Futurology is a branch of Eschatology, a discipline of study that examines the past in order to postulate probable futures using consensus views and the evolution of myths that underlie them. The debate is whether this discipline is philosophy, theology, science or mysticism.

Futures as its known by its practitioners is not prognostication, although it is often confused with foretelling the future by mystics who claim to have more then just five senses. Eschatologists use history to predict likelihoods by reconstructing the past and present to find systematic patterns that can explain trends much like forecasting the weather.

From a  scientific point of view we are taught that fate is nothing more than a convergence of probabilities that leads to one outcome; although there are infinite elements to consider at any given time to be sure of one particular result, accuracy is more about determining boundaries of possibilities then it is on being exact, and yet the assumption is that being “scientific” means completely testing every presumption before deciding whether its a fact or not.

Frequently, we have to make fast decisions based on preconceived notions and prejudices evoked from experience because things happen so fast in the real world that there is no time to process them or we’ll never get anything done. Does this mean that quick decisions based on gut instinct are unscientific?

If we view the future simply as the summation of all the steps it will take to get there, then the direction pursued to reach it is defined by some kind of horizon beyond which nothing can be seen, and the only reason to be concerned about what will happen in the future is because we are unhappy about the present and want to know that the future will be a happy one.

There continues to be a philosophical discourse about whether actions have more significance than thoughts. The correlation between both is perhaps at the center of this dialogue.

Actions can be seen and measured by others, provoking numerous consequences with a wider impact then first imagined. Thoughts on the other hand are less open to observation. They are part of one’s private introspective world but can have great influence through meditation and prayer. Although they cant be seen and are usually difficult to articulate, they also influence behavior.

Conceivably, thoughts are actions on a less tangible plane. Perhaps they converge at the point where motivation saturates a new perception with curiosity. Thoughts that create ambivalence are likely to remain thoughts; those that are focused become a catalyst for a plethora of actions.

Random Thoughts can  appear unexpectedly out of nowhere. Some are “good”, others are “not.” Should we be held as responsible for random thoughts as for those that have conscious motivation since random thoughts are not as controllable, or are they? Then, the question becomes, are we as accountable for the thoughts we have as for the actions we initiate?

Most things follow patterns of order, often imperceptible, hidden within harmonious arrangements of time and space, obvious but invisible until something disruptive appears attracting attention because its intrusive.

As an individual, the easiest way to stand out is by creating chaos, mainly to attract attention since one doesn’t get anywhere by doing what is expected. Too much time is focused on what others envisage for us at the expense of finding our own heart’s desire.

All are capable of creating disorder in their lives but it takes practice to learn how, over time, to use it to engage attention in a good way, although defining something as good or bad, positive or negative is subjective, talent and hard work may not be enough unless one is willing to take the plunge, now and then, by braving disorder, hoping it will be just enough to invite positive scrutiny, but never being sure that it actually will.

Perhaps, being sensitive to the mood of all the surrounding currents helps one learn how to direct chaos with insight and hopefully, its all interpreted as confidence rather then as some kind of atmospheric disturbance. But how disorder is in the end perceived, depends largely on the temperament of those perceiving it.

Sometimes it’s possible to feel connected to something higher. Usually, it seems like an unexplainable perception has been awakened and the energy flows freely. At other times distractions make everything chaotic and impossible to perceive. Then, the ability to focus becomes a futile attempt to pierce the fog as too many currents saturate thought at the same time.

Spirituality celebrates a layering of levels which extends into infinity.The need to know the endpoint is less important than the ability to sense the closest higher reality by piercing the density when the perception is first noticed.

The state from where the energy emanates is subject to belief and speculation, a fertile ground for theology, an outgrowth of paganism aimed at influencing the dialogue about the unknown by extolling a higher being who created all things as a reflection of His image. The organization of natural forces without the appearance of a personal higher being does not exclude His existence, it simply affirms a limited capacity to feel Him.

There are infinite senses one could link to if one is open to the possibilities, when the mind is clear and the heart is open. One simply has to learn to listen to the cosmic pulse. Although meditation is not as easy as it sounds, its not as nebulous as one would think. Anyone could reach a meditative state simply by relaxing, breathing in the Qi and not thinking about it too much.

Every now and then I think about people who for one reason or another I never understood. Whether it was a choice they made, a situation they got themselves into, or a perception they held about the world or themselves, I drew a blank.

This is not an uncommon experience, but when it does happen, it can be disconcerting. Sometimes, during an unguarded moment, I began to think that maybe appreciating someone who is so perplexing is a skill that can be learned. Perhaps if I thought of it as a challenge rather then a threat while remaining aware of the importance of maintaining objectivity, it is possible to gain some insight. Even then, this state has been been difficult to achieve or sustain, without slipping back into a limited perspective.

Among other things, the ability to figure out someone is dependent on three things: What they reveal about themselves, what I think they are expressing at any given moment, balanced by my willingness to put myself in their shoes while continuing to be honest about how I’m feeling inhabiting their situation, whatever their circumstances are. After all, this is a basis for human existence and, at its source, motivation.

The most enduring insights, the one’s that lead to visceral change, usually come from self discovery rather than from being told by someone else. Perhaps because these are the ones that last the longest and often become the basis for different trains of thought; emerging from an evolution in thinking evoked by elements not considered until they are learned in conversations with others, usually when focused on unrelated subjects and fed by curiosity that reveals one of the blind spots unique to the individual.

In any event, grasping someones psyche can lead to tolerance and forgiveness if what makes them tick is something that has caused pain. Then, letting go and moving on becomes the basis of growth and development beyond the initial sense of disorientation and anger, particularly when much of it is self inflicted,  yet another truth revealed, as I look into the mirror and see my own reflection.

Ignite a match in a room without light, and darkness recedes; what was once a black place is now revealed containing all sorts of objects to stimulate the imagination. Depending on the size of the match and the length of time its aglow, light will leave impressions upon the memory of things that existed before its presence.

Light, it seems, is needed to see a path across whatever space is perceived although some claim that another sense is at work during the play of the collective five senses thought necessary for insight and consciousness. However, when pressed to be more specific, no one has been able to categorize  them as anything more then some kind of extra sensory perception open for interpretation until the level of instrumentality allows science to verify and reproduce the results, suggesting more questions.

In a group of three, a scientist would argue that without the presence of these two conditions, an occurrence cannot be classified as a fact. The theologian might point out that belief and faith can be as real as any fact, while a  philosopher might say, “listen”, from a theological prospective, darkness is associated with evil rather than the unknown suggesting that the course of action to eliminate darkness is to destroy evil, rather than transmute it and make it part of the light and by so doing, changing the balance between good and evil. Perhaps a more appropriate description for this process is illumination which is why you need the match to create the light in the first place.

“So, who or what created the match?”

Time it seems is nothing more then the pattern of sequencing the brain uses to imprint events as memories so that distinctions between the past, present and future are easier to identify.

Duration, another way of referring to time includes everything between two arbitrary points defined as a pattern of continuity which marks infinitesimal amounts of passage added infinitely.

The present can best be thought of as the thought being thought of, at the moment it’s being thought, or the pause taken when traveling from what was, into what is and what it will be some time in the future. The word itself has little meaning since the universe is dynamic and in constant movement, so that the distinction between the past and future can perhaps best be visualized as a point advancing along an imaginary line.

A photograph can capture the present, but only a small part of what is occurring at the moment it was taken, now a part of the past. A series of older, submerged images can evoke patterns of thought associated with memories as they progress from the past into the future, but it often takes a conscious effort to make sense of their continuity.

Whatever exists now is part of a larger evolution of what will become the future, moving without the sensation of motion unless it is measured by boundaries extrapolated from cycles of  planetary movement and cosmic patterns, such a year, day, an hour, a minute, or a second. In other words, time is that construct that is created to bring sequential order from chaos as we move from one dimension into the next.

A year is not a long time to wait to find out what will happen, if anything, on December 21, 2012. The Mayans calculated it as the end of the cycle we are now in and the beginning of another. From their experiences natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and volcanic activity surrounded the passage from one cycle to the next, and all of them they noticed, tended to be on a cataclysmic level. There was no reason for the Mayans not to think that this cycle would be any different.

Some fatalists point to metaphysical texts such as those from Nostradamus and others throughout history, usually scripted in archaic language and open to interpretation, about this date. Their range of credibility is wide, and conventional thinkers discount coincidences as any more predictable than seeing chaos within order, or visa versa.

Many scientists point to convincing evidence which does support the claim that the climate change now occurring is from human manipulation of the environment. The disagreement is about how close we have come to the point of no return, and what needs to be done to restore the balance, resulting in essentially no action.

Some within occult circles see this change as a tangible point in the evolution of consciousness. They claim a spiritual alteration will occur, and its effects might not be immediately perceived. How this will manifest is still left uncertain.

Perhaps this will be the day extra-terristrials will make contact with Earth, possibly to offer their help in solving our environmental problems. Will we accept it? or will it lead to suspicion and mistrust?

We only have to look back and recall , “To Serve Man,” a third season episode (#89) of The Twilight Zone, based on a short story of the same name by Damon Knight. It was first published in the November 1950 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction. The story was adapted by Rod Serling for television and directed by Richard L. Bare. It was the episode that everyone was talking about the next day.

The story told in 25 minutes is narrated in flashbacks by Michael Chambers, a linguist who is now on a space craft on its way to an alien planet. The Kanamits, a race of nine foot tall aliens came to Earth, a year earlier. Speaking telepathically to the United Nations, they offered their technology to help us solve our environmental and social problems, during the height of the cold war. The outline of their offer is presented as a book entitled, “To Serve man”, and given to the world freely. The initial reaction is skepticism and suspicion. Soon, by ending famine, showing us how to achieve energy efficiency cheaply and by  curing all sorts of diseases, the Kanamits  earned humanities’ trust. In less than a year an exchange program had begun, transporting humans to the Kanamits home planet.

As he is boarding the steps of the spacecraft, Chamber’s assistant who is helping him translate the text, runs up to gate and yells, “To Serve Man, its a cookbook.” But its too late for Michael Chambers who is being fattened up for the menu.

A year is not a long time to wait to find out what will actually happen, if anything, on December 21, 2012. But the countdown has begun and all eyes will be focused on unusual events that may occur in the coming year leading up to December 21, 2012, including first contact with alien life.