History & Area Studies / Thematic History / Social & Cultural History
Why 17th Century Earthquake Victims Prayed Instead of Running: The Dark PR of Disaster
Imagine an earthquake strikes your city. Your first instinct? Run. But in the 17th century Spanish Empire, people dropped to their knees and prayed. This wasn't madness—it was a highly engineered tool of social control. Based on the academic project 'Discomposed' edited by Moa Isiccante, Genariano, and Domenico Sari, this video reveals how disasters were weaponized by church and state to maintain power. From the 1631 Vesuvius eruption to the 1687 Lima earthquake, we uncover the five-step theological flowchart that turned victims into guilty sinners and leaders into divine heroes. Learn how saints were manufactured, rumors crushed, and empires stabilized through psychological manipulation. Discover the shocking truth about crisis communication that still echoes today—are we really any different from those who prayed in the ash? Watch to see how your own instincts might be hijacked by those who control the narrative.
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