The Power of 11

Have you ever noticed the clock at precisely 11:11 for no apparent reason? You aren't alone. The numbers are revered in many religions, and are thought to be especially powerful in numerology. It has been affiliated with enlightenment for hundreds of generations.

11:11 can show up anywhere, on receipts, restaurant bills, on the license plate in front of you while waiting for traffic, just to name a few.

But what does it mean? This mysterious 11:11, that, when you recognize it (or it recognizes you), gives you a twinge for a half a second to pause and wonder, "Does this mean something?" As I'm writing these very words, my computer clock reads 11:11.

Overall, mystics and spiritualists believe the number 11 to be a highly influential number. With 10 being perfect, 11 is therefore a step above and beyond "perfection." This can be seen as both good and bad. Beyond perfection, and ultimate sin. Two ends of the spectrum, both excesses.

The number 11 is a symbol of duality, and when added, equals 2, another duality. 11 can be interpreted as strands of straightened DNA, which is why mystics believe is the reason our bodies quiver slightly, like a tuning fork, when we notice the number.

Different groups believe in different theories. One group believes the number 11 (and especially noticing 11:11) is a wake up call. It is, they say, your spirit guardian or angel communicating with you. Those that notice 11:11, they say, are vehicles in shifting societal focus to the positive. The power to change things, change lives, lies within those whose lives are touched by these numbers. To accomplish this, they say, one must pray or wish upon goodness at these times.

Uri Gellar has some strong beliefs about the 11:11 phenomenon, and delves seriously into the number's meaning, as well as some numerology stating facts about the number 11 in historical references, such as its importance in String Theory (11 universes are needed in the String Theory for it to be viable).

The most recent and notable reference to 11 is the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. The number 11 can be found virtually everywhere you look when scrutinizing that day - flight numbers, the breakdown of the number of people on planes, even the towers themselves, standing side by side.

Some believe it is an inner struggle, that when a person notices the number 11 popping up in their lives, it is a sign that behavior and motive should be re-examined. Others believe just the opposite, the number, they say, appears to you especially when you are on the correct path in your life.

Eleveners (those who believe in the number 11 as a doorway to the spiritual realm) believe this door was opened on 1/11/92 and that it will close on 11/11/11. The Eleveners believe time has sped up, and that because of this "shift" in time, humans are able to travel between dimensions and become closer to being "one with the universe."

Signs are only as good as their interpretation, and the above examples are precisely that, interpretations. Just as the world was holding its breath (needlessly) during Y2K, it would seem that most people give numerology and frequent coincidences nothing more than a passing thought. But could it be the more aware among us are clued into something divine? Something truly enlightened? Keep that thought in mind as we celebrate a new year, and as you nurse your hangover on January 1st, or, appropriately 1/1.