As many of my readers know, I’m both fascinated and horrified by the Q-Anon movement. It’s a matter of being personally affected and also being downright horror-stricken at the behavior it’s brought out in once-gentle, rational people.
Q is not the normal type of psychological attack. It was a game that was hijacked into something terribly wrong. Once started off as an online RPG game as a world where all the conspiracy theories were true, it quickly evolved into one of the most damaging psyop attacks on Americans in the history of psyops.
I don’t know if it’s just in my circles, but I’ve started to notice a trend among Q’s.
The original Q-Anon concept (as well as the real Q “drops”) ended years ago, but the effects are still there. The concept started off as this insane conspiracy that suggested that there was a deep state ring of pedophiles trafficking kids that Trump was trying to stop.
Since the Epstein file scandal, a lot of the Q followers in my area have slowly started to wake up. Or rather, they’ve started to question what has been going on with the people they once worshipped as saviors of the new world.
It’s never just “on their own accord,” per se. More often than not, it’s because a Trumpian policy hurt them or someone they loved. Or, it could actually be because of how the GOP has been handling the Epstein case.
Regardless, it’s shaken some Q followers into questioning their beliefs. It’s a welcome change.
The question is, what will happen to those who actually got jerked awake?
I’ve gone over this before, but for the most part, the outlook is grim. Most Qs will not wake up from their brainwashing, and those that do will generally not be the same as they once were.
You have to think about this as a form of a cult or a form of torture. Cult indoctrination is a real nightmare to remove yourself from—and if you don’t believe it, take a look at the damage it does to ex-Mormons and ex-fundies who try to deconstruct.
It’s brutal, because you basically lose everything that you’ve become in recent years. You have to build up everything from scratch, including personal beliefs, habits, and how you react to people. Every decision is something you question. Is this you or the cult?
Sounds terrible, doesn’t it? The worst part? The indoctrination makes you have knee-jerk reactions that feel totally right while your brain is screaming at you, “THIS IS WRONG!”
But let’s say that a group of Trumpers deconstruct. What can you expect?
For the most part, it’s a crapshoot. Most people who are heavily indoctrinated into emotionally-charged beliefs do not fully return to who they were before they got into the cult. It’s just that damaging.
However, it will usually go through a certain redemption arc:
Betrayal. “Wait, this wasn’t supposed to happen! Why am I hurting? Why does the GOP not care?”
Questioning. “Were others right? Was I manipulated? What else am I wrong about?”
Reveal. “These aren’t my enemies, are they?”
Deconstruction. “I need to do better. These people were human.”
Apologies. “Maybe I should call my son. I need him back in my life. Losing him wasn’t worth it.”
Redemption. “I gotta fight so my kids don’t fall for the same trap we did now.”
Now, not all of these steps will always happen. Some will never apologize. Some will get to the point where they question and reveal, but not fully deconstruct. Or some will go through a certain level of deconstruct and keep racist or sexist beliefs.
How can you tell if your Q is getting “back to reality” to the point that you can bring them around again?
Simple: they will show you. They will stop posting stuff about Q, Trump, or the GOP. They will start to, perhaps, show resistance. Some may even contact you and admit they were wrong—though that will be rare.
Like with all cult deconstruction, allowing your former Qultist to come back with open arms can help them get better. They will be afraid to deconstruct alone, so offering support can help.
Unfortunately, the truth is a bit rough.
By the time most right-wingers deconstruct, they will have alienated themselves from many of their loved ones—often permanently. That, in fact, is the cruelest irony and the worst hurdle many of these Qs will face on a path to sanity.
