The thought of the year 2012 brings to the minds of many images of gloom and doom, death and destruction, and the potential reemergence of mankind from its ashes. In the last few years there have been countless books, movies and television specials discussing what the authors believe will happen on December 21, 2012. After investigating all of the available evidence, I have come to my own conclusion as to what will happen on that highly anticipated date.

Before I jump to the punch line and tell you what I believe, let's spend a few minutes investigating some of the prophecies that have been associated with the 2012 event.. And, take a look at as some of the theories describing what is believed will happen.

The Maya created a number of different calendars to record the passage of time. One of them is called the "Calendar Round". We learned about this calendar from a book, known as the Dresden Codex. It was spared the burning frenzy of the early Christian priests in Mexico. The Calendar Round is made up of two separate calendar systems used by the Maya. The Tzolk'on or 260 day Sacred Calendar and the Haab, the 365 day vague calendar. When combined they form a new calendar that measures 52 years.

The Calendar Round can only distinguish 52 years then starts repeating itself. The Mayans needed a more refined dating method. To ensure that dates could be identified over these extended periods, the Maya devised the "Long Count" calendar. We became aware of the Long Count through the study of various stelae found in the ruins of many abandoned Mayan cities.

The Long Count identifies the number of days that have passed since the beginning of the last Great Cycle. A great Cycle has a length of 13 baktuns or 1,872,000 days (5,125.36 years). Once completed, like the odometer on your car, the calendar resets itself to 0 (zero). The accepted start date of the current Great Cycle, as proposed by Sir J. Eric S. Thompson, is August 13, 3114 BCE. By adding 1,872,000 days to August 13, 3114 BC we arrive at the date December 21, 2012 - the "end of the Mayan Calendar".

While the Mayan Calendar provides us with a date for its completion, some researchers believe that other prophecies support the end of a great cycle is fast approaching. According to the Hopi Indians, as reported by White Feather - a Hopi of the ancient Bear Clan - to a minister named David Young in 1958, these are the signs of the end times:

"The Fourth World shall end soon, and the Fifth World will begin. This the elders everywhere know. The Signs over many years have been fulfilled, and so few are left."

"This is the First Sign: We are told of the coming of the white-skinned men, like Pahana, but not living like Pahana men who took the land that was not theirs. And men who struck their enemies with thunder."

"This is the Second Sign: Our lands will see the coming of spinning wheels filled with voices. In his youth, my father saw this prophecy come true with his eyes -- the white men bringing their families in wagons across the prairies."

"This is the Third Sign: A strange beast like a buffalo but with great long horns, will overrun the land in large numbers. These White Feather saw with his eyes -- the coming of the white men's cattle."

"This is the Fourth Sign: The land will be crossed by snakes of iron."

"This is the Fifth Sign: The land shall be criss-crossed by a giant spider's web."

"This is the Sixth sign: The land shall be criss-crossed with rivers of stone that make pictures in the sun."

"This is the Seventh Sign: You will hear of the sea turning black, and many living things dying because of it."

"This is the Eight Sign: You will see many youth, who wear their hair long like my people, come and join the tribal nations, to learn their ways and wisdom."

"And this is the Ninth and Last Sign: You will hear of a dwelling-place in the heavens, above the earth, that shall fall with a great crash. It will appear as a blue star. Very soon after this, the ceremonies of my people will cease."

"These are the Signs that great destruction is coming. The world shall rock to and fro. The white man will battle against other people in other lands -- with those who possessed the first light of wisdom. There will be many columns of smoke and fire such as White Feather has seen the white man make in the deserts not far from here. Only those which come will cause disease and a great dying.

Many of my people, understanding the prophecies, shall be safe. Those who stay and live in the places of my people also shall be safe. Then there will be much to rebuild. And soon -- very soon afterward -- Pahana will return. He shall bring with him the dawn of the Fifth World. He shall plant the seeds of his wisdom in their hearts. Even now the seeds are being planted. These shall smooth the way to the Emergence into the Fifth World."

The signs, over the years, have been interpreted as follows: The First Sign is the arrival of the white man with his guns. The Second Sign is of the pioneers' covered wagons. The Third Sign is of longhorn cattle. The Fourth Sign describes the railroad tracks. The Fifth Sign is a clear image of our electric power and telephone lines. The Sixth Sign describes concrete highways and their mirage-producing effects. The Seventh Sign foretells of oil spills in the ocean. The Eighth Sign clearly indicates the "Hippy Movement" of the 1960s. The Ninth Sign was the U.S. Space Station Skylab, which fell to Earth in 1979. According to Australian eye-witnesses, it appeared to be burning blue.

The Hindu Yuga cycle has also been linked by many as supporting the December 21, 2012 date. According to Hindu Tradition, the length of all life here on earth is described as one day in the life of Brahma, the god of this universe. When Brahma awakens, the universe appears. When he sleeps, it disappears. It is said that one day in the life of Brahma lasts for 4,320,000 years.

Each day in the life of Brahma is broken down into ages or yugas. They include: the Satya Yuga, the Treta Yuga, the Dwapar Yuga and the Kali Yuga. Without going into a lot of detail regarding the math that supports these ages, it is believed that the Satya Yuga lasted for 1,728,000 years, the Treta Yuga, for 1,296,000 years and the Dwapar for 864,000 years. It is also believed that we are now in the Kali Yuga. The Kali Yuga is to last for 432,000 years. At this time, Brahma will again slumber and our world (what we know of as our universe) will disappear from existence.

Similar to the Long Count of the Maya, each Yuga has a particular characteristic. The Satya Yuga, for example, can be roughly translated as the "Age of Truth". It is sometimes thought of as the Golden Age of Man. During this age, goodness and high ideals ruled supreme. Human intelligence and consciousness were at their peak. After 1,728,000 years of enlightenment we entered the Treta Yuga. During the Treta Yuga, there was a fall in man's spiritual consciousness. Moral and ethical ideals began to decline.

As we moved into the Dwapar Yuga, man's level of consciousness was now 1/2 of where it was during the Satya Yuga. It was during the Dwapar Yuga that man began using what he knew for his own personal comfort regardless of its impact on others. According to the texts, during the final age, the Kali Yuga, man experiences a total loss of spiritual awareness. Trapped in spiritual darkness, we can only comprehend our physical bodies and the objects within our physical world.

Meaning "Age of Vice", the Kali Yuga is characterized by strife, discord and contention. Evil and dishonesty has replaced the truth found in the Satya Yuga. In the Hindu Text, the Vishnu Purana - thought to be written somewhere between 800 and 300BCE - we find a detailed description of the Kali Yuga. Here are a few excerpts from this document.

"The minds of men will be wholly occupied in acquiring wealth; and wealth will be spent solely on selfish gratifications. Women will follow their inclinations, and be ever fond of pleasure. Men will fix their desires upon riches, even though dishonestly acquired."

"The kings of Kali Yuga will be addicted to corruption and will seize the property of their subjects. Then property and wealth alone will confer rank; falsehood will be the only means of success. Corruption will be the universal means of subsistence."

"Princes, instead of protecting, will plunder their subjects; and, under the pretext of levying customs, will rob merchants of their property. In the Kali age everyone who has cars and elephants and steeds will be a Rájá: everyone who is feeble will be a slave."

Based on society today, it seems as if we are well into the energy dynamics of the Kali Yuga.

Prophecies derived from the Book of Revelation in the Bible have also provided ammunition to the 2012 debate. Talk about Earth changes, the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the Anti-Christ have added fuel to the fire of this already hot debate.

A number of theories have emerged to explain what will happen at the end of the Mayan calendar. The outcome (according to supporters) fall into two major camps. These camps are as different from each other as day and night. The most popular theories promoted are apocalyptic in nature. They foretell of dramatic events which will virtually wipe mankind off of the face of the earth. If I had to pick from these scenarios, the most likely outcome would be that we would blow ourselves up. Nuclear weapons, a troubled economy and the growing threat of terrorism, all add to the stress and pressure governments face. It only requires one badly played card before we are all potentially toast.

Other popular theories include the Rapture which is found in the Book of Revelation. According to this theory, the Rapture begins with "the saved" being taken up and off the Earth. In the movie "Left Behind", these individuals just disappear, leaving the unworthy behind. Once saved, Armageddon can begin in full force. A war between good and evil follows and finally Jesus, flying in on his cloud, will return to end the fighting. Associated with this theory (although not supported by fundamentalist Christians) is the belief that it is not Jesus who brings about the end of Armageddon, but aliens. It is these same aliens who transport the worthy off the planet and save them from Armageddon.

Additional end time theories include: the appearance of Planet-X (sometimes referred to as Niberu), solar winds, giant asteroids and even a magnetic poll shift. Each of these potential events could end life on this planet.

Switching theoretical sides, there are theories of a calmer and more transcendental nature. According to some, on December 21, 2012 our planet will enter into what is called the Galactic Alignment. This astronomical configuration is said to happen once every 26,000 years based upon the precession of the equinox. Due to this astrological configuration it has been said that our planet will be aligned with the center of the galaxy. This will cause our chakras (the energy centers within the body) to open, thus allowing the free flow of universal energy into our bodies.

Similar to this theory is that the beginning of a new calendar cycle will usher in a new age. It is often likened to the "Age of Aquarius" as a time of peace, love and understanding. This shift would not be instantaneous. Instead, changes to our consciousness and collective conscious would commence. This shift would lead to a new, better and harmonious life here on Earth. No one has identified how long this process would take, only that on December 21, it will have begun.

The final theory associated with 2012 is that of ascension. The Rapture describes saving individuals from an upcoming worldwide catastrophe. In this scenario, the person is present on Earth one minute and gone the next. Ascension theory is something like presented in the TV series "StarGate". The character Daniel Jackson ascends and becomes one with the Ancients. The concept of spiritual ascension is associated with a number of spiritual beliefs and practices. Through self transformation, we as humans would no longer need our physical bodies and will transcend into a higher plane of being. Proponents of this theory are unclear if ascension will happen December 21 or if it is the process of ascension will begin on that date. In any case, this one sounds pretty good to me.

The question I am most often asked when talking about 2012, is what will really happen to us. Based upon my research to date, this is what I have deduced. Starting bright and early on December 22, 2012 the sun will come up, we will rise from our slumber and we will begin a new grand and glorious day.

You might ask how I came to this conclusion? I am happy to share that information with you now.

Let's return to the Hopi Prophecies. According to their prophecies, it is the fulfillment of the identified events which will indicate the beginning of the Fifth World. Compelling as they are, like the prophecies of Nostradamus, we are left with the question... Are we making assumptions about their true meaning? What has been suggested as the fulfillment of the prophecies, is on face, value very persuasive but we will never know for sure.

There are also problems when you factor in the Hindu Yugas. The Kali Yuga is said to begin on the day Krishna died in 3100 BC. The 3100BC start date of the Kali Yuga does make you contemplate its connection with the dates given for this cycle in the Mayan Calendar. What many 2012 supporters do not tell you is that the Kali Yuga is identified as lasting for 432,000 years. If you subtract the number of years that have passed since the start of the Kali Yuga, we still have roughly 427,000 years to go until this Yuga ends - and the universe as we know it will disappear. The math does not add up to any time in 2012.

Over the centuries, prophecies derived from the Book of Revelation have been interpreted and re-interpreted to rationalize many of the difficult time periods we have encountered. Is the Book of Revelations talking about what is going on now? It could be. But it could also have been describing the emperor Nero who banished John, the author of Revelations, to Patmos. Over the years, this same text has been used to predict the end of the world numerous times.

Finally we come to the Mayan Calendar. The date of December 21, 2012 was determined by Sir J. Eric S. Thompson and is referred to as the Thompson Correlation. As you may recall, Thompson stated that the current Great Cycle commenced on August 13, 3114BC. This date has been generally accepted as the most likely start date of the cycle. However, Thompson is not the only one who has proposed a start date. If you add 1,872,000 days to some of the suggested alternative launch times , dates for the end of the Mayan Calendar have ranged from the year 1734 AD all the way through to the year 2532 AD.

As you can see, there really isn't anything that directly supports the December 21, 2012 date. It is really just a bunch of smoke and mirrors. The net effect has been that many of us are afraid of what may, or may not, happen on that date! If you are worried that the world is coming to an end, let it go. Take a deep breath and open yourself up to contemplating a bright future ahead. Before I go, I would like to ask each of you for one thing. When you open your eyes on the morning of December 22nd, think of me, this message and say thank you.

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