QAA Podcast – Episode 355: The Conspiracists feat. Noelle Cook

Podcast: QAA Podcast
Hosts: Jake Rockatansky, Travis View, Julian Feeld
Guest: Noelle Cook, author of The Conspiracists: Women, Extremism and the Lure of Belonging
Date: January 14, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the world of conspirituality and the complex appeal of conspiracy theories—especially among white, middle-aged women—through a conversation with author Noelle Cook. Drawing on years of immersive research (documented in her new book), Cook shares personal stories of two women, Yvonne and Tammy, whose lives were dramatically reshaped by online conspiracy movements before, during, and after January 6. The episode unpacks the individual needs—belonging, meaning, answers to pain—that conspiratorial communities fulfill, the role of social media and alternative spiritualities, and the very real consequences of these worldviews.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Intimate Perspective on Conspiracism

• Personal Approach to Research

  • Noelle began by examining court data and social media from women at January 6 but found no clear patterns except age—middle-aged women were prevalent. Only by building long-term relationships with women like Yvonne and Tammy did the real nature of their conversions emerge.
  • “I realized you can't hover above this and assign a label to everybody... it really is completely individual as a commonality. I found many of these women have a tipping point where there's an entry point, entry point where you can see where it starts to kind of slide.” (Noelle, 04:43–07:10)

• From Academia to Personal Engagement

  • The project shifted away from academia as the relationships grew deeper, revealing the inadequacy of data-driven detachment.

The Allure of Conspirituality and the "Trade Show" Analogy

• Conspirituality Defined

  • A blend of New Age spirituality and political conspiracy, offering a mix-and-match “toolkit.”
  • Communities resemble a "trade show": “...you pick up some sovereign citizen swag... now I’m sovereign... so you see these, all these different ideologies, kind of pick these little pieces... and then that becomes part of the belief system.” (Noelle, 07:52–10:32)
  • Membership is fluid—one may adopt starseeds, sovereign citizen beliefs, etc., without full immersion in any particular sub-belief like flat earth.

• Alternatives to Institutional Care

  • These communities provide validation, belonging, and a sense of importance—often at lower barriers than therapy or traditional religion.
  • Quote: “Even if you end up buying a couple tchotchkes, even if you buy, you know, an organite batarang that protects you from 5G…that’s a whole lot cheaper than one hour-long session with a therapist.” (Jake, 10:32)

The Spiritual Turn: Morality, Faith, and Proselytizing

• “It almost feels like religion”

  • Conspiracies and new-age practices imbue daily life with moral clarity, purpose, and a battle of good versus evil.
  • “Religion...it's all about good versus evil... this almost feels like religion...the blind faith in these conspiracies, the way they kind of guide you through life on an everyday basis. It feels almost like a religion that's kind taken hold.” (Noelle, 12:04–12:40)

• Attraction of Secret Knowledge

  • Sharing special information acts as empowerment, especially as real-world circumstances worsen.

• Real-World Consequences

  • Conspiracy belief doesn’t stay online—loss of housing, jobs, legal peril frequently result. Yvonne, for instance, lost her house after adopting sovereign citizen beliefs (13:12).

Pandemic as a Catalyst

• Pandemic Effects (18:09–21:55)

  • COVID-19 heightened vulnerability: more time online, heightened uncertainty, and direct relevance to traditional “women’s spheres” (e.g., health, caretaking).
  • Algorithms funneled curious, often isolated individuals toward radicalization—including through searching for innocuous content like homeschooling tips.
  • “I think the pandemic really was the perfect storm for a lot of these beliefs to explode into the mainstream. Because the pandemic itself touched on every sphere of womanhood...” (Noelle, 18:34)

• “Do Your Own Research”

  • Radicalization can occur quickly—72 hours into “research” can lead to full immersion in QAnon communities.
  • Media literacy and discernment are key issues—not lack of intelligence.

QAnon, Trump, and Adaptable Narrative Structures

• QAnon as Higher Power

  • Belief in QAnon or adjacent narratives fills comparable roles to religion—an omniscient, benevolent force guiding events.
  • As Julian notes: “It’s like deciding to believe in a higher power...Q is this thing that's going to—Q has more power than the president...They've been grooming him to be...the figurehead that's going to lead the charge.” (Julian, 14:38–15:58)

• Reinterpretation to Maintain Coherence

  • When major events (e.g., Trump contradicting Q) challenge beliefs, believers quickly develop new rationalizations ("he's playing a long game") (Noelle, 35:54).

• Social Media as “Glue”

  • Social media helps believers avoid cognitive dissonance and provides off-ramps from conflicting evidence (36:12).

Identity, Community & Psychological Needs

• Belonging and Community

  • Social needs (especially for older women who may feel invisible) are met within conspiracy communities—loss of that community becomes a steep emotional cost.
  • “If you give up your conspiracy, you’re not going to just give up that. You’re giving up your identity, your community, your sense of belonging to that community.” (Noelle, 37:33)

• Symbolic Grammar for Reality

  • Conspiratorial communities provide a total interpretive framework, influencing not only views on politics but daily events and personal hardship.

• Examples of Conversion

  • Yvonne and Out of Shadows documentary: her “red pill” moment happened in a chiropractor’s office—a recurring vector for conspiratorial thought due to overlap with alternative health movements. (28:20–29:37)

Consequence and Unrepentance

• Legal Troubles and Faith as Loyalty

  • Yvonne’s story: chose not to take a plea for Jan 6th, instead delivered a “divine sovereign” speech in court. Judge gave her nearly the maximum sentence, only for her to be pardoned by Trump later—“vindicating” her faith (40:14–44:37).
  • Yvonne's self-justification: “Why would I show remorse for standing for freedom and fighting for what is right?” (Yvonne, 73:55–75:19)

• Martyrdom and Happiness

  • Yvonne’s anger was replaced with a deeper, quieter faith as she traveled further into conspirituality.
  • Participation in shamanic and psychedelic practices, alongside conspiracies, potentially deepened her convictions.
  • While Yvonne might claim happiness, her material life (housing, employment) suffered greatly.

• Tammy’s Path: Social Over Spiritual

  • For Tammy, the lure was less spiritual, more about social belonging—she valued connections with like-minded people above all.
  • “She would go to Trump rallies...she would never tell me what Trump said. She would tell me who she met from her telegram fam.” (Noelle, 54:07)

Empathy, Privilege, and Limits

• Limits of Empathy

  • Noelle reflects on her own privileges and the difficulty of extending empathy to those in positions of harm, especially when marginalized communities are targets.
  • “Talking about sitting and talking to people different than ourselves and having empathy for them...is great in practice. In theory...But in practice, that’s hard...if you’re a group that’s maligned and targeted and threatened.” (Noelle, 63:52–64:28)

• Why Some Don’t “Go Down the Rabbit Hole”

  • Noelle’s own skepticism, lack of religious upbringing, less trauma, and stronger offline support formed a kind of “inoculation.”
  • She notes that conspiracies often function as coping mechanisms, while self-awareness and contentment limit vulnerability.

The Economy of Conspiracy

• The “Industry” and Events

  • Conspirituality events like Conscious Life Expo became convergence points for grifters, true believers, and curious onlookers—a full "trade show" where vendors sell everything from crystals to apocalyptic anti-government rhetoric (67:51–69:15).

• Sustaining a New Marketplace of Meaning

  • As traditional institutions falter, online and offline spaces for conspiratorial beliefs multiply, feeding on and reinforcing social divides.

Notable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:43 | Noelle | “I realized you can't hover above this and assign a label...everybody's entering in different paths...”| | 07:52 | Noelle | “I felt like I was at a trade show every day of extreme beliefs...” | | 12:12 | Noelle | “It feels almost like a religion that's kind taken hold...” | | 14:38 | Julian | “[Q and starseeds] are this belief in a higher power...more powerful than reality.” | | 18:34 | Noelle | “The pandemic really was the perfect storm for a lot of these beliefs to explode into the mainstream.”| | 37:33 | Noelle | “If you give up your conspiracy, you're not going to just give up that. You're giving up your identity, your community...”| | 40:14 | Travis | “[Yvonne]...rather than, like, you know, listen to their lawyers.” | | 44:37 | Noelle | “As she got further down the conspirituality road, she softened...she did become somewhat happier.” | | 54:07 | Noelle | “She would go to Trump rallies...she would never tell me what Trump said. She would tell me who she met from her telegram fam.”| | 63:52 | Noelle | “It's... easy... to talk...to people different than ourselves and have empathy... But in practice, that's hard...if you're a group...that's targeted.” |

Timestamps of Key Segments

• [00:44–04:43]: Introduction of Noelle Cook, her book, and methodology – the transition from data to intimacy.
• [07:10–10:32]: Conspirituality as “trade show”; the buffet approach to belief and self-care.
• [12:04–15:58]: The quasi-religious experience of conspiracy; moral imperatives and “higher power” sentiment.
• [18:09–21:55]: Pandemic, algorithms, and women’s online radicalization.
• [28:20–29:37]: Alternative health spaces as vectors for radicalization (chiropractors, dentists, etc.).
• [40:14–44:37]: Yvonne’s trial, unrepentant stance, and her presidential pardon.
• [54:07–56:41]: Tammy’s story—conspiracism as social belonging.
• [67:51–70:12]: The “trade show” in full effect at alternative wellness expos.

Memorable Anecdotes & Moments

• Yvonne’s courtroom stand: “She stood up and read a 45 minute letter to the judge. And it started out, I am a divine sovereign being and I do not recognize your jurisdiction.” (Noelle, 40:14)
• Ephemeral nature of belief and community: “If you give up your conspiracy, you’re giving up your identity, your community…”
• Trade show analogy: “It’s truly like a trade show... you have so many. This is no longer just new age, this is now anti government stuff. And Mickey Willis is trying to talk to him. The first thing he said is, what would you be willing to die for? You know, the kids, the kids, the kids...” (67:51)
• Social media’s role in “locking people in”: “Social media keeps people too stuck in. If there was no such thing as social media … people would be like, oh shit, oh fuck. Well this is a bad guy. We got to get… him out of here. But I think we have social media to keep people so glued…” (Julian, 36:12)

Direct Testimony from Yvonne (75:55–77:17)

“Very proud of what I did. And that pissed the judge off because I show no remorse. Why would I show remorse for standing for freedom and fighting for what is right? That that is not to be remorseful for? So I will not apologize for me going there...Trump’s not going to save us. We're here to save ourselves.” (Yvonne, 75:55)

Conclusion & Further Reading

The episode delivers both empathy and clear-eyed analysis, revealing that conspiratorial belief is most often about emotional and existential needs as much as “facts.” Guest Noelle Cook’s book, The Conspiracists, provides a rare, intimate look at those drawn to these communities. The conversation is a crucial listen for anyone seeking to understand the contemporary “marketplace of meaning,” the online spiritual/political trade show, and how institutions failed (or simply weren’t equipped) to meet profound needs for belonging—leaving conspiracies to fill the void.

Recommended:

• The Conspiracists: Women, Extremism and the Lure of Belonging by Noelle Cook