Someone said to me in 2017 that there are no coincidences. This really was a turning point in my journey into consciousness expansion. I started reading the psychology of Carl Jung who initially coined the term 'synchronicity' and then I read an amazing book called The Power of Coincidence by David Richo.
If you're new to synchronicity, it can be explained as meaningful coincidences. For example, last week my mother came to stay with me. I placed the photograph of my (passed) father in a drawer as they weren't on speaking terms for many years and I wished to protect her feelings. Over the next few days I heard two out of the three songs selected to be played at his funeral played in different ways: one via a band on the tube, one at a coffee shop in James' Park and one via my boyfriend's television set, from another country. Having not heard those songs for a long time, that was synchronicity. What did I take from that? I took that he is with me. He doesn't mind that I temporarily put his photo away and he loves me regardless.
Another example was being exposed to the animal narwhal three times over twelve hours. You may agree, the narwhal is an animal you don't hear mentioned often. It's a whale with a horn. Very magical. It was mentioned by a child I was babysitting, it then appeared on a television programme and it was also mentioned in song lyrics. Three times in twelve hours!
When this happens, you are faced with a choice: Do you interpret this to mean Narwhals are something you should further research, are they sending a message or is it something 'weird' to be dismissed as chance?*
Another example of synchronicity. My best friend and I were having a conversation about how she had just moved to an area to complete an amazing project, however she left an even better situation where everything was just flowing for her and going really well and was worried she'd made the wrong decision. On arrival at the new place, she didn't feel good and became sick. Her body is normally a great barometer of how she's feeling about something. I then told her a book I am just beginning to read - Authenticity by Stephen Joseph - How to be yourself and why it matters. I noticed the inside cover it had been copyedited by her mum! Then I started to read it and it said to pay attention to your body and how it reacts to what actions you take! Then on the same page it had a reference to Steve Jobs - someone she always used to talk about. I would call this synchronicity.
You know when something is meaningful because you feel it. Whatever you think or feel the universe says yes.
In traditional psychology this is called 'confirmation bias' - we seek out confirmation that what we believe is right. And it's there for the taking in its masses. Think you're a bad driver? You'll hear that beeped horn louder than someone who believes they're a good driver. Think you're great at playing pool - you'll play well. Believe everything will be fine? You'll look for the positive in every situation.
Coincidence implies chance or luck, while synchronicity implies a deeper intelligence at work. It hints at a greater force outside our control. To believe in that, requires fearlessness. To embrace that we are potentially puppets acting in a greater, divine plan and to just have faith that we are being taken care of, takes balls. The opposite of fear is love. To feel loved by the universe releases all fears. To have faith in the process and the story that is your life unfolding automatically releases all your fears.
However we will not discuss the free will v determinism debate now ;) Oh ok just a bit...We are an active contributor in the written story of our life. Could it be that there is no absolute free will OR determinism but a balance and necessity for both? Just like there is day AND night. Black AND white. North pole AND south pole. Man AND woman. We were written but also have control of the pen?
You can choose what you decide to be meaningful when these occurrences happen, because that is the beauty of living intentionally; living subjectively. Attributing meaning to events is what separates an inspired life and a dull, well - meaningless - life.
Nihilism - the idea that life is meaningless - is closely linked to depression.
I read a good analogy of this once. Life is like a pile of Lego blocks. You can make everything out of it. If you don't make anything out of it, it is no fun and there is no point.
On the subject of quantum physics, synchronicity can be explained by a few theories in quantum physics. Multiple worlds theory as well as time not being linear. You start to notice things in your present which were suggested in your past or vice versa.
Dr Kirby Surprise states on this Future Thinker's synchronicity podcast episode "the most important purpose of synchronistic events is to help us with our social relationships. Just as we are moving through worlds of our own meaning, so are all the people around us"
Moments of synchronicity lead us to Satori - the realisation of unity in your consciousness. The realisation that our inner world is in synch with our outer world. To break the 'us or them' mentality and to realise we are all in the same situation experience life subjectively in the best way we can.
Read more about Satori here
Ultimately, you can look for synchronicties and begin to notice whatever story you want about your life (see the Einstein quote above) but the first step is to have awareness...
Contact me for more information on how you can awaken your awareness and discover your own magical life story here
Lots of Love,
Jenna
*I googled "Narwhal spiritual meaning" and I got this:
Nourishing others, unicorn symbolism and wisdom, being able to understand the depths of an issue, understanding more deeply than others, an affinity with themes of cold and coldness, the body as a weapon, diving below the surface, 'deep and meaningfuls', resisting captivity, poking holes in the theories of others, a desperation for freedom
Which made me feel like I was on the right path - choosing to selectively identify with the things I felt served me most from that list. This is how we create our realities. We choose meaning.