It's entirely interesting to note that some form of apocalyptic or millenialist sensibility seems to exist and flow through most of recorded human history. It predates the Christian tradition by many centuries. It seems as if the human psyche needs, seeks, responds to the sense that history has a start, an end, a purpose in between. A mental pathway as integral and deeply ingrained as sex, perhaps. We saw this same process in play approaching Y2K. Quite fascinating.