What the experts say on "2012"

CEBU, Philippines - And what if the end of the world really was upon us? Would you want to know?   What would you do? Harald Kloser, screenwriter of Columbia Pictures’ new disaster epic “2012,” already knows his answer. “I would do exactly what John Cusack’s character does. I would grab my kids and take them to where it’s safe, as best I can.”

For Cusack himself, the answer is evasive. “I’m not sure. It’s an interesting question. Who would you call, what would be the last thing you do? I think I might have a cigarette. I quit smoking, but if the world were ending, I might have a cigarette.”

As the end of the Mayan calendar approaches, several researchers have studied the phenomena that are predicted to hit the earth in 2012. Though these experts agree on several areas of their study – notably that the earth is expected to go through a moment of cataclysmic change – many areas remain in question or controversy.

LAWRENCE E. JOSEPH is the author of Apocalypse 2012: An Investigation into Civilization’s End. In Joseph’s book, the Maya prophecy is just the beginning – he goes on to describe the calamities that some scientists are predicting, including solar activity, magnetic pole shift, and the Yellowstone supervolcano. The book examines the strange coincidence that both ancient Mayan prophecy and contemporary solar physics indicate that the year 2012 will be pivotal, perhaps catastrophic.

JOHN MAJOR JENKINS is the author of Maya Cosmogenesis 2012: The True Meaning of the Maya Calendar End-Date. He has devoted his career to reconstructing ancient Mayan cosmology and philosophy. With The New York Times hailing Jenkins as “applying academic rigor” to the 2012 theories, Jenkins has become a principal driver and clear explainer of the kinds of shifts that might await the planet. He advocates studying 2012 from the Maya viewpoint, which state that cycle end-dates (like that in 2012, when a rare “galactic alignment” is predicted to occur) are times of transformation and renewal. Jenkins’ most recent book is The 2012 Story: The Myths, Fallacies, and Truth Behind the Most Intriguing Date in History.

DANIEL PINCHBECK is the author of 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl and editor of Reality Sandwich (www.realitysandwich.com). He argues that the end-date of the Maya’s Long Count Calendar indicates a potential paradigm shift in human civilization, as we face ecological crisis. The transformation, he believes, could lead to an integration of modern science with mysticism. This change is represented by Quetzlacoatl, the feathered-serpent deity of Mesoamerican myth, representing the unity of heaven and earth, spirit and matter.

Opening across the Philippines on Friday, Nov. 13, “2012” is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.sonypictures.com.ph  to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games.