The Harmonic Convergence was a loosely-organized new age spiritual event that occurred on 1987, August 17th, when groups of people gathered in various sacred sites and "mystical" places all over the world to usher in a new era, a date based primarily on the Maya calendar, but also on interpretations of European and Asian astrology.

The Harmonic Convergence was supposed to be a global awakening to love and unity through divine transformation. It was initiated in 1987 by the Mayan scholar, Jose Arguelles. According to his interpretation of Mayan cosmology, this date was the end of twenty-two cycles of 52 years each, or 1144 years. The twenty-two cycles were divided into thirteen "heaven" cycles, which began in 843 A.D. The thirteen heaven cycles ended in 1519, which began the first of nine "hell" cycles. The Harmonic Convergence was to be the end of the "hell" cycles and the beginning of a new age of universal peace, as foretold in the Mayan Prophecies. All the signs clearly indicated a major energy shift, a turning point in Earth's collective karma and dharma. Believers said this energy was powerful enough to change the global perspective of man from one of conflict to one of co-operation. Actress and author Shirley MacLaine called it a "window of light," allowing access to higher realms of awareness. According to some, the Harmonic Convergence also began the final 26 year countdown to the end of the Mayan Long Count in 2012, which would be the end of history and the beginning of a new 5,200 year cycle.

People began arriving on August 15 at sites such as Mount Shasta, Stonehenge and Crestone, Colorado. Events began on August 16, culminating on the convergence itself on the 17th with prayer, song, meditation, dance, and rituals.

As it turned out, the late 1980s did indeed see a tremendous geopolitical shift, especially the fall of communism, but global peace and co-operation were, if anything, even more elusive in the new era.

Adapted from the Wikinfo article Harmonic Convergence, licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.