Michael Meade

There are two great stories on earth: the eternal drama of the world and the unique story sewn inside each person's soul. Why The World Doesn't End is a book about how the rattling of nature and the unraveling of culture impact each of our lives at the end of the modern era. It begins with the idea that the world will continue to undergo radical changes, but will not in fact come to an end. The issue then becomes how to think and how to act when it seems that things could end at any time. While many expect the world to end because of global warming or nuclear nightmares, at the hand of wrathful deities or the prediction of ancient calendars, mythologist Meade seeks for hints of renewal amidst the rattling and the rubble. In place of common apocalyptic scenarios, he follows a knowing thread back to ancient notions of “apocalypsis” as a liminal period marking the passage between one era and the next. He offers an in-depth treatise on the psychology and mythology of the end of an era. Apocalypsis involves eruptions in nature and disruptions of culture, but also makes possible revelations of a unifying principle and guiding force in each life. In times of great uncertainty life-changing and life-saving projects try to get our attention. When the end seems near the beginning is also close; old wisdom can return and become known again and subtle voices hint at unseen designs.In addressing the second adventure of life Meade shows how times of stress present the exact conditions for finding the soulful paths that allow us to contribute to an eventual turn around and renewal of life. When the end seems close at hand the beginning is also near and each person faces the choice of falling under the spell of collective anxiety and cynicism or finding creative ways of assisting with the renewal of the world. Myths are timeless stories that can shed light on the times we live in and this book helps illuminate the big problems of the world while revealing surprising ways to survive them.

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