World's End in 2012 - Nostradamus Didn't Say So

Many people, over time, have predicted the end of the world. But the mack daddy of prognostication (in the non-pimp sense, of course) is definitely Michel Nostradamus. No one has achieved the degree of popularity and reputation for accuracy than this 16th century physician, astrologer and alchemist. In the nearly 500 years since he penned his famous quatrains, historians and students of prophecy believe that roughly 50% have unfolded as predicted. Of course, that means that 50% missed the target altogether, but for prophetic accuracy, that's considered an extraordinarily high score. Among the "accurate" prophecies for which he is given credit are both world wars, the rise and fall of Hitler and Napoleon, and the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

So, everyone wants to know: will the world end in 2012? Nostradamus is consulted by believers and skeptics alike, in an effort to find out what the revered seer may have to say on current events, a subject dear to the hearts of those of us alive here and now in the 21st century.

Much has been made of the fact that one of his prophecies seemed to indicate that there would be great disturbance and unrest for the period of (approximately) 2009 to 2012. In view of the equally popular Mayan 2012 predictions, among many others, Nostradamus' contributions on the subject take on a particular significance. As those who study his writings claim he also seems to have predicted that Barack Obama would gain power at this time, as well as other events that some say are coming true with uncanny accuracy, there is a general tendency to place credence in the idea that the world will end in 2012. Nostradamus, however, never specifically said either that the world would end, nor did he ever affix a date to his predictions. It would be a mistake to read too much into the rather vague "predictions" that over-eager scholars are quick to attribute to our own time period. A closer look at Nostradamus' writings themselves do not substantiate a lot of what is being promoted.

For one thing, his prophecies of the future continue to cover a period of time stretching out almost another 2,000 years ahead of our own - he guaranteed the validity of his visions up to the year 3797. This would seem to me that while he's forecasting disastrous events around our current time, he doesn't believe that they signal the world's end. 2012, Nostradamus seems to say, will be a tough year, but one that we will at least survive. Even if they do bring some form of biblical Armageddon, humanity won't be completely annihilated. While he might have seen some pretty horrific things that are to come, it will apparently be followed by the arrival of a brave new world on the other side. Guess we can all do a collective brow-wiping at this point, huh?

The accuracy with which he envisioned diverse events through history is a subject of spirited debate. While it appears that he predicts a period of great difficulty around this time, the idea that the world will end in 2012 Nostradamus definitely doesn't imply in his cryptic quatrains. But it's up to each of us to come to our own conclusions about what the famous seer might really be saying - and if this is one of his "hits" or "misses" - by making an unbiased study of the subject ourselves, and not relying on the hysteria and hype.

While it's difficult to prepare for something we can't quite imagine, it's smart to at least make some effort to keep ourselves and our families safe in the event of an emergency or catastrophe. Whatever 2012 brings, the fact remains that right now, there are increasing incidents of natural disasters and - even more tragically - the real possibility of terrorist attacks that must be dealt with. Even if it turns out that 2012 is another over-hyped non-event like Y2K, at least we can feel that we took reasonable precautions against the worst, and if the worst never happened, our efforts won't have been in vain, should we become victims of the all-too-real challenges of life in the 21st century. 2012 Global Solutions presents a sampling of the most popular scenarios for this upcoming date, along with the best books, DVDs and products to help you understand and prepare for what might be coming.

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