2012!? Spooky...

So the big deal heading our way! 2012!
Are we all going to die?
Be united to a similar cause?
Be without internet?
Have all technology turn against us?
Make some more epic movies?
Sleep in on December 22nd?

Here are some predictions for the big year that I thought were quite memorable or funny that I found online. Enjoy!

1. There have been three or four previous races and ages of humanity (depending upon the source you read). All of these have been destroyed in major cataclysms. December 21.2012 marks the end of this age and it will end in major catastrophes such as Earthquakes. (see commentary on this statement below)

2. For half of the katun (20 year Mayan cycle) there will be food, for half some misfortunes. This katun brings the end of the "word of God." It is a time of uniting for a cause.

3. As we pass through transition there is a colossal, global convergence of environmental destruction, social chaos, war and ongoing Earth changes.

4. The Earth will undergo a magnetic field shift, reversing the polarity of the planet.

5. An asteroid or comet will collide with the Earth.

6. Conspiracy Theory - the idea of the conspiracy is total population control by a one-world government. Many people believe it to be religious in nature, as a plan to usher in the antichrist. Interestingly enough, the book of revelations speaks of the antichrist, his one-world government and one-world religion. Events that could possibly lead up to a scenario such as this is a movement by the United Nations or some other global establishment to force control over many nations. Also, the implanted microchip that everyone would be forced to receive. Watch for more surveillance in public areas and the gradual erosion of our freedoms and rights as individuals. Believed to be ran by the United Nations, WHO, Free Masons, the Knights Templar or affluent families in the United States such as the Rothschilds, Reckefellers, Morgans, DuPonts and the Bush family.

7. The prophecy leads up to the antichrist assuming world domination with his false prophet overseeing the one-world religion. The antichrist rules the world for a period of time until the battle of Armageddon. At this point, Jesus Christ returns to earth and destroys the armies of the antichrist. Then the false prophet and the antichrist along with the devil are thrown down into the lake of fire. Interestingly enough, the story continues to state that the devil must be released one more time after Christ’s 1000 year reign. At this time a final battle takes place with the devil losing and being vanquished into the lake of fire forever. At this time God’s kingdom is setup for eternity and all who accept Jesus as their savior are allowed access to the kingdom of God. Also known as the Apocalypse.

8. The most famous doomsday prophet is Nostradamus. He is best known for his book Les Propheties. He wrote his prophecies in a poetic style, in “quatrains.” Many of his prophecies dealt with disaster such as plagues, earthquakes, wars, floods and the coming of three antichrists. However his predictions are vague and people tend to apply his words to many situations. Check out the Nostradamus Effect on the Discovery Channel if interested.

9. Biological warfare will be employed by nations of the world and in 2016, a disease will spread and kill all human life

10. Up to hundreds of comets will strike the Earth on august 29th, 2009

11. The war of Armageddon may occur when the world’s population reaches 6.66 billion.
(This seems unlikely as many events need to occur leading up to the biblical Armageddon and the world’s current population is already at approximately 6.23 billion)

12. The world will under a serious of natural events such as earthquakes, volcanoes, storms, hurricanes and rising water levels which will tip the balance of the world and eventually kill the human race or make Earth uninhabitable.

The above were taken from the Discovery Channel's show The Nostradamus Effect, the movie 2012 and a site with lists of theories. (http://www.2012endofdays.org/general/2012-end-of-days.php)

I was randomly searching about the placebo effect online, trying to catch up on some blogging that will most likely not really be read but anywho! :)

The Nocebo Effect. o.0
(Below is from skepdic.com)

A nocebo (Latin for "I will harm") is something that should be ineffective but which causes symptoms of ill health. A nocebo effect is an ill effect caused by the suggestion or belief that something is harmful. The term 'nocebo' became popular in the 1990s. Prior to that, both pleasant and harmful effects thought to be due to the power of suggestion were usually referred to as being due to the placebo effect.

More than two-thirds of 34 college students developed headaches when told that a non-existent electrical current passing through their heads could produce a headache.
"Japanese researchers tested 57 high school boys for their sensitivity to allergens. The boys filled out questionnaires about past experiences with plants, including lacquer trees, which can cause itchy rashes much as poison oak and poison ivy do. Boys who reported having severe reactions to the poisonous trees were blindfolded. Researchers brushed one arm with leaves from a lacquer tree but told the boys they were chestnut tree leaves. The scientists stroked the other arm with chestnut tree leaves but said the foliage came from a lacquer tree. Within minutes the arm the boys believed to have been exposed to the poisonous tree began to react, turning red and developing a bumpy, itchy rash. In most cases the arm that had contact with the actual poison did not react." (Gardiner Morse, "The nocebo effect," Hippocrates, November 1999, Hippocrates.com)

I found this to be really interesting. I kinda reminds me of an experiment we saw on one of the videos where if you were told that the water you were putting your hand into is warm, you wouldn't react as much, but if you were told it was really hot, you would react quite differently to water at the same temperature.

"In one experiment, asthmatic patients breathed in a vapor that researchers told them was a chemical irritant or allergen. Nearly half of the patients experienced breathing problems, with a dozen developing full-blown attacks. They were “treated” with a substance they believed to be a bronchodilating medicine, and recovered immediately. In actuality, both the “irritant” and the “medicine” were a nebulized saltwater solution."*

The above experiment is really intriguing as well. A combination of the nocebo and the placebo effect. It is remarkable that people would develop such serious attacks with no real reason behind them other than their mind playing a trick on them. The nocebo effect is deemed to be nearly as bad as the placebo effect in some people because they believe that they will only get worse before they get better.

But that tis all for now. Back to reading Beloved... o.e