3/9/07, 5:13 pm EST
Assignment Eight Finalist: Christina Poole on the 11:11 Phenomenon
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Note: This is not an official Rolling Stone article. What follows is a submission to the “I’m From Rolling Stone” writing competition.
-- Rolling Stone
The 11:11 PHenomenonby Christina Poole
Age: 24People have experienced 11:11 since the beginning of time, or at least the digital clock. Recently, however, the number has set message boards ablaze and claimed an unexplained place in the music industry.
Per Wikipedia, observing 11:11 is both an example of Jung’s synchronicity and a clandestined message outlined in George Barnard’s The Search for 11:11: A Journey Into the Spirit World. It’s been dubbed a symbol of luck and positive energy as well, with several sites claiming 11:11 a call to consciousness.
The phenomenon lacks clear explanation but remains meaningful. “Initially it was creepy,” writes witness Jennifer Louise. “I’d turn over in bed and it’d just stare me in the face. Then it started to appear elsewhere… like my office number. Now, if I don’t see it for awhile it seems odd, like something’s not right.”
Her experience mirrors that of 1,737 users on Barnard’s site, and probably millions more worldwide. 11:11 has also caught the attention of artists, whose 11:11-titled work has been released steadily since 2000. Regina Spektor and Maria Taylor both released 11:11 debut albums, and the All-American Rejects, Andrew Bird and Rufus Wainwright have songs that share the title.
On his website, Wainwright explains his 11:11, “There was a period in my life where every time I looked at the clock, it was 11:11. It was weird. And then there was September 11 and Flight 11 — it was time to buy a lottery ticket or write a song or something… [11:11] is very much centered around September 11. It’s about how precious time is while you still have it.”
Perhaps artists are drawn to 11:11 because of 9/11, or because they are emotional, spiritually-wired lyricists. Or maybe it’s a sign they are just like us, grasping for meaning in a world that lacks it.
Comments
Wayne | 10/5/2009, 12:27 am EST
I have experienced 11 11 since I was born. I was born on the 11am hour, of the 11th day of the 11 month of ‘66. Every year I am reminded of it. BUT about 10 years ago I started to see 11’s. I remember I was off work very sick with the Norwalk virus. One day I woke up, rolled over in bed to look at the clock it said 7:11am. I never thought anything of it until the next day. Same thing the next morning I rolled over looked at the clock it 7:11am. I thought that was strange but forgot about before the end of the day. The next morning I remembered about the previous two and decided to just lay there for a while before I looked at the clock. Some time went by, probably about 10-15 minutes. I rolled over to look at the clock….you guessed it 7:11am. This happened every morning for over two weeks. I was confused no matter how I woke up in the morning I would see those numbers. Afterwards it became noticeable almost everyday for the past 10 years. 4 years after it started I asked my mother if she had seen anything like this, she completed my sentence before I could finish. She had been seeing if for years as well. Now I am seeing 11:11 more than all the other numbers. I have experienced periods of seeing: 12:11//11:11//10:11//9:11 all the way to 1:11. I searched the internet for 7:11 years ago and came up with nothing, until yesterday when 11:11 caught my eye on another completely different search. I am still soaking it all in; it is another piece of my life long puzzle.
Wayne | 10/5/2009, 12:27 am EST
I have experienced 11 11 since I was born. I was born on the 11am hour, of the 11th day of the 11 month of ‘66. Every year I am reminded of it. BUT about 10 years ago I started to see 11’s. I remember I was off work very sick with the Norwalk virus. One day I woke up, rolled over in bed to look at the clock it said 7:11am. I never thought anything of it until the next day. Same thing the next morning I rolled over looked at the clock it 7:11am. I thought that was strange but forgot about before the end of the day. The next morning I remembered about the previous two and decided to just lay there for a while before I looked at the clock. Some time went by, probably about 10-15 minutes. I rolled over to look at the clock….you guessed it 7:11am. This happened every morning for over two weeks. I was confused no matter how I woke up in the morning I would see those numbers. Afterwards it became noticeable almost everyday for the past 10 years. 4 years after it started I asked my mother if she had seen anything like this, she completed my sentence before I could finish. She had been seeing if for years as well. Now I am seeing 11:11 more than all the other numbers. I have experienced periods of seeing: 12:11//11:11//10:11//9:11 all the way to 1:11. I searched the internet for 7:11 years ago and came up with nothing, until yesterday when 11:11 caught my eye on another completely different search. I am still soaking it all in; it is another piece of my life long puzzle.
Carole | 2/23/2009, 8:57 pm EST
Well my 11er friends,the number of members to this growing club is ever increasing. Isn,t it time we all came together and prayed or meditated or chanelled light or whatever. Somehow we need to come together and help this planet.
” Many hands make light work” just came to me.
MTZ | 11/3/2008, 12:29 am EST
I didn’t start seeing 11:11 until someone else told me how she saw it all the time. Now, I see it regularly.
I remember a long time back the number 9:18 had significance for me. I remember seeing that number all of the time.
My theory on this whole thing is the following: we look at clocks or other things with numbers very regularly. When there is a specific combination of numbers, we remember them, are somewhat shocked when we see them, ans think that we see them all the time.
I experienced this phenomenon with a different set of numbers a long time ago; when the numbers slowly ceased to have significance, I stopped seeing them regularly. The same thing will happen here.
Mari | 10/21/2008, 12:25 am EST
I have been experiencing this phenomenon since the early 1980s.
It began to accellerate in the early 1990s, around the time I began to have “lucid” dreams. In one of these dreams, which I recall vividly, Bhoddidharma (the zen dude who supposedly cut off his eyelids to stay awake)had a personal message for me.
This is the scene: I am in a white room. White light fills the room. There is a white telephone on the wall. The phone rings. I pick it up. A voice says: “Wake-up call from Bhoddidharma.” That’s it. I woke up.
Since about 2001, these occurrances of seeing the 11:11 prompt have been almost a daily thing. At one point, this summer, I decided to google the issue. Found a group of people who also notice 11:11. I suddenly decided to join the email list out of curiosity. When I got my email confirmation as a member, some several minutes later, I realized that my initial email to the group was sent at (you guessed it) 11:11. No planning involved. It just happened that way.
So, this is how I read the prompt:
WAKE UP! And while you’re at it wake up others who may be of some benefit to our ailing planet. We’ve got a lot of work to do. Nobody can do it alone. One by one by one by one, we must link up together-1111=infinity.
Peace Through Music, Imagination & the Arts,
Mari
wally elkins | 5/14/2008, 6:52 pm EST
Have been experiencing and documenting this phenom. which
started for me on 11/11/2005.
Being trained in research methods
because of my Master’s Degree
training…I tried to figure this
thing out…it actually defies all logic and probabilities. It keeps
kicking my “skeptic” bottom.
Any questions? Wally Elkins
417 372-1061
jodi | 2/27/2008, 3:01 pm EST
I’ve been seeing 11:11 often since the late 1970’s as a teenager. I called a talk show “good day” who had a e. cayce enthusiast on and he said it was just a coincidence…i also sometime see aura’s, which i asked about and he said it was heat….what’s up with those answers….I know better
Clint | 9/18/2007, 7:24 pm EST
Ive experience the 11:11 phenomenon for many years, recently i wondered if it is not perhaps a warning to humanity that we are living in the 11th hour, last days ??
Daniel Kime | 8/18/2007, 5:12 pm EST
I began seeing 11:11 several years ago. Also 111 and 11. I am presently in Germany where they celebrate an old Roman holiday called fasching on November 11 each year. I attended this celebration in Koln Germany, and on the train home my seat number was 111.
It was predicted centuries ago that there would only be 112 popes before the end of the world. Our present pope benedict is the 111th pope. Also the next congress of the U.S will be the 111th congress.
I keep searching for the meaning of this phenomenon. I have found some interesting things. Not everything. But I would rather spend the rest of my life searching for the truth than rest a single day within the comfort of a lie.
cody | 6/27/2007, 11:15 pm EST
Lately, I’ve been obsessed with the 11:11 prophicies that the maya predicted because of a movie called Hell’s gates 11:11. After that movie, I googled 1111 in so many ways. Tell me if this isn’t wierd. On 9/11/1857, Mormons slaughtered thousands of innocent people. on 9/11/1990 (two sets of 11 years before 2012, which is the year that the maya predicted the world will end in), my half sister died in my dad’s hands. That was also my half sister’s birthday and she was less than a day old. on 9/11/2001 (11 years before 2012), the terrorist carried out the 9/11 attacks. ONe more thing, in 1001 (1111 years before 2012), the germans slaughtered thousands of english people. I don’t think 1111 is a coincidence. It very well may be a tragic but true prophecy. In the prophecy, it does not say what particular day the world will end on, but judging from all of the tragic events carried out on several 9/11’s, I predict that the world will end on 9/11/2012.
Odd | 4/25/2007, 1:33 pm EST
I started seeing 11 everywhere about 4 years ago. I still see it. I didn’t know anyone else experienced the phenomenon until I just googled it today and found others are seeing 11 everywhere too.
Dentist | 4/9/2007, 8:54 pm EST
this phenomna is so strange it started happening to me extensivley about a year ago, and am not sure why!
Seth | 3/13/2007, 7:45 pm EST
How is this a trend? Coincidence, perhaps, trend..a stretch.
Mr. Reader | 3/12/2007, 8:59 pm EST
This piece is dreadfully stale.
Tim | 3/12/2007, 3:23 pm EST
Congrats on being a finalist again Christina.
Andrew H | 3/12/2007, 12:37 pm EST
This is an interesting concept, though 11:11 is never a time I’ve noticed on a digital clock. I find myself spontanously looking at a clock precisely at 9:11 and 11:26 (my birthday.) So far, these have not panned out as good lottery picks.
(By the way, I wrote the “happy slapping” piece.)
Liz | 3/10/2007, 2:57 pm EST
Nice points, but Ms. Poole obviously has no had no real writing experience, seeing as how she could have totally furthered that piece into something of a real phenomenon…
…inst ead, ’twas a dud.
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