Illuminati the Secret Society.

Conspiracy Theories

Theories of Conspiracy claim that the Illuminati are an organization whose aim is to influence the affairs of the world by controlling global finance, corporations and governments with the objecting of forming a one-world government or a new world order.

Said to be related to Freemasonry, the origins of the group can be tracked back to the eighteenth century. Some believe that the group exists to this day and have risen to powerful positions in corporations, the media, education and government.

The All-Seeing Eye

The group attracted businessmen, writers, secular thinkers and the liberal-minded. The all-seeing eye also known as the mythological Udjat is thought by many theorists of conspiracy to be proof that the government of the USA is involved in the Illuminati. Mainly, this is due to the similarities of the United States Great Seal to the Eye of God. This also appears on the $1bill.

A Secret Society Since 1776

The Latin term for "enlightened," the Illuminati is a term given to both fictitious and historical real groups. In history, the name refers to the secret society of an Enlightenment era called the Bavarian Illuminated which was founded on the 1st of May in the year 1776. In contexts that are more modern the Illuminati refers to an allegedly conspiratorial group which is purported to control the affairs of the world and mastermind events. The Illuminati in this context are represented usually as a continuation or the Bavarian Illuminati in modern versions.

The First Five Members

Founded in Upper Bavaria as the Illuminati Order, the movement first had five members by Adam Weishaupt, educated by Jesuits. At the University of the Ingolstadt, he was the 1st canon law lay professor. This was made up as freethinkers and their model was the Freemasons, an offshoot of the Enlightenment. The members of the Illuminati took a secrecy vow and pledged to be obedient to the persons superior to them. There were 3 classes for members, each with many degrees and from existing lodges that were Masonic, many chapters of Illuminati drew members.

Members included the diplomat Xavier von Zwack, Ferdinand of Brunswick, Johann Gottfried Herder, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and the reigning dukes of Weimar and Gotha.

Banned

Karl Theodor became Bavaria's ruler in the year 1777 and there was a ban made by his government on all societies that were secret, which included this one. Internal panic and rupture over successions came before its downfall which was affected by the Bavarian government's Secular Edict.

System of Authority

The most valuable Illuminati secret was their own authority systems, which the order already practiced within. This time, however, they needed to apply this to the exterior world. The lower positioned members' patronizing and deceit soon caused order disagreements. The Illuminati also used the Jesuit's investigation methods of conscience investigations to emancipate individuals from the church's spiritual and intellectual domination. They also used a system of ranking not unlike the Rosicrucian’s. Members were subjected to psychological techniques and totalitarian monitoring to free mankind of the despotism of kings and princes.

The fact that the order of the Illuminati consisted mainly of academics who were quite subordinate who perhaps joined them to further their career is a fact that can't be hidden even with their temporary success. New members naturally did not realize these intentions. The actual aim of the order which was to form the political and intellectual elite of the society was hardly achieved other than the exceptions of Knigge, Herder and Goethe.

Besides the secret, supposedly shadowy organization, many modern organizations are claiming to be the Bavarian Illuminati heirs and have used the term openly when founding their own groups. Some use a term variation, others use the exact term and groups such as the Ordo Templi Orientis use the term as an organizational initiation grade.

Writers such as Morgan Gricar, Juri Lina, Ryan Burke, Texe Marrs, David Icke and Mark Dice have claimed that the group was able to survive to this day. Some proposed theories include that the events of the world are manipulated and controlled by group members. Theories of conspiracies have claimed that Illuminati members are people that are notable such as the United States Presidents.

Myron Fagan is a key figure in the movement of conspiracy theories. In his later years he was dedicated to finding proof that many events were all brought about by the Illuminati including the assassination of President Kennedy, The French Revolution and Waterloo plus a plot to infiltrate the film industry of Hollywood to bring the New World Order sooner.

Illuminati Novels

Many novels mention the Illuminati including Dan Brown's Angels and Demons, Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum, Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea’s The Illuminatus!Trilogy. To portray the group, a mix of established theories of conspiracies and facts from history are used.

Bribery

To people in power, the Illuminati are said to offer sexual and financial temptations. Eventually, the idea is to get the people in power to give in and become easily blackmailed or bribed. Then, the Illuminati can make threats for their lives to become destroyed by revealing the truth about the indiscretions to the public. This lets the secret society exert greater influences over members of the media, educators, religious leaders, corporate executives and government officials.

Scholastic Control

Faculty members who are Illuminati on universities and college campuses are thought to find students with highest intellectual degrees to get them to subjugate to the establishment principles of one-world government. It is believed that Illuminati student members get awarded the Rhodes scholarships since they tend to end up in high positions in the sciences, corporations and governments.

Media Control

It is believed that one of the Illuminati's objectives is the news organizations information flow. The objective is to divide the beliefs people have into 2 factions that oppose each other, just like the political polarized views in the USA between Republicans and Democrats or among believers of religion. Reportedly, doing this will lead people to call for the Illuminati and one world-government to rise to power in the highest ranks in the globe in order for global unrest to be overcome.