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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 10: A COVID-19 vaccine is prepared at Sydney Road Family Medical Practice in Balgowlah on January 10, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. NSW has recorded 18 deaths in the last 24 hours from COVID-19, including a child under five.
A scientist that previously researched mRNA technology just voiced his skepticism when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines.
During an interview with Joe Rogan, Dr. Robert Malone claimed that millions of people across the globe were hypnotized into believing the mainstream ideas on how to combat the virus with testing and vaccination.
He described this theory using the words "mass formation psychosis" and captured the attention of over 20,000 people on Twitter.
Dr. Robert Malone slams Dr. Anthony Fauci
Shortly after, Malone appeared on "The Joe Rogan Experience," where he reiterated his claims about COVID-19. He also said that Dr. Anthony Fauci has seemingly hypnotized a third of the American population into believing everything that he says about the virus.
"When you have a society that has become decoupled from each other and has free-floating anxiety in a sense that things don't make sense, we can't understand it, and then their attention gets focused by a leader or a series of events on one small point, just like hypnosis, they literally become hypnotized and can be led anywhere," he said via the Huffington Post.
Dr. Robert Malone criticzed over his 'mass formation psychosis' claims
However, psychology expert Jay Van Bavel said that there's no known evidence to support Malone's claims. He added that he has not encountered the term that was used by Malone in his tweet and interview.
Stephen Reicher, a social psychology professor at the University of St. Andrews in the UK also confirmed that Malone's theory has no academic credibility.
Richard McNally, a professor of clinical psychology at Harvard University, said that people that support vaccines and other measures are just responding to the arguments and evidence provided by experts. As such, they shouldn't be called delusional.
Scientist banned from Twitter, YouTube video taken down
According to The Independent, anti-vaxxers shared Malone's interview on social media days after it aired. However, YouTube took down the clip because it violated the platform's community guidelines.
YouTube doesn't allow the spread of medical misinformation that contradicts government health advice.
Malone's Twitter account has also been removed. Rogan, who interviewed Malone is also boycotting the platform after Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene was banned from Twitter for spreading incorrect information about the virus.
In April, Greene claimed that people that are young and healthy do not need to worry about contracting the virus or getting vaccinated.
Donald Trump accused of spreading COVID-19 lies
Meanwhile, Malone isn't the only individual that has been spreading lies about COVID-19 and the vaccines.
While he was still in office, Donald Trump was also accused of spreading misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines.
There were multiple times wherein the ex-POTUS claimed that the number of cases has been going down consistently. However, when he made the specific claims, the number of cases were increasing.
On July 4, 2020, Trump said that 99 percent of COVID-19 cases are harmless. However, millions of people around the world have already died after contracting the virus.
Trump also put the blame on Mexico after a COVID-19 surge in the Southwest was reported. However, US and Mexico were the first to restrict nonessential land travel between both territories, according to The Atlantic.
Related Article: COVID-19 Around the World: How Different Countries Are Dealing With Omicron Surge in January 2022
