The Harmonic Convergence was a loosely organized new age spiritual event that occurred on August 16 and August 17, 1987, when groups of people gathered in various sacred sites and "mystical" places all over the world to usher in a new era. The date was based primarily on the Maya calendar, but was also affected by interpretations of European and Asian astrology. It also marked a time in astronomy when a number of planets in our solar system came into alignment with one another.
The Harmonic Convergence was supposed to be a global awakening to love and unity through divine transformation. It was initiated in 1987 by Jose Arguelles. According to his interpretation of Maya cosmology (an interpretation held as completely unfounded by Mayanist scholarship), this date was the end of twenty-two cycles of 52 years each, or 1144 years in all. The twenty-two cycles were divided into thirteen "heaven" cycles, which began in AD 843 and ended in 1519, when the nine "hell" cycles began, ending 468 years later in AD 1987.
The Harmonic Convergence was (according to Arguelles) to be the end of these "hell" cycles and the beginning of a new age of universal peace, as supposedly foretold in Maya prophecies. To supporters of the concept, the signs indicated that a "major energy shift" was about to occur, a turning point in Earth's collective karma and dharma. Believers said this energy was powerful enough to change the global perspective of man from one of conflict to one of co-operation. Actress and author Shirley MacLaine called it a "window of light", allowing access to higher realms of awareness.
According to Arguelles and others, the Harmonic Convergence also began the final 26-year countdown to the end of the Mayan Long Count in 2012, which would be the "end of history" and the beginning of a new 5,125-year cycle. All the evils of the modern world—war, materialism, violence, abuses, unjustice, governmental abusive of power, etc.—would end with the birth of the 6th Sun and the 5th Earth on December 21, 2012. (Note that there is no evidence that the ancient Maya believed that the world would end at this point.)
