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