José Argüelles

José Argüelles (1939-2011) was an American artist and writer associated with the New Age movement. He co-founded the Planet Art Network and the Foundation for the Law of Time with his wife, Lloydine. Argüelles is recognized as one of the originators of the Earth Day concept and organized the first Whole Earth Festival in 1970. His most prominent contributions include his role in the 1987 Harmonic Convergence, the creation of the Dreamspell calendar in 1990, and his influence on the 2012 phenomenon.

Argüelles held a Ph.D. in Art History and taught at various universities. His artistic work included paintings and murals, and he viewed art as a 'psychophysical aesthetic.' Influenced by his experiences with LSD, he created psychedelic art. He later focused on consciousness, developing the concept of a noosphere as a global artwork and envisioning a 'rainbow bridge' around the Earth. He advocated for an alternative 13-month, 28-day calendar, believing it would foster world peace and align humanity with natural time cycles.

Born Joseph Anthony Argüelles, he earned a Ph.D. in Art History and Aesthetics from the University of Chicago. He lectured at institutions including Princeton University and the University of California, Davis. As an artist, Argüelles created paintings and murals, and his doctoral work explored 'psychophysical aesthetics.' A final exam at UC Davis, asking students to create 'something they believed in,' evolved into the annual Whole Earth Festival. Following LSD experimentation in the 1960s, his psychedelic paintings were recognized by Humphrey Osmond. Argüelles saw his artistic role as a visionary aiming for humanity's best possible outcomes, believing art and time were intrinsically linked through creativity.

Argüelles, who also used the name Valum Votan, and his wife Lloydine developed the 'Law of Time' theory, proposing two fundamental timing frequencies: 'mechanised time' (12:60) and 'natural time' (13:20), which they associated with Mayan calendrical systems. They argued that the Gregorian calendar and the 60-minute hour created artificial regulation of human affairs, disrupting a natural 'synchronic order.' To rectify this, they advocated for the universal adoption of a 13-moon, 28-day calendar, believing it would restore harmony and bring humanity back on course. This system was promulgated through their organization, the Planet Art Network, with the slogan 'Time is Art.'

Argüelles was a key organizer of the 1987 Harmonic Convergence, a globally synchronized meditation event. This event was linked to dates identified by Tony Shearer in relation to the Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl. Argüelles' 1987 book, 'The Mayan Factor: Path Beyond Technology,' presented a numerological system blending Mayan calendar elements, the I Ching, and shamanism, alongside modern scientific concepts. He also popularized the concept of Hunab Ku, linking it to an Aztec design. The Dreamspell calendar, co-created with Lloydine, was central to his work, drawing heavily on the Mayan Long Count and the 260-day tzolk'in, and emphasizing July 26 as the start of the year and July 25 as the 'Day out of Time.' Argüelles attributed the calendar's origins to 'Galactic Mayas,' whom he believed were ancient astronauts.

Towards the end of his life, Argüelles focused on consciousness and the concept of the noosphere, viewing the Earth as a work of art and envisioning a 'rainbow bridge' encircling the planet. He directed the Noosphere II project and the First Noosphere World Forum, aiming to unify organizations promoting a positive shift in consciousness. His intellectual influences included Chögyam Trungpa, Carl Jung, Mircea Eliade, Dane Rudhyar, Theosophy, and various Native American spiritual leaders. Critics noted that elements of the Dreamspell calendar were derived from non-Mayan sources, including Benjamin Franklin's calendar ideas, the I Ching, and works promoting ancient astronaut theories.

“My job as a visionary is to envision the best possible outcome for humanity.”