>>17771895 (OP)Skepticism wasn't as widespread as it is today. Everyone believed in christianity so deeply, that everything a few shady individuals had to do was to do some tweaks here and there (mostly that you are god and can get anything that you want because you are god), add some stuff of oriental mysticism to make it seem exotic (very important), write a few books, and voila, you have easy money coming your way.
Add that most people were having a really bad time during the time it got relevance (like during covid, and nowadays), and that there were mason orders like the rosicrucians interested in propagating it for the sake of being evil (true), and you understand the impact it has.