“But it is the main question of the moment: which side one’s on – obscurantism or Order. It does really look as if we now had the power to dig ourselves in as a species for a pretty staggering period, to take control of our own destiny. If Science is really given a free hand it can now take over the human race and re-condition it: make man a really efficient animal.” Lord Feverstone in C.S. Lewis’ That Hideous Strength.

C.S. Lewis is very well known for his writings, of which some of the most famous are the Narnia series and Mere Christianity.

Although I have not read every one of his works, I think his lesser known book That Hideous Strength is one of the most pertinent for the times.

It is part of what is called the Space Trilogy. It is the last book in the series and yet on some level it stands on its own. One could conceivably read That Hideous Strength without reading the other two books.

In this novel which is somewhat fantastic, Lewis delves into an analyzation of the the world order that we see around us. Published in 1945 it is a profound examination of the methods and goals of the “power elite.”

That Hideous Strength is nothing less than an expose of the conspiracy for global control in a novel form.

The story centers around an organization called N.I.C.E. In its inner workings it is a secret society. One with varying levels of initiation. Those on the inner circle truly understand the goals and agendas, while those on the outer sphere remain in general ignorance. Vague ideas about the “greater good” are used to keep the less initiated working hard for the “cause.”

In reality this is the pattern used in our real world as a method of control. Carrol Quigley, an establishment historian, notes in his book The Anglo-American Establishment, which documents the Anglo-American power structure, that it is founded on “a plan of organization for … secret society … The plan of organization provided for an inner circle, to be known as ‘The Society of the Elect,’ and an outer circle, to be known as ‘The Association of Helpers.’ Within the Society of the Elect the real power was to be exercised by the leader, and a “Junta of Three.”

Another writer, who is called the “Father of Propaganda,” Edward Bernays, tells us in his book called Propaganda, “The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country.”

This, in short, is exactly the goal of N.I.C.E in Lewis’ novel – population control. The “masses” are to be manipulated and controlled by a group of ultra elite and secret power.

Lewis in a fantastical form is, I believe, striving to inform people of this actual conspiracy by these actual “elites.”

N.I.C.E could correspond to a number of organizations, some intersecting, some which were and have morphed or merged into other groups, in our world, such as – Tavistock Institute, The Milner Group, The Round Table, The Frankfurt School, Bilderberg Group, CFR, DARPA, as just a few examples. A few Foundations to note would be, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Carnegie Foundation, and the Bill and Malinda Gates Foundation. Keep in mind these are not exhaustive lists.

The fact that there are various groups should not be surprising, they are all in general working towards the same goals. The various groups or organizations are but fronts, which are changeable, to the more solid governing elite “power” behind them.

Mr. Lewis deftly elucidates some methods of infiltration and control. The use of media and such as propaganda, with a specific target towards people of influence; the use of institutes of higher education as recruitment centers; the placement of the organization’s own people in positions of power both governmental and civilian; actors and front-men who pose as the face of the organization, going around doing “charitable” deeds for publicity purposes, yet they posses no actual power. Of special importance to the functioning of power are the “Progressive Elements,” as they are called in Lewis’ book. These are those who are ignorant as to the true goals but have fervently believed the fairy-tale narrative of the glories of progress. In the long run they are but useful idiots, yet their numbers are needed to advance the program.

N.I.C.E, as in our world, is “satisfied to possess the reality of power rather than the appearance of power” (Quigley).

And indeed as if lifting the script right from one of our “real world” groups, a leader of N.I.C.E outlines some of the goals in this manner, “Quite simple and obvious things, at first – sterilization of the unfit, liquidation of backwards races (we don’t want any dead weights), selective breeding. Then real education I mean one that has no ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ nonsense. A real education makes a patient what it wants infallibly: whatever he of his parents try to do about it. Of course, it’ll have to be mainly psychological at first. But then we’ll get to biochemical conditioning in the end and direct manipulation of the brain …”

Oh my! Lewis is a conspiracy theorist! No, he is no theorist, rather, Lewis very much understood the goals and agendas of the secular world and those that seemingly govern it, which is a very real conspiracy.

Ultimately the goals of N.I.C.E in That Hideous Strength are directed towards cybernetics and transhumanism with the intent for a completely engineered society. Today, this continues to be one of the very goals of the powers that be.

Reeducate and recreate.

Summed up, the goal is the control of not only humanity but human persons, down to how and what they think.

It is vital to note that the main persons in N.I.C.E are not atheists at all. They are intensely spiritual on some level. They leave the baseness of atheism to those on the lower levels, it is only convenient as a controlling ideology. They know they are working for dark powers and they are willingly and concertedly working against the light.

In fact their end goal is quite spiritual on some level, it is an inversion of the Gospel, it is anti-gospel, the recreation of man – in what is in reality a hellish image – and the establishment of a “paradise” where they govern as gods.

In the long run N.I.C.E is a totalitarian-dystopian nightmare. They institute their own new government structure, right down to a police force. Top of the list of importance was the destruction of light, of goodness. They understood that it is the only substantial enemy.

This is explicitly from the goals of the numerous real institutes and foundations that I listed above. “The task of the Frankfurt School, then, was first, to undermine the Judeo-Christian legacy through the ‘abolition of culture’ and, second, to undermine new cultural forms, which would increase the alienation of the population, thus creating a ‘new barbarism” (Estuline, The Tavistock Institute). This task has not changed in the least.

In some sense we are witnessing That Hideous Strength take place around us. There is at current a massive push by godless powers, under the mask of “caring for humanity,” to establish a new reality, a new normal, a great reset.

“The United States were to be programmed to change and become so accustomed to such planned change that it would hardly be noticeable when profound changes did occur … Strategies called for control of the masses through manipulation of industry, peoples’ pastimes, education and political leanings. It called for a quiet revolution pitting brother against brother, to divert the public’s attention from what is really going on” (Estuline, The Tavistock Institute).

Ultimately, N.I.C.E is destroyed by its own power lust, and the very spiritual powers it thought would give it authority and might become its downfall. It could not defeat the light. And so it will be with the current powers that are rising up in the clouds of darkness.

So, although Lewis clearly unmasks the conspiracy of the secular powers he does so in a Christian context. Darkness is doomed to defeat. It may seem to be exalted for a time but its overthrow is inevitable.

Many people do not have the time or desire to wade through the many books that expose the conspiracy of the global elite. On a certain level if one reads this novel by Lewis with the understanding that it’s revealing this agenda, such a one will gain knowledge. For some people a good novel is just easier to read.

On some level I think That Hideous Strength is one of Lewis’ most brilliant works.

It is a fantasy in the long run, yet, as is the custom of C.S. Lewis, it is a fantasy packed full of allegory and insights into the world around us. It is, at its heart, a penetrating commentary on the modern world in which we all live. In a most engaging fashion, Lewis explicates the hideous conspiracy of the powers of our time.

For all of us, the question will come down to “what side” we’re on. For, as N.I.C.E knew perfectly, as do the powers that be, “there is a real war, with real casualties … it is just seriously beginning” (That Hideous Strength).

“The Light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness overcame it not” (Jn. 1:5).