It is always fun and entertaining to dive into most conspiracy theories. The great thing about conspiracy theories is the fact there is always some truth backing up the ideas. This truth gives it enough hypothesis to make us wonder. CERN has its fair share of conspiracy theories – many pf which are backed up by multiple whistleblowers who swear the strange going’s on are fact.
For those who don’t know, CERN is a European research facility near Geneva, Switzerland housing the world’s largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The main purpose of the LHC is to study particle physics and understand the fundamental forces of nature by colliding particles at incredible speeds and observing the results.
The Significance of the Year 2012
Why 2012? Well, for one, the Mayan Long Count calendar completed a 5,126-year cycle on December 21, 2012, and basically ended. For many, this signified the end of the world. The second thing that made 2012 stand out is the fact that after smashing high-energy particles (protons) together at near light-speed in the (LHC), on July 4, 2012, CERN announced the discovery of the Higgs boson. The Higgs Boson is a fundamental particle predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics, but never actually seen in “real life”. This particle it's crucial to explaining why particles have mass and is a major piece of the puzzle in how the universe works. Along with all this, the nickname given to Higgs boson is “The God Particle”, which fueled speculation, fears and pop culture. In addition, CERN itself has acknowledged that the LHC might help detect evidence of extra spatial dimensions - a very real (but theoretical) area of modern physics. This gave rise to claims that CERN was opening portals to other dimensions.
With all that as the backdrop, in 2012, the world didn’t explode, flood, or freeze. However, for many people, something did in fact change. For a very large collective population, something started to feel off culturally, emotionally, even "spiritually." This sense of unease gets projected onto real events like the Mayan calendar and the CERN discoveries are feeding theories of timeline shifts or a simulation reboot; some claim we shifted into a new timeline, others argue we're living in a simulated reality.
To make the conspiracy bore itself even deeper into the minds of those who believe, CERN shut down the LHC in February of 2013 to undergo maintenance and major upgrade in power. Shutting it down right after discovering Higgs boson (and the end of the Mayan Calendar) fueled even more speculation such as the following:
1. “They discovered something dangerous.”
The discovery of the Higgs boson — and then immediately shutting down the collider - led some to suspect CERN had unleashed or found something that required damage control or secrecy.
2. “They opened a portal and tried to fix it.”
The idea that 2012 was a timeline shift is often paired with the theory that CERN tried to either undo what happened or stabilize reality during the shutdown.
3. “They needed more power to break deeper into reality.”
Because the post-2015 LHC operated at nearly double the energy, theorists claim CERN was attempting to open bigger portals, access parallel universes, or even perform time manipulation experiments.
To summarize 2012, many claim that CERN's high-energy collisions ripped a hole in the fabric of space-time or opened a portal to another dimension. This, they argue, could explain why so many people feel reality has been "off" since then - like we're living in a distorted mirror of the world we once knew.
The Mandela Effect: Collective Memory or Collapsed Timelines?
One of the major theories pointing back to 2012’s theoretical change is The Mandela Effect. The Mandela Effect refers to large groups of people recalling events differently than recorded history shows leading to collective false memories. Famous examples include:
- “Berenstein Bears” vs. “Berenstain Bears”
- “Mirror, mirror on the wall” vs. “Magic mirror on the wall”
- Nelson Mandela dying in prison in the 1980s — which never happened
CERN is often blamed as the cause. Theorists suggest CERN’s experiments may have “glitched” reality, causing these inconsistencies. The idea is the LHC’s experiments may have collapsed timelines or merged alternate realities, causing memory inconsistencies that now appear as glitches in the matrix-like world we now occupy.
Occult Symbolism and Dark Rituals
Adding fuel to the fire, CERN features a statue of Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and rebirth, on its campus. While intended to symbolize the cycle of creation, conspiracy theorists interpret this as a sign that CERN is engaged in occult practices, perhaps invoking ancient deities or even summoning demonic entities.
The infamous “CERN human sacrifice” video (later revealed to be a hoax) only intensified these beliefs. Some even link CERN’s activities to passages in the Book of Revelation, citing the "bottomless pit" and the entity Apollyon, which they equate with the underworld - suggesting CERN may be tampering with forces beyond science.
Why Do People Believe the LHC is Part of the Occult?
Several factors give these theories traction:
- CERN’s secrecy and complex science: Particle physics is difficult to understand, and where knowledge is scarce, speculation thrives.
- Global unease: Many people feel disconnected, anxious, or disoriented — especially since 2012. Conspiracies offer a narrative that “explains” these feelings.
- Pop culture reinforcement: Shows like Stranger Things, Dark, and The OA have popularized ideas of secret experiments, alternate dimensions, and CERN-like organizations opening portals.
- Real scientific speculation: Even mainstream physicists have speculated about the LHC potentially creating microscopic black holes or exploring higher dimensions - ideas that are easy to distort.
Science, Speculation, or Something More?
The truth is, there’s no verified evidence that CERN has tampered with time, shifted us into a parallel universe, or summoned demonic forces. But the blending of science, cultural myth, and existential dread creates a compelling narrative for those seeking meaning in a chaotic world.
Whether you see CERN as the gateway to a deeper understanding of the physics of our universe, or the gatekeeper to something darker and more sinister, there is not doubt that it plays a huge role in the discovery of what is next. Maybe its one of the Stranger Things humans have built and discovered. Maybe the theories and idea are just allowing us to think “outside the box” in an upside down world. Either way the LHC is an amazing piece of technology that is pushing the limits of our understanding of particle physics.
Quick Timeline of CERN Shutdowns After 2012
- July 4, 2012: CERN announces discovery of the Higgs boson.
- February 2013: The LHC is shut down for its first major long-term maintenance period, called Long Shutdown 1 (LS1).
- 2013–2015: LHC undergoes significant upgrades and repairs — including boosting its energy capacity from 8 TeV to 13 TeV.
- Mid-2015: LHC restarts operations at nearly double the previous power.
- 2018–2022: Long Shutdown 2 (LS2) begins in December 2018 to upgrade detectors and prepare for the High Luminosity LHC project. LHC restarts in July 2022.