The definition of synchronicity, according to www.oxforddictionaries.com is: “The simultaneousoccurrence of events that appearsignificantlyrelated but have no discerniblecausalconnection.” Have you ever thought of someone you have not spoken with in a while, and they happen to call? Have you ever had a dream and then had a similar experience once you were awake? Have you ever lost a loved one and then noticed mysterious signs or messages that only they could send? These sorts of things happen all the time, yet many do not even notice them.
I had lots of synchronicities this week, which were very exciting! Each and every time, I found myself smiling, laughing, and saying “THANK YOU!” to the Universe for sending them my way. They provided affirmation that I am on the right track. It all started after I sent a book proposal to a publisher last Sunday. By Tuesday, I received a notice from an employee from the publishing company saying that my proposal was being sent out for review. In her letter, she said “Great last name, by the way.” As it turns out, we had the same last name. She also had the same first name as my proofreader. I smiled and thought, “That’s interesting!”
By the next morning, the experience slipped my mind until I was driving to work. I dug in my pocket for my phone to call my proofreader friend. At that moment, Don’t Stop Believing by Journey began blaring on the radio. Although I am not a fan of that song, I recognized it as a meaningful coincidence. I decided to write my book because of a series of events stemming from that song. I was living briefly in an apartment in South Dakota for work. The building walls were thin and I could hear every movement from my neighbors. It used to annoy me that whenever they got home from work, they would turn on their stereo and play Don’t Stop Believing. No other song. Just that song. Day after day after day.
I’m not a confrontational person, so I used headphones to diminish the noise. One day, as usual, the neighbors came home and started blaring their one and only song. I, as usual, put on headphones and then returned to doing work. In the peaceful silence, I fell into a slightly meditative state. Ideas started to come, so I jotted them down; these words started a process that later become the book I mentioned above.
The floodgates of synchronicity opened further. After I sent my proposal on a Sunday, the following five days were met with meaningful coyote interactions. On four of those days, I had coyotes run within 10 feet of my vehicle. On one of the five days, I stayed home all day to work. To my surprise, I opened my Facebook account to find three pictures of coyotes posted by two different people. These experiences were odd because I rarely see coyotes get that close to vehicles, and I seldom see coyote pictures on Facebook. Again, I found myself smiling, laughing, and saying “THANK YOU” to the Universe for such wonderful gifts.
Carl Gustav Jung, Swiss psychoanalyst and author of Synchronicity: An Acausal Connective Principle, extensively researched the concept known as synchronicity or “meaningful coincidences.” He explains the likelihood of certain events (or meaningful coincidences) to be so statistically improbable that they cannot be attributed to the principles of cause and effect. He explains that even acausal events must be based on some sort of principle. “However incomprehensible it may appear, we are finally compelled to assume that there is in the unconscious something like an a priori knowledge or an ‘immediacy’ of events which lacks any causal basis. At any rate our conception of causality is incapable of explaining the facts” (p. 31).
In my observation of such meaningful coincidences, the chance of occurrence appears to be connected with the emotional state of the individual(s) involved, the individual’s degree of openness to perceive the coincidence, and timing. After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, many people reported a strange interference that delayed their arrival to work at one of the buildings struck by planes that day. Some call it “luck,” which is based on chance—and I don’t believe in chance. The spiritual realm eagerly helps us if we are willing to listen and respond.
Synchronicity is the term that explains the phenomenon, but “opportunity” is a word that better describes what synchronicities actually provide to you. Such experiences are called forth by you and others to bring forth something desired or avoid something undesirable. If you could simply open up to the spiritual messages that are being sent to you, you will find yourself smiling, laughing, and saying “THANK YOU” to the Universe for being such a magnificent companion on this journey called life. Feel the inner nudges and intuitions, listen to the sounds around you, observe with renewed vision, and let the angels around you guide you to the magnificent life you desire.
Reference
Jung, C.G. (1973). Synchronicity: An acausal connecting principle. New York: Princeton.