Synchronicity describes thoughts and occurrences with apparent relations in meaning, yet without an obvious causal connection. Coincidences between events in one's mind and the outside world may seem unrelated, but have an unknown link.
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In analytical psychology this is a healthy function of the mind. It can become harmful within psychosis. Psychosis is a condition of the mind or psyche in which one has problems defining what is real and what's not.
Symptoms of psychosis include
delusions
hallucinations
incoherent speech
behavior inappropriate to a situation
sleep problems
social withdrawal
lack of motivation
difficulty with everyday activities
In the late 1920s Carl Jung coins the term synchronicity in psychology as a hypothetical "noncausal principle". It functions as the intersubjective or philosophically objective link between coincidences perceived as significant.
He collaborates with physicist Wolfgang Pauli a1952 work The Interpretation of Nature and the Psyche. This culminates in the Pauli-Jung conjecture. Jung and Pauli explore the idea of acausal connections as offering a glimpse into the nature of humanity and the Universe.
Similarly, causal connections can provide a meaningful understanding of the psyche and the world without and within. Causality is the condition of one event, process, state, or object (a cause) contributes to the production of another event, process, state, or object (an effect).
Cause is partly responsible for the effect, and effect is partly dependent on the cause. In general, a process has many causes or causal factors, and all lie in its past. In turn an effect can be a cause of, or causal factor for, many other effects, which lie in its future.
Causality is metaphysically prior to notions of time and space. A discipline of philosophy, metaphysics examines the fundamental structure of reality.
Metaphysics is commonly referred to as first philosophy, suggesting it holds a more foundational position compared to other branches of philosophy. Traditionally metaphysics examines aspects, deemed independent of the mind, existing in the world.
Metaphysics explores the conceptual framework(s) shaping human cognition and perception. It takes into account external influences and the mental processes involved in experiencing and, if necessary, resolving them.
The concept of synchronicity originates with Carl Jung's study of ancient Chinese religion and philosophy, and his use of the I Ching. An ancient Chinese divination text, the I Ching is among the oldest of the Chinese classics.
is the ancient form of zhēn (to divine) as seen on the turtle plastron above.
The I Ching is originally a manual of divination in the Western Zhou period (1000 - 750 BCE). It becomes part of the Chinese Five Classics in the 2nd century BCE. The I Ching is the basis for divination for hundreds of years throughout the Far East.
Between the 18th and 20th centuries, the I Ching is influential in the Western comprehension of East Asian philosophical thought. Fluctuating surges of 18th century Romance, Victorian mysticism and science of the mind open channels of the unconscious.
In 1930 Jung states:
"The science [cleromancy] of the I Ching is based not on the causality principle but on one which—hitherto unnamed because not familiar to us—I have tentatively called the synchronistic principle."
Cleromancy refers to lot casting, akin to divination with dice or casting the bones. Pebbles and and small objects are used, often of different colors. The I Ching uses hexagrams.
In I Ching divination, bundles of yarrow stalks are manipulated to produce sets of six apparently random numbers ranging from 6 to 9. Each of the 64 possible sets corresponds to a hexagram, which can be looked up in the I Ching.
According to philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer in 1850:
All the events in life would accordingly stand in two fundamentally different kinds of connection: firstly, in the objective, causal connection of the natural process; secondly, in a subjective connection which exists only in relation to the individual who experiences it, and which is thus as subjective as one's own dreams.
Jung looks into hidden structures of nature to explain coincidences. In 1932, with physicist Wolfgang Pauli. They discuss and collaborated on various topics surrounding synchronicity, contemporary science, and what is now known as the Pauli effect.
The Pauli effect comes from the physicist's experience with breakdown of automations only when he's in the vicinity. Pauli sees this as an example of synchronicity. Though his ideas are dismissed by peers, Pauli believes in the authenticity of the effect.
Analytical psychology elaborates on the idea of numinosity, which describes the feeling of gravitas or solemnity in religious experiences. Numinosity refers to spiritual power in the relationship between an individual and other people and things.
He mentions parapsychologist J. B. Rhine whose work in the 1930s seems to validate claims of extrasensory perception. Other notable influences and precursors to synchronicity appear in the concept of correspondences, sympathetic magic, astrology and alchemy.
Jung works on the theory of synchronicity for twenty years before making it public in 1951. The next year, Jung and Pauli publish their pivotal work Interpretation of Nature and the Psyche, with Jung's central treatise "Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle".
These works on synchronicity influence thinkers today. Modern physicist Thomas Filk mentions quantum entanglement as "a particular type of acausal quantum correlations". Quantum entanglement is a theory first proposed by Einstein et al.
According to Filk, Pauli uses this as a model for the relationship between mind and matter. Quantum entanglement may be the physical phenomenon which most closely represents the concept of synchronicity.
In quantum entanglement particles interact or are close in the spatial environment. Each particle in the set can't be defined independently. Its composition and behavior depend on the states of others, even when the particles are distant from one another.
According to contemporary scholar L. K. Kerr:
"Jung also looks to modern physics to understand the nature of synchronicity, and attempts to adapt many ideas in this field to accommodate his conception of synchronicity, including the property of numinosity. He worked closely with Nobel Prize winning physicist Wolfgang Pauli and also consulted with Albert Einstein.
The notion of synchronicity shares with modern physics the idea that under certain conditions, the laws governing the interactions of space and time can no longer be understood according to the principle of causality. In this regard, Jung joins modern physicists in reducing the conditions in which the laws of classical mechanics apply."
Jung's use of the concept in arguing for the existence of paranormal phenomena is widely considered pseudoscientific. He arouses objections from Pauli regarding experiments of the concept using astrology.
In analytical psychology, acknowledging meaningful coincidences, also known as synchronicities, plays a crucial role in the process of individuation. These synchronicities, according to Jung, are not mere chance occurrences.
They can be meaningful connections able to bridge the gap between conscious and unconscious realms of the mind. Recognizing these synchronicities, an individual gains deeper understanding of the inner self.
People can identify underlying patterns governing their lives. This process of introspection and interpretation allows for a more intricate understanding of the psyche.
Acknowledgment of synchronicities is a guiding light, giving insight into one's path and purpose in life. It opens a world of possibilities and potential meanings, inviting individuals to delve into the mysteries of existence and the interconnectedness of all things.
Any negative consequences depend on the individual's reactions to this material. This concept can also counteract the adverse impacts of excessive rationalization and tendencies towards mind-body separation in today's society.
The way one processes and interprets data and stimuli is influential, shaping perceptions and subsequent actions. Stressing importance of individual reactions and responses, the concept of synchronicity takes a holistic approach to understanding mind-body connection.
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