A quick scan of the shelves at any New Age bookstore would likely reveal a plethora of books dedicated to 2012, that infamous year when, according to many ancient mythologies, the world is going to change forever. Some say it will be the end of civilization. Others say it will be the beginning of a new enlightened era. But all who believe in the significance of this year are unanimous about one point: Something big is going to happen.

As it turns out, 2012 theories aren't limited to the superstitious or the occult. According to futurist John Petersen, founder of the Washington DC-based think tank the Arlington Institute, there are some very serious economic, political, and environmental trends that will all come to a head in the next three years. In this Unbound interview EnlightenNext's Carter Phipps speaks with Petersen about his new book, A Vision for 2012: Planning for Extraordinary Change, and why he feels that we may be headed toward one of the biggest transitions in human history.

While Petersen, who accurately forecasted our current financial crisis in 2006 (to a remarkable level of detail), believes that we have some tough times ahead of us, he remains optimistic about our long-term future. He is among many who believe that in order for a new world to be born, the old one needs to first confront a certain degree of crisis. How much crisis? Over the course of their conversation, Petersen gives Phipps his predictions about how bad things may get before they get better and describes what he believes the world could look like on the other side of 2012.

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