Jordan Maxwell

Jordan Maxwell (born Russell Joseph Pine 28 December 1940 – died 23 March 2022). He was an American researcher and lecturer known for promoting theories about hidden religious symbolism, secret societies, and conspiratorial world control. Maxwell was active for over five decades as a speaker, author, and media personality in the fringe “truth-seeker” community. His work focused on reinterpretations of religion and history as allegories for occult or cosmic forces, and he became a prominent figure in conspiracy and alternative history circles.^[1]

Maxwell was born Russell Joseph Pine^[2] on 28 December 28, 1940, in Pensacola, Florida.^[3] He grew up in the Pensacola area and later moved to Los Angeles at around age 19 to pursue his studies.^[4] Raised in a Christian family, he reportedly became interested in the occult and comparative religion during his youth. In his teens he encountered works by mystics such as Manly P. Hall and Helena Blavatsky, which introduced him to Theosophy, Hermeticism, and “ancient wisdom” traditions.^[3] This early exposure to esoteric authors sparked his lifelong passion for uncovering hidden meanings in religion and history. He spent many hours in university and public libraries in Southern California during the late 1950s and early 1960s searching for answers that he felt were not addressed by mainstream teachings.^[4]

Maxwell built a varied career as a lecturer, author, and media personality. He served for three and a half years in the 1970s as religion editor for The Truth Seeker magazine, a long-running freethought publication. From the 1970s onward he gave hundreds of public talks and seminars on occult and conspiracy topics at conferences, alternative expos, and private events. Maxwell also hosted his own radio shows and was a frequent guest on late-night radio programs; for instance, he appeared many times on Art Bell’s Coast to Coast AM show, reaching a wide audience of “paranormal” listeners. One program described him as a “preeminent researcher and independent scholar” in occult philosophy.^[5][6]

In the 1980s through 2000s, Maxwell expanded into television and video production. He wrote, produced and appeared in dozens of video documentaries on topics such as ancient religion, symbolism, and alleged conspiracies. Notable productions include The Naked Truth (1990s), a documentary arguing that Christian myths are derived from astronomical symbolism^[7], and the multi-part Ancient Mystery Series, a set of film lectures distributed on public access TV and DVD (described by promoters as “internationally acclaimed”).^[8] He also created numerous video lectures on DVD – for example, King Solomon’s Temple Exposed and UFOs – Past, Present and Future.^[9]

As an author, Maxwell wrote and published several books on conspiratorial history and symbolism. His best-known title is Matrix of Power: How the World Has Been Controlled by Powerful People Without Your Knowledge (2000), which surveys many of his theories about secret elites and hidden messages. He also co-authored That Old-Time Religion and Inside Hollywood: Illuminati Symbols in American Film (with Colin Rivas), among other works. In addition to books, Maxwell maintained an online archive of his research and gave hundreds of interviews. Throughout his career, he emphasized combining visual examples (symbols, logos, film clips) with storytelling to make his ideas accessible.^[3]

• Maxwell, Jordan (2000). Matrix of Power: How the World Has Been Controlled by Powerful People Without Your Knowledge. The Book Tree. p. 108. ISBN 978-1585091201.
• Maxwell, Jordan (2014). Matrix of Power: Secrets of World Control. Book Tree. p. 108. ISBN 978-1585095162.
• Maxwell, Jordan; Tice, Paul; Snow, Alan (2000). That Old-Time Religion: The Story of Religious Foundations. Book Tree. p. 124. ISBN 978-1585091003.
• Maxwell, Jordan; Tice, Paul; Snow, Alan (2003). That Old-Time Religion: The Story of Religious Foundations (Softcover). The Book Tree. p. 124. ISBN 978-1585091003.
• Maxwell, Jordan (2008). Chemtrails: La verdadera historia (in Spanish). Independently published. p. 318. ISBN 978-1651475980.
• Maxwell, Jordan. "Photographs by Leo Zagami". Jordan Maxwell's Files: World of the Occult & the New World Order (Kindle eBook). p. 336.
• Maxwell, Jordan. Breaking the Mold: Insights into the Flaws of Formal Education.
• Maxwell, Jordan. From Noob to Pro: Only Telling You What Actually Matters When Climbing The Ranked Ladder!.
• Maxwell, Jordan; Jennings, Hargrave; Shaver, Richard; Creighton, Gordon; Rhodes, John. The Reptilians: Are There Reptiles Among Us?.
• Maxwell, Jordan (2022). History of Physics: The story of Newton, Feynman, Schrodinger, Heisenberg and Einstein. Discover the men who uncovered the secrets of our Universe. ISBN 978-979-8215-10-0.
• Maxwell, Jordan. History of Mathematics: The story of Plato, Euler, Newton, Galilei. Discover the men who invented algebra, geometry and calculus.
• Maxwell & Rivers. Cosmocrats and their Insidious Influence.

Jordan Maxwell died on 23 March 2022, at the age of 81.^[10]