Synchronicity Rules
Synchronicity has played a pivotal role throughout my life. The most significant events and opportunities have come through remarkable and entirely unexpected coincidences, without any planning on my part. Perhaps I should say despite my planning.
You’ve likely experienced such coincidences yourself—moments when chance events come together in unexpected ways. Simple things, like thinking about an old friend and then hearing from them out of the blue. Or an encounter with a stranger who tells you something that you’d been wanting to know. These moments are remarkable in that they usually involve two, or sometimes more, unconnected events coming together in a highly unlikely way. Sometimes, they seem almost magical, giving us just what we need at just the right time.
Carl Jung and Synchronicity
The term “synchronicity” was coined by Carl Jung, who defined it as a “meaningful coincidence” governed by an “acausal connecting principle.” By acausal, he meant that the events are not connected by conventional notions of cause and effect.
Their acausal nature is important. When we experience one of these remarkable coincidences, we might well ask ourselves: How did that happen? Was it ESP? Angels looking after me? Good karma? In seeking an explanation, we’re looking for a cause—whether material, spiritual, or of some cosmic nature. But Jung’s insight suggests that we shouldn’t try to explain them. There’s no direct cause-effect relationship behind the events.
Jung saw that although the two events may not have a causal connection, they do have a meaningful connection for the person experiencing them. Often, they support our lives in some way, giving us just what we need at just the right time.
The Support of Nature
Many years ago, I was fortunate to study with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who introduced Transcendental Meditation to the West. He saw such coincidences as one of the benefits of meditation. When assessing our progress, he often asked if we had noticed what he called “increased support of nature.” By this, he meant: Did we notice the world supporting our needs and intentions? In other words, were we seeing more synchronicity in our lives?
He reasoned that much of our thinking stems from egocentric needs and desires—a self-centeredness that contributes to many of our personal, social, and global problems. During meditation, we transcend the ego-mind, freeing ourselves from its misguided values. In doing so, we support nature in the most fundamental way. And in return, nature supports us.
It might sound like magical thinking, but I’ve found that the degree of synchronicity in my life often reflects my general state of consciousness. When I meditate regularly, or after I’ve been on a meditation retreat, life seems to work out especially well. It’s as if nature (by which Maharishi meant the fundamental intelligence of the Universe) has my best interests at heart and arranges for their fulfillment in ways I could never have planned. Conversely, when I’m stressed, not in touch with my deeper self, caught up in worry, or otherwise off-center, synchronicities don’t happen as often.
One memorable example, which I recounted in my book Letting Go of Nothing, occurred when I was driving home from a meditation retreat. I decided to leave the motorway and explore some country lanes to find a quiet place to take a break and meditate. When I finished and opened my eyes, I was astonished to see one of the retreat leaders walking by on his way to post a letter. Some might call it a mere coincidence, even if highly unlikely. However, it was very meaningful to me, because I wanted to see him again. But I had no idea he lived in this part of the country—let alone down this particular country lane.
There was another factor at play in this example, in addition to the synchronicity fulfilling a wish. Somehow my intuition had guided me to that particular spot. By intuition I don’t mean having a gut feeling, a creative insight, or a sense of what someone else might be feeling. Rather, I am pointing to an unconscious guidance, which, in this instance, led me to choose that particular spot down that particular lane at that particular time.
Giving Thanks
Although we can’t make synchronicities happen—that would run counter to their acausal nature—we can encourage their occurrence. We can take time to step back from egoic thinking, be still, and reconnect with our authentic self. Then, as we go about our lives with greater ease, following our heart, and trusting in the flow, we can enjoy—and probably marvel at—the ways in which events tend to support our needs.
When some synchronicity does occur, rather than asking how it happened, I like to pause and be grateful for whatever connection, opportunity, or insight it may have brought. And not just having thoughts of gratitude, but feeling it in my heart.
Beyond gratitude for a particular synchronicity, l’m even more thankful for the fact that synchronicities happen at all—and that I have this extraordinary and fascinating form of support. I don’t know how my life would have unfolded without the numerous synchronicities, big and small, that have led me to where I am today. Without them, my path likely would have been far more mundane and less fascinating. Most certainly, I wouldn’t be here, writing this.
If the only prayer you ever say is thank you, that will be enough.
~ Meister Eckhart
You can ask me (or rather my personal chatbot, PeterBot) questions about my work and ideas 24/7 at peterrussell.com/peterbot
Recent books:
Letting Go of Nothing: Relax Your Mind and Discover the Wonder of Your True Nature.
Forgiving Humanity: How the Most Innovative Species Became the Most Dangerous - The Curse of Exponential Change.