SYNCHRONICITY: A COSMIC SIGN

Christina Larson, Seattle

Years ago I hitchhiked to Prague with a girlfriend of mine. It was the summer after the end of communism and I was searching for my Czech friend who lived and studied there. The only phone number I had for him was a dorm phone that serviced two whole floors. This was before cell phones, and in fact his dorm still had a babushka (who only spoke Czech) who used a switch board to connect you to the floor. Anyway, I called and called and there was no answer. I went to the dorm and it was empty due to summer vacation. I called his family but they only spoke Czech or Russian and I only spoke English and German. After four days in Prague my friend and I gave up trying to find him and decided to have one last picnic up at the  Pražský hrad before we took an evening train to Budapest. We hopped on a tram we thought was heading up to the castle. One of us suddenly realized that not only were we going in the wrong direction, but we were on the wrong train! We turned to exit the back door and there was my Czech friend that we had been looking for for four days. That random (shocking!) meeting on the wrong train set a series of events in motion that ended up being deeply significant.
  The psychotherapist Jung described Synchronicity as the simultaneous occurrence of events (or coincidences) which apparently have no clear cause, but are deeply meaningful. Everyone has had these type of experiences. One of the re-occurring themes my clients come to me about is synchronistic events and their meaning. These events can be as simple as seeing a number over and over again in a short time period, or a synchronistic happening that changes the trajectory of their life. They want to know if it ‘real’ and what it means. The answer is YES, synchronicity is real. It cannot be proven by scientific method, though, only by its meaning to the person involved. Our mechanistic, reductionist culture will call synchronicity a ‘coincidence’ and discount the meaning being experienced by the person. But reality is bigger than mere ‘coincidence’ and ‘scientific’ proof. If an occurrence means something to you, it is real. Terence McKenna used the term 'Cosmic giggle' to mean "a randomly roving zone of synchronicity and statistical anomaly. Should you be caught up in it, it will turn reality on its head. It is objective and subjective, simultaneously 'really there' and yet somehow is sustained by imagination and expectation."
Synchronicity shows up as a sign or omen and oftentimes it appears in multiples. Usually several events will happen in a short amount of time drawing the attention of the person experiencing them. It’s like a cosmic wake up call. The universe is saying ‘Hey! Life is spiritual. You are part of a bigger whole. You aren’t just the roles you are playing now.” Even if it is just seeing the same numbers over and over, I believe that is the universe telling us that we are not alone and there is meaning in everything. 
I would be interested in hearing your stories of synchronicity. Write them in the comments below!!     
​Peace in the New Year. xo

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