The Illuminati: Fact or Fiction?

The Illuminati as we know it today, filled with not just politicians and religious leaders, but actors and pop stars, is actually based in a rich history of truths.

One of the earliest remnants of the world 'Illuminati' comes from the 15th century, where it referred to people who believed themselves to be more enlightened than others. 'Illuminati' being the plural of the Latin illuminatus meaning 'revealed' or 'enlightened'.

However, the 'original' Illuminati movement began in 1776 in Bavaria, Germany by Adam Weishaupt, an anti-clerical professor who wanted to limit the interference of the Church in public life.

Weishaupt based this new group on the secret society of freemasons, which he tried to join, but could not afford the admission fee, and called it 'The Order of The Illuminati' and called themselves 'Perfectibists.'

Chris Hodapp, the co-author of Conspiracy Theories and Secret Societies for Dummies, says that early Illuminati members didn't trust anyone over 30, because they were too 'set in their ways.'

The Illuminati had an anti-religious stance, with one of their aims to be to replace Christianity with a religion of reason.

Some of the Illuminati's other goals were:

· Self-Knowledge

· Self-Improvement

· Social Reform

· And Free Thought

The movement began to suffer from internal disagreement that lead to discord and was ultimately banned by the Bavarian government in 1785, along with the act of recruiting people into secret societies.

Some members were imprisoned, while others were driven from their homes, and Weishaupt was banished from Bavaria.

After 1785, there's no further historical records of activities of Weishaupt’s illuminati, but the order was prominently featured in conspiracy theories for centuries after its disbanding.

It was credited with activities ranging from the instigation of the French revolution, to the assassination of President John. F Kennedy, and it's rumoured that it continued to survive as an underground organisation that's persisted till the modern day.

Some more modern instances of the 'Illuminati' were, for example, in the 1920's, Fascists believed that the Illuminati were a group of Jews who controlled the world.

Then right after World War 2, Anti-Communists believed that the Illuminati were a group of Communists who dominated the world.

And recently, people now believe that the Illuminati is part of the 'New World Order', meaning the dominant, one-world, totalitarian government.

In a national poll conducted in the USA by Public Policy Polling, it found that 28% of people believed in the existence of a 'New World Order,' and 4% believed that lizard people controlled our societies.

Some celebrities who are currently believed to be in the Illuminati are Angelina Jolie, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Kim Kardashian, Rhianna, Halle Berry, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Madonna, Kanye West and even Beyoncé. Some of the reasons people believe that these celebrities are part of the illuminati ranges from their film roles, music lyrics, clothing choices and sometimes hand gestures, shown to depict the classic triangle symbol of the Illuminati.

So yes, the Illuminati were real, but whether they are still around and active today, remains to be seen.

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