Gerald Greene - 2012 Apocalyptic Forecasts

The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization which achieved a high degree of sophistication with the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as with its art, architecture, mathematical,religious, and astronomical systems. The civilization can be traced as far back as 2000 BC. Many Mayan cities reached their complete state of development between 250 A.D. and 900 A.D. Maya influence can be detected from Honduras, Guatemala, Northern El Salvador and to as far as central Mexico.Popular belief is that the Maya civilization suddenly and mysteriously disappeared sometime after 900 A.D.This runs counter to facts as it was likely the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the 1500's and 1600's that led to a sharp decline in Mayan populations and influence. Still, the common public perception that the Mayan civilization suddenly disappeared adds fuel to the belief that the end of the Mayan Long Count calendar in 2012 marks the end of the world.

Mayan astronomers developed a sophisticated Long Count calendar with 5126 years completing the long count cycle.It is a fact that the end of the 5126 year cycle is believed to end on or about December 21,2012 that has led to the present speculation that the Mayan scientists, astronomers,and religious figures were predicting the end of the world.Actually,the end of the 5126 year cycle is just that,the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. The Mayans viewed the end of cycles as a cause for celebration, apparently believing that the human condition would somehow be improved with the beginning of each new cycle.

The public's misinterpretation of the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar is the basis for the belief that a cataclysm will take place on December 21, 2012. December 21, 2012 is simply the day that the calendar will go to the next b'ak'tun or cycle. Sandra Noble, executive director of the Mesoamerican research organization FAMSI, states that "for the ancient Maya, it was a huge celebration to make it to the end of a whole cycle". Ms. Noble considers the portrayal of December 2012 as a fatal doomsday or cosmic-shift event to be "a complete fabrication and a chance for a lot of people to cash in." For example, the 2009 science fiction apocalyptic disaster film 2012 is based on this belief and frightened millions of people the world over. Certainly the movie placed visions of impending disaster in many minds and greatly expanded the belief that 2012 would be a horrifying year.

While believed by scientists that the end of the Mayan calendar poses no real threat it will probably be difficult for authorities to ease widespread public fears as December 21,2012 approaches.The Discovery TV channel has already aired a program detailing how survival shelter developement projects are already under way. One such project involves an outdated and obsolete Titan missile silo that a private developer has purchased from the United States government. The developer is converting the hardened missile silo into a survival condo project and is selling entire floors of the project for well in excess of one million dollars.

In 1997 a former Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal reporter, confirmed agnostic Michael Drosnin, electrified the media world and the public by publishing a book with the title "The Bible Code". His book became an overnight best seller, remaining for 13 weeks on the N.Y times bestseller list and achieving brisk sales in nine countries. Michael Drosnin announced that he had discovered that a higher intelligence encoded the Hebrew Bible-with secret codes. In his book he made the case that these codes are so complex, so mathematically advanced, that it would be impossible for a human mind to have authored the code. The Bible codes reveal the names and events of the future.