Twelve twenty-one, twenty-twelve. Has a haunting ring to it, doesn’t it? December 21, 2012. That is the date that Patrick Geryl has identified in his book “How to Survive 2012” for a world cataclysm to occur. Down through the ages many have forecast such an event and, of course, the physical event has never occurred in this era of history. Geryl’s foundational basis for the prediction has included his cracking of codes, the unveiling of the magnetic reversal of the sun, translating hieroglyphs, the study of old maps, the decoding of astrological clues and geological research.
From this he has concluded :
1. Sudden reversals and pole shifts are natural to the earth, and occur with clock-like regularity. The result is world-wide destruction, which is supported by paleo-magnetic evidence and early manuscripts.
2. The reversal of the poles is attributable to the harmonic cycle of the magnetic fields of the sun.
3. Polar reversals can be calculated precisely on the basis of the sunspot cycle theory or the magnetic field theory, which the Maya and the Old Egyptians were privy to. These secrets are contained in the Labyrinth of Hawara, a huge complex consisting of three thousand rooms.
Geryl’s conclusion, however frightening, should be considered by anyone who is concerned about the state of the world and the daily patterns of the destruction of life and ecological damage that are manifest every day in some part of our planet. As a society we in the United States have become expectant of and calloused to such reports from third world countries, whether the news is of evil political regimes, horrifying natural disasters, the destroying of resources such as the rape of the rain forests for benefit of a few greedy businessmen, or the trafficking of humans or body parts for monetary gain. Our own backyard is not without the taint of questionable activity as evidenced in the out-of-control tactics of those who would harm others, either through deliberate or unintended consequences of their actions, all in the name of progress and the gain of wealth for a few. The cries of global warming, or cooling, depending on whatever the
flavor of the day is, seems paramount in the thought-process of much of our daily lives. “Paper or plastic?”
In today’s world one does not have to delve very far in order to conclude that the planet is in trouble, and that something needs to be done in order to mitigate its destruction. Geryl points out that the coming pole shift is inevitable, and that the time is now to make preparations for those who intend to be around after The Event, and want to be a part of the rebuilding of planet earth.
For many of those who accept the Bahá'í Teachings, Geryl’s forecast has some basis for consideration. You will remember that when `Abdu'l-Bahá sailed on the Cedric in 1912 concurrent with his historic visit to the United States, He related that before a hundred years had passed, waters would reach the lower floors of the New York City skyscrapers. Now, isn’t that interesting? It is also interesting that had He sailed on the Titanic, as He was first scheduled to do, He may not have survived the tragedy and been able to give another nine years of His message of hope and salvation to the souls of the world.
When later recalling the sinking of the Titanic, `Abdu'l-Bahá said “…Therein is a mystery; but whatever the reason and mystery, it was a very sad occurrence, one which brought tears to many eyes and distress to many souls. I was greatly affected by this disaster. Some of those who were lost voyaged on the Cedric with us as far as Naples and afterward sailed upon the other ship. When I think of them, I am very sad indeed. But when I consider this calamity in another aspect, I am consoled by the realization that the worlds of God are infinite; that though they were deprived of this existence, they have other opportunities in the life beyond, even as Christ has said, "In my Father's house are many mansions."
`Abdu'l-Bahá continues ”…Let no one imagine that these words imply that man should not be thorough and careful in his undertakings. God has endowed man with intelligence so that he may safeguard and protect himself. Therefore, he must provide and surround himself with all that scientific skill can produce. He must be deliberate, thoughtful and thorough in his purposes, build the best ship and provide the most experienced captain; yet, withal, let him rely upon God and consider God as the one Keeper. If God protects, nothing can imperil man's safety; and if it be not His will to safeguard, no amount of preparation and precaution will avail.” -- `Abdu'l-Bahá, “The Promulgation of Universal Peace” pages 46, 47, 49
Although Geryl does not seem to be coming from a background of religious urgency, as many others are wont to do, he provides a glimmer of hope himself, as stated on the back cover of the book. “In the face of this immense cataclysm, Geryl urges mankind to prepare and endure. The outlook is bleak, but the obstacles are not insurmountable. In this book, Geryl provides the blueprint for those wishing to survive the disaster to prepare themselves and prevail. He explains in detail the myriad problems survivors will encounter, and the precautions that need to be taken to overcome them. It is his hope that with this
information in hand, enough people will live on to reestablish civilization and continue human life on earth.”
Bahá'ís are additionally aware that not only the Center of the Covenant, `Abdu'l-Bahá, forewarned of a time of great upset and tribulation for the world, but His Father, the Prophet- founder and Holy Manifestation of the Bahá'í Faith, Bahá'u'lláh, shared His thoughts of future events as well. “The world is in travail, and its agitation waxeth day by day. Its face is turned towards waywardness and unbelief. Such shall be its plight, that to disclose it now would not be meet and seemly. Its perversity will long continue. And when the appointed hour is come, there shall suddenly appear that which shall cause the limbs of mankind to quake. Then, and only then, will the Divine Standard be unfurled, and the
Nightingale of Paradise warble its melody.” -- “Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh” pages 118, 119
Although the First Guardian did not overtly discuss future physical events, the Second Guardian did. He reminded us of the events foretold by Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá, and added his own take on upcoming cataclysmic events when he admonished the believers to move to the higher altitudes prior to 1963 in order to survive what he saw as an impending catastrophe. He cited reasons for his views from Charles Hapgood’s 1959 book, “The Earth’s Shifting Crust.” Since a major world catastrophe did not occur on or about 1963 in a physical sense, those who knew of his prediction viewed it in error.
However, knowledgeable Orthodox Bahá'ís have a different take. They understand that a spiritual cataclysm of unimagined consequence did occur in 1963 when the illicit Universal House of Justice lacking a guardian at its head was formed by the Heterodox Bahá'ís in Haifa, Israel, on Mount Carmel. A more tragic event could not be imagined by anyone understanding the consequences of temporarily derailing the foundation of God’s Kingdom on earth. This event will go down in history as probably the single-most reason for the self-destructive state that the world is in today, and the single greatest reason for the severity of the destruction that will occur during the impending physical forces that will
decimate the planet.
Now, having said all that, what does Patrick Geryl have to say about survival? After laying a background based upon secrets of a distant past, he begins discussing his views on his expectations of what we might expect during and after The Event itself. It is not pretty. And from his descriptions of the resulting severity of the situation one wonders how anyone at all could survive.
Notwithstanding his bleak outlook, he forges onward with the rebuilding process. This is the tough part, particularly for those who have not prepared to some degree. As I read further my personal thoughts were that it would be a blessing to not survive. However, remembering `Abdu'l-Bahá’s admonishment quoted earlier, we must all use our intelligence and do the best we can to survive any situation, particularly one where the baggage of the past will be torn away, with only its memory remaining for those who participate in the rebuilding process.
It is reasonable to assume that the destruction will differ scientifically among myriad locales of our vast world remembering that it is always dark for half the planet at any given time, and that seasons are reversed as well. Geographic differences will prevail and as awareness and discoveries resume, a new planetary surface will be presented as a fresh pallet to an artist. Geryl begins by citing desirable physical traits for the “new” communities to have a reasonable chance to endure, based upon climate, ease of transport and the probability of food production. He predicts that at the end of 2012 large areas of America and Europe will again be buried in billions of tons of ice, as was the case 12,000 years ago, as water is quickly displaced.
The English Channel will become land; a land bridge will reappear between Siberia and North America. Although that part of the new land will be more temperate; much of the continent will be under a gigantic ice cap. Many islands will become larger, Australia and New Guinea will form a very surprisingly large expanded continent. Japan will combine with China’s long coastline. The Strait of Hormuz will dry up, with dire consequences for oil activity and transport. The coasts of India and China will regain a lot of land. Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra will combine with Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. Coastal zones of Brazil and Argentina will expand as well. An illustration on page 103 shows the Indian
subcontinent among a part of the world that will increase in land mass. This should please our Indian believers.
However, Geryl cautions that any area that had a lot of nuclear plants such as India or Japan will be highly radioactive for thousands of years. Page 103 also begins his discussion of where he would prefer to be after The Event. “A new land-mass will also show up… the Aha-Men-Ptah, the legendary Atlantis that is now buried under the South Pole. After the melting of the ice cap“, he relates, “this is the ultimate place to restart civilization. In fact this continent is my personal preference.”
One would logically ask, “How will the United States fare?“ On page 168 he predicts that North America will undergo the greatest amount of change. “A large part of the continent will disappear under the North Pole.” Then quickly expanding his scope he continues, “The shift will wipe out entire populations of many animal species along with billions of people belonging to the most advanced civilization ever.”
In remembering the Second Guardian’s thoughts, it is sobering to realize that Geryl’s predictions align with Mason Remey’s theory that the only logical place for Americans to populate would be in the safety of the altitude of the Rocky Mountain chain. In my view, even that will be hit and miss, and the climate will most probably be extremely cold, with the expected difficulties of normal colder climes exacerbated exponentially by the resulting ravages of The Event.
The rebuilding process is thoroughly discussed in “How to Survive 2012”, and the reading of this is sobering as well when one realizes all the potential pitfalls involved. Drinking water, lavatory facilities, and food production each presents unique problems to overcome. Great detail is presented among the many topics covered in the rebuilding of society. The building of unsinkable boats is discussed as a means of survival along with perceived pitfalls of pursuing that avenue.
Toward the end of the book Geryl discusses a problem that to me may be the biggest hurdle of all. If one survives, or if groups of population survive, how do they reconnect with others who may have survived elsewhere on the planet?
Whether we realize it or not we have become so dependent on electronics that we are nearly helpless as a society without some sort of electronic assistance in every facet of our lives. The guiding force of electronics in our communications, our automobiles, our crop growing, our weather forecasting, and hundreds of other taken-for-granted aspects of daily life will vanish.
Geryl opines that solar flares will destroy all the world’s manmade satellites. Enormous induction currents will destroy all electronic equipment. These events will occur prior to the earth’s crust beginning to shift. Just think of the unlucky souls using air or sea transportation if that should happen suddenly. The book goes into great detail about the problems associated with that, as a lead-in to the chapter “Where Do We Assemble After The Continental Shift? This leads to a discussion of former known civilizations and the manner in which they handled their knowledge in face of expected catastrophe. And finally he devotes many pages to mathematically convincing proofs that substantiate his beliefs of impending events.
Yes, if we survive, where do we assemble and how? When I read this book the first time some months ago, it seemed the further I got into it, the gloomier the situation became. At one point it seemed that there was no possible way for anyone to survive and be able to begin a new civilization. However, Orthodox Bahá'ís know that is not true. We know that all the world’s problems have a spiritual solution as a basis for actual physical solutions.
We should have begun preparing as a society of mankind for some event such as this from the beginnings of the Bahá'í Faith in 1863. In fact, all of mankind have been expecting some sort of event to occur at the end times that will provide for God’s Kingdom to manifest on earth. How many Christians pray every single day for “..Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, in earth as it is in Heaven…”
This quote of Bahá'u'lláh’s, found on page 85 of “The Kitáb-i-Aqdas” has figured prominently in my Bahá'í life. It seemed applicable when I first met the Faith in the 1960s and has become ever more prophetic in the intervening years. Now remember, He uttered these words in the late 19th century. “The world's equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World Order. Mankind's ordered life hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous System--the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed.”
I would say that we humans have the assurance that some sort of event will happen at some time in the future to facilitate what Christ foretold as well as Bahá'u'lláh’s prophecy. And it is a fact that all the world’s revealed religions expect some sort of “end days” activity when the True One would appear on earth and lead it into eternity. In the views of the Orthodox Bahá'ís, the foundations of that society have already been presented to us, and are now on earth in largely embryonic form, and will eventually prevail at such time as humans are spiritually capable of uniting under the banner of God and follow His
Covenant. We have the assurance in `Abdu'l-Bahá’s Will and Testament that a world encompassing-society will develop and be the focal point of God’s Kingdom.
Patrick Geryl’s book gives us a probable preview of what we may expect to physically happen in the future, on schedule in the unending cycle of physical change that periodically has occurred time after time over the millions of years of this planet’s life. Humans of intelligence should know that at some point this will happen. The evidence is palpable. There are two qualities that will have to prevail in the intelligent rebuilding of the planet. Each one who intends to survive must do all the physical preparation she is capable of doing, and foremost, she must be spiritually prepared for The Event.
By Hand of the Cause of God David Maxwell
