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December 21, 2012 – the end of the world is scheduled for this date! Earth will be devastated by natural disasters, and only a handful of people will remain alive (according to dozens of Internet sites). An investigation into the reasons for the popularity of apocalyptic prophecies.
Thousands of websites are sounding the alarm, promising the imminent end of the world. Type in any search engine www.2012 – and get countless links. Allegedly, on December 21, the planet Nibiru, known to the Sumerians as far back as 4000 BC, will line up with the planets of the solar system, which will entail a meteor shower, earthquakes and tsunamis will begin, which will lead to the death of most of humanity … If you trust more scientists (and they deny the very existence of the planet Nibiru!), the Internet will offer a choice of other versions of the end of the world. In a word, an epic cataclysm is inevitable – after all, the Mayan calendar foreshadows this event from time immemorial, and it ends on this very day, the “fans” of the upcoming planetary cataclysm assure us. Apocalyptic versions were eagerly picked up by the cinema. Roland Emmerich made the 2012 blockbuster ahead of time. And in “Melancholia” the outstanding director Lars von Trier pronounces a death sentence on humanity and carries it out without regret. The spectacle of the world doomed to death, experiencing its last hours, is so impressive that for some moments skepticism falls silent. We, like children, are imbued with fiction, involuntarily experiencing the whole horror of waiting for the end of the world. Whether we believe in it or not, the theme of the apocalypse leaves few people indifferent. What is so attractive about it for us?
What are we really afraid of?
“The idea of the end of the world is extremely popular, primarily because it helps to smooth out personal conflict – the anxiety associated with the fear of one’s own death,” says Stanislav Raevsky, a Jungian analyst. – This topic is taboo, too complicated, painful. And we speak about it allegorically, through reasoning about the end of the world. This idea is also tempting for those who cannot bear the burden of problems, for whom the responsibility for themselves, children, the world around them turns out to be unbearable. “The theme of the apocalypse relieves, “nullifies” tension,” explains Stanislav Raevsky. – Why bother, worry, act, if tomorrow will be the end of everything? This fantasy turns out to be very attractive: a person forgets his fears and anxieties, stops worrying, but begins to be afraid of an external threat generated by his own fiction.
Read more:
- Eschatological collection
End of the world: new versions (as well as those that did not affect us)
- From 2015 to 2020. According to the prophecies of the Irish Bishop Malachi (1094–1148), Benedict XVI will be elected as the last pope. After him, the end of time.
- 2012. Carlos Barrios, historian and anthropologist from Guatemala, believes that those who survive the terrible earthquakes of December 21, 2012, will feel true harmony with themselves and the world.
- 2008. According to European clairvoyants, the black hole that arose during the launch of the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland was supposed to swallow our planet.
- 1999. This year, according to some interpretations, Nostradamus “appointed” the end of the world.
- 1910. Clairvoyants predicted the collision of Halley’s comet with the Earth.
- 1914, 1918, 1925, 1966, 1975, 1994. During these years, the sect of Jehovah’s Witnesses predicted the end of the world.
Fairy tale for adults
As children, we often asked our elders to tell us a terrible fairy tale before going to bed, which, however, always ended well. And listening to stories of cannibals, evil witches, and bloodthirsty monsters felt as much horror as pleasure, getting an adrenaline rush before falling into the blissful serenity of sleep. This is the same mechanism of action and “adult horror stories.” Moreover, a lover of apocalyptic predictions usually does not seriously consider his own death. “He takes the place of the spectator, the survivor, the place of the hero, declaring that he “always knew” that this would end badly, that “they” all led to this, explains psychoanalyst Sylvie Le Poulichet. “Besides, he can also take pleasure in believing that his enemies will die in a catastrophe. The terrifying prospect of the end of the world for such a person is transformed into a victory for his ego, seasoned with the sweet feeling that he has power over life and death.
Twilight of the Gods
Premonition of the end of the world can occur when experiencing loss, when it seems that life no longer has a meaning. But once the depression has passed, the apocalyptic thoughts recede. This applies not only to individuals, but also to society. Art, like a barometer, accurately registers times of crises and epochs of change. So, in the mid-1970s, during the first world oil crisis, the genre of the disaster film flourished: “The Adventure of Poseidon” (dir. Ronald Nim, 1972), “Earthquake” (dir. Mark Robson, 1974), “Hell in the Sky” (dir. John Guillermin, 1974). (All of these films are Oscar winners.) In the 2000s, individual drama on the screens is replaced by a global one: The Earth’s Core (dir. John Amiel, 2003), The Appearance (dir. M. Night Shyamalan, 2008) … This logically: the acute economic and climate crisis generates a sense of uncertainty, a catastrophic consciousness. “Now the world is also experiencing a crisis of values,” continues Stanislav Raevsky, “the twilight of the gods.” Before our eyes, the myth that you can find refuge in your personal, private world is crumbling. It should be replaced by collective values. Such a change in life paradigm can be perceived as the end of the world. It’s just that many people confuse the metaphorical end of the world with the literal.”
Life after death
The Russians, of course, are no exception. “Why are there so many predictions and they all converge in time? Some of them are delusional, but … I feel uncomfortable, especially since I suspected from childhood that I would not celebrate 20 years, because at 19 I’m a skiff, ”Nata expresses these anxieties in an online diary. It is curious, however, that, according to opinion polls, apocalyptic sentiments in Russia are much weaker than in the West. Moreover, they do not increase, but decrease. In 2008, 22% of Russians believed in the end of the world, and in 2011 – already 11%*. Stanislav Raevsky explains it this way: “Our country has experienced the “end of the world” more than once. For example, in 1917 or in 1991… What else do we have to be afraid of?”
* According to the Public Opinion Foundation, fom.ru
See also: Plan for the summer: the end of the world