2012

[Livewire]

2012

As you've all heard, December 21st, 2012 is the date designated by the Mayan Long Count calender as the end of the current 13th B'ak'tun, or 5,125 year cycle. the Mayans, using their advanced knowledge of astronomy, accurately predicted several current astronomical events, such as the Galactic Alignment, where the sun's orbit takes in into the exact center of the milky way galaxy, and the transit of Venus, where the Planet Venus crosses in front of the sun and will be viewable. The last6 B'aktun ended roughly as the last

Now many misconceptions exist about 2012. Mainly, the fact that the world will end in 2012, in a violent Apocalypse. In truth, the word apocalypse doesn't even have anything to do with destruction or the end of the world. It comes from the Greek word Apokálypsis, meaning, a revelation, or to reveal something. The true meaning of apocalypse became distorted over time. So the fact that the world will end on 12/21/2012 is simply a modern construct. It is a falsehood.

However, there is evidence that supports a theory that 12/21/2012 will have some sort of lasting event or that earth-changing events will transpire.

Example #1

The Galactic Alignment

Spoiler:

In the mid-1990s, esoteric author John Major Jenkins asserted that the ancient Maya intended to tie the end of their calendar to the winter solstice in 2012, which falls on December 21. This date was in line with an idea he terms the galactic alignment.[46]
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 ecliptic is the path taken by the Sun across the sky over the course of the year. The 12 constellations which line the ecliptic are known as the zodiac and, through the year, the Sun passes through each constellation in turn. Additionally, over time, the Sun's annual passage appears to recede counterclockwise by one degree every 72 years. This movement, called "precession", is attributed to a slight wobble in the Earth's axis as it spins.[47] 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, precession makes one full circuit around the ecliptic.[47]
Just as the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere is currently in the constellation of Pisces, so the winter solstice is currently in the constellation of Sagittarius, which is the zodiacal constellation intersected by the galactic equator.[48] Every year for the last 1000 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.

The Milky Way near Cygnus showing the lane of the Dark Rift, which the Maya called the Xibalba be or "Black Road"


Jenkins suggests that the Maya based their calendar on observations of the Great Rift, a band of dark dust clouds in the Milky Way, which the Maya called the Xibalba be or "Black Road."[49] 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.[50] According to the hypothesis, the Sun precisely aligns with this intersection point at the winter solstice of 2012.[50] Jenkins claimed that the classical Mayans anticipated this conjunction and celebrated it as the harbinger of a profound spiritual transition for mankind.[51] New Age proponents of the galactic alignment hypothesis argue that, just as astrology uses the positions of stars and planets to make claims of future events, the Mayans plotted their calendars with the objective of preparing for significant world events.[52] Jenkins attributes the insights of ancient Maya shamans about the galactic center to their use of psilocybin mushrooms, psychoactive toads, and other psychedelics.[53] Jenkins also associates the Xibalba be with a "world tree", drawing on studies of contemporary (not ancient) Maya cosmology.[54]
Astronomers argue that the galactic equator is an entirely arbitrary line, and can never be precisely determined because it is impossible to say exactly where the Milky Way begins or ends. Jenkins claims he drew his conclusions about the location of the galactic equator from observations taken at above 11,000 feet, which is higher than any of the Maya lived.[44] Furthermore, the precessional alignment of the Sun with any single point is not exclusive to a specific year, but takes place over a 36-year period, corresponding to its diameter. Jenkins himself notes that, even given his determined location for the line of the galactic equator, its most precise convergence with the centre of the Sun already occurred in 1998.
There is no clear evidence that the classic Maya were aware of precession. Some Maya scholars, such as Barbara MacLeod, Michael Grofe, Eva Hunt, Gordon Brotherston, and Anthony Aveni, have suggested that some Mayan holy dates were timed to precessional cycles, but scholarly opinion on the subject remains divided. There is also little evidence, archaeological or historical, that the Maya placed any importance on solstices or equinoxes. It is possible that early Mesoamericans had an emphasis on solstices which was later forgotten, but this is also a disputed issue among Mayanists.The start date of the Long Count is not astronomically significant.

Example #2

Timewave Theory and the I-Ching

Spoiler:

"Timewave zero" is a numerological formula that purports to calculate the ebb and flow of "novelty", defined as increase in the universe's interconnectedness, or organised complexity,[61] over time. According to Terence McKenna, who conceived the idea over several years in the early-mid 1970s while using psilocybin mushrooms and DMT, the universe has a teleological attractor at the end of time that increases interconnectedness, eventually reaching a singularity of infinite complexity in 2012, at which point anything and everything imaginable will occur simultaneously.[61]
McKenna expressed "novelty" in a computer program, which purportedly produces a waveform known as timewave zero or the timewave. Based on McKenna's interpretation of the King Wen sequence of the I Ching,[40] 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 recursively related to the events of other times, and chose the atomic bombing of Hiroshima as the basis for calculating his end date in November 2012. When he later discovered this date's proximity to the end of the 13th b'ak'tun of the Maya calendar, he revised his hypothesis so that the two dates matched.[62]
The first edition of The Invisible Landscape refers to 2012 (as the year, not a specific day) only twice. McKenna originally considered it an incidental observation that his and José Argüelles dates matched, a sign of the end date "being programmed into our unconscious".[citation needed] It was only in 1983, with the publication of Sharer's revised table of date correlations in the 4th edition of Morley's The Ancient Maya, that each became convinced that December 21, 2012 had significant meaning. McKenna subsequently peppered this specific date throughout the second, 1993 edition of The Invisible Landscape

Example #3

The Tortuguero

Spoiler:

The Tortuguero site, which lies in southernmost Tabasco, Mexico, dates from the 7th century AD and consists of a series of inscriptions in honor of the contemporary ruler. One inscription, known as Tortuguero Monument 6, is generally agreed among Mayanists to refer to b'ak'tun 13. It has been partially defaced; Mark Van Stone has given the most complete translation:

Tzuhtz-(a)j-oom u-uxlajuun pik

The Thirteenth [b'ak'tun] will end
(ta) Chan Ajaw ux(-te') Uniiw.

(on) 4 Ajaw, the 3rd of Uniiw [3 K'ank'in].
Uht-oom Ek'-...

Black ...[illegible]...will occur.
Y-em(al)...Bolon Yookte' K'uh ta-chak-ma...

(It will be) the descent(?) of Bolon Yokte' K'uh to the great (or "red"?)...[illegible]...[22]
​

Very little is known about the god (or gods) Bolon Yokte' K'uh.[22] According to an article by Mayanists M. Eberl and C. Prager in British Anthropological Reports, his name is composed of the elements "nine", 'OK-te' (the meaning of which is unknown), and "god". Confusion in classical period inscriptions suggests that the name was already ancient and unfamiliar to contemporary scribes.[28] He also appears in inscriptions from Palenque, Usumacinta, and La Mar as a god of war, conflict, and the underworld. In one stela he is portrayed with a rope tied around his neck, and in another with an incense bag, together signifying a sacrifice to end a period of time.[29] Despite all this, Eberl & Prager believe that the reference to Bolon Yokte' K'uh at Tortuguero is a positive one, because the fragmentary word translated above as "descent" seems to be the same one used during building dedications

Example # 4

The Georgia Guidestones.

Spoiler:

The Georgia Guidestones is a large granite monument in Elbert County, Georgia, USA. A message comprising ten guides is inscribed on the structure in eight modern languages, and a shorter message is inscribed at the top of the structure in four ancient languages' scripts: Babylonian, Classical Greek, Sanskrit, and Egyptian hieroglyphs.
The structure is sometimes referred to as an "American Stonehenge."[1] The monument is almost 20 feet (6.1 m) tall if the buried support stones are included, exactly 18 feet (5.5 m) otherwise[2], and made from six granite slabs weighing more than 240,000 pounds (110,000 kg) in all.[3] One slab stands in the center, with four arranged around it. A capstone lies on top of the five slabs, which are astronomically aligned. An additional stone tablet, which is set in the ground a short distance to the west of the structure, provides some notes on the history and purpose of the Guidestones.


A message consisting of a set of ten guidelines or principles is engraved on the Georgia Guidestones in eight different languages, one language on each face of the four large upright stones. Moving clockwise around the structure from due north, these languages are: English, Spanish, Swahili, Hindi, Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian.

1. Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.
2. Guide reproduction wisely - improving fitness and diversity.
3. Unite humanity with a living new language.
4. Rule passion - faith - tradition - and all things with tempered reason.
5. Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts.
6. Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court.
7. Avoid petty laws and useless officials.
8. Balance personal rights with social duties.
9. Prize truth - beauty - love - seeking harmony with the infinite.
10. Be not a cancer on the earth - Leave room for nature - Leave room for nature. Please discuss this from a historical and astrological perspective. Also, feel free to add any relevant historical and astrological information or theories I may have missed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_phenomenon


So, what do you think will happen on 12/21/2012? Based on the scientific and historic facts and theories we know?

 

[Impo]

on that particular day I may be christmas shopping,
as I read somewhere the supposedly 'new' doomsday is 2040.

 

[Captain Fabio]

I couldn't care less.

If the world ends, there is nothing that can be done, so no point even discussing it. But it won't end. It really won't.

How many times have we survived impending doom already in our life time? I honestly think nothing will happen. I would back my opinion up with scientific evident, but it is 7am and I am going Uni in a few minutes! XD​

​

 

[twocows]

I'll be enjoying my first year out of university. Good times. Might even be shopping with any money I've gotten from whatever job I may have.

Oh yeah, and there will probably be some crazies causing trouble and making good people suffer. Take a look at this. Yes, that is 100% real: people are actually considering killing their families and friends because some old rocks and calendars say something may happen. Not will happen, may happen.

People are free to believe what they will, I won't tell them how to live their lives. However, when their beliefs start endangering others, my tolerance goes down the drain.

 

[Legobricks]

OP is a repost of a repost of a...

We should all just live our lives as normal in the meantime.
If something will happen, we can't stop it anyway. If it won't, nothing of value would be lost on pointless actions.

 

[Pokemon Trainer Touko]

I don't really believe in 2012~ But my friends does so one of them booked the biggest ice-rink at the last day of 2011 in Hong Kong just for the 3 of us~~

 

[Zeffy]

2012, is, well, just any other year. If the world ends, then it does. There's no stopping that. But I've got a strong feeling that it won't. I know it, I feel it in my bones. And right about that time I'll be on Christmas shopping probably. I just don't believe with "doomsdays". If there is such a thing, then yippee? Nah, I still think nothing will happen.

 

[Happy Azumarill]

everybody who thinks 2012 will happen is all paraniod

 

[Elite Overlord LeSabre™]

Well, if anything happens on that day I'll probably be at the mall finishing up Christmas shopping. I'm not gonna change my plans because of some ancient rumor.

Then again, the worst thing I'm expecting that day is for me to spend all my money at the mall.

 

[Timbjerr]

Truth is. I don't know what to expect, but I expect...something to happen. I've seen enough movies to know that underestimating the power and wisdom of ancient shamans is foolhardy and just begging to be thoroughly unprepared for whatever may come. XD

Of course, the whole end of the world thing is simply evangelical Christians rallying up new membership, so that's just...no...just no...

 

[Saryka]

I honestly can't be bothered with 2012. Even if something does happen, what does it matter? We can't stop it. So until then, I'm just gonna live my life and not worry about it.

I'll just be Christmas shopping in the meantime.

 

[Nick]

Dude, I'm the most paranoid person I know and even I don't think anything is going to happen.

Every now and then, I do ask myself what if... but that's just curiosity.

 

[Esper]

As you've all heard, December 21st, 2012 is the date designated by the Mayan Long Count calender as the end of the current 13th B'ak'tun, or 5,125 year cycle. the Mayans, using their advanced knowledge of astronomy, accurately predicted several current astronomical events, such as the Galactic Alignment, where the sun's orbit takes in into the exact center of the milky way galaxy, and the transit of Venus, where the Planet Venus crosses in front of the sun and will be viewable.

Maybe you meant the sun passes through the galaxy's ecliptic? If my science isn't too shabby then the center of the galaxy is a super massive black hole and the sun sits in one of the Milky Way's arms and wouldn't ever come near the center.

In any case, there's no good reason to think anything more special will happen on Dec. 21, 2012 than on any other day except for the things caused by crazy people who believe the world will end. Actually, that does worry me ever so slightly. I don't want to see people die because of insane some misconception about the world ending.

On a related note, it seems there are some Christian groups out there who are saying the world will end sooner, on May 21, 2011.

 

[blue]

I used to be paranoid about this when I first saw this myself, I was a believer of this theory for some months, but then I researched into it some more, at first I thought the reason for this was that Planet X or Nibiru was going to crash into earth, but Nibiru, dosen't exsist, even NASA said so, and Planet X is the term given to an unamed Planet in the Solar System. Then I read about the Galactic Rift or The Dark Rift theory, which made more sence of being plausable, but then I read into it and we don't actually pass through the galactic rift for another 20 million years or so because we are somewhat 100 lightyears above the Galactic Equator. The Mayan Calander ending has NO link to the end of the world, it's just a hoax, something for scaremongers to base their theories on. I'll tell you what happend after the Mayan Calander on 21st December 2012, it will go onto the next Baktun (14th) that will last for another 144,000 days, just like the 13th did (the one that ends on 21st December, 2012)
The real threats are natural, things like volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, asteroids ect.
The only real concern scientists have is the Solar Maximum that will occur 2012-2013 when the sun will be at it's greatest solar activity which will cause Solar Flares to be released from the sun jolting it towards earth which will knock out most of the satelite and paralyze electricity for several months, that's the only real threat that is occuring in the next couple of years, the only reason NASA is worrying is because we rely so much on technology, and this happened back in the 1800's but back then there wasn't any technology.. well hardly. What i'm trying to say is if this was true, why would NASA be warning us about the Solar Storms for 2012-2013 which bare in mind, 2013 is after 2012.

This is just my opinion, if it happens, then I'm wrong and there's nothing we can do about it, but it sounds a bit far fetched to be real.

 

[Meduza]

If the Mayans could predict the downfall of the world, how could they not know their own downfall of their civilization?

 

[Melody]

Here's the rub. If there were any such impending cataclysm slated to occur on that date in 2012, we would inevitably know about it by now...especially if it were something we could not stop. Earthquakes, tidal waves, asteroid impacts and anything powerful enough to potentially wipe us off the face of the planet is easily predicted and proven to occur in the near future by science. This means that anything and everything that could END the world would not happen.

Now I cannot and will not refute that something may happen in 2012 that changes the course of history, but I doubt in the extreme that it would cause human extinction unless we carpet nuked every country on the planet.

 

[aruchan]

Um, since I'll be a first year university student in 2012, on the 24th I'll either be:
1) On a trip with my family (my parents really like to travel)
2) Shopping (but I don't celebrate Christmas?)
3) On a trip with friends
4) Drunk? (I'm not sure about that. :o)
But no, the world will not end that day. Period.

 

[Rai]

If the Mayans could predict the downfall of the world, how could they not know their own downfall of their civilization?

I agree with this.

I honestly don't think anything is going to happen. Either way, I'll be celebrating Yule and my anniversary with my girlfriend so in some ways I look forward December 21st, 2012 x3

 

[Livewire]

If the Mayans could predict the downfall of the world, how could they not know their own downfall of their civilization?

Well, they didn't predict the end of the world.

They did, however, have a prophecy that giant, light skinned men, wearing shining armor, would cross over from the ocean- to them it was the God Quetzalcoatl returning. So they techincally did. :x

 

[Kirozane]

My thoughts on this matter are kind of confusing on the outside. So I'm going to do my best to open this up and describe it, if only just a little.

I do think a world might end in 2012. No, not as in "OMG RUN WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!" kind of end. Not in the slightest. I think that somewhere in the near-ish future (Maybe not THAT date but probably somewhere in my lifetime) the world AS WE KNOW IT will end. We won't all die. Humans are notoriously adaptable, it's why we have become so successful as we have as a species. But really, this seeming outbreak (or maybe, to me, a more noticeable upswing of attention on it) of disasters, practically all natural, is hint enough that something is to come. Again, I doubt it will be too cataclysmic or the corrupted version of "apocalyptic", but I do think our lifestyle (Mostly America and other "westernized" nations, if I remember the term right. If not I apologize) will be given a bigger kick from nature than we think to change. It MIGHT happen in 2012. MIGHT being the key term here. Signs say that it conceivably could. But if it doesn't then, it will in due time after that date.

I feel like I said a whole lot about nothing.... >.>