Alignment Of Universal Forces
By Kenneth D.
Drug And Alcohol Treatment Centers:
“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
synchronicity 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 the Valley Hope
Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center and 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.
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