Secret Societies...and How They Affect Our Lives Today

by Sylvia Browne

Fresh from the success of her book Secrets & Mysteries of the World, Sylvia Browne now writes about the clandestine world of secret societies. Sylvia’s research, combined with her amazing communication with her spirit guide Francine, has uncovered the fact that many secret societies affect the lives of each of us every day . . . whether it be in the areas of religion, politics, economy, government, crime, or other worldwide influences. She shares her knowledge of the conspiracies, coverups, long-held secrets, misinformation, and power manipulations of secret societies in both the past and present and how they can affect us today and in the future.


From the mysterious secrets of the Knights Templar to the powerful secret societies of the modern age, Sylvia takes us on an amazing journey to explore and unearth the truth. She discusses the amazing influence of the Freemasons on our Founding Fathers, the influence of religion on earth-shaking secrets and terrorism, the agenda of powerful secret societies for a “New World Order,” and much more.


Sylvia explores it all, and even gives us information on a powerful secret society that no one has even heard about. So lock your windows and doors and read about these societies and their secrets . . . some will really raise the hair on your neck!

Genres: Nonfiction, Paranormal, Spirituality, Occult, History, Conspiracy Theories, Religion

225 pages, Hardcover

First published September 3, 2007

About the author

Sylvia Browne was an American author and self-proclaimed psychic who built a lucrative career through books, television appearances, and psychic readings. Known for her frequent guest spots on The Montel Williams Show and Larry King Live, she claimed to communicate with angels, spirit guides, and the deceased, and said she had psychic visions from the age of three. In 1986, she founded the Society of Novus Spiritus, a Gnostic Christian church, and ran a variety of businesses, reportedly earning millions annually.
Browne wrote over 40 books, many of which were bestsellers, and maintained a dedicated fanbase throughout her life. However, her career was marked by controversy. She made numerous high-profile predictions about missing persons and criminal cases that were later proven false—errors that drew widespread criticism and scrutiny from skeptics and media outlets. A 2010 study by the Skeptical Inquirer concluded she had not been accurate in any verifiable case. Her reputation suffered further after her 1992 conviction for securities fraud.
Despite criticism from figures like James Randi and John Oliver, Browne retained a devoted following. Her vague prediction about a “pneumonia-like illness” spreading around 2020 drew renewed attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. She remained a polarizing figure—revered by some, discredited by others—until her death in 2013 at the age of 77.

Reviews

[Mariah Roze · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting and really weird read. The content of the book was super interesting. However, how the author wrote the book was weird. She kept talking about her "spirit guide" while telling facts about secret societies in the world.

The author shares that many secret societies affect the lives of each of us every day. This can be in different areas such as religion, politics, economy, government, crime, or other worldwide influences. The author shares her knowledge of the conspiracies, coverups, long-held secrets, misinformation, and powerful manipulations.

I found it really interesting to learn about Catholics, since I grew up Catholic.

[Rei ⭐ [TrulyBooked] · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another book where I wish I could give less than one star. My friend borrowed this book from the library for me because the title sounded cool, but as soon as I saw who the author was, my heart sank.

The Psychic? Writing about secret societies?

The entire book reads like a wiki page that needs to have its sources check. For a serious research book like this, one would think she would have a wealth of sources, but she never quotes any. In fact, there isn't even a bibliography in the back. The closest she gets to citing any sources is one of her favourite lines "Francine says". But who the hell is Francine and why are we listening to her? Beats the hell out of me. It's her "spiritual guide" which only makes me think the lady is nuts. Talking to your spiritual guide does NOT count as research.

This could be such an interesting book if it was written by someone else. One whose other favourite line is "Isn't it interesting that..." The same kind of heavy supposition bull that FOX News often uses. Basically, she goes everywhere and is suspicious of a world wide conspiracy (that's right people, the UN is going to become Big Brother one day and kick everyone's ass).

Basically. Not worth the money and I'm sad that I even bothered to waste my time with this garbage. It honestly would have been better spent reading a bargain bin crappy romance novel.

If you have any actual interest in secret societies and are looking for intelligently conveyed information... don't read this book.

[Kristen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to pretend this was fiction just to get through it. It was a little too full of conspiracy theories for me and the author kept contradicting herself. Plus she claims she has a "spirit guide" named Francine who gives her insight on what to research and which claims are true. I don't think the voices in your head count as a peer-reviewed reference.

[Pantea · Rating 1 out of 5]

From the description of this book you would think it would be pretty captivating and informative... which is exactly why I got it to listen to for a long drive last week with my dad. The first clue that this was not going to be what I had hoped came in the prologue when the author informed us that the main inspiration (and many of the 'facts') for this book came from her spritual guide 'Francine' who periodically talks through her! And it pretty much didn't get better after that. The whole story was told in an annoying/gossipy/conpiracy tone and was all a fear factor ploy to make you think that many influential organizations somehow have world domination as their main goal. I found the author made some ridiculous assumptions and did not have any real facts to back up her claims and dooms-day scenerios. I will say it was interesting to hear some of the history of various secret societies and she did do a decent job describing the religious organizations (i.e Knights of Templar, Knights of Malta).

[Matt · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one stunk. Wish I could have rated it a zero. Why did I want to read this one? Don't waste your time unless you want to have the authors views on God and religion thrust down your throat. she says that the secret information comes from her spirit guide... That should tell you all you need to know.

[Daniel Siegel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Entire chapters of this book are sourced on nothing but the word of a spirit that the author channels, and the only reason for you to give it a chance is if you think I'm joking.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s funny. As soon as I read the word “psychic” and “spirit guide” in the introduction, I immediately knew the controversy this book would be for most people. If you don’t believe in such things, you’d hate this book as the author often refers to her spirit guide as a source. This did not bother me, however, because the content was just as believable and logically written out as other books on the subject. In fact, she names other books and authors you can look into for further research so I didn’t find this book to be “too out there.”

I liked how easy the book was to get through. It wasn’t too dense or too serious. She’s honest about the lack of definitive knowledge there are about these secret societies, as one would expect about such a hidden and ancient subject. However it was a nice overview and introduction to a numerous amount of “secret societies” that she nicely categorized and organized for the reader.

[Careshmeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a conspiracy theory nut when it comes to the underground societies that supposedly rule our world. This one gives you just enough to make you want more. She is a self-proclaimed psychic and sometimes refers to "Francine" her spirit contact which loses credibility for me, but the good stuff was quite interesting!

[kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have to say I really enjoyed this little ditty despite our problematic author. Some chapters did contain a lil ranting-raving-theorizing that bordered on questionable/stupidly unfounded, and I would love to see her actual research. However, the content was fascinating, at least for me.

[Andrew ✝️ · Rating 1 out of 5]

As I said in my reviews of two of her other books, Browne passed away in 2013, and I do not like speaking ill of the deceased. These are my thoughts on what she wrote and predicted and not about her. I'll get the most random note out of the way: covert and clandestine are the most used words in this book.

To be honest, I felt that chapters 1-4 served mostly as filler, being only somewhat relevant, and honestly didn't really add very much to the book. The content didn't really start to get interesting until part II on pg 63. Even within what is interesting, it is mostly a mixture of history and conjecture--a bit of Miss Browne's "history" purportedly came from her "spirit guide" whom she referred to in life and in print as "Francine."

Part 1 is political societies.
1. Skull and Bones (A Yale University exclusive club with strict guidelines for entry)
2. The Council of Foreign Relations
3. The Trilateral Commision
4. The Bilderberg Group
And 5. The Freemasons.

Part 2 is on religious societies.
6. The Knights Template
7. The Knights of Malta
8. The Rosicrucian Order
9. The Priory of Scion
And 10. Opus Dei

The third and final part is about the dark side of secrecy.
11. The illuminati
12. The "New World Order"
13. SCAN (Secret Coalition for American Nationalists) [Possibly made up by the author as this group is supposedly only listed in this book and no one "knew" of them till this book's release. Sus.🧐]
14. Lies about Jesus Christ🤦🏻
15. Suppression of the Gnostics
And 16. Conspiracy Theories and Corruption.

On pg 114, Browne claims that we Christians don't actually follow Christ's words as much as we put our own spin on them. Load of bollocks...which was enough before pg 143 where she basically claimed that Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush were/are illuminati. She says that one of the names for this supposedly real group (my opinion pending, leaning toward dissent) is Skull and Bones. You have got to be kidding me! What's head-scratching is that despite basically claiming the Bushes are illuminati and connected to the New World Order idea, she didn't mention President H. W. Bush's mention of it in one of his State of the Union addresses.

On pg 150, she predicted that we would be very close or already there for a worldwide government in 10 years. This book was released in 2007, so draw from that the only thing that can be drawn from it...

On pgs 157-158, Browne claims Jesus' "supposed" death took place in three hours. The actual death took place in six or more. Speaking of which, I can summarize the claims in the chapter "Lies about Jesus Christ" for you.

1. That Jesus had a wife and kids (nothing new).
2. That He wasn't the Son of God, but rather just a holy man.
3. That He, Pontius Pilate and his wife, and maybe even a small amount of others helped Jesus survive the crucifixion.
4. That He was given an opiate to ease His pain during the chastising.
5. That what pierced His side didn't pierce Him enough to kill Him.
6. That the water He was offered on the cross was mixed with a sedative that knocked Him out.
7. That while He looked dead, He was taken down from the cross and placed in "hewed-out room of solid rock."
8. That He wasn't carried into the tomb--He was carried out of it. One can't help but infer from this claim that this "revelation" from "Francine" accidentally--or otherwise--claims Jesus sleepwalked from a spot considered to be a safe distance from the Romans and the Sanhedrin, and simply strolled groggily into the "hewed-out room of solid rock."
9. That somehow a stained-glass window in France is proof of 8.
10. That the ointment that He told Mary Magdalene (MM), who was actually his "wife," to save for his funeral was actually spices and other accoutrements for reviving Him.

11. That Nicodemus took these ointments and accoutrements to the tomb instead of MM.
12. That His legs not being broken is somehow proof of this conspiracy theory.
13. That blood and water coming out of Him after the piercing of his side is proof that He was still alive.
14. That the stone having been rolled away is somehow proof that He had not left his body and needed a physical way out of the tomb.
15. That the resurrection couldn't have possibly happened because Jesus supposedly strolled out of the tomb after people silently rolled the large stone away which somehow didn't make any noise.
16. That MM didn't recognize the Savior when she saw him, not because of God's power, but rather because he was wearing a disguise.
17. That when He told MM not to touch Him after she realized who He was, it was because he didn't want to be in more pain from the wounds that would've otherwise made it impossible for Him to walk.
18. That when He went to let the disciples know He wasn't dead, this wasn't actually with the context that He'd died and resurrected; He was supposedly telling them He'd faked His death.
19. That Him eating food after His revelation is proof He didn't die on the cross.
20. That He told the disciples that He had somehow fulfilled scriptural prophecy without having actually died.

21. That Him parting from them as opposed to just disappearing into thin air is somehow proof that He survived the crucifixion and wasn't divine.
22. That Thomas not seeing Him for days after He appeared to the other 10 is proof He needed time to let His wounds heal before Thomas could touch Him.
23. That the apostles didn't see Him ascend into Heaven.
24. That He traveled in disguise to continue His work for God in places where He wouldn't be recognized, possibly even in the Americas (theoretically good news for the Mormons/LDSs).
25. That another author claims an unidentifiable man (except to the other author) claimed to have letters from Christ that were written to the Sanhedrin, informing them of his survival.
26. That the math adding up is somehow proof of this conspiracy.
27. That (implied) the secret that Popes are made privy to after conclave selection is that Jesus survived the crucifixion and lived out His life with His supposed wife and children.
28. That a Vatican council removed MM's status as a prostitute (I have never read or heard about this anywhere else).
29. That the Bible not saying that He wasn't a husband and father is proof that He was a husband and Father.
30. That the Apocrypha mentions Christ and that He often kissed MM on the mouth (The Apocrypha are old testament additions in the Catholic Church. It is a Gnostic Gospel that nearly claims the kiss thing, but time and damage don't let us see certain words).

31. That MM took the ointment to the tomb to heal His wounds (pg 168) even though this contradicts the claim that it was actually Nicodemus (pg 158).
32. That the real reason MM freaked out at the tomb was that she knew her still-living "husband" was still alive but was unaware why he wasn't there.
33. That the wedding in Cana was actually His wedding to MM.
34. That the bridegroom at Cana may have actually been Jesus' best man.
35. That the Apocrypha mention MM (again, these are old testament books for the Catholic Church).
36. That much like how in the Gospel of Judas when Jesus asked Judas to betray Him, Jesus filled the 11 remaining disciples in about the plot and ordered them to tell everyone He resurrected--and then they went off on their ministry.
37. That Jesus went to modern-day Turkey with the Blessed Mother, MM, Joseph of Arimathea, and several disciples.
38. That none of the disciples died as depicted by the Catholic Church and the Bible, but rather some stayed with the Blessed Mother and some joined Him and his "wife" to India and other locations.
39. That they were met by countless well wishers who became the first Gnostics.
40. That after He and MM toured the world on their honeymoon, they settled in France, by which point MM had already given birth to their "daughter" Sarah.

41. That they allegedly had 7 children, of which only 4 survived.
42. That Gnostics protected this "Holy Family."
43. That both He and MM preached and He did more unwritten healings.
44. That Jesus doubled as a helper of children and focused on writing when he wasn't going to Britain with Joseph of Arimathea.
45. That MM became revered.
46. That the Blessed Mother died 10 years before He did.
47. That before Jesus "really died," He and MM had made the south of France a Gnostic stronghold which ultimately complicated things for the Catholic Church in that region.
48. That this different version of Christ's life doesn't exclude His divinity.
49. That St. Paul came up with this death hoax idea.

50. That Jesus isn't the Savior.

Phew! It doesn't even stop there. There are numerous Biblical innacuracies like when on pg 180, she claimed St. Paul was a self-proclaimed apostle--He was dubbed an Apostle in the book of Acts (9:3-6) as well as Galatians (1:1)--and, on the same page, when she claimed Jesus' own family didn't believe in a Virgin Birth or that He was God incarnate. As my fiancè put it: how could the Blessed Mother not believe in a Virgin Birth when Jesus originated with her in His earthly form (I realize that Jesus being one with the Father is not accepted by Pentecostals and Mormons/LDSs, so when I say "Biblical," I am referring to Catholic, (Orthodox?) and Protestant teachings).

There are also historical inaccuracies within 225 pgs--including the listed 50--like when on the same pg as the Biblical inaccuracy, she claims that the Council of Nicea in 325 was strictly to hide the "real truth" of Jesus--and she often praised Dan Brown, the author of "The Da Vinci Code" as being as "Amazing" and as important to Gnosticism as anyone who wrote a Gnostic Gospel. This is confusing considering Brown (Dan not Sylvia) stated that he made a bunch of stuff up in the book and just added a bunch of the Gnostic beliefs.

Another example of some of the many inaccuracies in this book comes to the academic realm when still on the same pg (180), she claims that in religious education for pastors and priests, it is always Pauline scripture (Acts-Hebrews). My fiancè is a trained pastor--he studied the entire Bible, sometimes with more of an emphasis on the Old Testament than the New...so I don't know where she got her information on that. I don't know where she got her information on St. Paul, either. On pg 181, she claims that he made everything up and somehow the Willem Dafoe film "The Last Temptation of Christ" is proof of this. 🫤

She refers a lot to what the Catholic Church did to others. She conveniently didn't mention that Pope John Paul II publicly, in a prayer, asked for God's forgiveness for the church's past sins. She was not wrong to say that these actions were committed by the church (though not all of the nefarious ones she mentions about them covering up Jesus' supposed sex life, offspring, and marriage), she recontextualized the church's reasoning. They weren't suppressing a hidden truth. They were fighting for the Christian Gospel as they--much like most Christians--believed/believe in it. They just seriously went the wrong way about it--and like I said, even one of the Popes agreed with this statement. You get the point directly while reading this that she considered the Catholic Church to be a secret society.

She clearly did not have a good opinion of mainstream Christianity and resented things as if they'd happened to her directly--I wonder if she would've supported reparations for Gnostics from Christians. 🤔😅 She obviously did not have a good opinion of Catholicism, either. She spent most of this book trashing the church and trying to dissuade the reader from joining it or to convince them to leave it, and took the reader down a path of false history. She didn't stop there. She said things that could make a devout Christian gasp--like when on pg 209, she tried claiming that sex and being strictly carnally driven weren't sins; that Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have zero truth to them; and that Mary wasn't actually a virgin when she gave birth to Christ. *Sign of cross and smh* On the same page, she disavowed basic Christian doctrine by rewriting it all with much the same reaction from the Christian as specified between the asterisks. All the while, ignoring that public repentance that Pope John Paul II did. I guess it didn't support her narrative.

The exhaustive list above will leave me baffled for awhile. I did extensive research on Gnosticism in the past and never came across anything about that "alternate" version of Christ's life. Perhaps it's a teaching of her church, The Society of Novus Spiritus, which is located in Campbell, CA, and is still open once a week on Tuesdays (yes, Iactually looked it up).

It's interesting just how much about Sylvia Browne that one doesn't get to know just by watching some YouTube clips of her, or even sitting through a number of her special appearances on the talk show 'Montel.' I watched her on that show with my mother about twenty years ago (good God) and have no memories of her discussing these heretical and blasphemous beliefs. To each their own, of course, and I am using the words 'heretical' and 'blasphemous' in regard to her teachings vs Christian teachings; compared to Christianity, Gnosticism (aka Gnostic Christianity) is heretical and blasphemous, of course.

On 'Montel' and in various interviews you can find on YouTube, she speaks mainly about her predictions and on being allegedly psychic. You will find her also often referring to her "spirit guide" Francine. Perhaps I just stumble upon the wrong videos and missed more controversial tv moments, 🤷🏻 but I have never seen her describe her views on Jesus and the Gospel as she does in these books. This is the third book of hers that I've read, and while I will read more out of curiosity, I have a very hard time believing most of their contents (though I do agree with her about how we should treat people).

The truth is that one could say Browne was a false prophet even though she was often at pains to stress that she wasn't a prophet. It's easy to feel like she made a lot of stuff up even though she injected self-deprecating humor into the text--like when she included sarcasm, such as (paraphrasing), "right now, you're probably thinking I'm crazy, but let's take a look at the [facts]." [Facts], of course, being "facts." While I stand by my statement that I put at the beginning of every review of one of her books, she still makes me think of a heretical "pastor" that I met once who told their congregation that prostitutes were holy, that God doesn't demand anything of us, and that we can keep sinning because God loves us (They are an heretic with the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists; AWABs). For obvious reasons, I won't identify who they is or where they are in this review 😆👽🦝).

Ultimately, I can't help but compare Browne's version of Gnosticism--which seems to be part Gnostic belief and part Sylvia-fantasy--to watered down Christianity. She often put love and kindness and community on a pedestal, putting any firm doctrine down in the process--and while there's nothing wrong with love, kindness, or community, watering down teachings for the sake of touchy feely lovey doveyness while at the same time spraying encouragement to sin because "God loves you" seems morally and religiously repugnant to me.
Browne seemed hellbent on tearing down the Catholic Church and the basic doctrines about Jesus Christ to the point of convincing people to turn away from the mainstream version of Him and the church--and while I do not like to speak ill of the deceased, it is not wrong to speak against false teachings.

With that in mind, I give this book 1 star--one less than I gave her other two that I've read. What is actual history is somewhat interesting, though doesn't come across as interesting as reading through her predictions in those other two books did. The fictional version of Christ's life was unfortunately interesting, but one I cannot accept from someone who was an heretic who called any devout religious person ignorant if they weren't her version of a Gnostic and wouldn't become one. She outright claimed that any religion (she waited till the second to last page of the final chapter to stab Judaism and Islam in the heart) that isn't her brand of Gnosticism is occultist in nature and that all of Christianity, especially the Catholic Church, is corrupt and bad; that it's used to control women, instill fear of hell and excommunication in people. I still stand by my belief that religion in and of itself is not designed to control women (sorry, Barbra Streisand), to be homophobic (sorry leftists), and fear mongering (only the overly conservative churches do this). Religions unfortunately have bad people within them who utilize these bad things while having the gall to claim they are of the religion. As my fiancè said: that doesn't make the church inherently bad. I add to that: it only makes those people inherently bad.

I'll leave you with a gem found on pg 5. I hope this was written with humor. 🧐😂🤣

"You may wonder why I didn't impart what I knew then, and all I can say is I can only do so much with my hectic schedule."

[Willow Redd · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first time reading anything written by Sylvia Browne, but having grown up in the 90s with a serious television addiction, I knew who she was. That was also one of the reasons I had always avoided her books, that and the fact that I'm leery of anyone who places a large photo of themselves on the front cover and isn't writing a memoir. However, while looking for books on certain secret societies, this book popped up and I figured "why not." It would at least give me a good starting point for my own research.

For the most part, this was an enjoyable read. The information seems well researched, as she mentions the many piles of paper threatening to bury her quite often. This research is supplemented by information attained from Browne's "spirit guide" Francine. I probably could have enjoyed reading about some of these groups if Francine wasn't name-checked almost once every paragraph. Also, Browne at one point seemed to diverge into the "truth about Jesus," only loosely relating it to the subject of the book. While what she writes is interesting and rings true for me in many ways, it felt a little out of place.

As I said, this is an enjoyable read and she does list several books she consulted in the course of her research for those interesting in further study. Probably a good book to have on the shelf for the blurb version of these groups' origins and purposes.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was slightly different than others Sylvia Browne has written because there was more fact in the chapters than conjecture from Ms. Browne's Spirit Guide, Francine. The chapters on secret societies were informative, historically based, and provided much fact. This book was a good one from the perspective of not getting overwhelmed with information. So, if you're looking for a succinct factual interpretation of secret societies with a little bit of secret information (courtesy of Francine who resides on the Other Side), then this an easy and pleasant read. However, I'd suggest other books if you want to delve deeper into these societies.

The one thing I did not like was the last section about Ms. Browne's opinions on who Jesus really was and the secrets behind what "really" happened during and after the Crucifiction. This section was more DaVinci Code-esque. If you like conspiracies, then you'll love this portion of her book. However, if you're a Christian, then I'd just skip this part and enjoy the rest of the book :)

[Clark · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm going to let this book review itself, actually. It's non-fiction (so it claims). With non-fiction you'd expect, say, facts. Maybe even some research. Some hard data to chew on. And here we are rewarded with amazing facts such as - Jesus surviving the crucifixion! And how are these startling claims verified as non-fiction? I'll let the book review itself: "In June 1973, my spirit guide Francine stated in a research trance that the Vatican had..." Ah yes, good old Francine the research assistant. Performing original research, in a research trance. I guess that's the only way you get to sift through the Vatican's vast storehouse of conspiracy-concealing texts.

What a joke.

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because of this book, I'm now researching the history of the Cathars. I also want to read more about the political societies called Skull and Bones (that so many Presidents have been members of), The Trilateral Commission, The Bilderberg Group and more.

She presents many theories and interesting facts about the dark side of secrecy including 'lies about Jesus Christ' that I take with a grain of salt (considering I"m a strong Christian follower of Jesus Christ). Thank goodness I'm open minded and interested in reading all sides.

[Alysha · Rating 1 out of 5]

A disappointing read. I thought this book would give me relevant, interesting information about secret groups like the Free Masons, the Knights Templar and the Illuminati. It was mediocre and I got nothing out of it. I don't know how she managed to make a book about secret societies boring. This is a non-fiction book and there was too much of the author's perception in it as well. Crap on a stick. I need to find a better book on the topic.

[Karl Stark di Grande Inverno · Rating 3 out of 5]

Se si passa sopra al fatto che non c'è uno straccio di bibliografia, su qualche passaggio dove l'autrice scrive del suo "spirito guida" che le rivela cose mentre è in trance, oppure a concetti come "entità chiare" ed "entità oscure"... il libro si lascia leggere bene, dall'inizio alla fine.
E' una panoramica delle più famose società segrete, o non-così-tanto-segrete, sparse per il mondo.

[Mary Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is super informative and i learned a whole lot especially about gnostic christains and eventhough im wiccan to me they seem way better then alot of the evengical Christians today and it makes me want to learn more about the other religious and secret political socities too.

[Germaine Chevarie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one book I did not enjoy reading!!

[Carol Collins · Rating 1 out of 5]

OMG. What bunk.

[Matthew Broman · Rating 3 out of 5]

not a bad book

[Robert Muir · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good primer for those interested in secret societies!

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent and informative read. I learned several new facts. =)

[Diamond Dave · Rating 1 out of 5]

Author gives high-level overviews of several secret societies, but level of detail varies. Francine (the author's guide for whom they serve as a medium) pops up indiscriminately throughout the book to assert what is and is not true about certain societies.

Published in 2007, the author was riding on the popularity-coattails of The Da Vinci Code and trying to stay relevant.

Browne asserts throughout that they have been channeling the truth from Francine about secret societies and Church history since the 70s, but the public has not been prepared to hear these truths until now. They frequently tell the reader just how much research they do (so much research!) but there is no bibliography.

Wraps up by supporting gnostic beliefs (Jesus was a messenger but not divine, never really died, had children with Mary Magdalene), organized religion leads to corruption and just be good to each other...

If you actually want to know about secret societies, don't look to this book. But if you want to get a glimpse at one individuals ideas and opinions about them, this will do - plus you never really know when Francine is going to have something to contribute.

[Alysha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Secret Societies and How They Affect Our Lives Today: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m on the fence about this book. When the book is written with reference to text, books, scrolls, or other written/oral records it sounds truthful and knowledgeable, however when only the knowledge of the spirit guide is used, it doesn’t seem as believable in my opinion. Now I’m not saying that the spirit guide isn’t correct or that the author doesn’t believe or has had the words of the spirit guide corroborated, but with books regarding secret societies it feels a little “dirty” for lack of a better word. I know that most of these books referencing to secret societies are almost always biased based on personal belief, however this seems more like a book written to convert to Gnostic beliefs than a book regarding secret societies. While there is some good knowledge regarding the secret societies it is written with the Gnostic slant, if the society has Gnostic beliefs it’s not a threat, but if it doesn’t, it has more of a potential to have evil intent. Overall, if you are wanting to find out more information regarding secret societies, The New World Order, and others I would not use this book as your only source.

[H · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know how this came to be in my possession or why I decided to read it even with all the red flags. The picture of the author on the front cover is enough for most sensible people to turn away. Yet that didn't detract me even with the introduction mentioning a spirit guide that helped the author with researching this book. I read the damn thing cover to cover because I enjoy wasting my time.

I'm willing to take one for the team so you don't have to. I'd burn this fucking book in a bonfire if it meant less people would be exposed to its toxic idiocy. But we already have Twitter, so one less book by a dead hack psychic isn't gonna change things.

If you do end up reading this garbage and value truth, ask yourself where are her sources? Where's a footnote or bibliography that mentions any of the sources she references throughout? At least Wikipedia has sources (useful when you're curious about the discredited author).

The only real conspiracy here is how the fuck did this end up in my hands?

[Celea · Rating 1 out of 5]

An excellent example of "write what you know" because by god, does Ms. Browne not know what she's talking about here. Frankly I don't believe the author did much of any research she claims multiple times in the book for such a slim volume even slimmer on factual information. Instead, the bulk of the mass of this mass market paperback is filled with baseless speculation, spiritual "insights" from an alleged spirit guide, and good old fashioned boomer BS. pearl clutching about terrorists, shoehorning in her own beliefs about groups of people, and my personal favorite, absolute panic about "muh gas prices" and "muh freedom". Oh, and the absolute panic about the UN existing. All in all, a lot written for something the author clearly knows jack all about. This is an excellent example in how confident the ignorant can be. If you actually care about the topic of secret societies, wikipedia is a better resource.

[Ltopo McFly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Its a book on secret societies meant for Oprah's Book Club. Sylvia Browne gives an overview of the big named groups like the Freemasons, the Illuminati, the Skull & Bones, etc. that's very thin but factual and fairly impartial. The book is anything but alarmist and Browne doesn't cast much judgment on any group (including un-elected political thin-tanks) except the Catholic church and the Illuminati. Her definition of the Illuminati is extremely vague and seems like a boogeyman placeholder to prove her own trustworthiness. Her own anti-religious views throughout the book are in alignment with the hypothetical Illuminati. Your takeaway from her book is that the Vatican is behind all corruption of benevolent anti-Catholic groups. I'm not Christian nor do I trust the Vatican but the book seems like a sneaky way to get Christians to support the New World Order while thinking they're against it.

[James · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a non-fiction book about secret societies around the world, from which I was hoping to get some insights. Although the author claims several times that she did copious amounts of research to produce this work, all I got was a very brief introduction to some mainstream religious groups and several other more clandestine organisations made known to the public through popular fiction, a number of rumours that have long been debunked presented as fact, and no sources to check. In the audiobook version I listened to, the author explained it all in a breathy, conspiratorial tone, and it sounded to me like some kind of elaborate joke, rather than something to be taken seriously. I am not familiar with her other books, but she's quite a famous name, so I took a chance on this one. Unfortunately, I was not impressed.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read that covers everything from the Knights Templar’s through Opus Dei and SCAN

[Matthew · Rating 1 out of 5]

Utter Nonsense. Garbage. Especially the second half.