Spiritual Enlightenment for 2012

http://blog.beliefnet.com/freshliving/2009/10/2012--the-predictions-prophesies-facts-myths.html

About five years ago a psychic friend of a friend told me she was allowing her 16-year-old daughter do pretty much whatever she wanted because, "She's only got till 2012."

I was shocked by her cold certainty, not to mention nihilistic permissiveness. She didn't sound sad about it, just matter-of-fact: The world will end in 2012. Duh, so what? Everybody knows that. Yikes.

Well, since then I've heard a lot more about 2012 and you probably have too. Much of it started with rumors about the end of the Mayan long-count calendar; the last day on it is December 21, 2012. There are also some trippy astronomical phenomenon that coincide with that day. And some have pulled Nostradamus into the fray, but I can't find a single actual prediction he made specifically about 2012.

All of this adds up to many new agers, apocalyptos, lightworkers, psychics, astrologers, scholars, and others who take this to mean that the world be go kaput that day. Though some also say it will just seem like the end of the world as we usher in an age of greater spiritual enlightenment. This buzz has gotten so loud even Hollywood has taken note and will release "2012" next month--an apocalypse movie extraordinaire.

I'm all for a good conspiracy theory and being a practicing Possibiltyist, I discount virtually nothing. And yet, I'm not sure any of this is good for us. At a workshop with spiritual teacher Joan Borysenko this summer she showed the original trailer for "2012" as an example of hope's opposite--basically how visualizing utter and complete world destruction tanks our mood, psyche, outlook, and ability to believe in the positive. She said that the initial testing to the trailer had been so negative that they replaced it with a slighly less gloomy version.

If it's true what they say that we can visualize and create reality with thoughts and intentions, certainly watching the destruction of all the world's major landmarks in gigantic full-color with surround-sound is not the best way to start. Why is it so much harder for us to inflate our greatest hopes, most outlandish wishes, and beautiful utopias of peace and love than it is our worst nightmares?

If you're curious, though, here's some fresh Beliefnet content exploring 2012. First we have a gallery to answer all your 2012 questions--where did this idea come from, what do mainstream scientists think, what do the 2012 die-hards think will actually happen, etc. Second is a fun 2012 quiz that I actually found really educational, and finally we have a gallery of how you can (calmly) spiritually prepare for the 2012 chaos that may come, as well as the chaos that we're living in right now. That last piece is also about how we need to start picturing a gorgeous, peaceful future, now.

What's 2012? The Hype, Predictions, and Prophecies, Explained

How to Prepare for 2012 and Beyond

Quiz: 2012 Facts and Myths

What do you think about 2012? Age of enlightenment? Doomsday? Hogwash? Y2K redux?

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