Which people wield the most power? At one time it might have been the Pope, but the days of transcendental control are now well overshadowed. The narrative of our society, and our lives, is defined by politics, economics and the media. Round and round. Boom and bust. Post-modern regurgitation.

Take a creative angle; imagine an organization that meets once a year, in a luxury hotel and that is composed of all the most happy, powerful, people. Free and open conversation held, unhindered from the outside, between maybe 130 authors of our society’s grand narrative. Imagine that it is so far from being offical that it takes place in the utmost secrecy and under the tightest security afforded to luxury hotels. The richest friendship group in the world, if you will!

Now, imagine my surprise when a dear friend forwarded me a Wiki page about just such a group; the Bilderberg Group. This invitation-only conference has been held yearly since 1954; with the exception of 1976 when it’s chairman, Prince Bernhard, was connected with the Lockheed bribery scandal. Little, or no information is available on what is discussed in these meetings.

It is a conspiracy theorist’s Philosophers stone - Able to turn all theories to Gold! Believe me, having done a little research I’ve seen a serious amount of New World Order theory bubbling all over it. But then, the Bilderberg Group don’t exactly go out of their way to disprove the undemocratic contentions that are levelled against them; let alone deal publically with the more extreme perspectives. But are these just a theorist’s delusions of power?

Take a political nutshell; who’s attended? In Spring 2008, then presidential candidate, Barack Obama was there. Kenneth Clark, who has recently returned to the Conservative front bench, has attended four times, including 2006/2007. Blair in 1993, Brown in 1991, Thatcher in 1975 and the list goes on. There is a clear pattern of upturn in the lives of those politicians who have attended. (A recurring theme for many powerful countries.)

Defenders of Bilderberg tell us that the unnamed steering committee, in charge of invitations, has a knack for choosing up-and-coming big-hitters. And, that it makes sense for there to be a space in which people of higher responsibility can talk frankly to one another; which apparently requires privacy.

Theorists will tell you its some sort of passage, or rite, through an Omni-powerful ‘shadow government’. A completely undemocratic, illiberal and authoritarian entity by people, theorists claim, who are responsible for countless deaths around the world, as they play war games and real-life Monopoly.

Where do the delusions of power lie? Is the Bilderberg Group power hungry? Or are the theorists power mad? Well, if humanity has any creative spontaneity left then the delusion may lay on both sides.

Power is an action, it’s a movement, it’s an exercise in will; the affirmation of being a human. Maybe the Bilderberg Group is deluded into thinking they feel powerful because of their influence on the world. With such little competition against their systems of rule there seems little point in doubting them. Each attendee is excising their will; they are affirming power.

On the other hand, the theorists are duped by the affirmation of each Bilderberger’s own power. They think that they’ve had power taken away from them; manifesting as having their rights stripped from them. Consequentially, they feel half-beaten and trot along playing the global perception blindly, the game – continually magnifying other power; Bilderberg power. Self-perpetuating. Round and round. Boom and bust.

The game is a problem of being, or rather becoming. Our power cannot be taken; we can only fail to conduct it. It is a creative impulse to affirm ourselves in the world – This, the Bilderberger’s know but the theorists fail to realise. Conducting creativity, affirming power, these do not perpetuate another’s myth, they affirm the soul of the individual’s perception – a clear light thrown on an often misused counter-culture quote: “Turn on, tune in, drop out.” Drop out of the game you have problem with and begin your own.