Conspirituality Podcast – Episode 292: “Women of Jan 6" (w/ Noelle Cook)

Date: January 22, 2026
Hosts: Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, Julian Walker
Guest: Noelle Cook

Overview

This episode brings on Noelle Cook, author of the new book The Conspiracists: Women, Extremism and the Lure of Belonging—the first ethnography of the “conspirituality” phenomenon, focused on the experiences of two middle-aged women radicalized in the QAnon space following January 6. Through deep, years-long immersion and relationship-building, Cook explores how emotional needs, childhood trauma, gender roles, and social isolation draw women into extremist politics and New Age spirituality. The conversation interrogates why women’s involvement marks a tipping point for far-right movements, the inadequacies of data-driven research, and the deeply personal contradictions that bind, and sometimes strain, the MAGA world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Community, Belonging, and Organization in Far-Right Spaces (03:29–10:54)

• The episode opens with a comparison between progressive and Christian-right approaches to coalition-building and community formation, referencing Tara Palmeri’s Vanity Fair piece on “King’s Church” in DC.
• Right-wing religious spaces are praised for filling social and emotional voids via stable communities and clear identity, something “progressives never cracked.” (05:21)
• Quote: “What makes king’s so startling… is how effortlessly it fills a void progressives never cracked, blending identity, community, and political machinery.” — [Derek quoting Tara Palmeri, 05:21]
• The hosts argue that the enduring, proactive nature of right-wing coalition-building contrasts with reactionary leftist organizing, which surges only in crisis (e.g., Minneapolis street gatherings after police violence, Portland protests).

2. Rigid Gender Roles and Their Reward/Attraction (10:03–12:03)

• Cook’s work highlights the “fixed gender roles” within far-right spiritual movements and how those structures echo other patriarchal faiths (Islam, Orthodox Judaism, Orthodoxy, Mennonites).
• Quote: “Women caught up in very defined, rigid gender roles whose belief system is generally anti-LGBTQ+, anti-immigrant, yet the foundation of their gendered hierarchy is shared by other traditions…” — [Derek, 10:03]
• The paradox: women, attracted to these movements for social connection, simultaneously accept and reinforce hierarchies that marginalize themselves and others.

3. Risk, Vulnerability, and Recruitment (11:25–12:03)

• The overlap between economic precarity, life disruption (divorce, trauma), and recruitment to the far-right/spiritual grifts is discussed.
• Online spaces and algorithms amplify targeting and exposure for vulnerable women.

4. Cook’s Immersive Research Method (12:03–18:26)

• Cook describes moving from detached, open-source research to deep, personal engagement with her subjects, Tammy Boutre and Yvonne St. Cyr.
• She stresses the importance of seeing subjects as full humans, not data points—transcending stereotypes and revealing contradictions.
• Quote: “Summarizing lives based on short personal sketches… can make the actual individuals disappear. Human agency falls to background. Actions and beliefs become expressions of demographic factors.” — [Cook, quoted by Matthew, 12:59]
• Example: Tammy, a survivor of trauma with a trans daughter and biracial grandkids, still circulated anti-LGBT and racist memes—evidence of cognitive dissonance and social/belonging pressures.

5. Interview with Noelle Cook (20:07–66:54)

a. Women’s Roles in Far-Right and Conspirituality Movements (20:12–23:10)

• Women engage in behind-the-scenes organization, emotional labor, and caregiving within movements.
• Quote: “Women do essentially behind the scenes organizing and movement building. The right... segregates by gender. Men and women have their own spaces, objectives that fit with traditional gender roles.” — [Noelle Cook, 20:35]
• Many women accept rather than challenge patriarchy, channeling their activism into traditional roles.

b. From Passive Observation to Empathic Immersion (23:10–27:43)

• Initial research through social media and public records gave a poor sense of lived reality—Cook’s personal interviews revealed a spectrum of motivations.
• Yvonne frames her activism as a spiritual calling; Tammy seeks social outlets rather than dogmatic activism.
• True believers may not seek personal gain, but “share truth” to help others.

c. Trade Show of Conspiracies & the Lure of Opportunists (27:43–33:52)

• Conspiratorial spaces are described as a virtual “trade show”—a mix of QAnon, alternative health, sovereign citizen ideology, etc.
• Opportunistic influencers exploit confusion, trauma, or longing for belonging.
• Example: Yvonne’s journey through New Age and sovereign citizen spaces after being isolated from evangelical church due to extreme beliefs.

d. Personal Tipping Points and Trauma Pathways (33:52–41:32)

• Women's entry points to extremist spaces are individualized: some seek community, others are pushed by trauma, economic distress, or emotional needs.
• Conspiracy theories often serve as coping mechanisms during times of chaos (e.g., pandemic, social isolation).
• Quote: “Conspiracies are most likely to stick for people during times of uncertainty, chaos. I think there was this perfect storm back in 2020.” — [Cook, 33:52]

e. On Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research (34:37–37:08)

• Cook argues that emotional trust and relationships—not logic or policy—change minds. The left’s focus on data or rhetoric is poorly matched to the emotional basis of radicalization.
• Quote: “You can’t change someone’s mind with great policy proposals… You need to appeal to emotion. If you don’t establish a degree of trust, it doesn’t matter how amazing your policies are…” — [Cook, 34:37]

f. The Lived Cost of Isolation – Empathy & Common Ground (37:08–44:45)

• Shared experiences of divorce, aging, unpaid labor, and social precarity made for unexpected bonds between Cook and her subjects—highlighting vulnerability as a recruitment node.
• Legislative and healthcare barriers, such as difficulty accessing therapy, compound distress and isolation.

g. Grief, Contradiction, and the Limits of Change (44:45–57:57)

• The story of Tammy and her trans daughter Sabrina (who died by suicide in prison after being denied medication) draws out painful contradictions: love for family vs. adherence to social group’s anti-trans ideologies.
• Quote: “Within a day or two, we’re back to transvestigating Michelle Obama through memes on Facebook. There’s a disconnect... between your fantasy world and your reality world.” — [Cook, 54:45]
• Many remain ensnared because the social and emotional world of these movements is their principal source of community—no alternative easily available.

h. Belief as Coping, Facts as Irrelevant (57:57–65:20)

• For many, online spaces become the dominant social and existential reality; the “ratio” of online to real-world connection tips toward digital life.
• Even extreme situations (e.g., Trump’s continual abuse of working-class supporters, the exposure of real predators via the Epstein case) rarely shatter foundational beliefs. Cognitive dissonance, community reinforcement, and social taboo keep adherents “in.”
• Exit typically requires a direct personal crisis or a cognitive “break,” as when healthcare misinformation became too conflicting for a former QAnon moderator.

i. On “Deprogramming” and Hope (62:41–66:34)

• Change happens mostly when ideological frameworks collide with undeniable personal experience or expertise.
• Social cost of changing beliefs—alienating family or losing community—remains the main barrier.
• Quote: “It has to hit people pretty personally before they’re willing to walk away... It’s about so much more than just conspiracies... It’s her community, her social life.” — [Cook, 65:20]

j. Final Reflections – Method, Empathy, and “Doing No Harm” (66:34–67:08)

• Cook emphasizes the ethical complexities and personal toll of this kind of research.
• Quote: “My motto from day one was do no harm… I think it’s the only way to really understand people, is to get to know them.” — [Cook, 66:54]

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• [05:21] “What makes kings so startling… is how effortlessly it fills a void progressives never cracked, blending identity, community, and political machinery.” — Derek (quoting Vanity Fair/Tara Palmeri)
• [12:59] “Summarizing lives based on short personal sketches… can make the actual individuals disappear.” — Cook via Matthew
• [20:35] “Women do essentially behind the scenes organizing and movement building. The right... segregates by gender.” — Noelle Cook
• [34:37] “You can’t change someone’s mind with great policy proposals… You need to appeal to emotion. If you don’t establish a degree of trust, it doesn’t matter how amazing your policies are…” — Noelle Cook
• [54:45] “Within a day or two, we’re back to transvestigating Michelle Obama through memes on Facebook. There’s a disconnect ... between your fantasy world and your reality world.” — Noelle Cook
• [65:20] “It has to hit people pretty personally before they’re willing to walk away ... It’s about so much more than just conspiracies ... It’s her community, her social life.” — Noelle Cook
• [66:54] “My motto from day one was do no harm… I think it’s the only way to really understand people, is to get to know them.” — Noelle Cook

Memorable Moments

• The analogy of far-right conspiratorial communities as a “trade show,” with various “booths” representing wellness grifts, anti-government ideology, New Age practices, and alternative medicine (27:43–33:52).
• Cook sharing the profound—sometimes painfully personal—contradictions of her subjects, such as advocating for “justice for Sabrina” while maintaining connection in online spaces hostile to trans people (44:45–54:45).
• The honest, vulnerable discussion on the limitations of both academic objectivity and policy logic in intervening, emphasizing empathy and trust.

Conclusion

This episode offers an intimate, nuanced look at the mechanisms drawing women into conspirituality and the far right—from long-term trauma to acute social isolation—and the ways digital spaces and charismatic influencers exploit these needs. Through Noelle Cook’s immersive, empathetic research, listeners are invited to grapple with the difficult, often contradictory realities at the heart of contemporary extremism, while also questioning simplistic solutions and recognizing the depth of human longing for community and belonging.

Highly recommended for anyone seeking to understand the “emotional logic” at the heart of extremist movements, and the importance of qualitative, relationship-based research in an age of algorithmic division.