities. Sometimes called Pastel QAnon or QAmom. I'm agnostic but I was more spiritual leaning when I had a psychotic episode and got into QAnon videos.

If applicable, what types of people are targeted/recruited?

Vulnerable people are targeted by conspiracy videos.

But the rhetoric of the Q posts were militaristic. So maybe slightly different audiences.

How did you fall into it? What's the main trigger?

The Main trigger was losing a job and girlfriend. Becoming isolated.

That makes sense.

How is it being in? Were you just browsing affiliated websites, or were you a part of a "real" community?

No, I never went to any of the Q posting websites. It was really all through YouTube, which I'm sure most people were too.

How much were you drawn into it? What's the deepest you went, the most ( retrospectively) crazy theory you supported?

I went in pretty deep for a short period. I was searching for more content on YouTube because I wasn't reading regular news at the time. It was a bit of a psychotic episode.

So I saw chunk of that. It has a conspiracy documentary feel to it. But honestly you seem to have enough critical thought that it makes it hard for me to believe you fell for Qanon BS. I am going to assume you were one of those that said they have done their research and know the truth at some point. How would you convince someone with this same mentality that they are being mislead?

a conspiracy documentary feel to it. But honestly you seem to have enough critical thought that it makes it hard for me to believe you fell for Qanon BS. I am going to assume you were one of those that said they have done their research and know the truth at some point. How would you convince someone with this same mentally that they

That's a great point and it's something I want to cover in my next video... My mum was a nurse in the NHS but ended up thinking vaccines were evil. These things can take anybody. I had a good job in an office but I was in such a bad mental place and was fearful of confronting reality.

You know what, I think you are a troll. Your post history shows that you just spam the same posts to every sub that you feel might fit.

Your replies here are pretty middle of the road, softballing anything.

So, my question is, why?

This post got taken down but I'll answer this now.

Yes, I use this account to promote my work. I don't feel like it's spam when it's appropriate to the sub.

Why promote my work which I feel would be beneficial to society to combat disinformation? I feel that's obvious.

Why did I post the AMA? Partly promotion of my work, yes, but also because I have an appointment with researchers about the topic tomorrow - and I am making a follow-up video that explores these questions and I think an AMA is a great way to initiate those questions that might be asked and should be covered in my next video.

How did you recover?

Slowly. I flipped into thinking that the exact opposite was true, and that Trump was the one doing all the things he was accusing others of.

Then I realised I was in a bad mental place which allowed me to see I needed to disconnect and speak to people in real life to make sense of things.

I was isolated, I had lost my job. So I needed human contact, and not just YouTube videos.

When did you realize you were a dumbass?

When I woke up watching out-right fascist videos after letting my YouTube auto-play.

Fair enough. Welcome to sanity

:)

What was the biggest thing that made you believe in Qanon?

Corruption like Epstein. I thought some of the grains of truth were boulders.

Can you elaborate on this particular subject?

I felt vulnerable. and the world seemed to be filled with corruption.

As someone from the uk can you explain what QAnon is exactly?

QAnon appears to have started as a LARP (Live Action Roleplay game) but became coopted by political actors and grifters.

But QAnon became the same type of conspiratorial mass delusion that enabled the Nazis to commit genocide - the Protocols of the Elders of Zion: https://www.justsecurity.org/72339/qanon-is-a-nazi-cult-rebranded/

Have you fallen victim to other things before? I only ask as the QAnon people I've known (personally and a few online) seem to regularly find themselves in these situations. Q was another, "This ones legit, trust me." thing.

Yeah actually, I fell into conspiracies another time I lost my job in 2005'ish. Peak oil and Alex Jones stuff, actually.

Were you friends in real lice with QAnon followers? How has your relationship been with them since? Have you tried to convert anyone personally to your side?

No, only online. And my time as a true believer was only for a very short period. I mostly watched it after that as a strange kind of entertainment and to work out what was going on.

Did you ever come across any of Ted Gunderson’s talks? That’s some heavy stuff too. If so, is that close to what you fell into?

Not familiar, sorry

Why are we giving a dangerous nut job like you an AMA? Shouldn't you be in therapy instead of giving advice?

I got out early.

And I think the story of my journey out can help others.

What was your politics before, during and after QAnon?

Also, a follow up question (which may be answered by the video, so I apologise if it is...) - do you think the QAnon "idea" was actually a Psy Op to discredit not only Trump followers but also a certain segment of right leaning people who are generally suspicious of mainstream politics?

I was just a normie Liberal. But I had also been drawn into some of the IDW red pill stuff which seemed to act as a primer for QAnon belief.