Convergence1

By Joan Kelly

Even bankers and brokers turned out for

the dawning of the New Age yesterday.
After all, this was the Hamptons. But

the celebration of the much-heralded

Harmonic Convergence might have been
anywhere, matching dozens of reports

across the globe. Hoping to infuse

the world's consciousness with positive
energy, convergers hugged, held hands

and hummed from Mount Shasta to

Mount Fuji, from Glastonbury to Central
Park, where about 1,200 gathered.

It's based on the notion

and this is a Buddhist

notion that we are one

mind, said Nora Safran,

a Manhattan designer,

all humanity is connected

psychically and by raising

the consciousness of one

segment you can raise

the consciousness of

the whole. At Sagg

Main Beach a thousand
gathered for the new-age
ceremony. A barely risen
sun cast a faintly yellow
glow over believers
holding hands and sitting
in circles within circles.

Ahhh's and Om's of
varying pitch resonated
through the odd mixture
of salt air and incense,
over sand and seaweed.

Here and there was a glimmer of crystal, held
to enhance the flow of energy. According to

a vision and then a book by a Colorado art
historian, Jose Arguelles Aug. 16 and 17, 1987
marks the dawning of a new age to culminate
in 2012 with peace and regeneration or chaos
and destruction, depending which way the

psychic winds blow. Arguelles urged at least

144,000 like minded people to turn out on
those days to set the world's consciousness
rising.

In his book The Mayan Factor: Path Beyond

Technology Arguelles offers as proof for his

theories, a cosmic kitchen sink: the predicted

return of Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent
Aztec god; interpretations of the ancient
Mayan and Aztec calendars; Hopi Indian
legends and a once in 23,412 year alignment

of the planets.

"I think we'll make our 144,000 around the
planet easy," said Pearl Atkin of Briareliff.
After the "Oming" the Ceremony included
15 minutes of silence, a prayer, an American
Indian song and the hymn Amazing Grace.

With numbers holding special meaning for
New Agers Bruce Poli of Manhattan told a
reporter that 144,000 was the exact number
of people evacuated from Three-Mile Island
from the immediate area surrounding the
plant. He was right, according to the
reference book Facts on File.

As harmonic convergence approaches some
scientists scoffed, while some adherents
predicted catastrophic events.

Continued from Page 4

AT DAWN, THERE'S NO
PLACE LIKE OM

'The answer is Elvis is Quetzalcoatl,

said Keith Gregory, a third-year law
student from Maine visiting relatives

in Southampton. He'll appear riding a

'57 silver Cadillac through the sky,

and then you'll know you're really
enlightened."

Despite the jest, participants were of
serious purpose. The fact that people

are here with peace on their minds,

said Gregory, that's a good thing. An
impromptu band struck up, and a Wall
Street trader joined in, clacking the
heels of his penny loafers.