NOTE: Before I continue with the cons of being a Freemason, I want to make it clear that I have no contempt or dislike for Freemasonry. Life has allowed me to meet adherents to a great diversity of religious and esoteric doctrines, including myself (Raj Yoga) and Masons in my own family. And, from those experiences, I am increasingly convinced that the key to excellence lies in the development of the virtues and character of the practitioner, and not in the consideration that any one path is ‘superior’.
There are an infinite number of spiritual doctrines. Each of these serves as a guide to understanding the truths of the Universe and offer a moral and behavioral frame of reference that facilitates the practitioner to connect with God or that inner divine essence and bring happiness.
Taking this into account, and especially if the psychological perspective is included, it is worth stating that none or almost none of these currents is really superior to another. They simply resonate more or less with each individual who decides to adopt them and follow the path that doctrine teaches.
Yet, for various reasons that extend beyond the scope of this article, some of these currents end up becoming more popular or influential than others. And the fact that they do so does not precisely mean that they are ‘better’.
It is important to emphasize all this at the beginning because Freemasonry, with its different rites, is one of the most widespread doctrines and ‘secret societies’ in the contemporary world, linked also to high spheres of power and influence. Both factors then – popularity and links with power -, promote or increase the risks of access to it for reasons other than those that originally should be, or that such organizations distort the teachings and many of its followers are corrupted.
For all these reasons, I bring up in this article the main risks and potential disadvantages of being a Freemason. A path that can be sold as magnificent and altruistic, but which also has its light and dark shadows.
The 7 Downsides of Being a Freemason (Freemasonry)
1. Creating a double life
The Grand Master of the Lodge of Venezuela said in an interview that “Freemasonry is not secret, but discreet”. While this may point to the fact that they express themselves through symbols and signs of their own, on a personal level it also implies that they begin to reserve an aspect of their spiritual and social life for themselves and the lodge only.
This is not, in essence, a bad thing because Freemasonry claims to seek the inner work of ‘building Solomon’s Temple’. That is the private spiritual process of alignment of the individual with his divine happiness, essence and purpose. However, it carries with it the risk of beginning to hide aspects of your life even from your family, leading to some of the following disadvantages yet to be mentioned in this list.
2. Invites hermeticism and guarding valuable spiritual information
This disadvantage is closely associated with the previous one, and is that in Freemasonry you will be introduced to a great deal of knowledge and secrets about the essence of the Universe and Humanity.
However, due to its hermetic nature, it may gradually lead you to reserve that knowledge only among initiated brethren. Up to a certain point, it may seem normal or correct, but there are many normal people not interested in joining lodges to whom at least part of all that information would be of great help.
3. Being accountable to the ‘brethren’
Joining Freemasonry has among its advantages that you make circles of friends and companions along the way, that can boost your career, finances, and other aspects of your life.
However, at certain levels, you may be pushed to do things ‘in the name of the brotherhood’ or to help your ‘brothers’. Some of these favors over time may become morally questionable or simply devoted to materialism and politics, forgetting the essence of the spiritual growth of the brotherhood.
4. The reality at advanced levels will be very different from that of the initial grades
Something in common between Freemasonry and many other spiritual currents is that it is easily seen as a perfect or enlightened path, and so are its organizations. However, over time, Freemasonry pushes its followers to practices and knowledge of a dark or immoral nature, in addition to realizing that many of those people of high ‘degrees’ or hierarchies are still human, some with even serious flaws.
It is then common to fall into disillusionment or conformism when finding that many of these once-ideal leaders are not moved by the Masonic principles initially sold. Instead, many of them will still be attached to materialism and the banal, and even take advantage of their position in the Lodge and knowledge for such purposes.
5. Ego and spiritual arrogance based on degrees or hierarchies
As is well known, Freemasonry has a system of degrees or levels, the best known being the first 3: Apprentice, Fellow, and Master Mason. However, there are even more hierarchies (33 grades in most rites).
But, as you can imagine, these systems easily lead to spiritual arrogance, both of those who reach it and aspire to it.
6. Blood Pacts and Dark Practices
It is well documented throughout history how Freemasonry has been associated with blood rituals and other dark practices. At least in the higher degrees or spheres of Freemasonry, such practices can be carried out or justified as part of advanced rites.
7. Freemasonry involved in conspiracies and occult agendas
Freemasonry promotes its actions based on its principles of liberty, equality and fraternity. In fact, it has achieved changes that for many have meant a boost to the development of the modern ‘free’ civilization, as in the case of the French Revolution, the independence of South American countries from the Spanish Empire, and even the foundation of the United States.
However, it has also been involved in a variety of highly questionable political, and social processes. Or even, these ‘liberating’ processes do not cease to be intermingled with intentions of a double nature, i.e. not only in favor of the common good.
The simple fact of participating in this type of actions hidden from the knowledge of the general public, even when they know that it will affect them, is an expression in many cases of that spiritual superb.
Many of the people involved in these actions consider that all these people are either sheep or asleep and do not deserve to receive information about what is really going on. This also leads to the continuous promotion of operations of manipulation and distraction of the masses, which are very harmful.
A frequent excuse from many Freemasons for these actions is that despite being orchestrated by Lodge members, that doesn’t mean such actions are promoted by the Lodge. Yet, the constant presence of Freemasons across history in this kind of acts is a clear pattern that somehow their values and principles somehow inspire them.
Did you know: A high-ranked Freemason confessing they intentionally misled the newbies
“The blue or lower (3 grades) are but for the outer Court of the Temple. Part of the symbols are displayed there to the initiate, but he is intentionally misled by false interpretations. It is not intended that he shall understand them, but it is intended that he shall imagine he understands them. Their true explanation is reserved for the adepts, the Princes of Masonry.“
Quotes from Morals and Dogma, book by Freemason Albert Pike, 1871.
General of the Confederate Armies during the US Civil War.
Sovereign Great Commander of the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction
Conclusion
As you may have noticed, many of these disadvantages do not in themselves demonize Freemasonry. They simply help to expose the shady side that those who promote it overlook, either intentionally or innocently.
Each soul is free to choose the path that seems most suitable for his happiness and fulfillment. I only hope that you will always remember that peace of mind, cleanliness of heart, character, and integrity will always be worth much more than the hierarchies in any sect or doctrine, and the power or benefits you gain access to by being initiated into them. Whatever spiritual path you wish to join, be honest with yourself about your motivations (or those of people who invite you) for joining it.
Manuel Alejandro Patiño is a Psychologist and a certified Kundalini Yoga Instructor with academic studies about psychoneuroimmunology, lifestyle & preventive medicine, and the usage of meditation and yoga as complementary therapeutic resources. He completed his psychology degree at Universidad Arturo Michelena, Venezuela and later worked as a clinical psychologist at Universitary Hospital 'Dr. Angel Larralde'. Manuel loves writing and had more than 200 articles written for different blogs and websites relating to psychology, spirituality and internal health. (He’s) a passionate about ancient origins of mankind, as well as the study of space-time, archetypes and symbolism within art through history and in the daily life of patients and people.