The Illuminati: Global conspirators bent on domination, or misunderstood champions of human potential? The answer might surprise you.

Winston Churchill is often credited with the quote, “History is written by the victors.” Historical revisionism has long been used to reframe past events in ways that favor those in power. In today’s political landscape, we often hear stories that contain a nugget of truth but have been twisted to promote a particular narrative. Could it be that the most notorious conspiracy theory of all—the Illuminati—is, in fact, a smear campaign intended to limit our thinking?

Growing up, I was taught many things that I later learned were not entirely true—some were flat-out lies, and others were even the opposite of the truth. Drugs are bad—until I learned as an adult how psychedelics, when used skillfully, can be transformative and healing. Capitalism is good for us—until I began studying marketing and discovered how manipulative and exploitative it can be, ultimately fueling some of our worst addictions. We’ve all heard stories about the Illuminati secretly running the world, but given how many of these narratives turned out to be false, I wondered: could the truth about the Illuminati be more complex?

Conspiracy theories paint the Illuminati as rich puppet masters manipulating world events. The truth, however, is far more interesting—what if they are really xfreedom fighters, seeking to free the working class from bondage to the ruling elite through knowledge? Throughout history, revolutionaries have often been reframed as dangerous. Take, for example, the Gracchi brothers of ancient Rome. Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus attempted significant social reforms, including redistributing land to the working class. However, their rich land-owning opponents misrepresented their intentions, framing their efforts as power grabs. This led to both brothers being killed in the violence instigated by their enemies. Just as the true intentions of historical revolutionaries have been distorted, I wondered if the same might be true of the Illuminati.

It’s easy to see why the conspiracy theory is so appealing. People love to have an enemy—someone to blame for everything wrong in the world. But in this case, is the theory based on truth, or is it a convenient narrative that the powers that be promote so that we ignore the real enemy?

While beginning to study neuroscience and neurotherapy, I was curious about different perspectives on spirituality and sought out various books. Along the way, I discovered The God Game by the pseudonymous author Mike Hockney. In this book, I learned that the actual, historical Illuminati had assigned a communications cell to publish countless works—well over 200 at this point—detailing their knowledge system into the public domain, and I was hooked. They present themselves as the Pythagorean Illuminati, paying homage to the genius who recognized that reality is fundamentally mathematical and organized them into the society they are today. This is a stark contrast to the shadowy figures depicted in popular conspiracy theories.

The contents of these books resonated with me, fueling my passion to understand the brain and inspiring me to make a major course correction in my life. I left the tech industry, studied neuroscience and neurotherapy, and embarked on an ambitious project to understand the relationship between the soul and the brain. I realized that the values they champion—meritocracy, the equal potential of all individuals, and the pursuit of truth over feelings—were also my own values. Unlike the popular movements and political parties I had considered, I felt like I could fully support this one. But it wasn’t just the values; the books also provided a framework through which I could understand that our brains are reflections of our immaterial souls.

Throughout the books written by the Pythagorean Illuminati, including the 32 volumes of Mike Hockney’s God Series and the 18 volumes of Dr. Thomas Stark’s Truth Series, they present a “theory of everything” that explains everything from the nature of the soul and the mystery of the Big Bang to reconciling general relativity with quantum mechanics. A key aspect of their theory is that reality is fundamentally mental, made up of an interference pattern of thoughts produced by infinite souls. We effectively think, or dream, the universe into and out of existence.

When correctly understood, this leads to the realization that the only sensible government and society is one that actively seeks to maximize the potential of every citizen. In such a world, there would be no room for exploitative capitalist activities that benefit the wealthy elite. In fact, in an ideal society, a wealthy elite would simply not exist. Is it any wonder the Illuminati have gotten a bad rap?

In Dan Brown’s successful novel Angels and Demons, the Illuminati are portrayed as an evil organization threatening the Catholic Church with a weapon of antimatter stolen from CERN. Perhaps the irony is that the actual Pythagorean Illuminati seek to change the world and empower us with knowledge that reality is made of mind, not matter. What would be the impact if we finally realized that our world is made of a kind of “anti-matter,” and that the soul is a logical certainty? What would it mean if we could measure and quantify the soul, rather than depending on faith and the church?

As we peel back the layers of misinformation about the Illuminati, we find ourselves confronted with a profound truth: what we’ve been conditioned to fear may be the key to our collective liberation. The Pythagorean Illuminati’s vision of a “New World Order” isn’t about shadowy control but about unlocking the full potential of every individual. This revelation challenges us to question not just our view of the Illuminati, but also many of the “truths” we hold dear. How many other revolutionary ideas have been twisted and demonized by those who benefit from the status quo? Perhaps the real conspiracy isn’t the Illuminati’s plan for a New World Order, but the concerted effort to keep us from discovering our own power to change the world.