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126 of 135 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perhaps the most profoundly meaningful paper of modern times, February 10, 2002
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.
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60 of 62 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of his most important essays, June 18, 2003
_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".
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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jung's Synchronicity, November 25, 2003
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
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