I went to a decadent, $450-a-ticket party inspired by the Illuminati - and it was a totally surreal experience

Von Buhler's Illuminati Ball was greatly inspired by one of the strangest dinner parties ever hosted by Marie-Hélène de Rothschild, of the elite Rothschild family, in 1972. Leaked photos from the evening reveal guests such as Salvador Dali and Audrey Hepburn dressed in elaborate, surrealist garb. Mrs. Rothschild herself greeted guests in a white gown and stag's head with diamond tears.

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Conspiracy theorists have written about the symbolism at the event, which connected the Rothschild family to the Illuminati. Dismembered baby dolls were placed on the dining tables, supposedly meaning to represent human sacrifice, and the outside of the chateau was lit in a blazing red, representing the satanic rituals that were to be done inside. All of these themes were touched on during the Illuminati Ball that I attended.

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Von Buhler's rendition was clearly inspired by the Rothschilds' party. We were picked up by a limousine on the Upper East Side and taken on an hour-long ride to Connecticut. The blinds were drawn, and champagne was served. Near the end of our trip, all phones were collected, and there was no way to know where exactly we were. When we arrived, we were greeted by our hosts, the Pig King and his wife. The initiation tests began immediately.

I wanted to create tests for our guests," Von Buhler told Business Insider. "Who will they side with and why? Will guests go with the pack mentality or will they stand up for what they believe is right? I want to leave them thinking about the choices they make.

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Fire dancers greeted us when we first arrived. They would help illuminate our drum circle later in the night.

Depending on how you choose to interact with other guests and those hosting the ball, each guest's experience is different throughout the night. Do you want to sit in the sauna? Dip into the milk bath? Skinny dip in the lake outside? Or create mischief? These are all personal choices that everyone must make.

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When applying to purchase tickets, guests are asked to identify themselves as either a pig, monkey, mouse, cow or chicken. Each animal represents various personality traits. Choose wisely — your self-identifying animal kinship will shape your entire night. I was a mouse: spirited, witty, listener.

The guests around me came from varying professions, from tech to media to education. A handful of guests came to the event alone, while others brought their significant other or best friend. Some were self-proclaimed immersive theater addicts, and others simply wanted an escape from their everyday controlled environment.

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The house, owned by Von Buhler herself, is an extravagant country home. Taxidermy lines the walls, and her art hangs in various rooms, all of which we got to explore throughout the four-hour-long event.

Over dinner, we were entertained by trapeze artists hanging from the ceiling, and opera singing from Katie Kat, the chicken group's leader.

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It wasn't long before our dinner was interrupted and the real storyline began. As a guest, the lines were already blurred between reality and fiction. Over the next few hours we were caught in the drama of our animal kinship leaders — rumors flew across the party about various leaders, human sacrifices were spoken of, and choices had to be made about where your loyalty lied.

Dancers performed in private rooms ...

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... and red wine and various cocktails were served throughout the evening. You were never empty-handed.

Although heavily involved behind the scenes, Von Buhler and her husband are a guest of the ball, along for the ride with the evening's attendees. "It is extremely complicated to write an immersive play," she said. "You need to be open to spontaneity in order to create immersive theater. I like watching where things might end up."

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According to Von Buhler, the night I attended was especially rowdy. "I didn't expect a dozen or more guests to jump naked into the lake at the show you attended," she said. "That has never happened before. [That night was] one of my favorites."