Читать книгу Riding the Tide of Change: Preparing for Personal & Planetary Transformation - Martin F. Luthke PhD - Страница 5

Much has been written and speculated about a time of cataclysmic change that this planet, and with it, the human race, may experience at some point in time. Prophecies from many cultures and traditions speak of a time of unprecedented change, whether you refer to the Bible, the Mayan calender, Nostradamus, Native American prophecies or contemporary authors on Earth Changes and the New Millennium. Many readers may have watched one or more of the NBC features on "Ancient Prophecies" aired on prime-time TV. Seers of the past and present have foreseen a whole array of possible scenarios, including another ice age, polar melting, World War III or a nuclear holocaust, massive earthquakes, widespread famine, unrest, disease, three (or more) days of darkness, electromagnetic disturbances, a polar shift or a turning of planet Earth on its axis, and more. Some of the concepts introduced to mass consciousness speak of Armageddon, a Time of Tribulation, Earth Changes, or even the End Time.

We will not attempt to evaluate or critique any of the possible scenarios that have been offered to us in ancient texts or modern media. But whether we believe in any of the proposed visions of the future or just stick with what we see in the present, it is hard to deny that "something is going on." A little while ago, when Linda and I presented a workshop on personal and planetary healing for the New Millennium, the participants came up with the following list of observations which have been reported in the news media and/or documented by scientists:

• Global warming

• Ozone depletion, increase in skin cancers

• Plagues such as AIDS, TB, resistant strains of viruses, bacteria, parasites and pests

• Erratic or unusually intense weather such as floods, draughts, record cold or hot spells, hurricanes, tornadoes

• Increased number and strength of earthquakes

• Widespread fires as a consequence of human interventions and draughts/storms

• Changes in the electromagnetic field of the earth

• Scientific predictions and observations of increased solar storms

• Global rise in fundamentalism, extremism, and terrorism

• Increased level of violence in society, particularly among adolescents, and domestic violence.

The above list is by far not exhaustive. Add to it the stress and strain that the planet and all of humanity are experiencing due to unprecedented levels of overpopulation, environmental degradation, and depletion of natural resources (soil, water, forests, biodiversity, etc.), add to these the economic challenges such as the dramatic increase in private and public debt throughout the world, the strain on the social systems in all industrialized nations (welfare, pensions, health), and add the breathtaking acceleration of scientific discovery and technological change (from horse and buggy to space travel in one century), and one can hardly deny that we are living in a time of dramatic and all-encompassing change.

On some level it matters little whether we give credence to one or another of the proposed visions of the future; looking at the overwhelming evidence that is presently available should suffice. I believe we can safely predict that the time for "business as usual" is running out and massive changes on many levels are inevitable; a progression of the current trends of development is simply not sustainable.

While no human being can know exactly what the future will bring, I will share my assumptions about the present and future times, so that the reader knows "where I am coming from." These are working assumptions, not statements of fact, and I urge you to come to your own conclusions for yourself.

(1) Nothing is as it was or will be.

(2) We are living in a time of dramatic changes on all levels.

(3) We cannot assume a continuity of trends into the future.

(4) So far, we have only seen the "tip of the iceberg," but enough to assume that there really is an iceberg!

(5) I believe we are presently living in the time of change which has been prophesied by many seers and through many sources.