21 December 2012 was believed to mark the end of the thirteenth B'ak'tun cycle in the Long Count of the Mayan calendar. Many people believed this date to mark the end of the world or, at the very least, a shift to a new form of global consciousness. Examining how much of the phenomenon is based on the historical record and how much is contemporary fiction, the book explores the landscape of the modern apocalyptic imagination, the economics of the spiritual marketplace, the commodification of countercultural values, and the cult of celebrity.

Brings together a range of scholarly analyses on the 2012 phenomena. This title examines how much of the 2012 phenomenon is based on the historical record and how much is contemporary fiction. It reveals the landscape of the modern apocalyptic imagination, the economics of the spiritual marketplace, and more.