|
Synchronicity"Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous." Albert Einstein We've all experienced coincidence, "it's just a coincidence" we rationalize then. Synchronicities however are meaningful coincidences; a term coined by Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, in his own words: "Synchronicity reveals the meaningful connections between the subjective and objective world." First notice and appreciate your synchronicities, (even overlapping in 'real' world, dreams and imagination!) at the very least they will make you smile or think!
|
Frank Joseph
I experience synchronicities nearly daily, some small, some big!
A history of Synchronicity & meaningful existence in philosophy, science and religion:
In the amazing book "Synchronicity And You: Understanding the Role of Meaningful Coincidence" by Frank Joseph,
the author lists several subdivisions (these are nowhere near conclusive and should
only be seen as a means of classification of examples) of synchronicity experienced in his own life,
the lives of 100 volunteers and examples of history to help you become more aware of synchronicities
in your life.
The subdivisions he made in the book are:
Objects, Numbers, Natural/Animal, Preminitions, Predictive & Simultanious dreams, Telepathy,
Riddles, Source indicators, Parallel lives, Life imitates art, Warnings, Death, Rescue,
Reincarnation, Helpful directions, Moira (higher calling) & Transforming experiences.
Examples from the book:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart & spanish composer Juan Arrigia (known after his death as the spanish Mozart, but
largely unknown outside of Spain), by the author's own investigation after
hearing Arrigia on the radio and thinking he recognized Mozart, he found that both shared some amazing
synchronicities. Both gifted persons were prodigies, they both left their native country to become succesful
in Paris as composers and musicians, Juan's first and only symphony & Mozarts Parisian and later symphonies were in Major D,
their styles are very similar as Juan comes nearest to Mozart, even Mozart imitations by Haydn, Brahms and
Chopin were, in contrast to Arrigia's, still distinguishable as their own. Both men were born on the same day,
Mozart 27 jan 1756, Arrigia 27 jan 1806. Their birth names were both Latin & Spanish versions of John & Christopher,
Mozart's was Johannes Chrystostomus and Arrigia's were Juan Crisostomo. One contrast is the fame of Mozart
after his death, and the obscurity of Arrigia. For more parallel lives see JFK & Abraham Lincoln, the life & death
of Henry Lawton linked with Geronimo, and even the author himself and Ignatius Donnelly (the father of Atlantology!).
For this and other synchronicities pick up the book, you won't regret it!
Another recommendation is Jean Shinoda Bolen - The Tao of Psychology: Synchronicity and Self (Living Consciously with Synchronicity in dutch).
Frank Joseph advises people to start a Synchronicity Diary, to not only remember them better,
just like a Dream Diary it also increases the frequency of them just as a dream diary increases recall of dreams.
Carl Jung coined the term but was not the first to investigate it, philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer
wrote an 1851 essay about it called "Vermeintliche Absichtlichkeit im Schiksal des Individuums" (Assumed
purposefulness in the fate of the individual), He said "That occult force that even directs forces from
beyond, could in the final instance only root in our own peculiar inner being; for in the end the alpha and omega
of all existence are indeed contained within us." He also said that in general there is a Mundus Intelligibilis
(world of reason) to be found in everything, so also in coincidence.
Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz had his "idea developped by the pre-determined divine harmony", his "Harmonia Pre-Estabilita".
And he also spoke of the Arte Combinatoria (the art of combining).
Arnold Geulincx, the flemish philoospher believed in a "pre-established harmony" as a solution to the mind-body problem, dying 25 years before Leibniz's better remembered formulation of the idea.
In Leibniz' philosophy, the doctrine of pre-established harmony was linked with optimism, the notion of this world as the "best of all possible worlds", but Geulincx made no such linkage.
Arthur Koestler's The Roots of Coincidence centered on research by Paul Kammerer's claim of a quantum theory
of coincidence or synchronicity, a theory Koestler evaluated favorably in light of the writings of
Carl Jung. Wolfgang Pauli who was nominated by Albert Einstein and won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1925, his
work "Synchronicity: Bridge between Matter & Mind" is regarded as a key work on the subject.
Pauli also wrote an essay titled "The influence of archetypical projections on the formation of
scientific theories of Kepler." About John Kepler, a mystic who laid the foundations of modern astronomy.
French astronomer Camille Flammarion who has a crater on the Moon and Mars named after him wrote a work L'Inconnu about
his synchronistic experiences. Physicists like Wilber, Russel, Combs and Holland have written extensively
about Synchronicity and suggest meditation increases its frequency.
Joseph Banks Rhines his astonishing probability experiments under rigurous scientific conditions which have been
ignored for so long and never explained in 'rational terms' showed the probability can be influenced by
relaxing, a positive attitude and trusting your intuition. These experiments have long been ignored
and no one has undertaken anything to refute them, just as the meticulous work of Dr Gertrude Schmeidler, and Gurney, Myers and Podmore.
It is possible that the root of the word "wünschen" (to wish in German) that still is preserved
in the word "Wünschelrute" (divining rod) and not only referrs to wishing in the sense of desire, but also to the
expressing of magical influence. Wishing is "God's power". Wishing is in sanskrit manoratha = literally the vehicle of the mind or
psyche, which means, wish, desire, fantasy.
The Greeks talk about the Logos, being Cosmic reason ('rational people' talking about the Greco period
would rather ignore this 'annoying concept' than talk about it...). Heraclates said Energy & matter are not seperate (see Quantum Physics),
Hippocrates said there is one stream, one breath that connects us all. Plato talks of time as a moving picture of
eternity in Timaeus (37-38). Philo of Alexandria talked about Enthousiasmos and the Logos, Agrippa about the World Soul.
Plotinus said in his Enneads that in life there is no place for coincidence, only harmony and order rule here.
The Bhagavad Gita talks about the Brahman connection, the human soul atmen (which ties to the german & dutch translation of breathing : atmen, ademen).
Zen talks of Satori as the conscious unity of the universe (see also the Pratitya-Samutpada Buddhists).
Chi is the life energy, the dragon that resides in the mountains, the home & reservoirs of chi, the genius loci, spirit of place.
Maya's talk about Chu-lel, the backside (hehe) of nature. Indian tribes of Rio Grande quest for initiating vision, a Shaman grizzly
bear lake speaks of "two seperate but interdependant existing worlds, spirit and matter." The Osaga
Indians (Sioux) talk of Wakonda, the force rhythm of nature and destiny and Eawawonaka - the cause of being.
Anatale from France spoke of Coincidence being the pseudonym which God uses if he doesn't wish to sign his own name ;).
Nietzsche talks of man as something to overcome, to reach the Overman which is our destiny and true nature which
can only be reached by following our bliss.
The Indian Rig Veda talks of Indra's Net as everything in the universe being interconnected (see quotes).
Other people that Frank Joseph mentions as being interesting concerning Synchronicity:
Terence Mckenna, Gwen Frostic, Combs & Holland, Alfred North Whitehead, Cicero (De Natura Deorum - nature
of the gods), and finally, if you happen to find it in the collective unconcious ;p the lost book Disciplina
Etrusca from the Emperor Claudius about the religion of the Etrusks.
Very short overview of Carl Jung's views (external link)