Strange noises?

Have I spoken too soon when I dismissed the 2012 phenomenon as a load of hype and hooey? No sooner did I submit my last post than I found some reports and videos on the Internet describing strange noises being heard worldwide.  From Russia to the US, there were was footage with strange metallic groaning sounds, humming, and other effects that resembled more sci-fi than reality.  And always with nothing visibly making the sound; no aircraft or anything

I read further reports suggesting that these videos could be fraudulent.  I certainly wouldn't be surprised if stock Hollywood sound effects could have been uploaded into some of these videos (especially since they sound so similar to the scary alien horn in 2005's War of the Worlds).  It certainly wouldn't surprise me if there's a singular party out there taking advantage of people's fears and anxiety by faking supernatural phenomenon.

Far be it for me to go around perpetuating the rumors of supernatural noises, it is an intriguing (and perhaps ominous) subject that warrants discussion.  But I wouldn't have given it any more credence if it wasn't for my own mother, calling me earlier today and saying that she heard a strange noise.  She described it as an explosion, and it sounded as though it occurred right next door, or in the back yard.  She heard a loud roaring sound, as if there was a blazing fire.  But there was no such explosion or fire anywhere to be seen.  Per the article linked in the text above, perhaps it was the sonic boom of a passing airplane.  However, she didn't seem convinced.  Having not heard the boom at the time it happened (in my safe concrete-laden office), I have no idea what to think; it makes sense to me that it would be a passing aircraft (which happens a lot around here, with thunderous roars that could shake all our houses).  But if this (perhaps all-too-convenient) explanation does not match up with the experience, then I must concede that it could be something unnatural.

If that's the case, what does it mean? Undoubtedly, jillions of other sites are probably carrying on about secret government conspiracies, contact with extraterrestrials, the coming of the apocalypse, and countless other otherworldly explanations.  I rarely believe in government conspiracies.  I do believe that aliens could exist, but I rarely give UFO sightings much credence.  And, of course, the world will end some day, I just never thought it'd be anytime soon (I'm also unclear as to whether or not the apocalypse is supposed to be gradual or sudden).

Regardless, it is rather disconcerting to wonder whether or not I'll wake up tomorrow and see fleets of alien spaceships in the skies, or a host of angels with all the powers of creation and destruction in their hands.  Or, dare I say, both as one and the same?

Regardless, I wonder what the arrival of such supernatural beings could mean for the world? Will it be total obliteration, as we all seem to fear? Or, as few suggest, will it be a peaceful transition from one era to the next, with the human consciousness turning into a different direction?

But in the end, I often question whether any of this is even real.  Human fears, paranoia, and hysteria make it seem real.  But if these videos are indeed faked, and the explosions heard in Yorkshire really are sonic booms from aircraft, and every other supernatural phenomenon in the world can be explained away scientifically, then that just leaves mass hysteria to blame.  I do find this a likely scenario, and I often wonder how much panic there will be when December 21st comes around.

Despite whatever skepticism I harbor, I do grow wary and anxious concerning all this phenomenon.  As Arthur C Clark wrote:

"Two possibilities exist: Either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying."