John Petersen, Arlington Institute: The Biggest Shift In Human History (9-7-2024)

https://rad-observe.com/john-petersen-arlington-institute-the-biggest-shift-in-human-history/
(Depending upon where you are in your life's journey, this TransitionTalk at the Arlington Institute on 9-7-2024 by John Petersen, founder, might resonate with you. On the other hand, it might spark some curiosity about the bigger picture of the Cosmos. — RAD)

Internationally recognized futurist, John L. Petersen, presents the big-picture perspective of the extraordinary time in which we are living.

•Why are we surrounded by never-ending events that don’t make practical sense?
•Why all of the wars and killing now?
•What is this planet-wide effort to destroy the capability to grow and distribute food?
•Isn’t it obvious that humans need to eat?

These assaults on humanity are being augmented by unprecedented new technologies – like artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, genetic engineering and mind manipulation – for which we have no ‘operating framework’. The past provides no guidance about how to deal with what is headed this way.

Something bigger than all of us is happening. This is really unusual. We all sense it but can’t put our arms around it. Who’s driving all of this change? Certainly it is not just the results of random events that are unrelated to each other. The execution is impressively complex… and sophisticated.

On one hand, they’re poisoning the soil, water, air and electromagnetic spectrum all at the same time that they’re attacking our social, economic, cultural systems. None of it benefits humanity from any rational point of view.

So who does it benefit… and what is their ultimate objective?

Is this bigger than our planet? Perhaps we are pawns in an extraordinary, cosmic event that will give us all the opportunity to rapidly rise to become the “new human” that will populate a new world. That’s what it looks like from here.

There’s light at the end of this tunnel. Individual humans are expanding their awareness in profound, life-changing ways. We’re rapidly being exposed to new ideas about who we are, how this reality works, who else lives in the ‘neighborhood’ and what we have to do in order to surf this incomprehensible change into the emergent new world.

John’s big, integrated picture of what is in play will give you – perhaps for the first time – a coherent, internally consistent model of what humanity is experiencing right now… and more importantly, what’s coming our way and how we can prepare for it.

There’s not much time. We have to move fast. But the future that is inbound is really quite extraordinary and presents an amazing opportunity for all of us.

John L. Petersen is considered by many to be one of the most informed futurists in the world. He is best-known for writing and thinking about high impact surprises (wild cards) and the process of surprise anticipation. His current professional involvements include the development of sophisticated tools for anticipatory analysis and surprise anticipation, long-range strategic planning and helping leadership design new approaches for dealing with the future.

He has led national non-profit organizations, worked in sales, manufacturing, real estate development, and marketing and advertising, mostly for companies he founded. A graduate electrical engineer, he has also promoted rock concerts; produced conventions; and worked as a disc jockey, among other things.

Mr. Petersen’s government and political experience include stints at the National War College, the Institute for National Security Studies, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the National Security Council staff at the White House. He was a naval flight officer in the U.S. Navy and Navy Reserve and is a decorated veteran of both the Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars. He has served in senior positions for a number of presidential political campaigns and was an elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1984. He was twice the runner-up to be Secretary of the Navy.

In 1989, Petersen founded The Arlington Institute (TAI), a non-profit, future-oriented research institute. TAI operates on the premise that effective thinking about the future is impossible without casting a very wide net. The “think tank” serves as a global agent for change by developing new concepts, processes and tools for anticipating the future and translating that knowledge into better present-day decisions. Using advanced information technology, a core group of bright thinkers and an international network of exceptionally curious people along with simulations, modeling, scenario building, polling and analysis, Arlington helps equip leaders and organizations from many disciplines with tools and actionable perspectives for dealing with uncertain times.

An award-winning writer, Petersen’s first book, The Road to 2015: Profiles of the Future was awarded Outstanding Academic Book of 1995 by CHOICE Academic Review, and remained on The World Future Society’s best-seller list for more than a year. His Out of the Blue: How to Anticipate Wild Cards and Big Future Surprises book was also a WFS best-seller. His latest book, A Vision For 2012: Planning for Extraordinary Change, was published in 2007. Mr. Petersen’s coauthored article, The Year 2000: Social Chaos or Social Transformation?, was one of the most highly acclaimed writings on Y2K. His 1988 book-length report The Diffusion of Power: An Era of Realignment was used at the highest levels of American government as a basis for strategic planning. He has also written papers on the future of national security and the military, the future of energy and the future of the media.

Petersen is a past board member of the World Future Society, wrote on the future of aviation for Professional Pilot magazine and was Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation. He is a former network member of the Global Business Network and a fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science. A provocative public speaker, he addresses a wide array of audiences around the world on a variety of future oriented subjects. When he is not writing or speaking, Petersen invests in and develops resources for large, international projects and advanced technology start-up companies. He lives in the Washington, D.C. area in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia.