Paranoia is an unfounded belief that one is being targeted, threatened, observed, controlled, or manipulated by others. It involves excessive suspicion and distrust towards others without valid evidence.
Related terms
Surveillance State: A government system that extensively monitors its citizens' activities through various means such as technology or secret intelligence.
Conspiracy Theory: An explanation for events or circumstances that suggests secretive groups are responsible for manipulating outcomes against the common good.
McCarthyism: Refers to the practice of making accusations without sufficient evidence while assuming guilt based on political beliefs during the Cold War era in the United States.