The Illuminati: Are They Really Watching?

The Illuminati is an organization that needs no introduction as it is something that has become deeply rooted in pop culture and conspiracy circles alike.

Believed to be a secret world order that acts as an invisible hand guiding major world events, many see the Illuminati as a threat.

But what is fact, and what is fiction? Who are the Illuminati, and are they working towards the New World Order or defunct?

I find the Illuminati fascinating, and the more you dig, the more you learn about the organization’s roots and development over time.

Before we dive into this, it’s important to point out that the Illuminati we’re mainly going to talk about before we start looking at some of the speculations that have taken place over the years is the actual historical society.

Whether you believe it has persisted or some other organization has taken up the mantle is entirely up to you.

Let’s take a closer look at what this order is, what role they played in the past, and what role they may, just maybe, play in the present.

Who Are the Illuminati?

The Illuminati are referenced so much in a joking manner that most people today might assume it’s synonymous with a term like “New World Order,” where there isn’t sufficient evidence to back up that such an organization of individuals exists.

While this secret society may or may not exist today, it was a very real thing.

The Illuminati, more specifically known as the Bavarian Illuminati, which is what most people think of when they evoke their name, was formed in Germany on May 1st, 1776, during the Enlightenment by Adam Weishaupt.

Weishaupt, the only non-clerical (to the degree of becoming anti-clerical) professor at the University of Ingolstadt, found Freemasonry far too costly to join and did not align with his ideals despite having the right systems.

As a result, he decided to create his own society.

Whereas the Freemasons have a focus on brotherhood and charity (with their own reputation for potentially pulling the strings in the background), the Illuminati were anti-religious (in the context of the church ruling over public life rather than anti-religion in general), anti-superstitious, and against the abusive state government, all of which would become their enemy in the near future.

Of course, the Illuminati stretch beyond this as well, with others using the name either before or after Weishaput to represent their beliefs or ideals.

This can be tied back as early as the late 1400s with the Aluminados, who followed a prophetess who believed she could convene with Jesus Christ, the Illuminés in the early 1600s, who may have been an offshoot of the Aluminados, and the French Martinists, who took the name up to the late 1700s.

What should be noted is that the major difference between the Bavarian Illuminati and the other organizations mentioned here is that the former didn’t place as much emphasis on religion.

In contrast, the others typically followed some Protestantism or other Jewish or Christian mysticism mixed with occult elements.

Regardless of where you start the Illuminati timeline, I felt that all of these enlightened and illuminated groups should be mentioned so that we know who we’re referencing when we examine the topic more closely.

What Happened to Them?

In nearly every case, the church was the problem.

Speaking to the Bavarian Illuminati, there was another key issue: dissent among the ranks.

As with many young organizations, the introduction of new pupils with their own thoughts led to separations from within, weakening the Illuminati and making it harder for them to move forward, especially during their infancy.

This, paired with an edict outlawing secret societies in Bavaria (backed by the Catholic Church, of course), brought the organization down to its knees.

Speaking to the other forms of the Illuminati we mentioned, the Aluminados largely fell victim to the Spanish Inquisition, and the Illuminés and other offshoots like Maritinism were either suppressed or didn’t seem to take off and continue to gain traction, which may be due to its alternative and obscure religions or spiritual viewpoints.

What Theories Circulate About Them Today?

The Illuminati have been the subject of conspiracy theories since they first arrived, with many believing around the Bavarian Illuminati’s time that they were actually behind the French Revolution.

This may be in part due to the organization’s focus on mainly recruiting individuals of power or influence.

Still, many believe that the Illuminati never disappeared.

Here are a few of the conspiracy theories that I found to be the most exciting that are currently floating around about the secret society.

• The Illuminati is believed to be a powerful collection of government officials, celebrities, and other important figures who are united in controlling the world (and, in the case of those who believe this, you!).
• Some Illuminati members are reported to be famous Satanists, worshiping in return for fame and fortune. Beyonce is often the target of such speculation, with people finding various symbols in her music videos or live performances that purportedly tie her to the shadowy group.
• Queen Elizabeth II, a supposed member, has been accused of running a cloning center where she clones celebrities to make sure that they hypnotize us so we do their bidding.
• The Illuminati is said to be behind the assassination of JFK.
• Joe Biden apparently was sworn into office using an Illuminati Bible.
• And so much more…

In my opinion, the Illuminati is somewhat of a modern version of the Boogeyman, a formless being that strikes fear into the hearts of those who believe in it.

Because of this aspect of the secret society, it is easy to transfer those fears onto the faceless organization for absolutely anything and everything, which means that theories can run wild as anything and everything, true or false, is applied to it.

It is worth noting, however, that every myth has an inkling of truth.

The Bavarian Illuminati did aim to infiltrate seats of power to carry out their vision of controlling it.

As a result, the unfounded fears aren’t necessarily entirely unwarranted if you believe that the Illuminati survived.

Did They Really Disappear?

The question that I and others continue to ask is, did the Bavarian Illuminati really disappear?

Other secret societies like the Freemasons continued to operate despite being subject to the same edict, and those behind the creation and continuation of the Illuminati weren’t jailed or prevented from working in the shadows.

Moreover, the Illuminati had already infiltrated the Freemasons to start their own lodge and a Berlin literary society.

If the Illuminati were forced to disappear from the public eye, they may have still been operating behind the scenes in some capacity.

At the end of the day, the secret society remains as secret as it was when it was first founded, and no matter whether you believe they were truly dissolved or not, they continue to provide plenty of fuel for the imagination.