Illuminati

The Illuminati is the name used for several groups, real and fictitious. Most commonly it refers specifically to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment secret society. However, it often refers to a shadowy conspiratorial organization which is reputed to secretly control world affairs, usually a modern incarnation or continuation of the Bavarian Illuminati. In this conspiratorial context, Illuminati is often used in reference to a New World Order (NWO). The Illuminati, or illuminated ones, are believed to be the masterminds behind the events that will lead to a New World Order in which the world will be run by a single, totalitarian government, and a large portion of the human race will be eliminated. This almost happens in Dan Brown's book Angels & Demons.

In rarer cases, the Illuminati refers to an elite set of enlightened individuals who may not cooperate but are uniquely empowered by their enlightenment, much like the intelligentsia are empowered by their education and intelligence. These are people who have become illuminated and have achieved a higher mystical understanding of the universe. Many secret societies and mystical traditions promise such illumination or enlightenment, such as Zen Buddhism, the original Bavarian Illuminati and the Order of the Peacock Angel.

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