No matter how much we may try to plan our life, our experience of reality rarely turns out precisely the way we intended.
Consider what sometimes looks and feels like things are falling apart is reality coming together in an entirely new way. If we pay close attention when things are reconfiguring, there are always signs of synchronicity redirecting us toward a more expansive and soul-satisfying path.
Synchronicity is a meaningful coincidence that occurs without planning or expectation. It is the language of an interconnected universe.
The phenomenon of synchronicity was initially conceptualized and coined accordingly by Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung in the 1920s. He used the term “synchronicity” to describe the experience of two or more seemingly unrelated events being observed as happening together in a meaningful manner.
Synchronicity,’ said Carl Jung, ‘is the coming together of inner and outer events in a way that cannot be explained by cause and effect and that is meaningful to the observer.’ (reference: Carl Jung, Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle, Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1972)
Awareness of synchronicity is noticing the inter-connected patterns of everything and recognizing that there is no such thing as coincidence. While we may be the meaning maker of our experiences, taking note of synchronicities when they occur can facilitate greater awareness of our connection to everything.
An interesting note about synchronicity is that we often notice it in retrospect. When we look back at the so-called “random” events of our lives, we easily recognize how these circumstances were threaded together in a weave of interconnection. We begin to notice how even “negative” events of our lives were part of a bigger fabric of our experience. We may see the inherent perfection of all our choices and circumstances, leading us to become exactly who we are today. We may see the synchronicity of our lives and realize we are part of a greater whole.
This awareness of synchronicity is also available to us now. We may begin to notice synchronicity in the present moment as a gift to ourselves.
Jung also astutely noted that synchronicity is more likely to occur when we are in a state of heightened awareness. In other words, when we are excited about synchronistic events, then they tend to occur more frequently. (reference: Carl Jung, Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle, Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1972)
Allow yourself to be delighted and surprised by the unfolding of events that seem random yet are invariably connected. Trust that the hand of synchronicity is working retrospectively AND prospectively in your life.
The usefulness of recognizing synchronicity is that it may help us return our awareness to a state of flow. Synchronicities remind us that all circumstances are patterned connections and that everything is working together. When you pay attention to synchronicity, there is a deepening connection of the inner self to the world without.
Practical Play Exercise:
Think of a recent event or experience that seemed “synchronistic” to you. How did it make you feel? What elements of the experience can you invite into your awareness now? Do you feel excitement, wonder, delight, or amazement? In what ways can you carry these heightened sensations with you so that you increase the likelihood of noticing more synchronicity in your life?