What are modern origins of the fascination with the year 2012?

Question

I've just finished reading a book called The Singularity Is Near which predicts the introduction of ideas pertaining to immortality into mainstream society around the same time. This coincidence leaves me asking whether or not the fascination with this date is in anyway fudged or not based on scientific studies of the Mayans.

Answer 1

I am of two minds on such topics.

On the one hand, I remember back in the eighties there was supposed to be "The Jupiter Effect" when all the planets lined up in a line (more or less) on the same side of the sun. Nothing happened. Then there were the "Earth Changes" of the nineties. Nothing happened, especially nothing in Southern California which was supposed to be hugely altered. Then there was the Y2K non-event. A few scattered minor glitches, but nothing much happened. Now there is 2012. Forgive me for my scepticism; it's just another point of view in a world of many ideas, but do you see where I am coming from?

On the other hand, I recently read an intriguing book " The Great Bust Ahead" by Dan Arnold which forcasts a big contraction in the US economy (based on market behavior correlation to demographic data) on or before the year 2012. This contraction (read "depression" or what used to be referred to in the 1800's as a "panic") is supposed to be so great that it will strongly impact the world economy for many years thereafter, many social problems being exacerbated by the economic troubles.

Maybe the Mayans were on to something after all.

;-)

Answer 2

There are many beliefs from various different cultures, that have a myth/legend about the year 2012. I am very interested in this prophecy. I saw a doco years ago, where the institute doing the study used psychics to send certain people into a sleep. These people didn't regress back to past lives, but forward to future lives. They reported some really weird stuff about , yep you guessed it, the year 2012 and 2013 to the aftermath of 'whatever' happened then. I just find it fasinating. Could be a whole pile of crap, or could have something to it. We won't know till then.
I've never heard of the book you mention-- The Singularity Is Near, but I'll look for it, to have a read. Certainly wouldn't surprise me if it was true;- the introduction of ideas about immortality being pushed into the mainstream consciensiousness. Very interesting. Good Question, Good Topic

Answer 3

Not having read the book I can't say for sure, but the Maya belief is based on the Maya calender which follows 52 year cycles and resets itself after completing the cycles. In 2012, the end of the Maya calender occurs before it resets itself, and this was traditionally associated in the Maya with the end of the current civilization, and if the gods allowed it, a new beginning.
Several other independent predictions were made by other people including Nostradamus that a societal upheaval would occur in the years around 2012, so take that for what its worth

Answer 4

I believe the Mayan calender ends in the year 2012 because this is when they predicted the end of the world would come.