If this is weird, please let me know, but -

I started thinking about the belief of the God Zeus in ancient times.

He was the explanation of lightning strikes, like a lot of other gods.

Trying to disprove Zeus became a deadly crime. You could be ostracized or killed for not participating in the belief, forget about trying to prove that lightning is just a normal thing that could be manipulated by a lightning rod?

People could then tie other beliefs around something as hard to understand as lightning for the ancient people. Zeus is considered The Father God. A patriarchal deity who subjugates others including his own wife, Hera, the closest to his equal.

Men who benefit from that status quo have an incentive to perpetuate the belief in Zeus. Working with this logic, it’s easy to see where esotericism would find its niche in reactionary circles.

You get to be part of the fan club and have the real truth. If you’re doing better than your peers, you are considered better. If people fail, they’re doing it wrong and they work harder, hiding their failures and lack of belief.

Look at the traits of fascism and then read some mythology around Zeus or other similar father gods.

Look at the ritual sacrifices and the implication of being able to have a bigger or better sacrifice means more favor to you.

The farmer can burn a fraction of his harvest and other believers would see that as justification for having his farm.

It reverses the nature of cause and effect and discourages challenges to the contrary.

That farmer has an incentive in people believing that system works.