1. Some say Illuminati members have infiltrated every level of society worldwide. The US government, Vatican City, NATO, the UN, Hollywood, global media outlets, etc. Because they allegedly control all of these various governments and forms of media, it’s easier to keep the organization a secret.

2. Some report the Illuminati functions as a prominent figure in US government. The Illuminati was founded on May 1, 1776 and the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776—just two months later. Coincidence???!!!

3. The “All-Seeing Eye” is another reason to believe that they secretly run the US government. Recently in popular culture, the “All-Seeing Eye” has been linked to the Illuminati, which has convinced enough people that the organization runs the US government—due to the Eye being featured on the back of the $1 bill.

4. Many high-profile celebrities are suspected of being members of Illuminati: Jay-Z, Beyonce, Snoop Dog, Kanye West, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Emma Watson, Celine Dion, Bradley Cooper (seriously?), the entire cast of Boy Meets World (even Mr. Feeney?), and President Barack Obama.

5. The Illuminati headquarters are supposedly located in an underground bunker beneath the Denver Airport. The airport itself is the source of a number of really odd conspiracy theories because the airport is so bizarrely decorated with creepy murals, zebra statues, and gargoyles guarding baggage claim. So, yeah, great place for a late-night Illuminati slumber party.

You’re telling me Bradley Cooper understands what this mural means?

6. The Illuminati is made up of a cultish three-tier class system:

Class I— “The Nursery”; contains the Noviciate, the Minerval, and the Illuminatus minor. To get into this level you have to be “tapped” or invited by one of the already initiated members, and then you begin a 1-3 year trial period.

Class II— “The Masonic Grades”; includes the sub-grades of Apprentice, Companion, and Master. You can move from Apprentice up to Master by following the rules and complying with ritual. (But also, if you don’t follow the rules or comply with ritual anyway, the group can punish you.)

Class III— “The Mysteries”; Priest and Prince, Mage and King. This is the final stage and includes the inner most circle of Illuminati members. You get some sweet robes and learn a cool lil handshake.

7. The Illuminati funds its sketchy activities because they presumably control most of the world’s money too. The biggest, oldest banks in the world apparently have some connections leading back to the original formation of the Illuminati in the 18th century.

8. The Illumanti is secret organization today because it was actually outlawed in 1785. It originated in Germany, and during the Enlightenment period, conservative politicians feared the concept of organizations uprising against the government.

9. The Illuminati are frequently blamed for major historical events, such as the JFK Assassination, Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, and the French Revolution. The secret society has been incredibly busy.

10. The literal definition of “Illuminati” suggests that members of the group know more than the rest of society. “Illuminati” translates to “enlightened” in Latin, and supposedly this implies that members of the highly selective and secretive group are better informed and more knowledgable than those on the outside. Not chill.

11. Tom Hanks lied to you in Angels and Demons; the Illuminati has nothing to do with religion. The group actually wants to remove any and all religious influence over public life and state power.

12. The “New World Order” and the Illuminati are not the same thing. They are entirely different concepts— “New World Order” conspiracy theory came into play in the 20th century and has very anti-Semitic origins.

13. The Illuminati allegedly fabricates conspiracy theories to conceal their existence from regular people. There’s a lot of conspiracy theories about conspiracy theories, and it’s thought to be attributed to the fact that the Illuminati members invent false rumors to discredit the true global plot they are involved in.