End of the world prophecies on or about 2012-DEC-21
Interpretations of the
significance of 2012-DEC-21
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Interpretations of the significance of the Mayan calendar:
Pessimism: Some interpreters believe that the Mayans expected that the
world would last
precisely 13 Baktun -- about 5,125.36 of our years -- and then self-destruct in
some way. That is, they anticipated the end of the world in the day 13.0.0.0.0 in their
Mayan notation or the date of the Winter Solstice,
on 2012-DEC-21 CE in in our (Gregorian) calendar.
1 See below.
Astronomical event: John
Jenkins has determined that on this date, there will be "an extremely close
conjunction of the winter solstice sun with the crossing point of Galactic Equator and the
ecliptic." This is an event that will not be repeated for thousands of years
in the future.
Our galaxy is relatively flat with spiral arms. Our sun, the Earth,
and other planets in the solar system are gradually rotating around the
center of our galaxy. Because the galaxy is flat, it presumably has an
equator. However, with the current level of astronomical knowledge and
collected data, we are at a loss to understand how astronomers could predict
with absolute precision exactly where the galaxy's equator is located, and
when our solar system's equator will match it. We suspect that they cannot.
Optimism: Author Carl Johan Calleman disagrees that the Mayan calendar predicts the
end of the world in some fashion. He writes that "the Mayan calendar is about the
progress of evolution, not about the end of the world." 2,3
Many other authors have taken alternate optimistic views and predict
various a variety of positive changes in the world.
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Our opinion, for what it is worth:
Unfortunately, the authors and commentators cannot agree on whether:
All life on Earth will end on this date, or
Humans will be almost wiped out, or
Humanity will be elevated to a higher spiritual plane, or
A new human species will evolve, or
Some other major development will occur.
We normally confine our website activities to merely reporting the beliefs
and findings of others without interjecting our opinions. However, because of
the seriousness of this prophecy, and the extreme fear that it may generate in
some people, we have decided to intrude here with our own beliefs.
The Mayans
were apparently familiar with the Great Year of about 26,000 years,
which they intentionally divided into exactly five equal World Ages. We
feel that this subdivision is an excellent indicator that the Mayans expected the world to
continue past their day 13.0.0.0.0 into a brand new World Age.
We believe that all books and Internet references to an
earth-shaking change in 2012 should be regarded as works of imagination. If any
major changes will happen in 2012, we are probably going to have to wait and see
what it is.
We have a hunch that this date has become a favorite among
authors because:
It is reasonably close to the present time, so its immediacy would
attract the interest of the public.
It is far enough into the future that almost all of the eventual book
sales will probably have been made by 2012. The authors will have already
deposited all of the royalty checks in his/her bank account
and be lounging on a tropical beach somewhere anticipating a relaxing winter solstice and Christmas
day on 2012.
Please pardon the cynicism, but we have seen it happen before: from Hal Lindsey''s book "The Late, Great Planet Earth,"
to the end of the world in 1988, to the Millennial scare and associated computer
collapses, to fear mongering about 2012.
It is reasonably close to the present time, so its immediacy would
attract the interest of the public.
It is far enough into the future that almost all of the eventual book
sales will probably have been made and the author would have already
deposited all of the royalty checks into his/her bank account
and be lounging on a tropical beach somewhere anticipating a relaxing winter solstice
and an enjoyable Christmas
day and New Year's Eve in 2012.
