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Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle

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_Synchronicity_ is one of Jung's longer and better known essays. It contains fascinating accounts of paranormal phenomenon, such as ESP, and Jung provides numerous examples and well-organized scientific data to prove the existence of psychokinesis and telepathy. Such apparently miraculous phenomena are presumably the result of a purely subjective universe, in which seemingly concrete and objective happenings are created and altered within the confines of our individual subjective psyche. Jung provides compelling evidence to prove this phenomenon of subjective psychic control over the outside, physical world; in the ESP experiments he cited, subjects were placed hundreds of miles away from the site of the experiment (in which a sequence of five different images were randomly uncovered and recorded), and asked to guess the sequence of images days and even weeks later. Most subjects were able to guess what the images were at a rate that was statistically determined to be astronomically improbable. By conducting the experiments in this manner, researchers were able to prove that, not only does ESP exist, it is NOT an energetic, kinetic, or physical phenomenon in the traditional sense. The separation in time and space between the experimenter and the subject proves that ESP is not a phenomenon that can be attributed to wave motion or spacial transmission. It is a purely subjective and psychic phenomenon.

The highlight of this book, however, is Jung's discussion of Tao. Jung compares his synchronistic theory to the ideas of MEANINGFULNESS and HARMONY in the philosophy of Tao. Ideas like ESP and psychokinesis help bolster Taoism's theory of the inherent harmony and intelligent, purposeful design underlying the universe. Believe what you will, but this is a very interesting and very convincing book. It is somewhat of a departure for Jung, however, and is not exactly his quintessential work; it would be a mistake to judge Jung simply based on this one narrowly focused work. But it is very interesting nonetheless, and I highly recommend it to all readers.

Also keep in mind that _Synchronicity_ is reprinted in volume 8 of the Princeton/Bollingen series of the collected works of Carl Jung, entitled _The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche_. Serious Jungians will probably want to go ahead and buy this full-length version, as it contains many other useful essays in addition to "Synchronicity".

Frankly, I usually avoid reading scholarly monographs like the plague, let alone reviewing them. The only reason that I am making an exception in this case is that I suspect that this is one of the most profoundly meaningful papers written in the modern era. Jung must have thought so also, for he knew that he was most likely sacrificing his professional standing among "serious" scientists if he published.

To cut to the chase, this paper in proposing an "acausal connecting principle" actually: 1) shows that there is a legitimate alternative to the materialistic, mechanistic world view of modern science, and 2) shows that there is MEANING inherent in the universe. Think about it, in one paper he set in motion the dethrowning of the godless, meaningless, clockwork universe of modern science. He never rejects basic scientific principles, he just shows that there is demonstrably MORE to it. This is a paper that moves to correct a profound imbalance in the collective consciousness of modern man. This paper reconnects us with the mindset of Pythagoras and Plato- men perfectly capable of applying reason, experimental method, and mathematics, yet also knowing that there is meaning in omens, in dreams, in the direct mystical experience.

You are looking for a book that explains the inexplicable. You know, those little moments where your mind tells you that what just happened implies something more than what it seems to be, that there are forces at work beyond the boring mechanistic view whith which we are led to believe our lives exist. You are looking for a book that describes your life as more meaningful than you fear it might be. Carl Jung's "Synchronicity" may be just that book:~)

What Jung sets out to describe in "Synchronicity" is proof that there is a higher degree of meaningful coincidences in our Universe than probability allows for. His chief pieces of evidence are the Zenor Card experiments carried out by J.B. Rhine in the 1930s and 40s, and his own "Astrological Experiment." Following these two pieces of evidence, Jung touches on the history of intellectuals who have tried to explain the very same thing he sets out to explain, and here he draws heavily on the I Ching.

"Synchronicity" was a book that I was very interested in reading, but now that I've read it, I am wondering exactly what it is that I've just read (and whether I learned anything from it). Jung takes as proof the quantum idea that even at its most fundamental level, our Universe behaves in "non-linear" acausal ways. He draws on the scientific ideas of Einstein and Pauli in order to make psychic generalizations for the way the human mind and the imagination works.

The ideas are fascinating to consider, but may be all but impossible to prove. Some of the examples Jung uses to illustrate acausal "meaningful coincidence" behavior are startling. My only word of caution with this book is that it might be a little too dense for some readers. All in all, though it's as good an introduction into synchronicity and meaningful coincidence as any book of its kind. Chances are, after reading "Synchronicity," you may want a more clear explanation of the ideas Jung is describing here, and there are a wealth of resources that have elaborated further on Jung's original concepts. Check out Joseph Jaworski's "Synchronicity: The Inner Path of Leadership" or Stacey Hall's "Attracting Perfect Customers: The Power of Strategic Synchronicity" for a contemporary approach to synchronicity's role in our lives. And, of course, I hope this review is helpful to you!

Stacey Cochran
Author of CLAWS available for 80 cents

Jung's "Synchronicity" is an essay about those moments when everything just seems to come together. Jung defined synchronicity as "the coincidence in time of two or more causally unrelated events which have the same meaning". Synchronicity is a cluster of meaningful patterns that normal cause and effect has not caused. Synchronicity is acausal. Beyond cause as we know it. A bridge between the known and the unknown, between the conscious and the unconscious. Though there have been others from the West that have expanded upon Jung's thoughts concerning synchronicity this is still a very good place to start. For further reading I would suggest looking to Jean Shinoda Bolen and F. David Peat, among others. For an Oriental perspective regarding acausality, synchronicity, may I suggest the "I Ching" and "Tao Te Ching". Lao Tzu, the author of "Tao Te Ching", is the father of Taoism. As Barbara Marx Hubbard has said, "The spiral of our evolutionary progress is turning back in time to reconnect with the great sage Lao Tzu". Taoism is a way of life that attempts to live in harmony with the unity of the universe by following the natural grain of things, of going with the flow. Wisdom is timeless and knows no bounds.

In "Synchronicity" Jung was trying to describe to the Western mind, his own included, the phenomenon of the alignment of universal forces with one's own life experiences. Much like Quantum Physics, Jungian Pyschology was beginning to leave behind the mechanistic universe of the 18th and 19th Centuries and starting to view reality as an organic whole. Our leading thinkers were becoming more than mere observers, they were becoming participants. Objectivity and subjectivity were merging. There are no lines of demarcation in nature, rather there are merely areas of confluence. Everything is interconnected. With Jung chance met design.

Synchronicity though subjective by nature, is scientific. Cynical skeptics will point out that the theory is not "Scientifically" verifiable because synchronicity is not quantifiable. That synchronicity is nothing more than magic, fantasy. The fact that the "Scientific Method" these same skeptics cherish was channeled via a series of dreams, including a dream within a dream, to Rene Descartes strikes me as ironic to say the least. Subjectivity created their system for objecting to subjectivity. Can't we all just get along? To quote Einstein, "As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality". All attempts to describe anything exactly fall short. Our best theorys are models of reality, not reality itself. Most, if not all, of our greatest scientists have also been mystics, or at least had a mystical experience. The "Promethean Impulse" or "Divine Inspiration" that has been granted to our greatest minds is not make believe. The answers to many of our scientific questions have come in the form of dreams, or other non-rational states of consciousness. It took a dreamer to realize that the Earth is round. There is always something new to learn. Jung was no charlatan. He was an optimist. He believed in our ability to grow and change. He spoke from personal experience tempered by thoughtful meditation. He claimed that the Universe is no coincidence and neither are we. I agree. Read Jung.

This is probably one of the more interesting books that I've read this year. I would be hard pressed to say if it's about philsophy, about psychology, or even about the occult. I wanted to read it because I had heard about Jung's studies of Astrology, particularly of Moon signs in love. I ended up getting much more out of it than that.

Synchronicity deals with the concept of things which have no casual connection being nevertheless linked together in a strange way. Jung attributes this to the collective unconscious, which you may or may not buy in to. But it's fascinating to think of all those coincidences that make up our day to day lives and wonder why they do happen. Jung himself, at times the rational scientist, at times believer in mysticism and magic, describes situations that puzzled his understanding. It will make you think about your own life and those coincidences which seem to be more purposeful than mere probability would suggest.

Although Jung is of course best known for his exploration of the unconscious mind, this - a small volume by Jung's standards - seeks to map out the mysterious link between the human psyche and the physical universe, mainly studying the so-called 'meaningful coincidence'. The idea is not difficult to grasp. But the implications are, frankly, profound, or even frightening. This book is highly recommended for all readers interested in discovering something new about themselves and the universe we live in.

Just as Oppenheimer's Shiva-jigging atom-stomp codified the nuclear sciences as a force to be reckoned with and redefined the method and madness of the battlefield for the 20th century, so in turn were set in motion a series of sub-atomic particle explorations that would ultimately serve just as destructive to long-held paradigms about the nature of the universe. The contradictory tenants of Quantum Physics desecrated the Newtonian Determinism that had dominated modern thought for some two hundred years: the electron 'cloud of possibility' and the photon wave/particle paradox shattered the comfortable, mechanistic notion of causality (cause and effect), relegating it to historical curiosity. In effect: these rigid clockwork rules, when viewed at the smallest sphere, suddenly turn elastic, "reality" dictated by the will of the observer and/or the constraint of the causal experiment: clockwork causality began to stretch like salt-water taffy before the conscious participant, giving Dali's soft-clock surrealism an eerily prescient scope. For empiricists and hardwired logicians, Quantum-theory was as dangerous and reality-threatening as anything Darwin pulled on the Secular Fundamentalists, and resistance to its baffling, frustratingly unfussy relativity continues to this day - some would rather reject it out of hand, rather than deal with the consequences.

Others, on the other hand, probed the quandary, and found therein substantive material for the more questionable aspects of this existence. Psychoanalyst Carl Jung latched onto the discoveries of his friends Einstein, Planck, Bohr (etc.), saw the correlation with Eastern philosophy and his own studies into the paranormal, and in 1952 published *Sychronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle,* an attempt to condense and conceptualize some very difficult peculiarities/inconsistencies that statistical science neglected to take into account - specifically 'meaningful coincidences', the inexplicable that occurred far too often to be products of chance. Or, as Jung put it: "Sychronicity... means the simultaneous occurrence of a certain psychic state with one or more external events which appear as meaningful parallels to the momentary objective state...(pg. 25)." In other words, the chaotic, malleable elements of the extreme microverse have a representative affect on our causal-ruled macroverse - although the manifestation of it cannot be adequately measured, due to its unpredictable nature - and to Jung's views, this was as a serious venture to be studied rather than outright dismissed.

Essential to this argument is the concept of a 'soul,' or soul-network: 'something' beyond the physical perception, and beyond the spatial limitations of energy, working in accordance to its own plan. Jung envisioned, beyond the mechanistic aspect of the 'normal' world, a broader framework of existence, in which all things are connected via an indefinable ether-verse, encompassing such derided/quizzical concepts as "meaningful coincidences," foreknowledge/precognition/intuition, ESP, telepathy, telekinesis, and so forth. As a human came to channel the Quantum theory, "...we must regard them as creative acts, as the continuous creation of a pattern that exists from all eternity, repeats itself sporadically, and is not derivable from any known antecedents (pg 102)."

Heady stuff! It's interesting to note Jung tip-toe around the `G' word (the thesis would have been outright rejected then and there by self-respecting scientists), instead incorporating the Tao, Schopenhauer's Will & various other cultural representations of an all-pervading force that, as the Chinese sages knew three thousand years before, could not be comprehended consciously, but through meditative "non-being" ... or the ~unconscious state~, Jung is quick to clarify. Integral to this discussion are archetypes, the common models upon which cultural icons/identities are patterned. Jung does not go into specifics here (for he mined archetypes throughout his career) but does pose several interesting notes - the theory of whether numbers actually existed, as archetypes, before human conception (and human existence?) was certainly something to ponder upon.

*Sychronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle* is divided into four sections, being 1) the establishment of the theory, 2) an experiment of statistical randomness to 'prove' Sychronicity by way of astrology, 3) a list of examples of similar concepts throughout the ages (the Tao etc. mentioned above), and 4) a lecture in 1951 wherein the genesis of this book was formulated. As a student of Eastern philosophy, nothing Jung stated here was exactly new or revelatory to my mindset; but when the dominant Western attitude of that period is taken into perspective, it is easy to see why this work would be deemed controversial and, a favored expression of shallow dismissal, "junk science."

Still, some reservations should be made here. For one, Synchronicity shouldn't be considered science, rather a metaphysical theory; and Jung falls into the all-to-common trap of claiming his hypothesis as irrefutable, using the higher-than-probable results of his tests and a number of "meaningful" coincidental stories to make his case. I suggest that anyone seriously investigating these theories make the effort to view both sides of the coin - those who support and those who refute the concept of Synchronicity and the innumerable derivations of Quantum possibility, for the following reason:

This thesis can be seen as an origin point for the current market of the New Age: hokum and free-wheelin' misinterpretation take voluminous cues from that established by Einstein et al. Although there are practical alternatives - self-help agencies such as PSI and similar motivational speakers a la Tony Robbins utilize these concept as the base platform of success: "To Think is to Create" - despite this, the more intricate (and exciting) aspects of Quantum Physics are often diluted by some into mass-consciousness vehicles for easy enlightenment - think of Redfield's bestselling poppycock-omnibus *The Celestine Prophecy,* or any number of Quantum-cannibalizing frauds designed exclusively for the bohemian soccer-mom set - and the increasingly nebulous 'pseudo' aspect of it subsequently strengthens resistance from traditionalists and skeptics.

This book is an excellent attempt to map the unknown, the indefinable *Something* so intrinsic with the ongoing process of life. A brave, massively influential analysis of all that 'beyond chance' - five stars.

This book will forever be linked in my mind with the Police album, just like Lolita links with "Don't Stand So Close To Me." One of the things I like most about this book is that it is easy to read and not intimidating. For starters, it's not very long and the language is not challenging. Jung uses a lot of interesting stories to explain his theories of synchronicity, when unrelated things seem to happen together at the same time with a purpose. The first time I read this book, I found that while I was reading it, I would experience synchronicity. For instance, I was reading it on my lunch break from work and I ran into one of my coworkers that I had a crush on. Maybe that's just a coincidence, but maybe there are greater forces at work. I would say that if you are intimidated by reading huge books by Jung, this is a good book to get started with, and it will definitely give you something about which to think.

_Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle_ is an essay written by the Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung, first published in 1952 and republished by the Bollingen Series of Princeton University Press, translated by R. F. C. Hull. In this essay, Jung proposes the idea of synchronicity, a "meaningful coincidence of two or more events, where something other that the probability of chance is involved". Throughout his life, Jung had been interested in occult ideas and as a youth had experienced several occult occurrences. As a scientist, Jung sought to explain these sorts of occult occurrences through the concept of synchronicity. Jung was influenced by many of the ideas emerging from modern physics at the time, particularly as concerned relativity theory (Albert Einstein had been a guest at his home while staying in Zurich) and the quantum theory (Jung benefited from collaboration with the physicist Wolfgang Pauli and this essay and a related study by Pauli appeared together when originally published).

The first section of this essay is devoted to an exposition of the concept of synchronicity. Jung begins by explaining the concept of natural law for the scientist, noting how natural laws rest upon the principle of causality; however, since natural laws are only statistical proofs this principle breaks down at the microphysical level. To illustrate his idea of synchronicity Jung presents several instances of meaningful coincidences which illustrate the "law of series" as presented by Paul Kammerer. For example, Jung mentions a case in which the symbol "fish" repeatedly occurs in his life and in his relationships with patients throughout the period of two days. A second instance of synchronicity mentioned by Jung later in this essay involves a woman who was prone to an excessive "Cartesianism" (i.e. rationalism) and had a dream of a scarab beetle. Later a beetle was to appear at Jung's window while he was analyzing her freeing her of her rationalism. Occurrences such as these suggest the possibility of an acausal connecting principle. Jung mentions the thinking of Schopenhauer on fate at this point and he shows where Schopenhauer's thinking is wrong in light of modern discoveries; yet, he praises Schopenhauer for suspecting that the scientific understanding of natural law at the time was missing something. Jung mentions the parapsychological work of Gurney, Myers, Podmore, Dariex, Richet, and Flammarion. He notes that Dariex found cases where the probability of a telepathic result being due to chance were 1 : 4,114,545, and Flammarion found similar cases where the probability was 1 : 804,622,222. Jung also mentions the work of J. B. Rhine at Duke University on extra-sensory perception (ESP). He shows how Rhine devised experiments in which the probabilities of results being due to chance were extremely miniscule and furthermore separated experimenter and subject by enormous distances and reproduced similar results. Jung also mentions the work of the Society for Psychical Research in parapsychology and presents a summing up of the results on ESP. Jung mentions the role of the archetypes of the collective unconscious (according to his own theory) as they occur in instances of synchronicity, and suggests that they play a fundamental role in these occurrences. Jung next goes into a discussion of various instances of synchronicity, mentioning the case of the beetle. Jung also notes how in Rhine's experiments the mental state of the subject (i.e. whether he viewed the experiment in a positive light or was bored with it) came to determine the degree to which he indicated correct results. This again offers confirmation for Jung's theory that attentiveness to the collective unconscious is somehow involved in these occurrences of synchronicity. Jung suggests that synchronicity consists of two processes: an unconscious image comes into the consciousness and then an object in the world is discovered which coincides with this unconscious image. Jung relates this phenomenon to alchemy and magic (mentioning the writings of Albertus Magnus). Jung also mentions particularly in this regard the _I Ching_, a Chinese divinatory text used as an intuitive or "mantic" method for grasping a situation as a whole and placing the details against a cosmic background. Jung shows how the use of the _I Ching_ relates to the irrational nature of the unconscious and explains the differences between Chinese and modern Western thought. Jung also examines astrology as part of this discussion.

The second section of this essay consists of an astrological experiment conducted by Jung. In this experiment, Jung used statistical methods to examine the occurrences of astrological correspondences in married couples. Jung found evidence for the traditionally regarded "sun conjuncted with moon" and "moon conjuncted with moon" occurrences among marriage partners that exceeded those suspected due to chance. In this regard Jung again mentions the experiments of Rhine, as well as an interesting story regarding the Swedish seer Swedenborg whose dreams foretold a fire in Stockholm.

The third section of this essay consists of a discussion of forerunners of the idea of synchronicity. In this regard, Jung begins with a discussion of Oriental thought, mentioning both the idea of the Tao (translated as "God" or "Providence" by the Jesuits) of Taoist thought and the mantic procedures involved in the _I Ching_. Jung relates this to the theory of "correspondentia" in the thinking of medieval Europe. Jung mentions such thinkers as Hippocrates, Philo, Theophrastus Paracelsus, Pico della Mirandola, and Zosimos of Panopolis. Jung also mentions Kepler and his remarks on astrology and finally turns his attention to Leibniz, going into a fairly thorough discussion of his "monads". Jung also notes the role of number (which has real existence according to the Platonists), mentioning for example the comment of Gauss that "God arithmetizes" and a dream involving a geometrical square occurring in nature. Jung concludes this essay remarking on the role of modern physics in explaining synchronicity, emphasizing a "quaternion" with "space" and "time", and "causality" and "synchronicity" occupying opposing sides.

This book also includes the lecture given by Jung, "On Synchronicity" (1951), which appeared before the essay was written and essentially goes over the same material as present in the essay.

This book offers an attempt by Jung to scientifically explain the unexplainable. His discussion here is sure to not please the so-called skeptical rationalists. However, Jung uses the very methods of science to show that his idea of synchronicity has validity. For the discerning reader, this book and essay is sure to offer much food for thought regarding the nature of reality.

This is the first written material that I have been exposed to that actually attempts to quantify (not just qualify) the possibility of unexplained phenomena in a truly scientific manner. It's the most depth I have seen any psychologist reach while studying the difference between the internally self-generated/projected vs. the possibility of externally autonomous psychological occurrences. For one who is involved in self-exploration, this particular work can be the catalyst for much inner growth & development. Be ready for Jung's abstract writing style, & have a dictionary & highlighter on hand for some fun & enlightening reading!