&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Apocalypse an inevitable reality for humans today, whether caused by human stupidity or divinity")
The belief that an apocalypse will kill all humans and reset Earth's clock one day is a far more common belief than you would think. A study has found that one-third of people believe that the end is near, proving that the end is no longer a mere mythical belief but a reality for many. A team from the University of British Columbia has found that there are five dimensions to the belief about apocalypse, including how and when it might happen, whether humans would be responsible and if it would be a good thing. Each of these dimensions is linked to how they perceive the current threats. Those who think that a man-made disaster would kill us all want action to be taken, but those who feel the divine will be responsible say it should be accepted. Researchers surveyed 3,400 participants in the study, one-third of whom believe that the world will end in their lifetime. Dr Matthew Billet, lead author of the study from the University of British Columbia, said, "Belief in the end of the world is surprisingly common… and it's significantly influencing how people interpret and respond to the most pressing threats facing humanity." The study was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
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The 5 dimensions of apocalyptic beliefs
He added that the one common thing each of them agreed on is that humans are the ones who decide the fate of our world. The researchers identified five areas linked to end–of–world beliefs that decide how people perceive the apocalypse. First is "perceived closeness", or how soon the world could end. They were likely to say that the constant occurrence shows that the apocalypse will happen very soon. Next is "anthropogenic causality", that is, whether humans will cause the apocalypse, or whether "human stupidity" will cause it.
The third dimension is "theogenic causality", which states that divine or supernatural forces will bring about the end of the world. These are people who believe in prophecies, such as those mentioned in the Bible. The fourth dimension is "personal control", that is if each individual could influence the outcome. Last is "emotional valence", to see the end as a good or a bad thing. They would say, "The apocalypse is a necessary step toward utopia."
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Human-caused apocalypse compared to divine forces
How they felt about the apocalypse was based on what caused it. Those who thought that humans were causing it urged urgent and extreme action to control the situation. However, since the divine was involved, believers didn't want anything to be done to prevent it. The results showed that if people saw the threat as being real, they asked for steps to be taken instead of resigning to their fate. The religious aspect is also on display sharply, since if higher forces are involved, people don't think much can be done.
