In order to understand Illuminati cult programming, it is first necessary to understand a bit about the structure and philosophy of the organization. The Illuminati are a group of people who follow a philosophy known as ''Illuminism'' or ''enlightenment''. The Illuminati were named several hundred years ago, but trace their roots and history to the ancient mystery religions of Egypt, ancient Babylon, and even Mesopotamia. Out of these ancient religions, which were practiced secretly over hundreds and hundreds of years, there arose esoteric groups which continued to practice the rites, traditions, and enculturation brought in from the original groups. Over the centuries, these groups practiced openly in some countries, and covertly in countries where Christianity or other religions opposed their practices. Some of the groups which came out of these ancient roots included the order of the Knights Templar, Rosicrucian's, Baphetomism, and Druidic cults. These groups were the forerunners, or roots, of modern day Illuminism. The original Illuministic leaders chose to take what they felt were the best practices of each root religion, combine them into principles, then organized these principles according to specific guidelines. Modern day Illuminism is a philosophy funded by the wealthy, but practiced in all social strata. It is a philosophy whose tenets have spread across the world. It started with the German branch of Rosicrucian's, spread to England, then came to the United states with the first settlers. The Illuminati have 3 main branches: the Germanic branch, which oversees the others, the British branch, which handles finances, and the French/Russian branch. All 3 branches are represented in both the United States and Canada, as well as every country in the world.