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Illuminati (plural of Latin illuminatus, "enlightened") is a name that refers to several groups, both historical and modern, and both real and fictitious. Historically, it refers specifically to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on May 1st, 1776. In modern times it is also used to refer to a purported conspiratorial organization which acts as a shadowy "power behind the throne," allegedly controlling world affairs through present day governments and corporations, usually as a modern incarnation or continuation of the Bavarian Illuminati. In this context, Illuminati is often used in reference to a New World Order (NWO). Many conspiracy theorists believe the Illuminati are the masterminds behind events that will lead to the establishment of such a New World Order. Confusing the issue further is the fact that there are also several modern fraternal groups which include the word "Illuminati" in their names.

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Modern Illuminati

Writers such as David Icke, Ryan Burke, Jüri Lina and Morgan Gricar, have argued that the Bavarian Illuminati survived, possibly to this day. Many of these theories propose that world events are being controlled and manipulated by a secret society calling itself the Illuminati. Theorists have claimed that many notable people were or are members of the Illuminati, including Winston Churchill, David Rockefeller and Zbigniew Brzezinski.

In addition to the shadowy and secret organization proposed by conspiracy theories, several modern fraternal groups have openly used the name "Illuminati" in founding their own rites. Some, such as the Orden Illuminati founded by Gabriel López de Rojas, and the Illuminati Order use the name directly in the name of their organization, while others, such as the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO) (founded by Theodor Reuss, and later restructured by Aleister Crowley), and the Grand Lodge Rockefeller founded by David Goldman, use the name as a grade of initiation within their organization.

In popular culture

The Illuminati are a common theme in popular culture. They appear in many fictional works and in many genres: in print, in film, on TV, in numerous video games, comic book series, as well as in both trading card and roleplaying games..

Cited references

1. Barkun, Michael. A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America, Comparative Studies in Religion and Society, University of California Press, 2003,
2. Illuminati News website: The Secret Order of the Illuminati (A Brief History of the Shadow Government)
3. Makow Ph.D, H: Illuminati: The Cult that Hijacked the World, BookSurge Publishing, 2008, ISBN 1439211485
4. Springmeier, F: Blood Lines of the Illuminati, Ambassador House, 1998, ISBN 0966353323
5. Official website of the Illuminati Order
6. Prominent examples include: The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson, Dan Brown's Angels & Demons, The Fallen Angels by Susannah Kells & Bernard Cornwell, and The Illuminati by Larry Burkett.
7. For example, they are central to the plot of the movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
8. For example, in the Disney animated television show Gargoyles
9. such as Deus Ex
10. CGD – New Avengers: Illuminati
11. Bergquist, Theodore; Jacobsson, Anders; Nilsson Richard, Sub Rosa - Hemliga Ordnar och Sällskap, RiotMinds Stockholm 2008, ISBN 978-91-977263-0-6

Additional references

• 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica: "Illuminati"
• Die Korrespondenz des Illuminatenordens. Bd. 1, 1776–81. Ed. by Reinhard Markner, Monika Neugebauer-Wölk and Hermann Schüttler. - Tübingen, Max Niemeyer, 2005. - ISBN 3-484-10881-9
• Radical Enlightenment: Philosophy and the Making of Modernity 1650–1750. Israel, Jonathan I. (Oxford University Press, USA; New Ed edition, 2002).

External links

• Complete text of 'Proofs of a Conspiracy...' by John Robison (1797) at sacred-texts.com
• Illuminati Conspiracy Part One: A Precise Exegesis on the Available Evidence by Terry Melanson
• 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia entry on Illuminati
• Blog about the historical Illuminati of Adam Weishaupt and their appearance in mainstream media like Angels & Demons (german)

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• Secret societies
• Conspiracy theories