12 . 21 . 12

Before I get into this post, let me apologize beforehand for the torrent of links I am about to unleash unmercifully upon your head. Because I know nothing of this subject, I am obliged to refer to more knowledgable and eloquent sources.

Now to the story at hand. I have been hearing little rumors lately about the significance of the date December 21, 2012 (12/21/12). Some believe this will be the Doomsday of the Earth and we are all going to die.

In the words of MacGruber, “Not so bad.”

Of course, I don’t really believe one can predict when the world will end; it will inevitably happen some day, but there is no sense sitting around worrying about it or trying to guess when it will be.

I heard rumblings about 12 . 21 . 12 years ago, but it was brought to my attention again when The History Channel recently aired a special called Mayan Doomsday Prophecy. Back in the day, the Mayans had an elaborate time-keeping system we call the Mayan Long Count Calendar. This calendar went through lengthy cycles known as B’ak’tuns. A B’ak’tun roughly translates to 394 solar years (or 144,000 days).

 

Below is an image (I think) of the calendar.

 

 

 

As far as archaeologists can tell from ancient monuments and such, the first day on the calendar was reckoned August 11, 3114 BC. The Mayans believed that the gods made the world three times, yet only succeeded in creating man in the fourth world. Each creation would last thirteen b’ak’tuns (5,122 solar years or 737,568,000 days) before a new one began. We are currently in the final b’ak’tun of the fourth creation, the culmination of which falls on December 21, 2012. (There is a lot of math here, and don’t ask me to explain it). It is believed the Mayans predicted the end of the world–or perhaps the beginning of a new creation–would fall on this date. 

 

Not surprisingly, many spiritualists and new-age types have gone crazy with this theory and come up with some of their own. One scientist believes the human mind will be transformed and elevated into a higher plane of existence. He calls this the noosphere.

Another theory involves a massive Polar Shift. Every year, the North and South poles are drifting further and further apart; and some believe this movement will reach a catastrophic climax in the year 2012.

What do you think? Do any of these theories hold water? Is it all just a load of malarkey? Do you find it at least intriguing? 

Just for fun, let me throw more links at you. 

Here is a blog with fancy pictures that does a much better job of summing it all up.

Here is another blog  and a website dedicated to the madness of 12–21–12.

If you’re still interested–lo and behold!–there is a movie set to come out in the year 2009. That should give us all plenty of time to tie up loose ends before the world goes to oblivion. I hope it stars Tom Cruise.

Now let’s be frank.

I am only presenting all of this because I find it interesting. I do not necessarily agree with it. In the end, there is no sense investing our time and energy into something that no one really knows anything about. There is entirely too much for us to deal with Today. It is a shame that we find ourselves so often preoccupied with Yesterday and Tomorrow.

In truth, Today may be our last day on Earth and that mindset is probably the best way to go about living.

But I suppose that is a subject for an entirely different blog post.

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