The fuel that feeds terrorist violence has a spiritual dimension. That dimension is eschatology, or the belief in end times. This belief is pan-cultural and a natural outgrowth of manichean thinking aided by fear and despair. The belief in the imminent end of the world, especially as a capstone to a period of violent upheavals, corrodes ethical thinking and promotes narrow tribal solidarity. I would also posit that eschatology is the thread that holds cults together, because the foundation of militance and orthodoxy allows for the "outside threat" of evil to outweigh the "inside threat" of losing one's freedom and personality. I also believe that there is a host of end-times "dogwhistles" used by politicians and charismatic movement leaders that communicate certain notions directly to those versed in millenial jargon that also appeals to anyone who feels vaguely threatened by change. This may be a large part of the reason why a certain percentage of voters are reliably conservative, rally themselves around wedge issues, and are immune to positive ideas about the future.

I began thinking about this issue more than a decade ago after the Heaven's Gate mass suicide. The seed that was planted in my mind at that time is that most belief systems not only have a beginning, but also have an end. There are very few circular spiritual constructs, and even those (such as Hinduism or Teutonic mythology) are marked by violent destruction with a new age rising from the ashes (the Kali Yuga or Ragnarok, for example). I supposed at the time that there is a correlation between irrational violence and the immanence of the eschaton. The closer to the present an individual or a group believes the end of the world, the more marked the violence... and the violence will reflect their belief system. I supposed that these kinds of beliefs can only serve to dissociate an individual from their environment and create an outlet for the expression of misery, transmuting despair into euphoric zeal.

The Dead Sea Scrolls, for example, contain a "War Scroll" whereby an apocalypse is described, sides are declared, and tactics are outlined. This same mindset informs members of the racist Church of the Creator, that describes a holy race war of the pure Aryans versus the mud people with their corrupt and sinister values. Apply the same criterion to the NWO conspiracy theorists, who see a global conspiracy of Luciferian Illuminati who control the ebb and flow of society in order to implement a one-world government. Not only do each of these emphasis a band of true believers standing against the vanguard of evil, but they also emphasis the spiritual value of warfare and the impermanence of the physical body. What matters is one's spiritual ledger, where even the most violent and depraved of acts are done for the good of promoting their particular vision of the future.

Eschatology even informs certain domestic and foreign politics. The evangelical support of Israel, for example, is based on the belief that the second temple must be rebuilt as a precursor to the rapture. Michelle Bachmann stokes the fear of a one-world currency for a reason: it is a dogwhistle for evangelicals and America-firsters. While Islam believes in a day of judgment, Wahhabism pushes the envelope and believes that the end of the world is fast-approaching, and only the pure will survive Allah's judgment.

Belief in and hope for the end of the world is a natural consequence of fear, misery, despair, and helplessness. All of these factors are reinforced by the modern media, which transforms history into an observable phenomenon that operates on its own like theatre. When the phenomenon is observed with the filter of eschatology, a pattern emerges that lends credibility to your thinking. The murder of a spouse indicates the overall decline of family values. Terrorism is seen as the global struggle of good versus evil. President Obama is the antichrist foretold in the Book of Revelations.

I welcome any additional insight or criticism. I also pose this question: if so many believe, consciously or unconsciously, in the endtimes, what are the chances that humanity will manifest the end as a self-fulfilling prophecy?