According to wikipedia "Synchronicity" is the experience of two or more events that are apparently causally unrelated occurring together in a meaningful manner. To count as synchronicity, the events should be unlikely to occur together by chance.
The term was coined by the famous psychologist Carl Jung who used it to explain occurrences like a beetle flying into his studio just as a patient was discussing a beetle in his dream.
Carl Jung also believed in clairvoyance, telepathy, ESP, telekinesis, and astrology; he believed in what he called a "collective unconscious", a sea of consciousness in which we all swim.
What distinguishes synchronicity from coincidence is meaning. Synchronicity is the experience of meaningful coincidences. I believe that life is not a meaningless string of random experiences that happen to us and over which we have absolutely no control.
I believe there are no un-meaningful coincidences!
"The intellect has little to do on the road to discovery. There comes a leap in consciousness, call it Intuition or what you will, the solution comes to you and you don't know how or why"
~~ Albert Einstein
I was out bushwalking in Cromer, Sydney on Wednesday and came across this heart carved out in a stone.....it made me smile.
30 comments:
thanks for the info. the example really helps. I believe in synchronicity too, it may be what life is all about.
I don't swim with anybody else in my dreams.
I seem to remember the record producer George Martin having a similar experience to Carl Jung. He had a Beatle fly into his studio just as he was thinking about their next album...
Sh-boom!
Peggy, so much of life is filled with the little synchronicities which show up in our pathways on a daily basis. The thing is, we must be open to them in order to really see them. And the more that we are open to them, the more that we do see them.
What a wonderful heart carving in that rock! I love it!
Hugs and love,
Debbie
A heart of stone, or the determination of love? What a great find
I too believe that there is a reason behind why things happen, but that can be hard to reason with.
nice one! I am addicted to synchronicity...when it happens I feel like I'm being looked after and guided by the Universe. It tends to happen in blocks though- been a bit dry lately...:(
although perhaps my latest anecdote is a little bit random and fortunate.
I am really blown away right now. Seriously. I just sent you an email thanking you for the quote that you sent me and I wrote about sychronicity! I studied Carl Jung's works in graduate school and this was one of my favorite concepts. But it's really mind-blowing when I actually experience it. I love that it feels like concrete evidence that we're all connected and everything happens for a reason. Okay, now I can read your post.
Great post. I agree with you that all coincidences have meaning and we just have to keep an open mind about what that meaning is. I'm looking forward to reading more of your blog!
The collective unconscious...I was just talking to my mother about this last week when we discussing some recent dreams she was having. She was wondering how she could be dreaming about places she had never been to or seen before. I told her someone in the world had been there and she was just tying into their memories.
Get out of my head Peggy! LOL
Oh love it and I love Jung too very much His theory is fascinating. I believed already in synchronisity before I knew the word. One day I revealed all my meaningful coincedences to a friend during a walk and told her how strange it al was. No she said that's just synchronisity
WOW what a wonderful response to this post AND once again I am number 11 to comment....oh how I love the number 11.
Christine - Actually I hadn't thought that synchronicity "may be what life is all about". It could be a personal gift from a great, caring intelligence responsible for the destiny of the universe. :)
HO - You may not swim with anyone else in your dreams but I know from the personal email you sent me that you believe with "every sinew of your anatomy that you believe there are no un-meaningful coincidences!!! :D :D :D
Mike - Sh-boom indeed. George Martin sure knew how to take notice of synchronicity and it was a win win situation for the Beatles and himself.
Debbie - Life can be quite magical if we follow every meaningful coincidence that touch our day to day affairs.
Chapter Forty - I love the heart carving in that rock too, it touched me quite deeply.
You have touched on an interesting point about "reason behind why things happen, but that can be hard to reason with".
For me, when I went through my difficult period, at the time I could not see the reason but now looking back it is very clear.
Zhen - You made me smile when I read "I am addicted to synchronicity"....what a great sentence! I think it is happening all the time and it is us who block it out. I also think the working of synchronicity is activated by the power of love and love is the fundamental principal that sets in motion synchronicity.
Jennifer - I felt a connection to you immediately when I first commented on your blog that is why I felt compelled to send Marianne Williamson's quote for your inspiring quote page.
Here's to keeping our minds and hearts open to enrich our lives.
Annemarie - It is always wonderful to be wondering around the universe with you.
We are going to enjoy many more synchronic moments.... :D
Marja - Carl Jung certainly has many, many followers....LOL
I find the less I consciously think about why something has happened the better the chances of understanding it, because the subconscious is less distracted by the half truths of the rational mind.
I think you know what I think about this...
Why can't life be both random AND meaningful?
The realization of synchronicity at work is magical! It always give me chill. And Jung, a great man in our time .... ;)
Stoneweaver - I was hoping you would put up more of an argument
:( but I know how busy you are at the moment.
If life was both random and meaningful, for me it is like saying you believe in reincarnation and heaven at the same time.
Hybrid - Synchronicity is magical! I love it when the right person, place or thing shows up in my life at timely moments.
To understand our synchronicities is to understand exactly who we are, our place in the grand scheme of existence, what we must do, where we are going and why. :)
That's a strange thing to say, since a belief in reincarnation or heaven would both require life to be 'not random'.
My view is that life is both random and meaningful. It doesn't have to be one or the other - that is too limiting, but it appeals to many people who want order not chaos.
Any physicist will tell you that chaos abounds in the universe. (Just look at my intidy desk!)
We like to think we can control our lives - it makes us feel safe. And we can control some things - but, like the saying goes, shit happens. And it is no one's fault.
As for synchronicity - it alerts us to possibilities in our lives. It helps us make meaning. If it were anything more than that - I'd have to ask you who or what is orchestrating it? And why?
I looked at my watch the other day - it said 11.11 and that was meaningful to me. If it had said 11.10 I would have thought nothing of it. Yet in both instances it told the right time.
OH goodie Stoneweaver has come out to play!
Thanks for presenting the "other side" of the equation and very succinctly as well.
We will have to agree to disagree because I believe that when "shit happens" it will keep happening over and over until we learn the lesson.
Have a great day my friend. :D
Thanks so much for stopping by threading light. I'm glad you enjoyed our words, and similar to the pay it forward idea, we hope that by getting inspired by some one else's words, we can put our thoughts out there in hopes to pass along a bit of inspiration, with hopes that it ripples farther and farther. What a beautiful rock form you found.
:)Lisa
Lisa - I feel the blogosphere is a perfect place to create a ripple effect for inspiration and ideas.
I know it has for me.:-)
Hi Peggy, I hope all is well in your corner of the world. Been doing any card drops lately? I try each and every day to do something kind for someone else. It's the least I can do and brings me joy -- a win-win situation. I always love your through provoking and insightful posts. Best wishes always, Tammy
Hi Peggy!! I know, been a LOOOOONG time.. i think i'm back.. and hey i bought my mojo!! LOL
Great post.. millions to catch up on,thought of you often lady.xx ;)
G.xx
Tammy - I haven't done any card drops for quite some time but I still have lots of cards and books to distribute, so thank you for the reminder.
I agree it is definitely a win win situation when we are kind and loving to our fellow human being. :)
Gill - Oh I am soooo happy to see your girl! I stalk you on Facebook often to make sure you are happy and well.
Great to hear you have brought your Mojo....I will pop on over and see what you have been up to.
Hugs
Peggy xxxx
Hi Peggy! I visit your blog of and on, always enjoying your words and point of view (although I do not always comment.) Just wanted to tell you this today.... have a nice Sunday!
Hi Marit
Thanks for leaving a comment. I often wander around the blogosphere and not leave a comment, depends what mood I am in whether I am feeling chatty or not.
I always read Annemarie's blog so I often wander over to your blog after reading your comment.
Have a great week and don't forget to smell the roses from time to time. :)
thanks for giving us an insight into the subcoscious! very interesting- was fascinated!
Do drop by my blog & leave a comment on why dreams don't come to me in colours!
What an interesting post. Thank you for sharing such a fascinating perspective.
Very cool. I also believe that there are no coincidences... love to see that lots of others feel the same as well.
Would love for you to share / read stories of synchronicity at my blog.
These things seem to be happening more and more often! :-)
PS Love your music choices!
Hi . . . just happened to stumble upon your blog. I'm a newbie at communicating on-line, but I've had many . . . many . . . synchronicities. i tell my loved ones, they think I'm a little touched - hehehaha. being quite a rational thinker, i understand statistics/coincidences intuitively. anyway, great to share this experience with such obviously nice people. glad to know your there!
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