September 2024
It seems everybody has experienced strange coincidences:
- You talk with a friend about a person you haven’t thought of in 20 years, and shortly after the conversation you bump into that person in the street.
- You have thoughts about something particular, say, bumble bees, and the next few days you come across bumble bees everywhere: in nature, in paintings, in the news.
- Even more powerful: You dream about something, and that same thing appears in waking life soon afterwards.
Many have also occasionally sensed a numinous quality to coincidences, an inkling that they carry importance. But the esoteric nature of this makes it uneasy to share the feeling with others.
Is every coincidence truly coincidental, or are some kind of purposeful forces sometimes in play? Psychologist Carl Jung coined the term synchronicity for an unusual coincidence that feels meaningful and links the internal and the external life of the person who experiences it. A synchronicity reflects “the coincidence of events in space and time as meaning something more than mere chance”, according to the psychology giant.
Researchers and scholars, too, have been enthralled with the phenomenon of synchronicity and a new book captures their personal experiences and academic thoughts.
“The Playful Universe: Synchronicity and the Nature of Consciousness” features essays by scientists and academics sharing personal stories about transformative synchronistic events and thoughts about what kind of universe makes synchronicity possible. It is published by Academy for the Advancement of Postmaterialist Sciences and The Galileo Commission.
“Meaning is an intrinsic feature of reality”, psychology professor and contributor Roderick Main said at the book launch. “It draws us to an alternative way of looking at reality — less empirical and more hermeneutic”.
“Synchronicities show we are in line with our purpose, they’re a way of communication”, added Joan Walton, PhD, while physicist William Keepin highlighted quantum physicist David Bohm’s description of the universe as consisting of energy, matter and consciousness, “which is meaning”.
The phenomenon also has been subject to recent research. An Israeli study from 2023 concludes that acknowledging that the meaning such events hold for us contributes to our wellbeing. It is an “underexplored pathway to life satisfaction”, write the two researchers in the paper.
The phenomenon is also explored in a preprinted scientific article from June 2024 authored by researcher Douglas Youvan, PhD: “Our findings suggest that synchronicity awareness can enhance personal meaning and social cohesion”.
But there are challenges, too, according to Youvan: Synchronicity could be misused for manipulation. The paper recommends practical guidelines to harness the positive aspects of synchronicity while mitigating potential downsides. “Ultimately, we propose that a deeper understanding of synchronicity could lead to a more interconnected and holistic worldview”, it reads.
Perhaps we don’t need to understand exactly how synchronicities work and whether they are a “wink” from a “higher power” or not. As the study states, they seem to provide meaning for the individual. And if they do, they have done a pretty good job.
Tip for editors and producers: Invite your readers and listeners to share their most striking synchronicities. Engaging your audience like this can overview of how common this phenomenon is and showcase interesting stories.
Anders Bolling
Note: The FJN receives grant funding from The Galileo Commission yet operates as an independent entity.
