Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any religious organization (including Atheism, which based on the zeal of its members falls under the category of one as far as I am concerned), nor do I belong to any other organization which deals in magic, the occult, mysticism, etc. I do, however, tend to think "outside the box" in terms of what is considered acceptable by certain popular religious organizations who will remain unnamed, and therefore if you are uncomfortable with this statement you may wish to stop reading right here.
After 35 years on this planet I would like to think I have a decent grasp on the nature of reality (I do not, by the way). Even though I continue to affect a stoic stance in the face of the unexplained, however, there are still things that keep cropping up that are somewhat awe inspiring.
Of late these events have been increasing in frequency of occurance, which to me implies that something is getting ready to happen. Precisely what that something is I only have the vaguest idea.
Bear in mind that we are rapidly approaching the end of the Mayan calendar, and while the idea is scoffed and ridiculed by the majority - and an entire movie was released recently in the highest form of satire by creating what can only be termed as "cataclysm pornography" - there is reason to believe there is some credence to the claims posed by those who believe December 21st, 2012 marks the beginning of the end of times. Bear in mind that end of times can also be translated into new beginnings.
In Tarot one of the most notorious cards is "Death", which does not actually mean that someone is going to die 99.999999% of the time (I suspect the 0.000001% of the time is what inspires all of those lame horror films). Rather, the "Death" card is a sign of dramatic change. Everyone (except the Atheists) believes that death is merely a transition to something new - an afterlife, a reincarnation, or some combination of the two. Therefore I tend to subscribe to the idea that the End Times (while likely to be a rocky transition period) are probably going to result in Better Times for those who make it through that transition. Boy I hope I'm not seriously, critically wrong there.
To get back on track - what originally sparked this post was the observation that has been postulated elsewhere that we are all living in a 3d holographic illusionary "matrix" for lack of a better descriptive term. Our existence is not exactly like the movie - but there are aspects that were brought up during the movie that seem to coincide with what we experience here, especially in the categories of the unexplained.
Scientists have recently observed a holy man from India who did not eat or drink for over a week without suffering from any of the expected ill effects. Even though "nobody believes in that sort of stuff" there are still rampant stories of UFOs, extra terrestrials, and older things such as the Mothman, ghost stories and more. These could all easily be explained as "glitches" in an otherwise perfect system.
What makes all of these observations paramount is that in our current society we are now using technology for the purpose of communication to a degree never seen before. Computers grant us access to email, instant messaging, and more recently social networking granting us immediate access to photographs and video of our friends and family members who are not necessarily close by. These computers are being made smaller and more portable all the time - with the advent of the iPhone and similar smartphones (my smartphone of choice is currently the Motorolla Droid), cellular internet access via tethering or data card, netbooks and the iPad for those who need something larger than a phone but not too large to carry around - we're all constantly connected and updated as to what is going on in our virtual ecosystem that transcends our physical ecosystem. People who do not live in the same state, or even on the same continent, can see what you have been up to almost in a real time basis.
So if we are already in a matrix, and we have found a way to utilize the matrix to our own design, because that is effectively what we have done - we have tapped into this virtual existence in such a way as to be far more aware of the entire matrix than we ever were before even with the advent of television. It's one thing to watch a news show on the television - it's another thing entirely to watch almost live video footage posted directly to the internet from a smartphone.
This is not just about entertainment, although that is a driving force behind the adoption of this technology. It is about the collective unconscious beginning to touch the surface of consciousness. The grid is lining up for something big. Make no mistake - it doesn't matter if it really happens on December 21st, 2012 - or earlier - or later. Something big is building up and anyone who notices that Spring doesn't seem to last as long and summer has been much hotter than it used to be and the trees are losing their leaves sooner than they ought to or are budding again with new growth when they should be losing their leaves for the Autumn season, confusing the wildlife that ought to be migrating south in anticipation for the winter, which for some reason no longer arrives with the same number of snow storms that this area used to experience - the grid is changing. The Earth is changing.
Fifty years ago we might not have noticed that it was a worldwide phenomenon and we would have huddled together in our small communities praying that it did not keep happening. Now we know that it is worldwide and possibly (debatably) caused by the industry that produces the technology that we use to keep tabs on how they are raping the planet. (make no mistake, plastic is an oil byproduct, therefore your iPad and your netbook and your PC and anything else in your home made of plastic which is a very long list of items is a byproduct of the oil industry)
Okay, so this has turned into a bit of an ecological rant - how do we change? The consensus is that to change we must give up our ways. Do I foresee 99% of humanity changing their ways back to the old way of doing things before the advent of the industrial revolution in the 1800s? Not so much. A good answer, yet an unrealistic one. Can we produce technology in a way that does not continue to exploit the planet's natural resources in a harmful and unsustainable manner? I think it is possible, but I don't foresee corporations who have a stranglehold on the government being willing to forego their usual profit margin in order to accomplish this goal. At least, not until it becomes profitable.
The good news is, green is currently profitable. The market is making the switch, even though it is at a premium and they are often missing the mark. Not everything that is labeled "green" is necessarily safe for the environment. But it's a start. Can the green movement push us past the brink of self-destruction and anarchy? That remains to be seen - there are those who believe it is already too late.
But there is still hope. The technology is here, use it. Keep in touch with your loved ones, your friends and your family members who cannot be close by. Use it to determine when and how this change will occur. Be informed. Read the news, but keep your own council. Observe your surroundings, be thankful for what you have, and enjoy life to its fullest.
