
---- Synchronicity is a neologism by the Switzerland psychologist Carl Jung to describe the alignment of "universal forces" with the life experiences of an individual. Jung believed that many experiences perceived as coincidences were not merely due to chance, but instead reflected the creation of an event or circumstance by the "co-inciding" or alignment of such forces. The process of becoming intuition aware and acting in harmony with these forces is what Jung labeled "individuation." Jung said that an individuated person would actually shape events around them through the communication of their consciousness with the collective unconscious. Jung spoke of synchronicity as being an "acausal connecting principle" (ie. a pattern of connection that is not explained by causal relationships). ==Example== A well-known example of synchronicity involves plum pudding. It is the true story of the French writer Émile Deschamps who in 1805 is treated to some plum pudding by the stranger Monsieur de Fontgibu. Ten years later, he encounters plum pudding on the menu of a Paris restaurant, and wants to order some, but the waiter tells him the last dish has already been served to another customer, who turns out to be M. de Fontgibu. Many years later in 1832 Émile Deschamps is at a diner, and is once again offered plum pudding. He recalls the earlier incident and tells his friends that only M. de Fontgibu is missing to make the setting complete, and in the same instant the now senile M. de Fontgibu enters the room by mistake. ==Criticism== Since the theory of synchronicity is not testable according to the classical scientific method, it is not widely regarded as science at all, but rather as pseudoscience or an example of magical thinking. Probability theory can attempt to explain events such as the plum pudding incident in our normal world, without any interference by any universal alignment forces. However, the correct variables required for actually computing the probability cannot be found. This is not to say that synchronicity is not a good model for describing a certain kind of human experience - but it is a reason for refusal of the idea that synchronicity should be considered a "hard fact", i.e. an actually existing principle of our universe. Supporters of the theory claim that since the scientific method is applicable only to those phenomena that are reproducible, independent of observer and quantifiable, the argument that synchronicity is not scientifically 'provable' should be considered a red herring (fallacy), as, by definition, synchronistic events are not independent of the observer, since the observer's unique history is precisely what gives the synchronistic event meaning for the observer. A synchronistic event appears like just another meaningless 'random' event to anyone else without the unique prior history which correlates to the event. This reasoning claims that the principle of synchronicity raises the question of the subjectivity of significance and meaning in the sequence of natural events. ==Correlation== Although not scientifically provable in the classical sense, a scientific basis for the phenomenon of synchronicity may be found in the principle of correlation, in so far as a more precise scientific term for Jung's expression 'acausal connecting principle' is 'correlation'. It is a well-known scientific principle that 'correlation does not imply causation'. Yet, correlation may in fact be a physical property shared by events without there being a classical cause-effect relationship, as shown in quantum physics, where widely separated events can be correlated without being linked by a direct physical cause-effect (see nonlocality, EPR paradox). ==Related topics== The feeling of making a connection where there is none has been described as apophenia. Aspects of the subjective experience of schizophrenia have much in common with the subjective experience of synchronicity, in the sense that ordinary events are seen as having a direct personal relevance to the schizophrenic, but are seen as 'normal' by non-schizophrenics. Many psychosis are similar to schizophrenia but can last for a very short time, such as in rare instances from nicotine withdrawal (as an example) causing the same effect even with a non-schizophrenic. Those who have experienced a near-death experience or kundalini awakening report an increase in synchronistic events happening to them. A religious analogy of this experience might be attributed to the fulfillment of prayer or miracles, however Jung did not describe it in these terms. Synchronicity has been proposed as a corollary phenomenon of the Many-worlds_interpretation or parallel universes theory of quantum physics, in that the subject is somehow 'navigating' to those particular alternate worlds that are correlated to their past history, among the myriad possible other worlds that are not as correlated to their past history. Although this idea has made it into the popular press, it is considered pseudoscience by most scientists as the parallel universe theory states that all possible futures exist simultaneously, therefore the subject indeed lives out all possible futures in parallel. ==Notes== In ''Synchronicity'' in the final 2 pages of the Conclusion, Jung stated that not all coincidences are meaningful and further explained the creative causes of this phenomenum. Jung defined the collective unconscious as akin to instincts in ''Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious''. The [http://www.psychovision.ch/synw/synchronicity_jung.htm Psychovision Synchronicity page] contains a description of these analogies. ==Further reading== * * * * Note especially the foreword by Carl Jung. (The I Ching is a type of oracle, or 'synchronicity computer', used for divination.) * * * ==See also== * coincidence * the 23 enigma * Littlewood%27s law ==External links== *[http://www.psychovision.ch/rfr/contrib_SYNC.htm Psychovision Synchronicity Page] *[http://www.dreamscape.com/morgana/naiad2.htm /morgana/naiad2.htm] *[http://www.syncharkive.com/ www.syncharkive.com/] *[http://skepdic.com/apophenia.html skepdic.com/apophenia.html] *[http://skepdic.com/jung.html skepdic.com/jung.html] *[http://www.skepticreport.com/tools/twined.htm Destinies Twined] Jungian psychology New Age
While I think the first two sentences are correct, I think the remainder: The process of becoming intuitively aware and harmonious with these forces is what Jung labelled "synchronicity." Jung purported that a person that reached this enlightened state could actually shape events around them through the enjoining of one's awareness with these universal forces. Would be closer to correct if it read: The process of becoming intuitively aware and acting harmoniously with these forces is what Jung labelled "individuation." Jung said that an individuated person would actually shape events around them through the communication of their consciousness with the collective unconscious. In fact, I'm convinced enough I'll change it for now. -- User:Someone else 06:37 Nov 11, 2002 (UTC) == Should Love be mentioned? == == Of Course It Should... == For what is it we are really searching for? If not love then what? It is a question we need to ask more, I should think. For what are we truly capable of, when we are confident in the ones we love? Confident that they will be there for us no matter what. Even when all hope is lost, someone will always be there. Even when you think every possible force in this universe has left you, or turned against you or has just simply confused you, it will always be made clear to you how love is the most natural expression in the world. It is the expectation of nothing. The anticipation that something is always born. This is the true relevance of the world myth of a virgin birth. Remember, friend that Jung's primary interest was what lay beyond the symbol, the force that animated it. That gave, what Jung called a numinousity. I hope my addition is not considered grafitti, or worse simple tom foolery. My intention was simply to add a reminder where one least expects it. == Causal or Acausal? == Did Jung say synchronicity was "a causal connecting principle" or an "acausal connecting principle"? Both versions are given at different points in the article. User:P Ingerson 17:29, 25 Apr 2005 (UTC) :"Acausal" it is. To me, the sentence ::"Although not scientifically provable in the classical sense, a scientific basis for the phenomenon of synchronicity may be found in the principle of correlation, in so far as a more precise scientific term for Jung's expression 'a causal connecting principle' is 'correlation'" :does not make sense. As said in the next sentence, correlation does not imply causation, but neither does it exclude causation. So, correlation does not help defining synchronicity. I'm in favor of removing the whole correlation section, since all it does is confusing people. --User:Hob Gadling 19:22, Apr 25, 2005 (UTC)
See other meanings of words starting from letter:
Words begining with Synchronicity:
Synchronicity
Synchronicity
Synchronicity_(album)
Synchronicity_(album)
Synchronicity_(disambiguation)
Synchronicity
---- Synchronicity is a neologism by the Switzerland psychologist Carl Jung to describe the alignment of "universal forces" with the life experiences of an individual. Jung believed that many experiences perceived as coincidences were not merely due to chance, but instead reflected the creation of an event or circumstance by the "co-inciding" or alignment of such forces. The process of becoming intuition aware and acting in harmony with these forces is what Jung labeled "individuation." Jung said that an individuated person would actually shape events around them through the communication of their consciousness with the collective unconscious. Jung spoke of synchronicity as being an "acausal connecting principle" (ie. a pattern of connection that is not explained by causal relationships). ==Example== A well-known example of synchronicity involves plum pudding. It is the true story of the French writer Émile Deschamps who in 1805 is treated to some plum pudding by the stranger Monsieur de Fontgibu. Ten years later, he encounters plum pudding on the menu of a Paris restaurant, and wants to order some, but the waiter tells him the last dish has already been served to another customer, who turns out to be M. de Fontgibu. Many years later in 1832 Émile Deschamps is at a diner, and is once again offered plum pudding. He recalls the earlier incident and tells his friends that only M. de Fontgibu is missing to make the setting complete, and in the same instant the now senile M. de Fontgibu enters the room by mistake. ==Criticism== Since the theory of synchronicity is not testable according to the classical scientific method, it is not widely regarded as science at all, but rather as pseudoscience or an example of magical thinking. Probability theory can attempt to explain events such as the plum pudding incident in our normal world, without any interference by any universal alignment forces. However, the correct variables required for actually computing the probability cannot be found. This is not to say that synchronicity is not a good model for describing a certain kind of human experience - but it is a reason for refusal of the idea that synchronicity should be considered a "hard fact", i.e. an actually existing principle of our universe. Supporters of the theory claim that since the scientific method is applicable only to those phenomena that are reproducible, independent of observer and quantifiable, the argument that synchronicity is not scientifically 'provable' should be considered a red herring (fallacy), as, by definition, synchronistic events are not independent of the observer, since the observer's unique history is precisely what gives the synchronistic event meaning for the observer. A synchronistic event appears like just another meaningless 'random' event to anyone else without the unique prior history which correlates to the event. This reasoning claims that the principle of synchronicity raises the question of the subjectivity of significance and meaning in the sequence of natural events. ==Correlation== Although not scientifically provable in the classical sense, a scientific basis for the phenomenon of synchronicity may be found in the principle of correlation, in so far as a more precise scientific term for Jung's expression 'acausal connecting principle' is 'correlation'. It is a well-known scientific principle that 'correlation does not imply causation'. Yet, correlation may in fact be a physical property shared by events without there being a classical cause-effect relationship, as shown in quantum physics, where widely separated events can be correlated without being linked by a direct physical cause-effect (see nonlocality, EPR paradox). ==Related topics== The feeling of making a connection where there is none has been described as apophenia. Aspects of the subjective experience of schizophrenia have much in common with the subjective experience of synchronicity, in the sense that ordinary events are seen as having a direct personal relevance to the schizophrenic, but are seen as 'normal' by non-schizophrenics. Many psychosis are similar to schizophrenia but can last for a very short time, such as in rare instances from nicotine withdrawal (as an example) causing the same effect even with a non-schizophrenic. Those who have experienced a near-death experience or kundalini awakening report an increase in synchronistic events happening to them. A religious analogy of this experience might be attributed to the fulfillment of prayer or miracles, however Jung did not describe it in these terms. Synchronicity has been proposed as a corollary phenomenon of the Many-worlds_interpretation or parallel universes theory of quantum physics, in that the subject is somehow 'navigating' to those particular alternate worlds that are correlated to their past history, among the myriad possible other worlds that are not as correlated to their past history. Although this idea has made it into the popular press, it is considered pseudoscience by most scientists as the parallel universe theory states that all possible futures exist simultaneously, therefore the subject indeed lives out all possible futures in parallel. ==Notes== In ''Synchronicity'' in the final 2 pages of the Conclusion, Jung stated that not all coincidences are meaningful and further explained the creative causes of this phenomenum. Jung defined the collective unconscious as akin to instincts in ''Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious''. The [http://www.psychovision.ch/synw/synchronicity_jung.htm Psychovision Synchronicity page] contains a description of these analogies. ==Further reading== * * * * Note especially the foreword by Carl Jung. (The I Ching is a type of oracle, or 'synchronicity computer', used for divination.) * * * ==See also== * coincidence * the 23 enigma * Littlewood%27s law ==External links== *[http://www.psychovision.ch/rfr/contrib_SYNC.htm Psychovision Synchronicity Page] *[http://www.dreamscape.com/morgana/naiad2.htm /morgana/naiad2.htm] *[http://www.syncharkive.com/ www.syncharkive.com/] *[http://skepdic.com/apophenia.html skepdic.com/apophenia.html] *[http://skepdic.com/jung.html skepdic.com/jung.html] *[http://www.skepticreport.com/tools/twined.htm Destinies Twined] Jungian psychology New Age
Synchronicity
While I think the first two sentences are correct, I think the remainder: The process of becoming intuitively aware and harmonious with these forces is what Jung labelled "synchronicity." Jung purported that a person that reached this enlightened state could actually shape events around them through the enjoining of one's awareness with these universal forces. Would be closer to correct if it read: The process of becoming intuitively aware and acting harmoniously with these forces is what Jung labelled "individuation." Jung said that an individuated person would actually shape events around them through the communication of their consciousness with the collective unconscious. In fact, I'm convinced enough I'll change it for now. -- User:Someone else 06:37 Nov 11, 2002 (UTC) == Should Love be mentioned? == == Of Course It Should... == For what is it we are really searching for? If not love then what? It is a question we need to ask more, I should think. For what are we truly capable of, when we are confident in the ones we love? Confident that they will be there for us no matter what. Even when all hope is lost, someone will always be there. Even when you think every possible force in this universe has left you, or turned against you or has just simply confused you, it will always be made clear to you how love is the most natural expression in the world. It is the expectation of nothing. The anticipation that something is always born. This is the true relevance of the world myth of a virgin birth. Remember, friend that Jung's primary interest was what lay beyond the symbol, the force that animated it. That gave, what Jung called a numinousity. I hope my addition is not considered grafitti, or worse simple tom foolery. My intention was simply to add a reminder where one least expects it. == Causal or Acausal? == Did Jung say synchronicity was "a causal connecting principle" or an "acausal connecting principle"? Both versions are given at different points in the article. User:P Ingerson 17:29, 25 Apr 2005 (UTC) :"Acausal" it is. To me, the sentence ::"Although not scientifically provable in the classical sense, a scientific basis for the phenomenon of synchronicity may be found in the principle of correlation, in so far as a more precise scientific term for Jung's expression 'a causal connecting principle' is 'correlation'" :does not make sense. As said in the next sentence, correlation does not imply causation, but neither does it exclude causation. So, correlation does not help defining synchronicity. I'm in favor of removing the whole correlation section, since all it does is confusing people. --User:Hob Gadling 19:22, Apr 25, 2005 (UTC)
See other meanings of words starting from letter:
S
SB | SC | SD | SE | SF | SG | SH | SI | SJ | SK | SL | SM | SN | SO | SP | SR | SS | ST | SU | SW | SX | SY | SZ |Words begining with Synchronicity:
Synchronicity
Synchronicity
Synchronicity_(album)
Synchronicity_(album)
Synchronicity_(disambiguation)
These materials are based on Wikipedia and licensed under the GNU FDL
YouTube.com videos better site than Turbo Tax 2007
