Is 2012 End Of The World

2012 end of the world. Apparently. The Maya, a long-dead civilization, seemingly predicted that the end of the year 2012 will bring about some cataclysmic changes or events. Great. Should I plot, plan and save for Christmas? Or plot, plan and save myself from a potentially horrible demise?

As the years have passed and more and more individuals have become aware of the date, it would appear that it causes rather more confusion than actual fear of ‘the end of the world’. Which is a good thing. Because I happen to like planet Earth.

I keep all my people on it. As well as my giraffe collection.

2012 End Of The World

2012 end of the world prophecies are largely based upon the Mayan – or Maya. They were a highly civilized Indian people that lived in Central America. On a modern day atlas, they lived in parts of Belize, Honduras, South Mexico, El Salvador and Guatemala.

The Maya flourished as a society for many hundreds of years. They began to decline as a nation around 900AD. The reasons for this appear to be open to debate for scholars of ancient civilizations and archaeologists alike. Many blame the fact that climate change affected the Mayas ability to exist, thus causing them to abandon the southern Maya lands.

Others surmise that commerce and trade (with other cultures) caused the decline, coupled with over population and/or foreign invasion. Eventually the Spanish Conquistadors arrived, some several hundred years later, and what remained of the Maya was either destroyed by the Spanish or assimilated into the Spanish culture.

However, prior to the decline of the Mayas, in comparison to other civilizations they were an advanced and sophisticated nation. They were adept architects, sculptors and astronomers. They also devised a complex calendar system. It is one of these that is known as the Long Count Calendar.

And it's this calendar that is the base for the 2012 end of the world prediction.

Understandably, much of what the Maya were about, their dexterity with many skills and abilities that were virtually unknown at the time, only lends to their authenticity - with regard to 2012 predictions. For those that like to authenticate ...

Many so-called experts have jumped upon their highly civilised ways as being some kind of foundation on which to base modern day portents of doom. The Maya were organised, their society educated and knowledgeable. Hey - the Maya were sophisticated - and that indicates authenticity ... right?

2012 End Of The World Predictions

Regarding 2012 end of the world predictions, I’m not purposely trying to be disparaging. That’s incidental. And partly based upon the fact that I’ve (as far as I’m aware) lived through two similar doomsday prophecies: 1984 and Y2K. I remember the half panic that was Y2K , as well as many a discussion as to what the Millennium would bring.

Evidently, Y2K did bring something. Another year. And a new one at that.

And while the world was going delirious with fear/panic/last minute shopping for Christmas, I can remember what I was thinking at the time:

'I wonder if all this silliness will lower the January sales even more than usual. Hope so'.

Having said that, a lot more is written, discussed, hyped up and hyped down where the 2012 end of the world prophecy is concerned. It’s almost become a science to one or two folk and has certainly generated quite a few books, not to mention the latest disaster blockbuster, 2012 - and probably a few quid in the process.

If you don't believe me, check out Amazon. Type '2012' into the search bar. Click: enter. And don't be surprised when page after page of related books appear. Trust me on this: I got a bit bored by page seven.

2012| Jose Arguelles

Possibly the most well know name associated with the Maya and the 2012 end of the world prophecy is Jose Arguelles. A respected scholar and holder of a PhD in art history and aesthetics, he wrote a book, titled The Mayan Factor: Path Beyond Technology.

The book details the complexities regarding the Mayan method of measuring time and the author goes on to offer his views as to the meaning of the calendar system.

For some, the book appears to have created [for them] a spiritual awakening. Others found the content to be original and interesting, some even finding the concepts rather fascinating - but no more than that.

However, it’s neither fair nor right to blame Jose Aguelles for the 2012 end of the world prophecy. I’m of the opinion that you really can’t blame the messenger. And I base my opinion on two factors:

1. Someone, somewhere, will always be the first to discover something
2. When they share said discovery, we all have the ability to employ our own intelligence as to whether we choose to believe what the messenger imparts.

2012 End Of The World And Nostradamus

Moving on from Arguelles, it’s worthy to note that the 2012 end of the world predictions and good old Nostradamus have been thrown into the mix together. Hardly surprising. Nostradamus is probably the most famous harbinger of doom since … well … the Four Horsemen Of The Apocolypse. Or the Book Of Revelation. Or .. or … you get the picture.

Now from what I remember of Nostradamus, he allegedly pegged the end of the world as being somewhere in the fourth millennium AD. Admittedly, some of the interpretations of his mystical scribing have been frighteningly close to certain historical events but somehow he’s been dragged into the 2012 predictions. Spooky huh?

As with anything, long dead scribes and (obviously) long gone cultures are open to interpretation. Again, I’m not saying that the 2012 end of the world prophecy is wrong, it’s just that I like to err on the side of reality.

Mayan Civilization. They Weren't All About Sophistication.

For one thing, as knowledgeable, adept and sophisticated as the Maya actually were, they also believed in some very weird cosmic goings on. For example, they believed that human sacrifices and suicides were noble deaths (they were actually quite nasty, in truth and probably extremely ghastly for the victims) and that the Sun was ruled by a God that required the aforementioned sacrifices as a form of appeasement.

Further, they were not noted for being prophetic about events in general. They certainly didn’t see or predict the Spanish happening along and pretty much destroying their civilization – and if they had … well … it’s possible they’d still be around. So were the Maya really trying to tell the future dwellers of the world the following: “you’re shit outta luck folks. 2012 end of the world! Duck and cover”?

Personally I doubt they were trying to tell us anything. All they did was construct a method of measuring time. It’s just that the instructions got lost and some individuals have tried to work out how the Maya used their system. Which has somehow (or ultimately?) brought us firmly to the door of doom. Apparently.

Making Money From 2012 End Of The World Predictions

And let’s factor in the financial gain from prophecies that usually end in (our) mass destruction. 2012 end of world stuff makes money. Whenever someone starts creating anything, based upon a negative foundation – you can bet your bottom dollar it’s going to generate a few bucks.

Swine flu anyone? And what about the global financial crisis? You and I may be short of readies but I’ll bet my hat that those trying to offer help, advice or just simply heap more worry onto our already straining wallets aren’t quite so short.

Which takes us back to this articles focal point: We are doomed. Allegedly.

Modern Culture And 2012 End Of The World Predictions

Once again, moving along – let’s look at the 2012 end of the world predictions and how they work in modern culture. Particularly western culture. Of which you, I and most others that may read this will probably be a part of.

We are a pessimistic bunch. Generally. We tend to buy into negativity likes it’s on sale at Wal-Mart. If it’s doom – buy it. Gloom – buy it. Hey – the Four Horsemen of The Apocolpyse, buy one get one free … woooo buy it!

Asinine, I know. But pretty near the mark for the human race as a whole. What about the good bits? When do you remember thinking ‘Hey, what a great world we live in!’?

Because the fact is – we do. It’s just that we tend to err on the side of horrible a little too much.

2012 End Of The World - The End

To conclude my happy 2012 end of the world journey, wading through doom and gloom (and I was rather content. No fear here), I’m of the opinion that you can do one of two things:

1. Consider yourself on a final countdown to the apocalypse and do all the necessary apocalyptic panicking/ shaking/ worrying. I can’t say as I’d advise you to try and avoid it because if it is true, no amount of scurrying franticly for a foothold anywhere on the globe is going to prevent you (or I) from being knocked clean into the next life. Or oblivion, depending upon your beliefs.
2. Consider the probability that someone somewhere miscalculated something. And New Years Eve 2012 is going to include a lot of alcohol, tomfoolery and poor memories the morning after the night before.

For my part, I’m still living with a view to reaching my 44^th birthday. All being well. And in case you’re really worried, go and read up on How To Survive The End Of The World. Written by my good self, with tongue firmly in cheek, dreamt up whilst running atop a hill in a lightening storm, shaking my fist at the skies and shouting ‘all Gods are bastards’.

I got very wet. And the Gods punished me with a very nasty cold.

NB - I wanted to add the following: I've known about 2012 a good while. I also know that a lot of kids are fairly worried. More so as I've been looking into it all again, prior to writing this hub. If you are reading this and you're a worried teen/ schoolkid, try not to be. If you're genuinely worried - talk to someone you can trust to give you some comfort. Don't let it spoil the fun that you should be having!

I'm finishing off an accompanying hub to this one, about the Mayan calendar. I came across the quote below:

“The Mayan Calendar is above all a prophetic calendar that may help us understand the past and foresee the future”

The above is a direct quote from a website that’s based around the Mayan calendar and its predictions. I haven’t read anything as misleading as that (honest) since the last time I read a ‘buy one get one free’ offer. The calendar is not prophetic. It was devised to measure time.

I'm not saying that the Mayan shamans didn't try to foresee coming seasons, what their Gods were up to and what they should do to keep their Gods happy. But it's basic priniciple was that of a calendar.

Thus:

Noun - calendar - a system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year or years.

Granted the Maya used theirs for many different reasons. But also remember; they knew less than we now do - in many ways. If the Mayan calendar really was as prophhetic as it's claimed to be then be assured that someone, somewhere is working out how to use it in order to predict things of lesser importance. For things that will make their lives better. Like who's going to win this years Super Bowl.

That kind of thing.