"Synchronicity... "boy what a word! I had to look it up myself. What I found was interesting though...



Synchronicity is a word created by the Swiss 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 intuitively 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. Sounds pretty deep huh? Read on it gets better.



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. Weird huh? I thought so too.



Since the theory of synchronicity is not testable according to the classical scientific method, it is not widely regarded as scientific at all, but rather as pseudoscientific or an example of magical thinking, since you cannot reproduce the results.



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 synch
ronicity is not scientifically 'provable' should be considered a red herring, 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.



Which brings us to the other aspect of this topic, coincidence or a spiritual thing? You see if we went through life with Jung's eyes we might miss the spiritual side of life and coincidences. I would much rather see my life and the things that happen to me through the eyes of spirituality or faith for that matter. You see if we followed Jung we might still be saying, "weird how that happens, huh?" I much rather look through the eyes of faith that doesn't leave things to chance and weirdness.



Spirituality helps us to see the hand of God in our lives rather than the weirdness of life. I suppose I could read the bible stories and believe how the Red Sea opened up and the children of Israel walked on dry land or I can just say, "weird how that happens." I could believe the stories of how God fed them in the wilderness with manna from heaven and water from the rock or I could say weird how that happened. I much rather believe that God is in control of things and moved powerfully for them and for me.



How about you? Do you think it is weird to be at a drug treatment center finding a higher power, and getting great help from counselors, chaplains, and nursing staff and every body else involved or do you say, "Thank you God for getting me here!" I don't know about you but I rather see the hand of God working in my life than the weirdness. I hope you do too.

Visit www.valleyhope.org or www.valleyhope.org/drug-rehab-alcohol-rehab-aboutus.aspx.

Visit http://www.valleyhope.org or http://www.valleyhope.org/drug-rehab-alcohol-rehab-aboutus.aspx