User:Nathan hutchcraft/Patrick Geryl

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Patrick Geryl (b.1955) is an author and amateur astronomer from Antwerp, Belgium known for his writings on various topics in history and science, including Atlantis and theories of a pole shift. Geryl's work represents a form of Catastrophism. In the early 21st century, he has gained attention for promoting belief in a world-wide cataclysmic event that will take place on December 21, 2012. His assertions concerning the end of the world--December 21 2012 resulting from a magnetic shift in the Earths polarity--have no credible scientific support and are generally dismissed outright by historians, archaeologists, astronomers, and researchers into Mayan culture. Mr. Geryl has no academic accreditation or formal scientific training. His writings and theories are firmly in the realm of Pseudoscience.

=Theories= Geryl says he was very interested in astronomy from the time he was a child and claims to have studied no books on the subject. His first book, A New Space-Time Dimension (1979) attacked previous theories, including Albert Einstein's famous Theory of Relativity. The book made several astronomical predictions about the time and intensity of future solar flares. While Geryl claims these predictions have been supported by scientific data, this is debated, and no one in the scientific community agree. He has written three popular books discussing this theory. Even though on his Facebook page some people believe that all Patricks predictions were correct but there is no scientific proof of this. As far as many people are concerned out of all of his predictions only a few were right. and considering the fact that he has a prediction for everyday. Thats not that hard to believe. Patrick's predictions of 2012 of course failed. That is also not hard to believe.

Atlantis and Catastrophism
Geryl claims to have discovered evidence for an ancient civilization that he says was destroyed by a world wide polar reversal that caused a catastrophic flood. He makes draws upon myth to suggest these are traces of the lost civilization of Atlantis. This civilization (as stated by Geryl) was ancestral to ancient Egyptians and the ancient Maya. He asserts both Egyptians and Mayas have made predictions about a similar worldwide disaster that will occur in 2012.

The Hall of Records
Geryl believes that many number series and codes of ancient Egyptian and Mayan myths seem to have been converted into their monuments. He claims the pyramids, the Sphinx, and other buildings were constructed to provoke the curiosity of people in the distant future. Geryl claims that Herodotus described an underground complex that contained more than three-thousand chambers and believes it was a copy of one in Atlantis. He claims to be looking for a building that he thinks is even larger than the pyramids. He believes it will provide us with the correct data with which the Egyptians and the Atlanteans made their predictions of a world-wide cataclysm.

Geryl believes that the ancient Egyptians and Mayans carefully studied the cycle of the sun in its perceived yearly circuit along the zodiacal path. He cites evidence presented by Maurice Cotterell that these people knew the sunspot cycle theory better than himself.

The Dresden Codex
The Dresden Codex (or Codex Dresdensis) is a pre-Columbian Mayan book of the eleventh or twelfth century of the Yucatecan Maya in Chichén Itzá. The Maya codex is believed to be a copy of an original text of some three or four hundred years earlier. Historians say it is the earliest known book written in the Americas. Geryl and his co-author Ratinck claim that they were able to read and decipher parts of the Dresden Codex and that they discovered that the old Egyptians and the ancient Maya were both descendants of Atlantis.

Solar Activity and Catastrophes on Earth
Geryl claims that at certain moment, when the sun's magnetism reaches a crucial point, the sun's surface will be subjected to immense storms. electro-magnetic forces from the interior of the sun and solar flares will send a gigantic wave of particles to the Earth. He asserts that the particles will have destructive effect on the Van Allen belts and that because of the continuous stream of electromagnetism, the magnetic field of the earth will get overcharged. When the poles are filled with auroras from the falling particles, the inevitable will happen; the earth's inner electromagnetic field will get overcharged and will crash. A mega short-circuit will occur. Geryl claims the planet's atmosphere will be left without magnetic protection. Since, the Earth's magnetic field functions to protect us by directing the electromagnetic particles to the poles particles would penetrate the earth from all sides and generate intensive radiation. Geryl describes how the sky would appear as "burning, intensely burning." Geryl claims that because the iron core of the Earth is magnetic, the Earth will start to shift and the planet will tilt thousands of miles in a couple of hours. Looking up in the sky, Geryl claims, it will seem as if "the sky is coming down." Giant earthquakes will occur, along with catastrophic tectonic movement.

=Publications=

The Orion Prophecy
He actually never wrote a book, but tries to claim fame from friends of his that did. The Orion Prophecy (1998) was co-authored by Gino Ratinckx. It asserts that there will be a world-wide catastrophe in 2012 based on information from the ancient Maya and the ancient Egypt. The authors claim that both were descendants of the survivors of the lost continent of Atlantis. They also claim that artifacts and documents from Atlantis are hidden in a Hall of Records.

The book draws upon theories published in The Orion Mystery by Robert Bauval that suggest the pyramids of Egypt were built according to the Orion constellation of 12,000 years ago. Geryl believes the construction of the pyramids is related to the precession of the Orion constellation in 9792 BC, the year he claims was when the last catastrophe happened. Yet, he has no proof of any catastrophy, nor has any field of science been able to support his wild claims.

The World Cataclysm in 2012
In The World Cataclysm in 2012 (2005), Geryl claims that the sun's magnetic field will generate gigantic solar flares that will affect the polarity of the entire Earth and result in a polar reversal) with catastrophic consequences. In this book, he claims that Atlantis is now buried under the South Pole.  Geryl asserts that there were connections between the ancient Maya and the ancient Egyptian civilization.  He also finds evidence for a flood myth in the Dresden Codex.  He claims that changes in the magnetic field of the Sun will cause a catastrophe on Earth..

How to Survive 2012
How to Survive 2012 (2006) addresses catastrophic aspects of the 2012 phenomenon, suggesting that humans are capable of surviving any worldwide disaster with adequate planning. Geryl claims a magnetic reversal or pole shift will occur along with crustal displacement. According to Geryl, the Earth will start rotating in the opposite direction, causing kilometers-high tsunamis and resulting in millions of deaths. He intends to survive as a latter-day Noah. I survived 2012 by not listeing to Gerryl.

=Criticisms= Geryl's theories about the Mayas, Atlantis, and Egypt were originally proposed in the 19th century by Charles Étienne Brasseur de Bourbourg, Augustus Le Plongeon, and especially Ignatius Donnelly in Atlantis: The Antediluvian World (1882). His assertions about a Hall of Records can be traced to mediumship texts of Edgar Cayce. These theories are generally regarded as spurious and the product of pseudoarchaeology. Geryl's theories about pole shift and crustal displacement derive from the work of Charles Hapgood, also considered to be examples of pseudoscience. Patrick Geryl's doomsday site has been selling T-shirts, and survival gear.

=Notes=

=References=


 * Aveni, Anthony F. 2000. Empires of Time. Tauris Parke Paperbacks. ISBN 1-8606460-2-6
 * Donnelly, Ignatious. 1882. Atlantis: The Antedeluvian World
 * Geryl, Patrick. How To Survive 2012. 2003-2009. http://www.howtosurvive2012.com/htm_night/home.htm
 * Ruggles, Clive L.N., Ancient Astronomy, ABC-CLIO, 2005, ISBN 1-8510947-7-6