10 Lesser known Facts About the Illuminati

10 Lesser-known Facts About the Illuminati
According to conspiracy theorists, the Illuminati is a powerful secret society that controls world events with the goal of creating a one-world government. The group has been accused of orchestrating everything from the French Revolution to the assassination of JFK. While these claims can be difficult to verify or debunk, the true history behind the theories may surprise you.

1. In 1776 in Bavaria, a university professor founded the Illuminati. The secret society was formed with some noble ideals such as liberty, equality, and fighting government oppression.
As opposed to the evil-driven secret society often depicted in pop culture and conspiracy theories, the Illuminati was created with the best of intentions. According to the founder, Adam Weishaupt, the aim of the group was to create “a state of liberty and moral equality, freed from the obstacles which subordination, rank, and riches, continually throw in our way.” The Illuminati opposed superstition, restriction of knowledge, abuses of state power, and religious influence on public life.


2. The Illuminati was founded with five members and rapidly grew. In eight years, it had over 2,000 members. They focused on recruiting influential and wealthy people.


3. Members had to meet some unusual requirements to be promoted in the Illuminati, such as providing a report on all the books they owned.
For a novice to be promoted to a higher level in the society, they had to provide information including the names of books they owned, the identity of their enemies, and the weak points of their character. They also had to promise to sacrifice all their personal interests to the interests of the society.

Another notable requirement for members was that they were encouraged to always gather information for the society. That included observing people and attempting to gather information from anyone they speak with, and writing a report on any useful information.

4. One way the Illuminati expanded its power is by recruiting members from the Freemasons.
Freemasons

The Freemasons are another organization that is at the center of many conspiracy theories. The group had been around much longer history than the Illuminati. So, the Freemasons were already well established in Bavaria when the Illuminati was just getting started. To take advantage of the Freemason’s resources and influence, the Illuminati focused on recruiting the men that ran Freemason lodges. They were often successful, and this put the entire lodge at the Illuminati’s disposal.

5. The society’s downfall came in 1787 when the Duke-elector of Bavaria made membership in the Illuminati punishable by death.
Duke of Bavaria and guillotine

As the Illuminati expanded, some members of the society publicly boasted about their power and criticized the monarchy. As a result, the Illuminati’s existence had become common knowledge.


6. At the end of the 1700s, several books were released that theorized the secret society survived. They claimed its existence was covered up by an international conspiracy, and the society was behind the French Revolution.
Illuminati book and French Revolution

7. Conspiracy theories about the Illuminati were revitalized in the 1960s by a writer named Robert Anton Wilson. His theories were created as a hoax with the goal of making the public more skeptical.
Robert Anton Wilson


8. The conspiracy theories continued to spread as the Illuminati was depicted in pop culture.

Wilson later wrote a trilogy of science fiction novels about the Illuminati. The Illuminatus! Trilogy cemented the conspiracy theories in popular culture. The Illuminati have since been referenced in a wide variety of fictional works.

9. The Eye of Providence is a symbol often used in reference to the Illuminati but has no real connection to the secret society.
Eye of Providence and Illuminati seal

The first book in The Illuminatus! Trilogy was called The Eye in the Pyramid, and the novel incorrectly claimed that this symbol was used by the Illuminati since its founding in Bavaria. Ever since, the symbol is often used in pop culture references to the Illuminati.


10. The idea that a powerful secret society is attempting to rule the world is among the most widely-believed conspiracy theories. A poll showed 28% of US voters believe it.

According to a 2013 poll by Public Policy Polling, 28% of US voters believe a secretive power elite with a globalist agenda is conspiring to eventually rule the world through an authoritarian world government or New World Order. For comparison, 7% believe the moon landing was faked, 20% believe there’s a link between vaccination and autism, and 21% believe a UFO crashed at Roswell New Mexico.