There are many speculations surrounding the date November 11, 2011. For many numerologists, metaphysicists, psychics and their followers, occultists and conspiracy theorists, it is an ominous date. But for others, 11/11/11 is just another date.

Many considers the date to be important from the numerological point of view with believers watching for signs of "humanistic awakening," or "harmonic convergence," and even the opening of a portal into a new dimension.

A Hollywood movie - 11:11:11 - is even coming out on that day focusing on the "significance" of the date with the film characters experiencing the so-called " 11:11 phenomenon." In the film, a voice is heard warning of what's to come: "On the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the eleventh year, a gateway will open ... and on this day, innocent blood will spill..."

The fear or fascination about 11:11 phenomenon affects many people, with entire online discussion forums dedicated to figuring out what the number means. Some modern-day numerologists have deemed 11/11/11 auspicious, with an unusual number of couples planning to marry on that day. Gamblers are also looking forward to playing their favorite game on that day.

But for Alan Lenzi, professor of religious studies at the University of the Pacific who studies biblical numerology, there is nothing unsual about the date 11/11/11. He attributes the interest to man's natural tendency to seek meaning in numbers.

"Cognitive scientists have demonstrated that the human brain is hard-wired to look for meaningful patterns in the sensory data it collects from the world," said Lenzi.

Thus, according to Lenzi, our brains can't help noticing the repeating digits, and seeing them as meaningful. "Numbers that are already significant to us, such as calendar dates that also coincidentally fall into an obvious pattern, become doubly significant," Lenzi said. "11/11/11 is another example of people doing what people are cognitively prone to do: find significance."

For for most of us, it is important to know that just as there is nothing to fear about 11/11/11, there is no reason to be optimistic about the date, either. It is just another day.