Conspiracy theories represent a specific kind of interpretation of the world. Conspiracists believe that there is a conspiracy behind specific events or entire histories. These can be one-off historical events such as the death of US President Kennedy or the destruction of the World Trade Center. Recently, however, the idea of a global conspiracy, where the whole world is controlled by a secret group of powerful people, has been gaining popularity. These powerful people are usually portrayed in an extremely negative light.
Conspiracist cosmology has many similarities to religious cosmology. Like many traditional religions, it provides a model of a world in which history and events are influenced by powerful unseen forces, in which there is an intense struggle of good against evil, and in which the domination of evil is expected to intensify gradually, but culminate in an apocalyptic struggle and the overthrow of evil.