In the Aftermath of December 21st

Happy 2013 and best wishes to followers of this blog! I'd like to share a few thoughts I had in the wake of December 21 and the vacuum that it seems to have left in the minds of some whose expectations have revolved around some sort of visible and widespread manifestation.

Projection is a well-known phenomenon is psychology where we take the darker aspects of self and project them onto to others as if they were the threat and not something inside our own psyche. Projection can also happen on a mass cultural level as well. I suspect that is what might be in play with the widespread notion of  a 2012 apocalypse event that some believed would occur on December 21st.  There is a good case to be made that this idea was based on a Western line of thinking that was culturally projected onto the Mayan calendar information resulting in a huge distortion.

But the phenomenon of projection may go even further. It may be that we are collectively projecting images of catastrophe and eco-catastrophe (which is in fact a real threat but a “slow-motion” one, unlike Armageddon) while at the same time not facing up to the fact that we ourselves are responsible for much of it. The threat then becomes transformed in the mind as a single event on a particular day, something much easier to comprehend than a slow motion catastrophe playing out over decades. This speaks to the limited capacity of Western human perception to look beyond more immediate time frames and take the “long view” that the ancient wisdom traditions and many indigenous peoples were well versed in.

Therapeutically speaking, at the individual level, projecting often involves an inability to accept responsibility for an outcome or a situation. In this case, the mass projection I’m suggesting here involves the notion of some external force whether God or some other agency as the cause. Putting mass spiritual enlightenment aside for the moment (something that Ken Wilber says is not likely to happen), the mass awakening that the Emergence Project has talked about for many years may at its essence be a simple recognition by large masses of people that a) there is a major threat to our planetary ecosystem b) humankind is responsible for much of it (leaving aside the complex issue of anthropogenic climate change) and c) we can take steps to deal with it if we individually and collectively acknowledge responsibility for it as opposed to the magical thinking that it’s someone else’s problem to take care of. This in and of itself would be an incredible shift in collective consciousness and it's gratifying to see that it already seems to be taking place. In my opinion, the question of outcome and the fate of the earth hinges upon whether it will take place quickly enough. What transpires over the next few years will be crucial.

Pondering December 21 and Its Myriad Implications

As December 21 approaches, the time for speculation is over. I believe it's a time for our best summations and whatever commitment we feel we can make to building a New Earth. After four years of work on the Emergence Project I wish I could say that I have figured it all out but in truth my thoughts of late tend to echo the Billy Joel lyrics that "the more I find out the less that I know".

At the same time the rock solid certainty of so much 2012 commentary simply does not resonate for me. There are so many theories and beliefs floating around now regarding the complexities of this time but the outcome and direction of our planetary predicament is still very much uncertain. Although not an easy fact to deal with, it’s possible that we may not know the full truth of either the meaning or outcome of this extraordinary time in our own lifetimes. If these kinds of speculations make me a kind of "shift agnostic" then so be it. The complexities of this living mystery are massive in scope and lie well beyond our ability to easily summarize them.

I wish I could offer some simple and comforting advice. As we approach December 21, I have a sense of undifferentiated intensity and a powerful gathering of energetic forces that I suspect few of us understand. There is also a very good chance that our expectations concerning what has happened and will happen will be far from what actually transpires. As at least one observer has pointed out, this time may be unique in human history. It would be wonderful if all of our positive expectations were met but we have to be prepared to separate what we think or hope will happen and our attachment to those thoughts from the reality that unfolds. Fortunately there is some excellent guidance available out there.

Superstorm Sandy can be seen both practically and symbolically as a manifestation of the power of the earth changes. Some have even commented on the eerie similarity to the movie 2012. The Emergence Project has always tried to emphasize the positive implications of the Shift as an opportunity for awakening so in a sense we have to view the myriad earth changes as a kind of distraction even though they represent an unsettling kind of validation. At the same time there are many positive things taking place behind the scenes. Two things are able to exist in parallel. And so it goes, a 2012 moment. Nature plays the last hand, something our ancient forebears knew very well and we collectively and inconveniently seem to have forgotten.

I have two final observations. The first has to do with our personal response to the suffering that many are experiencing right now. The need for spiritual love is frequently invoked in the context of the Shift. It’s a good start. But as Buddhist commentator Brad Warner has pointed out, compassion is even more important. I would suggest that this is especially true given the magnitude of suffering experienced by many as we move through this time. The second observation is that we need to be careful not to place too much emphasis on the December 21st date itself. Just to set expectations a bit, it’s possible that this date will pass without easily identifiable external mega events of some sort. This would of course provide an opportunity for skeptics to further try to marginalize 2012 and the Shift as woo-woo spirituality. But there is no doubt that these changes will continue for many years. We are simply standing at the doorway even with all that’s happened so far. Sandra Walker puts it nicely: “Ascension is not about leaving the planet, getting rescued by off-world brethren or flying up into heaven. It is not about watching the Shift unfold online, or waiting for the external world to provide evidence of inner change. Ascension is a conscious choice to engage in evolution.” While I dislike the term “ascension” for a number of reasons, I thought she provides a great feet-on-the-ground summation of this amazing window of spiritual opportunity. Inner guidance and sense of community provide the compass. Stay tuned and best wishes.