According to the sacred calendar of the Mayan and Toltec civilizations of Mesoamerica, 2012 signifies the end of a "Great Cycle" of more than five thousand years, the conclusion of one world age and the beginning of the next. The hypothesis the author proposes is that the completion of the Great Cycle and the return of Quetzalcoatl are archetypes, and their underlying meaning points toward a shift in the nature of the psyche. Humanity faces an imminent decision between greater self-potential and catastrophic ruin. A potential transformation of consciousness on this scale would lead to the rapid creation, development, and dissemination of new institutions and social structures, corresponding to new levels of mind and a harmonic, even utopian, situation on the earth.

Such a radical proposition might not seem to match the current direction of world affairs. However it is the author's view that such a transition can be approached sensibly, and has in fact been carefully prepared by our history. At the same time, our active engagement is required to make it happen. A change in the nature of the psyche would be at first a subtle and invisible process, yet eventually such a mind shift would have results in the physical world just as real as current headline events. Intriguing and well-researched, this is a kaleidoscopic tour de force through the range of philosophy and consciousness that weaves together the realms of human imagination and the harsh realities of incipient global catastrophe. Pinchbeck's inner journey is compelling, familiar, and redemptive, his conclusions robust, original, and optimistic.