A part of the brain called the amygdala has been connected to the processing of emotions, phobias, and in particular responses to fear. It "jump-starts" the rest of the brain to start analyzing its surroundings, in order to provide a suitable reason for why events are happening. Psychologists believe that it can explain why conspiracy theories exist, as the amygdala may be promoting the creation of these crazily detailed theories in order to explain tragic events such as 9/11.
Of course, are many other factors that can explain why conspiracy theories still exist in today's society, but this can provide one explanation.
Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/26/magazine/why-rational-people-buy-into-conspiracy-theories.html?_r=0
http://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/amygdala.htm
I think the need for conspiracy theories also stems from the need for an explanation when there is a lack of evidence. With the 9/11 Pentagon attack, conspiracy theorists created wild theories because the public was not shown a lot of evidence.
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