A Non-Believer's Take on 2012

A  Non-­‐Believer’s  Take  on  2012     by  Martin  W.  Ball,  Ph.D.  

  According  to  those  who  promote  the  2012  meme,  “something”  really,  really,   really   profound   is   due   to   happen   on   Dec   21st,   2012   (or   perhaps   on   the   22nd,   or   maybe   not   then   at   all   because   it’s   just   a   “gestational”   period   prediction/prophecy   anyway,   so   dates   and   results   may   vary).     Whatever   the   various   ideas   promoted,   most  are  supposedly  backed  by  “ancient  prophecies”  and  bolstered  by  “science”  (as   very  loosely  conceived,  i.e.  –  pseudoscience).    They  can’t  all  be  right,  can  they?     Let’s   take   a   look   at   some   of   the   claims   made   for   the   supposed   2012   “apocalypse”:     The  Mayan  Calendar  and  the  Exotic  Other:     Perhaps  first  and  foremost  in  the  minds  of  2012ers  is  that  the  ancient  Maya   predicted  the  “end  of  the  world”  according  to  their  calendar,  which  supposedly  ends   on  Dec  21st,  2012.     Actual  scholars  of  Mayan  culture  uniformly  dispute  this  claim  and  regard  it  as   100%  unsubstantiated.    For  one,  they  argue  that  the  calendar  merely  “rolls  over”  at   this   point   –   it   does   not   come   to   an   end.     Secondly,   they   argue   that   all   supposedly   Mayan  notions  of  an  “apocalypse”  were  borrowed  from  Christian  missionaries  and   influence,  so  it’s  more  Christian  than  Mayan.    Thirdly,  the  supposed  “end  date”  has   already   passed   and   came   prior   to   Dec   21st,   2012.     Fourthly,   why   should   anyone   care   when   the   Mayan   calendar   ends?     This   only   means   something   if   one   assumes   that   the   Maya  knew  something  valid  about  the  distant  future  –  one  would  have  to  accept  that   the   ancient   Maya   were   able   to   accurately   predict   future   events   –   apparently   an   ability,   if   they   had   it,   that   did   not   prevent   their   ancient   culture   from   internally   collapsing.     One   might   think   that   any   culture   gifted   with   genuine   prophecy   would   have   seen   their   own   immediate   demise   and   downfall   and   given   more   weight   and   effort   to   preventing   it   than   some   date   in   the   distant   future.     One   would   only   give   special  weight  to  the  Mayan  calendar  if  one  already  assumed  that  they  had  access  to   otherwise  hidden  and  secret  knowledge.     The  current  New  Age  fascination  with  all  things  Mayan  is  decidedly  egoic  in   nature  –  exoticizing  and  romanticizing  a  culturally  distinct  “other”  by  non-­‐natives  –   a  process  used  by  egos  to  develop  a  sense  of  self  in  contrast  to  what  is  perceived  as  a   dominant   system   of   identification.     It   dovetails   nicely   with   New   Age   desires   to   appear   appreciative   of   “indigenous   wisdom”   and   “traditions,”   gives   New   Agers   a   sense  of  counter-­‐cultural  identity,  and  aligns  them  with  what  they  have  projected  as   “noble  savages.”    This  kind  of  approach  to  indigenous  cultures  has  been  endemic  in   Western   cultures   for   hundreds   of   years   and   is   part   of   the   history   of   Western   domination   of   representations   of  the  “other,”  generally  as  projections  of  either  their   worst   fears   or   greatest   hopes   in   the   “uncivilized   savage/noble   savage”   conceptual   dichotomy.     It   fits   perfectly   in   line   with   the   native   woman   depicted   on   “Land   O  

Lakes”   butter   and   the   Boy   Scouts   dressing   up   as   “Indians”   and   learning   “nature   survival   skills.”     It   is   part   and   parcel   of   the   long   history   of   Western   appropriation   of   indigenous   symbols,   tradition,   and   culture   for   its   own   ends   that   fails   to   recognize   the  reality  of  the  indigenous  people  and  traditions  being  appropriated.     It   also   dovetails   nicely   with   New   Age   desires   to   appear   congruent   with   watered-­‐down,   consumer-­‐friendly   versions   of   Hinduism,   Buddhism,   and   “shamanism”   in   general   –   all   of   which   are   appreciated   for   their   “otherness”   and   assumed  “authenticity”  (i.e.  –  non-­‐Christian,  non-­‐Western  nature).    New  Agers  have   adopted  virtually  any  and  all  non-­‐Western  traditions  that  fit  their  desires  to  “grow   spiritually,”  often  with  only  a  superficial  understanding  of  the  traditions  from  which   they  are  borrowing.    This  is  obviously  not  true  for  all  practitioners,  but  the  trend  is   widespread.    The  overall  effect  is  that  these  borrowings  work  as  ego-­‐trappings  for   New  Age  identities  and  do  not  produce  anything  even  remotely  close  to  “awakened”   or  “enlightened”  individuals.     McKenna,  UFOs,  and  the  Ingression  of  Novelty:       A   take   on   2012   that   is   closely   associated   with   beliefs   around   the   Mayan   calendar  is  that  of  Terence  McKenna,  though  he  claims  to  have  developed  his  ideas   independently   (and   therefore   the   similarities   of   dates   is   a   “coincidence”).   Psychedelic  “philosopher,”  Terence  McKenna,  predicted  the  “end  of  history”  on  Dec   22nd,   2012   (not   Dec   21st),   and   purports   to   have   developed   a   system   of   “timewave   zero”  that  maps  the  “ingression  of  novelty”  into  the  universe.    McKenna  predicts  that   the  “end  of  history”  will  be  accomplished  when  humans  develop  the  ability  to  create   “UFOs”  out  of  “translinguistic  matter”  and  will  fly  off  into  the  universe  and  join  the   intergalactic  community,  which  McKenna  claims  to  have  been  informed  of  by  “The   Logos”   and   “the   loquacious   mushrooms”   during   his   sessions   of   psychedelic   ego-­‐ tripping.    According  to  McKenna,  Dec  22nd,  2012  will  see  the  ultimate  ingression  of   novelty   into   reality,   an   event   of   such   radical   transformative   potential   that   it   will   effectively   “end   history.”     In   his   own   words,   McKenna   admitted   to   being   either   an   “unsung   Newton”   or   “completely   nuts”   regarding   his   understanding   of   timewave   zero   and   his   UFO   “at   the   end   of   history”   prediction.     “There   is   very   little   room   to   maneuver   between   these   two   positions,”   he   wrote   in   the   conclusion   of   his   book,   True   Hallucinations.     He   also   saw   his   personal   role   as   being   something   of   a   savior   or   intellectual   messiah,   chosen   by   “The   Logos”   to   “save   the   world   from   the   more   dangerous  and  vulgar  parts  of  itself.”     It’s  unlikely  that  McKenna  could  have  stated  his  own  position  more  honestly   and   directly.     Because   of   McKenna’s   growing   popularity   –   bordering   on   fanatical   near-­‐religious  worship  by  enthusiasts  –  it  is  unlikely  that  the  majority  of  McKenna-­‐ ites   will   conclude   on   Dec   23rd   that   he   was   “nuts”   when   the   “UFO   at   the   End   of   History”   fails   to   manifest.     It   is   important   to   note,   however,   that   McKenna’s   predictions   are   quite   specific,   and   if   they   do   not   come   to   pass,   then   his   entire   worldview   is   effectively   thrown   into   question,   along   with   all   of   his   conclusions   about   the   nature   of   psychedelic   experience,   space,   time,   reality,   and   history.     He’s   either  completely  correct,  or  completely  and  totally  deluded.    His  predictions  don’t   leave   any   wiggle   room   here,   as   he   himself   acknowledged.     “The   mushrooms”   and  

“The  Logos”  either  told  McKenna  the  truth,  or  he  was  deluding  himself  into  believing   a   vast   fantasy   of   his   own   personal   construction,   bolstered   by   his   use   of   psilocybin   mushrooms  and  DMT.    In  order  for  McKenna’s  ideas  to  be  taken  seriously,  we  will   need   to   be   able   to   build   UFOs   out   of   translinguistic   matter   and   fly   off   into   the   cosmos   on   Dec   22nd,   2012   (and   not   before   then!).     If   this   fails   to   happen,   why   would   we  take  any  of  McKenna’s  ideas  seriously  beyond  this  point  in  time?    Up  until  Dec   22nd   of   this   year,   there’s   always   the   response   of,   “You   don’t   know   what   will   happen,   so  he  might  be  right!”  But  as  of  Dec  23rd,  demolishing  McKenna’s  façade  of  pseudo-­‐ insight  will  be  in  open  season.     Mass  “Awakening”  and  a  Cultural  Tipping  Point:       Another   take   on   2012   is   that   humanity   will   “awaken”   and   reach   a   tipping   point  in  evolutionary  consciousness  on  Dec  21st,  2012.    The  idea  is  that  even  if  not   everyone   experiences   such   a   transformation,   a   crucial   number   of   humans   will,   thereby   permanently   altering   the   shape   of   human   history   to   come   through   the   power  of  numbers.     One  of  the  primary  problems  with  this  prediction  is  that  there  is  no  uniform   agreement   about   what   it   means   to   “awaken,”   or   what   an   “evolution”   in   “consciousness”   would   specifically   entail.     Due   to   the   imprecise   nature   of   these   terms,  this  “awakening”  has  become  something  of  a  grab-­‐bag  of  New  Age  ideas,  most   of   which   pass   as   pseudo-­‐science,   at   best,   though   they   are   often   appreciated   as   being   integral  to  the  nebulous  artifice  of  “New  Paradigm  science.”    The  following  is  only  a   partial  list:       *Humans  will  become  inter-­‐dimensional  space-­‐time  travelers     *Humans  will  “activate”  their  latent  DNA     *Humans  will  “activate”  their  “third  eye”     *Humans  will  “activate”  their  pineal  gland     *Humans  will  realize  their  divine  nature     *Humans  will  realize  that  we  are  all  “one”     *Humans   will   see   the   unitary   truth   of   all   religions,   spiritualities,   and   philosophies     *Humans  will  develop  a  “new  paradigm”     *Humans  will  no  longer  be  bound  by  space  and  time     *Humans  will  manifest  their  desires  at  will     *Humans  will  become  masters  of  their  destinies     *Humans  will  accept  the  truth  of  reincarnation,  multiple  universes,  and  other   dimensions  of  existence     *Humans  will  transcend  money     *There  will  be  an  “archaic  revival”     *Humans  will  “evolve”  into  a  “higher  vibration”     *  Humans  will  accept  all  the  “ancient  wisdom”     *Humans  will  live  in  balance  and  harmony  with  the  environment     *Humans   will   accept   the   reality   of   “spirits,”   “entities”   and   “mysterious   others”  

  *Humans  will  join  the  “galactic  community”     *Humans   will   practice   “sacred   spirituality”   with   prayer,   ritual,   and   community  gatherings     *Humans  will  become  deeply  spiritual  and  respect  all  life     *Humans  will  develop  “free  energy”  (–  just  like  the  ancients  did!)     *Humans   will   accept   and   acknowledge   the   reality   of   aliens,   UFOs,   crop   circles,  and  the  longstanding  connections  between  aliens  and  humanity     *Humans  will  develop  “Christ  Consciousness”     *Humans  will  become  “enlightened”     *Humans   will   reject   the   materialistic   scientific   paradigm   in   favor   of   something  “spiritual”     *Humans   will   realign   with   the   energies   of   the   cosmos   through   accepting   a   new  calendar           There  are  many  different  ways  in  which  the  above  is  speculated  to  take  place,   according  to  2012ers.    Here  is  a  partial  list:       *Governments  will  be  forced  to  disclose  the  truth  about  UFOs     *Various  “deities”  will  “return”  –  ranging  from  Maitreya,  the  future  Buddha,   to  Christ,  to  Quetzalcoatl     *In   crossing   the   “galactic   ecliptic,”   earth’s   magnetic   field   will   change,   thereby   creating  a  correlating  change  in  consciousness     *Solar  flares  and  solar  magnetic  activity  will  alter  consciousness     *Magnetic   activity   will   produce   a   mass-­‐state   of   psychedelic   awareness   by   releasing  DMT  in  human  brains  globally     *   “Earth   changes”   will   force   awakening   on   humans   through   climate   change,   species  extinction,  etc.       *Ancient   “prophecies”   will   come   to   pass   –   take   your   pick:   Hopi,   Mayan,   Christian,  Buddhist,  Hindu,  etc.     *Planet  Nibiru  will  appear  in  the  sky  and  bring  about  catastrophic  change     *Aliens   will   reveal   themselves,   along   with   advanced   technology   and   spiritual   wisdom     *Governments   and   financial   systems   will   collapse,   bringing   about   a   new   pastoral/local  age       Here,   some   profound   “event”   is   expected   to   forever   change   the   way   that   humanity  thinks  about  itself  and  its  place  in  the  cosmos.    However,  rather  than  the   self-­‐liberation   and   enlightenment   through   careful   observation   of   the   self   as   promoted  by  early  Buddhism,  for  example,  the  idea  seems  to  be  that  some  outside   force,  agency,  or  event  will  essentially  force  “awakening”  on  humanity  as  a  whole,  or   at  least  in  large  numbers.      In  basic  terms,  rather  than  a  mystical,  non-­‐dual  process   of  self-­‐realization,  what  is  being  promoted  is  an  encounter  with  a  mysterious  “other”   or   numinous   experience   of   “the   sacred”   or   “the   holy.”     Historically,   most   wisdom   traditions   have   associated   awakening   and   liberation   with   self-­‐analysis   and   careful   deconstruction  of  beliefs  about  the  power  of  outside  agents  or  forces.    The  Buddha’s   message  was  quite  clear,  for  example:  only  through  your  hard  work  at  letting  go  of  

your   false   beliefs   and   false   sense   of   self   can   you   liberate   yourself   –   no   prayer,   ritual,   or  worship  or  outside  event  or  agent  can  do  that  work  for  you.    The  current  2012   view   would   seem   to   be   the   complete   opposite   of   this   insight,   instead   projecting   importance  onto  some  particular  event.    This  view  is  far  more  “Christian”  in  nature   than  anything  else  –  a  tradition  that  looks  to  an  exterior  savior  and  an  apocalyptic   event  that  forces  the  “kingdom  of  heaven”  on  believers  and  non-­‐believers  alike.     Reality  is  What  You  Think:     Another   popular   meme   in   the   2012   crowd   is   the   “reality   is   constructed   by   thought”  belief,  and  the  idea  that  if  enough  people  change  the  way  they  think,  then   reality  is  also  changed.    This  view  has  been  promoted  by  Daniel  Pinchbeck,  among   many  others.    Pinchbeck  has  written  that  his  own  investigation  into  the  “prophecy”   of   2012   was,   in   fact,   the   fulfillment   of   prophecy,   with   his   writing   the   book,   2012:   the   Return  of  Quetzalcoatl  rendering  Pinchbeck  himself  as  the  “vehicle  of  the  arrival”  of   the  incorrectly  identified  “Mayan”  god,  Quetzalcoatl  (Quetzalcoatl  is  an  Aztec  deity,   not   Mayan).     Pinchbeck   even   goes   so   far   as   to   identify   himself   as   “the   Beast”   as   prophesized  in  the  Bible,  as  his  birthday  was  6/66  and  he  therefore  bears  the  “mark   of  the  beast.”    If  nothing  else,  Pinckbeck’s  work  shows  us  the  deep-­‐seated  sense  of   self-­‐importance  that  infuses  much  of  the  work  of  2012  promoters.     The   biggest   problem   with   the   “reality   is   constructed   by   thought”   crowd   is   that   this   way   of   thinking   cannot   account   for   misapprehension,   sloppy   thinking,   or   discerning  between  correct  and  incorrect,  or  more  or  less  valid.    It  is  a  radical  form   of  relativism  that  is  thoroughly  self-­‐centered  and  self-­‐contradictory.    Pinchbeck  tells   us  that  we  are  “free”  to  ignore  his  claims  –  we  don’t  need  to  believe  him  -­‐  but  then   goes  on  to  tell  us  that  “the  end  of  time”  approaches,  thereby  claiming  that  even  if  we   don’t  believe  him,  he  will  be  proven  correct  as  of  Dec  21st,  2012.    This  would  imply   that  reality  is  not  dependent  on  belief  or  thought  and  is  objective,  as  he  is  claiming   that  this  will  happen  regardless  of  what  we  think  about  his  claims.      Pinckbeck  now   appears   to   be   hedging   his   bets   a   bit,   however,   recently   claiming   on   Facebook   that   2012   is   more   a   gestational   period   that   predicts   a   birth   date,   which,   like   a   doctor’s   prediction  of  a  baby’s  due  date,  is  more  a  range  of  time  than  a  precise  prediction.     To  his  credit,  rather  than  take  the  pure  “pie  in  the  sky”  approach  to  2012  as   discussed  above  (or  “machine  elves  in  the  DMT”  approach  of  McKenna),  Pinchbeck   has  undertaken  the  task  of  reforming  society  according  to  his  understanding  of  the   transformational   potential   of   “2012.”     To   that   end,   he   has   helped   create   both   RealtiySandwich.com  and  Evolver.net  where  like-­‐minded  people  can  gather  to  share   ideas   and   values.     Recently,   Pinchbeck   lamented   on   Facebook   that   Evolver.net   has   been   accused   of   being   a   “cult”   –   a   claim   he   dismissed   with   the   rebuttal   that   there   was   no   “dogma”   associated   with   Evolver.     This   is   a   bit   disingenuous,   however,   for   the  Evolver  community  (and  by  extension,  RealitySandwich)  is  highly  self-­‐selecting   for   people   who   share   the   beliefs   and   values   of   other   2012ers,   New   Agers,   and   psychedelic   users.     Most   members   of   these   communities   probably   accept   at   least   one   of   the   following   propositions,   if   not   all,   and   acceptance   of   these   ideas  as   valid   is   often   equated   with   being   considered   “awakened”   or   “evolved”   –   those   who   reject   them  are  labeled  as  “un-­‐awakened,”  “intolerant,”  and  “ignorant”:  

    *Astrology  is  a  valid  method  of  inquiry  and  meaning  making     *Spirits,  other  realms,  and  disincarnate  entities  are  ontologically  real     *The  shamanic  worldview  is  valid  and  real     *Psychic  phenomena  are  valid  and  real     *Channeling  is  a  genuinely  real  phenomenon     *Psychedelics  give  access  to  other  dimensions  and  realms     *Aliens,  UFOs  and  crop  circles  are  genuine  and  real     *Prophecy  is  valid  and  real     *Using  DMT  or  other  psychedelics  can  “awaken”  someone     *Chakras  (generally  depicted  in  non-­‐Indian  iconography  of  rainbow  form  and   incorrectly  pronounced  “shakras”)  are  real     *Being  awakened  means  accepting  the  reality  of  reincarnation     *Karma  and  past  lives  are  real  phenomena     *Prayer,   ritual,   and   ceremony   are   genuine   methods   for   shaping   and   influencing  reality  at  a  more-­‐than-­‐merely-­‐psychological  level     *Reality  is  manifested  through  thought  –  what  you  think  becomes  reality     *All  religions  and  spiritualities  contain  essential  truths  and  wisdom  and  are,   at  their  core,  essentially  the  same     *Ancient  humans  were  highly  evolved  and  technologically  sophisticated     *Ancient   humans   had   ongoing   interactions   with   aliens   or   other   “higher   beings”     *Deities,   spirits,   and   astral   beings   can   be   contacted   through   psychedelics,   ritual,  or  shamanic  states  of  consciousness  and  are  fundamentally  real     *Crop  circles  are  not  a  human-­‐made  phenomenon     *Acceptance  of  DMT  mythology  (that  DMT  is  produced  by  the  pineal  gland,  is   an  inter-­‐dimensional  portal,  is  the  “strongest”  psychedelic,  etc.)     *Belief   that   “New   Paradigm”   science   supports   virtually   all   “spiritual”   and   “metaphysical”  claims  and  experiences  as  valid     *Belief   in   multiple   universes   and   that   they   are   accessible   via   altered   states   of   consciousness       Thus,  while  there  may  not  be  a  dogmatic  gate-­‐keeper  to  joining  the  Evolver   network,  the  community  is  certainly  rife  with  belief.      Through  Evolver,  local  and  on-­‐ line   workshops   are   held   on   how   to   work   with   “plant   medicine   spirits,”   astrology,   crop   circles,   2012,   channeling,   spiritual   healing,   ritual   practices,   shamanism,   and   many   other   related   topics.     As   a   popular   social   movement,   it   gives   the   impression   that   “reality”   is   transforming   as   like-­‐minded   people   gather   to   reinforce   their   shared   view  of  the  world.    However,  none  of  this  equates  with  the  “end  of  history”  or  “end   of   time”   trope   of   2012.     Realistically,   it   can   be   seen   as   social   movement   –   not   a   profound  alteration  of  the  very  nature  of  reality  itself.    It  remains  to  be  seen  how  the   community  and  movement  will  fare  in  the  wake  of  failed  2012  “prophecies”  of  the   “end  of  time.”     2012:  The  Weak  and  Strong  Forms:    

  Overall,   it   would   seem   that   “predictions”   and   “prophecies”   regarding   2012   have   both   a   weak   and   a   strong   form.     A   weak   form   would   be   to   claim   that   there   will   be   a   change   in   thinking   as   a   result   of   significant   events   that   will   have   widespread   impact   on   human   cultures   and   societies   –   basically,   a   cultural   shift.     This   weak   form   is  not  very  interesting,  as  it  could  be  claimed  to  be  valid  for  virtually  any  period  of   human  history.    Human  societies  and  systems  of  thought  are  always  changing,  and   there   are   always   significant   events   impacting   human   cultures,   whether   human   or   nature-­‐made,   from   wars   to   volcanic   eruptions,   etc.     The   weak   form   of   2012   predictions   hardly   counts   as   “fulfillment   of   prophecy”   –   unless   one   has   a   very   watered-­‐down   sense   of   what   fulfilling   prophecy   would   mean.     In   this   sense,   the   current   era,   marked   by   widespread   economic   inequality,   environmental   degradation,  global  warming,  and  reduction  of  resources  could  be  historically  seen   as  a  watershed  time-­‐period,  but  that  doesn’t  amount  to  fulfillment  of  “prophecy”  in   any  kind  of  a  cosmic  sense.    It  certainly  would  not  be  the  “end  of  time”  or  the  “end  of   history”  as  Pinckbeck,  McKenna,  and  Mayan  calendar  enthusiasts  have  popularized.     It  is  easy  to  make  an  argument  that  we  are  currently  living  through  transformative   times   with   numerous   challenges   and   potentials   that   require   rethinking   and   reformatting   many   of   the   ways   we   go   about   living   on   this   planet.     It   doesn’t   make   2012   any   more   significant   than   any   other   year,   however,   and   certainly   does   not   point  to  Dec   21st  as  being  a  date  of  any  particular  or  cosmic  significance,  other  than   what   people   choose   to   project   onto   it.     As   it   is,   there   are   currently   a   number   of   “awakening”  parties  and  events  planned  for  this  day,  and  certainly  many  people  will   feel  as  though  it  is  something  special,  and  in  their  individual  lives,  it  probably  will   be.    This  is  not  cosmic,  however  –  just  personal.     The   strong   form   of   2012   claims   would   have   to   be   an   event   so   profound,   so   radical,  so  thoroughly  global,  that  there  would  be  no  denying  that  such  an  event  had   taken   place   and   all   of   human   history,   culture,   and   society   would   forevermore   be   radically   altered   and   changed   into   something   that   is   currently   unimaginable   or   inconceivable.    This  would  be  an  event  that  would  fundamentally  change  everything   for  everyone  –  not  just  those  who  happen  to  think  that  2012  is  an  important  year  for   global   change.     This   would   be   a   true   “apocalypse”   of   unpredicted   change   and   transformation.     The  likelihood  of  any  of  the  strong  forms  of  2012  apocalypticism  taking  place   is   exceedingly   small   –   to   the   point   that   one   can   only   “believe”   it   if   one   so   chooses.     There  is  no  reasonable  evidence  to  indicate  that  any  “prophecy”  of  an  “apocalypse”   will   come   to   pass,   other   than   the   weak   forms   of   2012   predictions   as   stated   above.     This  conclusion  is  bolstered  by  the  dismal  success  rate  of  all  previous  examples  of   prophecy  and  apocalypse.    Christians  have  been  prophesizing  the  end  of  the  world   for   2,000   years,   and   they   haven’t   gotten   it   correct   yet.     Historically   speaking,   prophecy  has  a  100%  inaccuracy  rate  and  a  0%  accuracy  rate.    Why  would  current   speculations   about   2012   be   any   different?     It   is   only   wishful   thinking   –   wishful   thinking  that  is  bolstered  by  perceptions  of  widespread  crisis  and  a  recognized  need   for  change.     Ironically,  all  this  focus  on  Dec  21st,  2012,  is  the  virtual  opposite  of  what  most   spiritual  traditions  teach  about  acting  as  an  enlightened  individual.    When  it  comes   to  being  enlightened,  most  traditions  encourage  practitioners  to  pay  attention  to  the  

present   moment   and   to   focus   on   what   is   present   right   here,   right   now.     All   of   this   focus  on  a  specific  date  in  the  future  is  about  as  unenlightened  as  one  could  get,  at   least  in  traditional,  “spiritual”  terms.    When  asked  about  becoming  enlightened  and   liberated  from  the  traps  of  the  human  ego,  Buddha  told  his  followers  to  shut  up,  sit   down,  meditate,  and  pay  attention  to  how  the  mind  works  –  constantly  making  up   shit   through   projection   and   then   becoming   attached   to   those   projections   and   constructing   an   unreal   identity   around   those   thoughts.     In   somewhat   Buddhist   terms,  all  this  2012  stuff  is  samsara-­‐extreme  –  ego  on  overdrive  –  pure  projection,   wish   fulfillment,   and   attachment,   all   intimately   associated   with   individuals’   sense   of   self  and  identity  as  “awakened”  individuals,  “light  workers,”  and  “evolved”  humans.     Perhaps   the   true   “apocalypse,”   the   true   “revealing”   and   “unveiling”   will   be   the   widespread   realization   that   it’s   all   been   a   load   of   bullshit,   and   people   will   learn   to   take  responsibility  for  themselves,  their  desires,  and  their  need  to  create  an  identity   for  themselves  by  forming  attachments  to  unproven  beliefs  and  speculations.    Now   that  would  be  something  radical,  and  worthy  of  the  history  books.     If   the   history   of   Christianity,   and   other   millennial   traditions,   serves   as   an   example,   however,   the   above   seems   unlikely.     Complete   failure   to   bring   about   the   Second  Coming  of  Christ  and  the  establishment  of  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  for  2,000   years  hasn’t  put  much  of  a  dent  in  Christianity.    It  seems  more  likely  that  2012ers   will,  as  of  Dec  22/23rd  2012,  start  making  arguments  for  why  their  apocalypse  really   did  happen  –  kind  of  like  Harold  Camping  and  his  failed  predictions  for  The  Rapture,   which  he  then  claimed,  post  failure,  as  an  “invisible”  apocalypse.     A  possible  genuine  downside  to  the  failure  of  2012  predictions/prophecy  is   the  close  association  between  the  “psychedelic  renaissance”  and  2012  culture.    After   being   shut   down   for   a   generation,   academic   research   into   the   potentials   of   psychedelics   is   again   being   pursued   around   the   world   –   largely   independently   of   2012   memes,   values,   and   beliefs.     Changing   attitudes   have   also   helped   win   some   legal   battles   around   the   “religious”   and   “spiritual”   use   of   psychedelics/entheogens   such   as   with   ayahuasca   and   Santo   Daime.     In   the   minds   of   many,   however,   use   of   entheogens   such   as   ayahuasca   and   DMT   are   closely   associated   with   beliefs   surrounding   2012   –   something   most   clearly   exemplified   by   Terence   McKenna   and   Daniel   Pinchbeck.     What   will   happen   to   the   credibility   of   psychedelic   enthusiasts   when  2012  is  exposed  for  what  it  is:  a  giant  ego-­‐projection?    The  effect  might  be  to   discredit  psychedelic  experience  in  general  as  delusional  and  fantasy-­‐laden.      It  will   be   a   big   hit   on   psychedelics.     However,   it   may   also   open   to   possibility   for   more   reality-­‐based   approaches   to   psychedelics   and   entheogens   –   ones   that   are   less   entrenched   in   metaphysics,   “spirituality,”   and   beliefs   in   entities,   alternate   realms,   and   divine   prophecies.     Indeed,   it   might   be   exactly   the   dose   of   reality   that   the   psychedelic  movement  needs  to  genuinely  integrate  into  and  transform  society  for   the   better   with   a   reduction   of   fantasy,   projection,   and   ego-­‐based   attachment.     It   might,  in  the  end,  be  just  what  the  doctor  ordered.