What does the prophecy of the 2012 Ascension mean to you? An enquiry into contemporary instances of Apocalyptic Beliefs.

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The purpose of your research project and in what way will it contribute to the academic understanding of your subject matter.

The aim of the project is to consider the phenomenon of apocalyptic beliefs within contemporary metropolitan societies.

The term ‘apocalyptic beliefs’ will be defined in line with Norman Cohn's use of the term as a particular type of salvationism.1 This definition is in line with Nick Campion’s explanation of the word 'apocalypse'. Campion suggests “the Greek for revelation, is derived from the word apocalyptic, to describe the vision of the end of the world". Campion also states that eschatology is from the Greek word Eschaton, meaning the study of ends, but can mean belief in the end of the world. The word millenarian may be applied to all beliefs that the world is about to enter a major new phase.

Campion also suggests that the terms millenarian, eschatological and apocalyptic may also be used interchangeably. 2

The aim of the project is to examine, in particular, the beliefs of members of a Spiritualist Church Group in the Costa Blanca area of Spain, who will be asked to give their views on the doctrine of the 2012 Ascension.

According to the website to to2012.com some believe that the end of the world as we know it will occur on the 21st December 2012. This date coincides with the end of the Mayan Long count calendar and will supposedly mark a 'new beginning of joy and enlightenment for all of humanity. A new humanity 100 times more harmonious than we are currently. An instantaneous launch, if you will, to a higher vibratory state on 21st December 2012'. 3

Informants will be asked whether they profess belief in this doctrine and, if so, to what extent does this belief affect ...

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...ge Movement: the Extent and Nature of Contemporary Belief in Astrology', (PhD Thesis, University of the West of England, 2004) Part 1, Chapter 2, Millenarianism p 31

3 http://to2012.com/ (Accessed Mar 7, 2011)

4 Daniel Wojcik. Embracing Doomsday: Faith, Fatalism, and Apocalyptic Beliefs in the Nuclear Age, Western Folklore, (Western States Folklore Society 1996) Vol. 55, No. 4, Explorations in Folklore and Cultural Studies, pp. 297-330.

5 John W. Hoopes in "Mayanisim Comes Of (New) Age,” in Decoding the Counterculture Apocalypse 2012 ed. Joseph Gelfer (London: Equinox Publishing)

6 Alan Bryman. Quantity and Quality in Social Research. (London: Unwin Hyman. 1988) chp 6 p126

7 Bryman. Quantity and Quality (1988)

8 Judith Bell. Doing Your Research Project. (Buckingham, Philadelphia: Open University Press.1999) (3rd Edition) p135

9 Bell Research (1999)

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