| The universe is a dance of possibilities. You dance | | | | been seeking. |
| with it when you fall into a flow, a rhythm, where | | | | Rationalists like to oppose the idea of synchronicity |
| more of the possibilities that you desire start to | | | | as apophenia, a tendency of the mind to seek and |
| show up. | | | | perceive connections between unrelated phenomena. |
| Carl Jung called this state of "meaningful coincidences" | | | | However, apart from the obvious fact that |
| synchronicity. | | | | synchronicity appears to have a strong meaning to |
| The classical true story of the golden scarab beetle | | | | those who experience it, sometimes transforming |
| best illustrates it. | | | | them in a way that they could not have imagined, |
| In an article called, "Synchronicity, An Acausal | | | | like Jung's ultra-rational patient who needed a nudge |
| Connecting Principle," Carl G. Jung shares a true story | | | | by the universe to have her psychological |
| that has now become a classic example: | | | | breakthrough, an even stronger argument to support |
| "A young woman I was treating had, at a critical | | | | the Jungian "discovery" of synchronicity, I believe can |
| moment, a dream in which she was given a golden | | | | be found in viewing the situation from the |
| scarab. While she was telling me this dream I sat with | | | | perspective of quantum physics and the idea of an |
| my back to the closed window. Suddenly I heard a | | | | intelligent universe. |
| noise behind me, like a gentle tapping. I turned round | | | | Everything is energy and this energy is organized by |
| and saw a flying insect knocking against the | | | | intelligence. This intelligence is not individual but |
| window-pane from outside. I opened the window and | | | | cosmic; it is an impersonal, non-linear, infinite |
| caught the creature in the air as it flew in. It was the | | | | organizing awareness. |
| nearest analogy to a golden scarab that one finds in | | | | Thus, we live in three domains. |
| our latitudes, a scarabaeid beetle, the common | | | | There is the domain of the "world of appearance." |
| rose-chafer (Cetonia aurata), which contrary to its | | | | This is the every day world where an oak tree is a |
| usual habits had evidently felt an urge to get into a | | | | solid mass of wood that can hurt your foot if you |
| dark room at this particular moment." [Coll. Works, | | | | kick it. |
| vol. 8, 843] | | | | There is the domain of "the quantum world." This is |
| Jung explains "The meaningful connection is obvious | | | | where the oak tree is not at all solid but a |
| enough … in view of the approximate identity | | | | constellation of atoms, which at the subatomic level is |
| of the chief objects (the scarab and the beetle)." | | | | not a collection of solid things, but only patterns of |
| [CW, vol. 8, 845] | | | | probability that dance in and out of existence. |
| The scarab beetle showed up because the patient | | | | Then there is the domain of "pure intelligence." This is |
| was stuck in a thoroughly rationalistic point-of-view, | | | | the infinite organizing intelligence that organizes the |
| which prevented her from experiencing insight into | | | | life-form of the tree so that it grows from an acorn |
| her problems. | | | | into an oak tree. |
| The timely appearance of the scarab beetle, | | | | Since at the quantum level, every particle appears to |
| something that stood outside the realm of rationality, | | | | be in instant communication with every other particle, |
| caused her to experience the paradigm shift that she | | | | at the level of the world of appearance, a thought is |
| needed to experience psychic healing. | | | | an attractive force that brings more of what you |
| This transformation in her psyche was a symbol of | | | | think about into your experience. Thus, through the |
| rebirth. | | | | agency of pure intelligence acting on the quantum |
| As Jung wrote: "The scarab is a classic example of a | | | | field, thoughts, which are wavelengths, affect other |
| rebirth symbol. The ancient Egyptian Book of What | | | | wavelengths to bring you the subject of your |
| Is in the Netherworld describes how the dead | | | | thoughts. |
| sun-god changes himself at the tenth station into | | | | In order to tap into the flow of synchronicity, a |
| Khepri, the scarab, and then, at the twelfth station, | | | | connection with pure consciousness and with the |
| mounts the barge which carries the rejuvenated | | | | quantum world is necessary. This connection is |
| sun-god into the morning sky." [CW, vol. 8, 845] | | | | established through a specific pattern of thought, |
| Here is another example, told by Jung. | | | | which we call an intention. |
| A man named Monsieur Deschamps had a neighbor, | | | | Carlos Castaneda's definition of intention best explains |
| Monsieur de Fontgibu, who gave him his first plum | | | | how it is the connecting force between the three |
| pudding when he was a young boy. In Paris ten | | | | domains. He says, "In the universe, there is an |
| years later, Deschamps orders plum pudding in a | | | | immeasurable, indescribable force which shamans call |
| restaurant but discovers that the last serving was | | | | intent, and absolutely everything that exists in the |
| sold to de Fontgibu, who is unexpectedly in town and | | | | entire cosmos is attached to intent by a connecting |
| at that same restaurant. Years later, Deschamps is | | | | link." |
| once again offered plum pudding at a social gathering. | | | | The dance of the universe is the flow of |
| As Deschamps tells the gathering about the earlier | | | | synchronicity, and this synchronicity is something that |
| coincidences, he is shocked to see de Fontgibu, now | | | | you can invite into your life by holding the intention |
| a senile old man, barge in through the door, having | | | | of consciously creating your reality. |
| mistaken the room for another place that he had | | | | |