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[[File:La Mojarra Inscription and Long Count date.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Image of a date inscription for the [[Mayan Long Count]].]] |
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The '''2012 doomsday prediction''' is a present-day cultural [[meme]] proposing that cataclysmic and [[apocalypse|apocalyptic]] events will occur in the year [[2012]]. This idea has been disseminated by numerous books, Internet sites and by TV documentaries. The forecast is based primarily on what is claimed to be the end-date of the [[Mesoamerican Long Count calendar]], which is presented as lasting 5,125 years and as terminating on December 21 or 23, 2012, along with interpretations of assorted legends, scriptures, [[numerological]] constructions and prophecies. |
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A [[New Age]] interpretation of this transition posits that, during this time, the planet and its inhabitants may undergo a positive physical or spiritual transformation rather than an [[armageddon]], and that 2012 may mark the beginning of a newer sociopolitical age for the global community. <ref>Benjamin Anastas. [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/01/magazine/01world-t.html "The Final Days".] ''New York Times Magazine'' 7/1/07.</ref> |
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==Mesoamerican Long Count calendar== |
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December, 2012 marks the ending of the current ''[[baktun]]'' cycle of the [[Mesoamerican Long Count calendar]]. The Long Count set its "time zero" at a point in the past marking the end of the previous world and the beginning of the current one, which corresponds to either 11 or 13 August 3114 BC in the [[Gregorian calendar]], depending on the formula used.<ref> {{cite web |author={{aut|Finley, Michael}} |year=2002 |title=The Correlation Question |work=The Real Maya Prophecies: Astronomy in the Inscriptions and Codices |url=http://members.shaw.ca/mjfinley/corr.html |publisher=Maya Astronomy |accessdate=2007-05-11}}</ref> |
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The Long Count kept time in units of 20, so 20 days made a ''uinal'', 18 uinals, or 360 days, made a ''tun'', 20 tuns made a ''katun'', and 20 katuns, or 144,000 days, made up a ''baktun''. After 13 baktuns, the numbers reset and the count moved to a higher order.<ref> [http://www.dartmouth.edu/~izapa/M-32.pdf "The Astronomical Insignificance of Maya Date 13.0.0.0."] by Vincent H. Malmström, [[Dartmouth University]], undated (accessed 26 May 2009)</ref> So, for example, the Mayan date of 8.3.2.10.15 represents 8 baktuns, 3 katuns, 2 tuns, 10 uinals and 15 days since creation. Today, the most widely accepted correlations of the end of the thirteenth baktun, or Mayan date 13.0.0.0.0, with the Western calendar are either December 21 or December 23, 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=The 2012 Phenomenon: New Age Appropriation of an Ancient Mayan Calendar |
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|author= Robert K. Sitler|url=http://caliber.ucpress.net/doi/abs/10.1525/nr.2006.9.3.024|year=2006|accessdate=2009-06-21}}</ref> The first book to suggest that this date might have apocalyptic implications was ''The Maya'' by [[Michael D. Coe]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Coe|first=Michael D.|title=The Maya|publisher=Thames and Hudson |date=1966|edition=1st|series=Ancient Peoples and Places series|isbn=0500285055,}}</ref> originally published in 1966, in which he said: |
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<blockquote>There is a suggestion . . . that Armageddon would overtake the degenerate peoples of the world and all creation on the final day of the thirteenth [baktun]. Thus … our present universe … [would] be annihilated on December 23, 2012, when the Great Cycle of the Long Count reaches completion.<ref>Coe 1966, 2005 (7th ed.)</ref></blockquote> |
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More recent academic scholars of [[Maya civilization]] have disputed the apocalyptic interpretation of the Long Count calendar end-date, insisting that it simply marks a resetting of the calendar to [[Baktun]] 13.0.0.0.0,<ref>Ibid; G. Jeffrey MacDonald [http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2007-03-27-maya-2012_n.htm "Does Maya calendar predict 2012 apocalypse?"] ''USA Today'' 3/27/07.</ref> rather as the units and tens columns of a car's [[odometer]] reset to zero each time a hundred miles are completed. They also argue that the [[Mesoamerican Long Count calendar|Long Count calendar]] does not end on 13.0.0.0.0.<ref>Milbrath, Susan (2000). ''Star Gods of the Maya''. University of Texas Press. ISBN 0292752261 Page 4</ref> Scholars such as Linda Schele and David Freidel<ref>Schele, L. and Freidel, D., ''A forest of Kings: The Untold Story of the Ancient Maya'' (Morrow, 1990)</ref> cite the Mayan inscription [[Coba]] Stela 1, which features the date 13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.13.0.0.0.0. In Mayan mythology, this date represents the age of the previous world at its ending. Because the Mayan calendar is cyclical, the above dating will also, of necessity, mark the end of the present Long Count cycle and the beginning of the next. With each column equal to twenty times its predecessor, this date lies some 41,341,049,999,999,999,999,999,994,879 years in the future, or 3 [[quintillion]] times the scientifically accepted [[age of the universe]]. |
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Only one Maya inscription, [[Tortuguero (Maya site)|Tortuguero]] Monument 6, directly mentions the end of the 13th baktun, which corresponds to 2012. It has been defaced, though Mayan scholar David Stuart has attempted a partial translation: |
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:''Tzuhtz-(a)j-oom u(y)-uxlajuun pik |
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:''(ta) Chan Ajaw ux(-te') Uniiw. |
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:''Uht-oom ... |
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:''Y-em(al) ... Bolon Yookte' K'uh ta ...'' |
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:The Thirteenth 'Bak'tun" will be finished |
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:(on) Four Ajaw, the Third of Uniiw (K'ank'in). |
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:... will occur. |
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:(It will be) the descent(?) of the Nine Support(?) God(s) to the...<ref>{{cite web|title=Comments on the 2012 text on Tortuguero Monument 6 and Bolon Yokte K'u|author=John Major Jenkins|year=2006|url=http://alignment2012.com/bolon-yokte.html|accessdate=2009-04-09}}</ref> |
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==Theories== |
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A number of theories have been advanced by various esoteric writers and mystics with regard to how the world will end in 2012. None have garnered mainstream acceptance by [[academia|academic]] scholars of the Maya, who have rejected most on scientific and historical grounds. |
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===New Age=== |
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Many believe that the ending of this cycle will correspond with a global "consciousness shift" and the beginning of a [[new age]]. The date became the subject of speculation by [[Frank Waters]], who devotes two chapters to its interpretation, including discussion of an astrological chart for this date and its association with Hopi prophecies in ''Mexico Mystique: The Coming Sixth Age of Consciousness''(1975).<ref>{{cite book|last=Waters|first=Frank|title=Mexico mystique: The coming sixth world of consciousness |publisher=Sage Books|date=1975|edition=1st Edition|isbn=0804006636}}</ref> The significance of the year 2012 (but not a specific day) was mentioned briefly by [[José Argüelles]] in ''The Transformative Vision'', (1975)<ref>{{cite book|last=Arguelles|first=Jose |title=Transformative Vision |publisher=Shambhala |date=1975|edition=1st edition|isbn=0394730674}}</ref> and later in ''The Mayan Factor'' (1987),<ref>{{cite book|last=Argüelles|first=José|title=The Mayan Factor: Path Beyond Technology|publisher=Inner Traditions/Bear & Company.|date=1987|isbn=0939680386}}</ref> promoted at the 1987 [[Harmonic Convergence]]. |
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Author [[Daniel Pinchbeck]] popularized [[New Age]] concepts about this date, linking it to beliefs about [[crop circles]], [[alien abduction]], and personal revelations based on the use of [[entheogens]] and [[mediumship]] in his 2006 book ''2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Pinchbeck|first=Daniel |title=2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl |publisher=Tarcher |date=2007|isbn=1585425923}}</ref> Pinchbeck argues for a shift in consciousness rather than an apocalypse, suggesting that [[materialism|materialistic]] attitudes, rather than the material world, are in jeopardy.<ref> Benjamin Anastas [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/01/magazine/01world-t.html "The Final Days".] ''New York Times Magazine'' 7/1/07.</ref> [[Semir Osmanagić]], the archaeologist responsible for promoting the [[Bosnian pyramids]], referred to 2012 in the conclusion of his book ''The World of the Maya''.<ref name="Osmanagich">{{cite book|last=Osmanagich |first=Sam |title= The World of the Maya |publisher=Gorgias Press|date=2005|isbn=1593332742}}</ref> He suggests that "Advancement of DNA may raise us to a higher level" and concludes, "When the 'heavens open' and cosmic energy is allowed to flow throughout our tiny Planet, will we be raised to a higher level by the vibrations".<ref name="Osmanagich" /> |
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Experts on the ancient Maya such as Schele and Freidel<ref>Schele, Linda and Freidel, David A Forest of Kings: The Untold Story of the Ancient Maya (Morrow, 1990)</ref> tend to see the focus on 2012 as a manifestation of [[Mayanism]], a collection of New Age beliefs that reinterpret and potentially distort ancient Mayan culture. University of Florida astronomer Susan Milbrath, author of ''Star Gods of the Maya'', is among those who have accused 2012 doomsday proponents of exploiting Mayan culture to advance political or personal agendas.<ref>Ibid; "Does Maya calendar predict 2012 apocalypse?". Cited above''.</ref> Promotion of Mayanism through interest in 2012 doomsday scenarios is contributing to the evolution of religious [[syncretism]] in contemporary Maya communities.{{Fact|date=April 2009}} |
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===Galactic alignment=== |
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Frank Waters' book inspired further speculation by [[John Major Jenkins]] in the mid-1980s, noting the correspondence of the December 21 date with the winter [[solstice]] in 2012. This date was in line with an idea he terms the ''Galactic Alignment''. |
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In the [[Solar System]], the planets and the Sun share roughly the same plane of orbit, known as the [[plane of the ecliptic]]. From our perspective on Earth, the [[Zodiac]]al constellations move along or near the ecliptic, and over time, appear to recede counterclockwise by one degree every 72 years. This movement is attributed to a slight wobble in the Earth's axis as it spins. As a result, approximately every 2160 years, the constellation visible on the early morning of the spring [[equinox]] changes. In Western astrological traditions, this signals the end of one [[astrological age]] (currently the Age of Pisces) and the beginning of another ([[Age of Aquarius]]). Over the course of 26,000 years, the [[precession (astronomy)|precession of the equinoxes]] makes one full circuit around the ecliptic. |
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Just as the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere is currently in the constellation of [[Pisces (constellation)|Pisces]], so the winter solstice is currently in the constellation of [[Sagittarius (constellation)|Sagittarius]], which happens to be the constellation intersected by the [[galactic equator]]. Every year for the last 2000 years or so, on the winter solstice, the Earth, Sun and the galactic equator come into alignment, and every year, precession pushes the Sun's position a little way further through the [[Milky Way]]'s band. |
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[[File:Milkyway Swan Panorama.jpg|thumb|right|300px| The Milky Way near Cygnus showing the lane of the [[Great Rift (astronomy)|Dark Rift]] which the Maya called the ''Xibalba be'' or ''Black Road''. ]] |
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Jenkins suggests that the Maya based their calendar on observations of the "[[dark rift]]", a band of black dust clouds in the Milky Way, which the Maya called the ''Xibalba be'' or ''Black Road''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.utexas.edu/courses/stross/papers/xibalba.rtf.|title=XIBALBA OR XIBALBE |last=Stross |first= Brian |publisher=University of Texas |accessdate=2009-05-18}}</ref> Jenkins claims that the Maya were aware of where the [[ecliptic]] intersected the Black Road and gave this position in the sky a special significance in their cosmology.<ref name="Jenkins2012"/> According to the theory, the Sun precisely aligns with this intersection point at the winter solstice of 2012.<ref name="Jenkins2012">{{cite web|url=http://alignment2012.com/whatisga.htm|title=What is the Galatic Alignment?|last=Jenkins|first=John Major |publisher=Alignment 2012|accessdate=2009-05-11}}</ref> Jenkins is credited with the premise that the classical Mayans anticipated this conjunction and celebrated it as the harbinger of a profound spiritual transition for mankind.<ref>{{cite web|title=The True Alignment Zone|author=John Major Jenkins|year=1999|publisher=truezone|url=http://alignment2012.com/truezone.htm|accessdate=2009-04-13}}</ref> New Age proponents of the galactic alignment theory argue that, just as [[astrology]] uses the positions of stars and planets to predict the future, the Mayans plotted their calendars with the objective of preparing for significant world events.<ref> For an in-depth look at this subject, see Coe, Michael D. (1992).'' Breaking the Maya Code.'' London: Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-05061-9. OCLC 26605966; Miller, Mary; and Karl Taube (1993). ''The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya: An Illustrated Dictionary of Mesoamerican Religion.'' London: Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0-500-05068-6. OCLC 27667317; and |
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Pinchbeck, Daniel, 2007. ''2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl''. Tarcher Books. ISBN 1585424838.</ref> |
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Critics suggest that the alignment in question takes place over a 36-year period, corresponding to the diameter of the Sun, with the most precise convergence having already occurred without incident in 1998.<ref>Meeus, Jean (1997). "Ecliptic and galactic equator". ''Mathematical Astronomy Morsels''. Richmod, Va: Willmann-Bell. pp. 301-303. ISBN 9780943396514. OCLC 36126686.</ref> Also, Jenkins himself notes that there is no concrete evidence that the Maya were aware of precession.<ref>{{cite web|title=Introduction to Maya Cosmogenesis|author=John Major Jenkins|url=http://alignment2012.com/mc-intro.html|accessdate=2009-05-11}}</ref> |
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===Timewave zero=== |
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{{main|Timewave zero}} |
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[[Image:Timewave 9 11 2001.png|thumb|A screenshot of the ''Timewave Zero'' software.]] |
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'''Timewave zero''', which is part of '''Novelty theory''', is a [[numerology|numerological]] formula that purports to calculate the ebb and flow of "novelty", defined as increase in the [[universe]]'s interconnectedness, or [[Complexity#Disorganized complexity vs. organized complexity|organised complexity]],<ref>[http://www.miqel.com/entheogens/terrence_mckenna_interview_1.html Terence McKenna interviewed on the Art Bell Show], 1997-05-22</ref> over [[time]]. According to [[Terence McKenna]], who conceived the idea in the early 1970s, the universe has a [[teleological]] attractor at the [[end of time]] that increases interconnectedness, eventually reaching a [[singularity]] of infinite complexity on December 21, 2012, at which point anything and everything imaginable will occur instantaneously. This idea has failed to gain any scientific credibility or recognition. |
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McKenna expressed "novelty" in a computer program, which purportedly produces a [[fractal]] waveform known as ''timewave zero'' or the ''timewave''. Based on McKenna's interpretation of the [[King Wen sequence]] of the [[I Ching]],<ref>{{cite book|last=McKenna |first=Terence |coauthors=McKenna, Dennis |title=The Invisible Landscape: Mind, Hallucinogens, and the I Ching|publisher=HarperCollins |date=1975|isbn= 0816492492}}</ref> the graph appears to show great periods of novelty corresponding with major shifts in humanity's biological and cultural evolution. He believed the events of any given time are [[recursion|recursively]] related to the events of other times, and chose the [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|atomic bombing of Hiroshima]] as the basis for calculating his end date of November, 2012. When he discovered this date's proximity to the end of the 13th baktun, he adjusted it so that the two dates matched.<ref>http://www.ralph-abraham.org/talks/transcripts/hyperspace.html</ref><ref>[http://www.hermetic.ch/frt/zerodate.html The Timewave: The Zero Date<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |
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===End of the world=== |
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{{seealso|Nibiru collision}} |
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Various ideas have been advanced concerning a possible [[end of the world]] in 2012. One idea involves a [[geomagnetic reversal]] (often incorrectly referred to as a [[polar shift]] by proponents of this theory), which could be triggered by a massive [[solar flare]], one with energy equal to 100 million [[atomic bombs]].<ref>http://www.universetoday.com/2008/06/21/2012-no-killer-solar-flare/</ref> This is supported by evidence that the Earth's [[magnetic field]] is weakening,<ref>http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/080818-mm-earth-core.html</ref> which indicates an impending reversal of the north and south magnetic poles. Scientists believe the Earth is overdue for a geomagnetic reversal, and has been for a long time, even since the time of the Mayans, because the last reversal was 780,000 years ago.<ref>http://www.abcarticledirectory.com/Article/Pole-Shift---A-Disaster-Waiting-to-Happen/111685</ref> Critics, however, claim geomagnetic reversals take up to 5,000 years to complete, and do not start on any particular date. Also, while NASA expects a particularly strong solar maximum sometime between 2010 and 2012,<ref name=goemag>{{cite web|title= Solar Storm Warning |publisher=NASA|year=2006|url=http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/10mar_stormwarning.htm|accessdate=2009-05-27}}</ref> there is no scientific evidence linking a solar maximum to a geomagnetic reversal.<ref>{{cite web|title= 2012: No Geomagnetic Reversal|publisher=Universe Today|year=2008|author=Ian O'Neill|url=http://www.universetoday.com/2008/10/03/2012-no-geomagnetic-reversal/|accessdate=2009-05-27}}</ref> A solar maximum would be mostly notable for its effects on satellite and cellular phone communications.<ref name=goemag/> |
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Another apocalyptic idea circulating about 2012, which has existed in various forms since 1995 and has changed dates at least twice since then, is that a large planet, called [[Nibiru]], will collide with or pass by Earth in that year. This idea has been ridiculed by astronomers, who point out that such an object so close to Earth would be visible to anyone looking up at the night sky.<ref>{{cite web|title= The Planet X Saga: Science|author=Phil Plait|year=2003|url=http://www.badastronomy.com/bad/misc/planetx/science.html#orbits|publisher=badastronomy.com|accessdate=2009-04-02}}</ref><ref name=mike>{{cite web|title=I do not ♥ pseudo-science|author=Mike Brown|publisher=Mike Brown's planets|year=2008|url=http://www.mikebrownsplanets.com/2008/02/i-do-not-pseudo-science.html|accessdate=2009-04-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title= Planet X - No dynamical evidence in the optical observations |author=Myles Standish |date= [[1992-07-16]] |url= http://adsbit.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?bibcode=1993AJ....105.2000S |accessdate= 2009-04-30 |journal=Astronomical Journal volume= 105|number= 5|pages=200-2006}}</ref> |
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==Dissemination== |
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{{seealso|2012 in fiction}} |
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Interest in the 2012 doomsday prediction has spread in recent years as a result of a groundswell of Internet sites and blogs, as well as numerous books and television series on the subject. |
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A movie called ''[[2012 (film)|2012]]'', directed by [[Roland Emmerich]] and starring [[John Cusack]], [[Danny Glover]], [[Chiwetel Ejiofor]], [[Amanda Peet]], [[Thandie Newton]], [[Oliver Platt]] and [[Woody Harrelson]] is scheduled for release on November 13th, 2009. A [[viral marketing]] campaign by Sony Pictures Digital Inc. for the film features a website from the supposedly scientific "Institute for Human Continuity" describing the various doomsday scenarios meant to occur in that year:<ref>See the [http://www.instituteforhumancontinuity.org fictional publicity for the film] by Sony Pictures Inc.</ref> the picture currently on its 'about' page appears to suggest that the European Union headquarters in Brussels is in fact the IHC's own premises, while the site offers no academic CVs at all for the allegedly 'doctorate' staff listed.<ref>Archives of the Nostradamus Research Group, 10 June, 30 June and 2 July 2009, after comparison of [http://www.instituteforhumancontinuity.org/#/about its photo] with that of the [http://www.fotosearch.com/SIX003/eur-353/ the EU headquarters in Brussels](evidence from Gavin Palmer and former Brussels employee Iain Sims, who wrote: 'It is the HQ for the EU Commission. That photograph is from before the refit required due to the asbestos found in the building. The subsequent covering of the building in a white protective material earned it the nickname "the meringue".').</ref> |
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Over recent years the television network the [[History Channel]] has played a major role in broadcasting alarmist ideas of this type, often targeting 2012.<ref>See '''2012, End of Days''' (2006), '''Maya Doomsday''' (2007), '''The Last Days on Earth''' (2008) '''Seven Signs of the Apocalypse''' (2008) and '''Nostradamus 2012''' (2008) together with programs recounting past doomsdays: '''Comet Catastrophe''' (2007), '''Noah's Great Flood''' (2008) and '''Journey to 10000 B.C''' and compare {{cite web|url=http://www.history.com/minisites/armageddon|title=Armageddon series|date=2008|publisher=The History Channel|accessdate=2009-05-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.history.com/minisites/armageddon|title=Armageddon series|date=2008|publisher=The History Channel|accessdate=2009-05-01}}</ref> In its coverage, it relates to the present day a number of doomsday prophecies derived from non-Mayan sources,<ref>Documentary program. ''2012: End of Days''. The History Channel (2007).</ref> referencing (among others) predictions ascribed to the [[Hopi]] people, the [[Book of Revelation]] by [[John of Patmos]], the [[Cumaean Sybil|Sibylline Books]], the [[quatrain]]s of [[Nostradamus]] (which do not specifically mention the end of the world<ref>See Lemesurier, P., ''The Nostradamus Encyclopedia'', Thorsons/St Martin's Press, 1997, p.152; ''The Unknown Nostradamus'', O Books, 2003, p.95</ref>) and a version of the anonymous 14th-century ''[[Vaticinia de Summis Pontificibus]]'' that the History Channel has dubbed ''[[The Lost Book of Nostradamus]]'',<ref>Gruber, Dr. E. R., advice to the History Channel's producers delivered at their request, July 2007, republished in the Nostradamus Research Group October 2007, on the basis of a copy in his possession</ref> as well as the prophecies of the semi-legendary [[Myrddin Wyllt]], or [[Merlin]], and [[Ursula Southeil (Mother Shipton)|Mother Shipton]],<ref>See the History Channel's ''Doomsday 2012. The End Of Days''</ref> the last of which, in their original 1641 edition, say nothing about doomsday either.<ref>See ''Mother Shipton's Prophecies'' (Mann, 1989, introduction, pp. 17-19), and [http://www.sacred-texts.com/pro/msi/ An 1881 Essay about Mother Shipton] by William H Harrison</ref> |
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[[Ron Rosenbaum]] of ''[[Slate.com]]'' introduced the topic thus in 2009: "The growing harmonic convergence of apocalyptic stupidity that goes under the rubric 2012 or 'the Mayan Calendar Prophecy' has not yet reached [[Y2K]] proportions. And while it's broken out of the [[New Age]]y cult status where it's been fermenting for some years, there are still many in the chattering classes who haven't heard about it." <ref name=tsunami>[http://www.slate.com/id/2218841 "2012: Tsunami of Stupidity: Why the latest apocalyptic cult is a silly scam."] by Ron Rosenbaum, ''[[Slate.com]]'', May 22, 2009 (accessed 26 May 2009)</ref> |
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==Critical summary== |
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(based on the above except where otherwise indicated) |
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* Academic research does not indicate that the Maya attached any apocalyptic significance to the year 2012: the date for the end of their world lay unimaginable aeons of time in the future. |
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* John Major Jenkins's 'Galactic alignment' theory is based not only on a misleading astronomical claim, but in part on the same false calendrical premise. |
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* As the Timewave Zero theory has never been published in a peer-reviewed journal and its sources and reasoning are primarily what would be considered [[numerology|numerological]] rather than [[mathematics|mathematical]], the theory has failed to gain any scientific credibility or much recognition by professional mathematicians and scientists. |
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* Professional astronomers ridicule the Nibiru collision theory, which is based on claimed '[[channeling]]' by extraterrestrials.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Hunt For Planet X: New Worlds and the Fate of Pluto|author=Govert Schilling|publisher=Copernicus Books|pages=111}}</ref><ref name=morrison>{{cite web|title=Armageddon from Planet Nibiru in 2012? Not so fast|author=David Morrison||publisher=discovery.com|year=2008|url=http://dsc.discovery.com/space/my-take/nibiru-armageddon-david-morrison.html|accessdate=2009-04-02}}</ref> |
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* More academic research is needed into the claimed Hopi prophecy: it does not appear to mention the year 2012.<ref>Not, at least, if the text presented by Frank Waters on [http://www.welcomehome.org/rainbow/prophecy/hopi1.html this site] is to be believed: but see [http://www.amazon.com/Book-Hopi-Frank-Waters/product-reviews/0140045279/ref=cm_cr_dp_synop?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending#R1VK4TV2S8K8OX this critique]and Courlander, H., ''The Fourth World of the Hopis: The Epic Story of the Hopi Indians as Preserved in Their Legends and Traditions'', University of Mexico Press, 1989 </ref> |
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* The Bible's Book of Revelation, composed some 1900 years ago, did indeed offer a dramatic picture of the end of the world—but it also promised that it would happen 'very soon'.<ref>See, for example, Schonfield, H.J., ''The Authentic New Testament'', Dobson, n.d.</ref> The Bible says nothing about 2012 or any similar date. |
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* The prophecy of the Tiburtine Sybil, as reproduced in the 16th century, did indeed likewise present a dramatic picture of the apocalypse, but did not date it, least of all to 2012.<ref>''Mirabilis liber'' (anon), 1522/3; Lemesurier, P., ''The Unknown Nostradamus'', O Books, 2003</ref> |
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* While the quatrains of Nostradamus are clearly intended to be read in a pre-apocalyptic context, they do not specifically mention (or, consequently, date) the end of the world: their Preface states that they are valid until the year 3797.<ref>Leoni, E., ''Nostradamus and His Prophecies'', Bell, 1961; Lemesurier, P., ''The Nostradamus Encyclopedia'', Thorsons/St Martin's Press, NY, 1997; ''The Unknown Nostradamus'', O Books, 2003; ''Nostradamus: The Illustrated Prophecies'', O Books, 2003</ref> |
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* The so-called ''Lost Book of Nostradamus'' is a version of the anonymous ''Vaticinia de summis pontificibus'' — a book of prophetic papal emblems dating from centuries before his time – and does not mention the year 2012. |
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* The ''Prophecies of Merlin'' were a fictional composition by the medieval [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]],<ref>Lacy, Norris J. (Ed.) ''The New Arthurian Encyclopedia'', Garland, NY, 1991</ref> amplified in 13th-century Venice, and did not mention the year 2012.<ref>Britnell, J and Stubbs, D., ‘The Mirabilis liber, its Compilation and Influence’ in the Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, Volume 49, 1986</ref> |
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* The original 1641 edition of ''The Prophecies of Mother Shipton'' says nothing at all about doomsday or the end of the world or, consequently, any proposed date for either.<ref>See ''Mother Shipton's Prophecies'' (Mann, 1989, introduction, pp. 17-19), and [http://www.sacred-texts.com/pro/msi/ An 1881 Essay about Mother Shipton] by William H Harrison</ref> |
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* The alarmist claims of imminent doom made by Sony Pictures in their fictional publicity for the forthcoming film ''2012'' are not supported by reputable independent academic research. |
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==See also== |
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<div style="-moz-column-count:3; column-count:3;"> |
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* [[Ages of Man]] |
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* [[Eschatology]] |
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* [[Maya religion]] |
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* [[Mayan Calendar]] |
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* [[2012 Conference]] |
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* [[2012 (film)]] |
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</div> |
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==Notes== |
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{{reflist|2}} |
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==References== |
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* {{cite web |author=Finley, Michael |year=2002 |title=The Correlation Question |work=The Real Maya Prophecies: Astronomy in the Inscriptions and Codices |url=http://members.shaw.ca/mjfinley/corr.html |publisher=Maya Astronomy |accessdate=2007-06-04}} |
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* {{cite book | author=Houston, Stephen D. |authorlink=Stephen D. Houston |year=1989 |title=Reading the Past: Maya Glyphs |publisher=[[British Museum Publications]] |location=London |isbn=0-7141-8069-6 |oclc=18814390}} |
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* {{cite book |author=Miller, Mary |authorlink=Mary Miller |coauthors=and [[Karl Taube]] |year=1993 |title=The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya: An Illustrated Dictionary of Mesoamerican Religion |publisher=[[Thames & Hudson]] |location=London |isbn=0-500-05068-6 |oclc=27667317}} |
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* {{cite book |author=Osmanagich, Sam |authorlink=Semir Osmanagić |year=2005 |title=The World of the Maya |url=http://www.alternativnahistorija.com/WM.htm |format=Online text reproduction |location=Piscataway, NJ |publisher=Gorgias Press (Euphrates imprint) |isbn=1-59333-274-2 |oclc=64204367}} |
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* {{cite book |author=Schele, Linda |authorlink=Linda Schele |coauthors= and David Freidel |year=1990 |title=A Forest of Kings: The Untold Story of the Ancient Maya |publisher=[[William Morrow and Company|William Morrow]] |location=New York |isbn=0-688-07456-1 |oclc=21295769}} |
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* {{cite book |author=Voss, Alexander |year=2006 |chapter=Astronomy and Mathematics |pages=130–143 |editor= [[Nikolai Grube]] (ed.) |others=Eva Eggebrecht and Matthias Seidel (assistant eds.) |title=Maya: Divine Kings of the Rain Forest |location=Cologne |publisher=[[Könemann]] |isbn=3-8331-1957-8 |oclc=71165439}} |
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* {{cite book |author=Wagner, Elizabeth |year=2006 |chapter=Maya Creation Myths and Cosmography |pages=280–293 |editor= [[Nikolai Grube]] (ed.) |others=Eva Eggebrecht and Matthias Seidel (Assistant eds.) |title=Maya: Divine Kings of the Rain Forest |location=Cologne |publisher=[[Könemann]] |isbn=3-8331-1957-8 |oclc=71165439}} |
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==Further reading== |
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These books have played a role in disseminating the 2012 apocalypse meme: |
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* ''Apocalypse 2012: A Scientific Investigation Into Civilization's End'' (2007) by Lawrence E. Joseph |
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* How to Survive 2012: Tactics and Survival Places for the Coming Pole Shift (2008) by Patrick Geryl |
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* ''2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl'' (2007) by Daniel Pinchbeck |
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* ''Death from the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End'' (2008) by Philip Plait |
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* ''A Vision for 2012: Planning for Extraordinary Change'' (2008) by John Peterson |
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* ''A Guide to the End of the World'' (2002) by Bill McGuire |
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* ''The Orion Prophecy'' (2001) by Patrick Geryl and Gino Ratinckx |
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* ''2013 Oracle: Ancient Keys to the 2012 Awakening'' |
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* ''The Mystery of 2012: Predictions, Prophecies and Possibilities'' (2008) by Gregg Braden, (2006) |
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* ''Serpent of Light'' (2007) by [[Drunvalo Melchizedek]] |
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* ''2012: Seeking Closure'' (2009) by Gregory Bernard Banks |
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* ''The Maya End Times : A spiritual adventure to the heart of the Maya prophecies for 2012'' (2008) by Patricia Mercier |
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==External links== |
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* [http://www.history.com/content/armageddon The History Channel], 2012 program listings and video clips. |
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* [http://www.thecityedition.com/Pages/Archive/Winter08/2012Compilation.html 2012 Articles, Books and Websites] Compiled by ''TheCityEdition.com'' |
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* [http://www.howtosurvive2012.com/htm_night/home.htm How to Survive 2012], Patrick Geryl's website. |
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* [http://www.archaeoastronomy.com/ Archaeoastronomy], Information on equinoxes, precession and other concepts. |
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* [http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4093# Apocalypse 2012] Skeptic point of view. |
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* [http://www.hermetic.ch/frt/frt.htm Peter Meyer's website for the Fractal Time software] |
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* [http://www.fourmilab.ch/rpkp/autopsy.html The Watkins Objection] |
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* [http://deoxy.org/mckenna.htm#tz Timewave links] |
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* [http://sound.photosynthesis.com/Terence_Mckenna.html Video of McKenna discussing his theory is available from Sound Photosynthesis] |
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* [http://www.johnsheliak.com/SubSpace_Bridge_Domain/Sheliak_Formalization.pdf Sheliak Mathematical Re-Examination] |
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* [http://fixunix.com/ms-dos/22736-compiling-timewave-zero-exe.html Purported Source Code in C] |
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[[Category:Pseudophysics]] |
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[[Category:Pseudoscience]] |
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[[Category:Eschatology]] |
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[[Category:Numerology]] |
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[[Category:Prophecy]] |
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[[Category:Maya calendars]] |
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[[Category:2012|Doomsday prediction]] |
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[[Category:Apocalypticism]] |
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[[Category:New Age]] |
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[[Category:Esotericism]] |
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[[Category:Internet memes]] |
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[[cs:2012 Den zkázy]] |
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[[it:21 dicembre 2012]] |
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[[lt:2012 m. pasaulio pabaigos prognozė]] |
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[[sl:Galaktična poravnava]] |
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Revision as of 19:46, 6 July 2009
this article to be deleted anytime soon