| Among Carl Jung's most controversial and intriguing | | | | to the least reflective among us, but in actual fact, the |
| ideas was that of synchronicity. | | | | unconscious is continually communicating with us, by |
| Jung observed that we seem to experience | | | | forming dreams and daydreams, by driving our |
| "meaningful coincidences" of thoughts and events | | | | creative choices, by pulling us into fascinations, by |
| which do not seem to be causally connected. | | | | making song lyrics stick in out minds and by an almost |
| Jung's most famous example was of a client who | | | | infinite number of other microscopic pulls on our |
| was reluctant to believe that her dreams had any sort | | | | attention. The fact of the matter is that a relevant |
| of importance even though she reported them dutifully. | | | | song lyric which gets stuck in our head is just as |
| A breakthrough came on the day when she reported | | | | "meaningful a coincidence" as Jung's scarab beetle if |
| a dream in which a scarab beetle played a role and at | | | | we are willing to do the work of consciously ferreting |
| the same time, a scarab beetle, which was rare in that | | | | out the connections to our personal concerns and life |
| part of the world, flew in the window and landed | | | | questions. It is just less impressively striking. |
| between them. The appearance in the real world of | | | | The key is that consciousness has to co-operate. |
| the beetle which had appeared in her dream seems to | | | | Experiences of "synchronicity" occur when we are |
| have convinced her that the thoughts, feelings and | | | | willing to be consciously attentive and reflective about |
| patterns of experience which she experienced in | | | | the connections that our unconscious proposes to us. |
| dreams might indeed have real world correlates. The | | | | Evolutionary psychologists and cognitive theorists now |
| truly "meaningful" aspect of the experience was not | | | | propose that unconscious processes evolved as a |
| the charming coincidence but fact that she was able | | | | normal and necessary mental adjunct which |
| to change her attitude towards her unconscious | | | | compensates and extends rational thought by |
| processes because of it. | | | | automating many parts of thinking and releasing |
| The important point in all this therefore, is not | | | | attentional resources for logical and conscious |
| "coincidence" but "meaning". | | | | processing. Creativity researchers propose that the |
| Cognitive researchers today will agree that one of the | | | | alternative, nonlinear connections that the unconscious |
| defining qualities of "unconscious" processing is its | | | | throws up are the source of novel understanding and |
| ability to make non-linear, non-rational connections; | | | | needed for creative problem solving. Conscious |
| connections which are not based solely on cause and | | | | processes alone are too limited and insufficient. |
| effect, but which may be connected by relationships | | | | Carl Jung's unconscious lead him to a fascination with |
| of similarity, contiguity in time or space, or even by | | | | paranormal phenomena which inspired him to reflect |
| emotional qualities. As a result, a feeling of "meaning" | | | | on the amazing ability of our mind to influence our |
| or of connectedness can be evoked by many | | | | behavior and to place us in the path of necessary |
| different unconscious pathways. Just as human needs | | | | experiences. |
| can be fulfilled in many different ways, answers to | | | | Jung had the insight to understand and acknowledge |
| psychological questions can be represented | | | | the value of the alternative resources that he found in |
| symbolically in many ways as well. | | | | his "inner world" of feelings, fantasies, dreams and |
| When the unconscious scans the world for a way to | | | | intuitions. His curiosity and courage lead him down |
| communicate, counsel or caution there are actually | | | | paths to an intuitive understanding of human abilities |
| usually many situations that it can use symbolically and | | | | and pathologies that cognitive psychologists were only |
| "flag" to attract our attention. | | | | beginning to appreciate fifty years later. |
| Like Jung's scarab beetle story, some of these are | | | | Reference: (Carl Jung: Synchronicity: An Acausal |
| more obviously "apt" than others and stand out even | | | | Connecting Principle.. |