Coincidences and Their Meaning
The inspiration for this text arises from a sequence of surprising events — meaningful coincidences, if you will — that unfolded during my visit to my daughter in West Hollywood. These occurrences revolve around our encounter with CJ Bigelow at the Oneness Center in Santa Monica.
I know that attributing meaning to these occasions due to their personal resonance and labeling them as synchronistic is controversial and highly subjective. However, they have prompted me to revisit the concept of synchronicity and further explore it to some extent through this writing. I am aware that this term has been overused and misapplied, particularly by individuals interested in parapsychology, Eastern spirituality, astrology, and related metaphysical fields.
Despite the expressed reservation, I chose to enter into the domain of synchronicity. My introduction to this phenomenon dates back to my psychology class in the 1970s, where the professor introduced Carl Jung's concept. Jung combined the Greek prefix syn (meaning "together") with the word khronos (meaning "time") to coin the term. Jung defined synchronicity as: “a peculiar principle active in the world so that things happen together somehow and behave as if they were the same, and yet for us they are not” (1). It refers to a situation when an inwardly perceived event (dream, vision, premonition, thought, or mood) is seen to have some correspondence in external reality.
In his attempt to explain synchronicity, Jung used archetypes, the structures of the collective unconscious. The archetypes arrange psychic material to produce meaningful patterns in the physical world. They are able to do that because, according to Jung, the archetype contains a dual nature, existing both in the psyche of an individual and the world at large. He even invented the term 'psychoid' (meaning 'soul-like') to describe the relationship between a person’s psyche and the external physical world. Synchronicity represents the deepest layer of archetypal reality, where psyche and matter collide, becoming one due to the existence of the Unus Mundus, a medieval term meaning “One World,” from which synchronistic phenomena arise (2).
The concept of Unus Mundus, which represents an underlying unified reality from which everything emerges, reminded me of the spirituality of oneness as practiced at Ekam in India by Sri Preethaji and Sri Krishnaji with the focus on interconnectedness, harmony, and the pursuit of a higher state of consciousness.
Opening Doors
During my involvement with oneness spiritual practices, I have encountered numerous spiritual seekers who speak of synchronicity. They claim to have experienced meaningful coincidences in their lives after entering states of pure consciousness during meditation or deep mystical processes. However, I have reservations and doubts about these claims. Could these seemingly serendipitous events truly be linked to their spiritual practice, or are they merely the byproduct of suggestibility, akin to the placebo effect? Humans are very good at making connections and seeing patterns, noticing and remembering things that confirm their beliefs more than those that do not. We frequently experience a sense of satisfaction when our observations align with our expectations, often disregarding or forgetting occasions where we have been mistaken. This tendency, known as confirmation bias, is a well-documented psychological phenomenon that influences our perceptions and judgments.
Nevertheless, I decided to temporarily set aside my skeptical hat, which embodies the traditional scientific method prioritizing the replicability of observed phenomena and the identification of cause and effect. In doing so, I stepped away from the conventional framework of Western thought, which emphasizes predicting outcomes by meticulously determining and manipulating all variables through experimentation. By taking this approach, I opened myself to alternative perspectives that potentially may offer valuable insights into a deeper understanding of complex phenomena.
Synchronicity and Connection
Oneness centers are spaces and places where the spiritual teachings of Sri Preethaji and Sri Krishnaji are nurtured. They represent relatively recent developments in the spectrum of offerings stemming from Ekam. These centers are called sanctuaries of peace and enlightened living, where individuals from diverse walks of life come together to explore, connect, and grow in self-discovery and the spirit of oneness. They offer a variety of practices including oneness meditations, yoga, chanting, wisdom teachings, and a special blessing known as Deeksha. My spiritual journey led me to visit the center in Santa Monica, where I encountered CJ Bigelow, the center's organizer.
It is interesting to think about the coincidences that somehow manifest in our lives. It is as if specific connections aligned from the beginning, perhaps in my case dating back to the time when Sri Preethaji came to Sedona in 2022 and I began seriously studying Ekam-based spirituality. I was there, and CJ Bigelow was too, although I don't recall meeting her then, but she remembered seeing me.
My recollection of her was from the Field of Awakening (FOA) four-day event in Los Angeles (LA) in 2023. As a result of her brief talk, I signed up for Manifest. She conveyed a very pragmatic approach to benefiting from spiritual practices through daily meditation and Manifest, a program which, in her mind, was the most economical way to grasp the essence of oneness teachings and experiences.
I saw her again at FOA in Florida. Her name was listed as the organizer of the Oneness Center in Santa Monica. Even though I couldn’t find a way to talk to her then, I found a way to email her. In the email, I mentioned that I would be coming to LA to visit my daughter Simone and her fiancé Simon. I noted that my daughter expressed a desire to visit the Oneness Center in Santa Monica. CJ quickly responded and welcomed us to attend.
The meeting, held at her home, seemed to be a meaningful coincidence for Simone and Simon because they had previously explored the street where CJ’s house was located, admiring its unique architecture and proximity to the beach. It was their favorite spot in the whole LA area. They wished to be able to live there. So when we got there on the day of the meeting, they were pleasantly surprised, almost elated.
The even bigger surprise for them was related to CJ being born and raised in Maine, where Simone and Simon had enjoyed several wonderful years. They had a lovely conversation about a variety of places in Maine, as well as people they met or knew. To top it all was CJ's involvement in the film industry, along with her husband's role as a movie director, which added a new air to the fire that permeated the atmosphere already rich with CJ’s welcoming, genuine, service-oriented personality.
The real significance of these coincidences is a matter not for me to determine, despite my presence there and the high energy I experienced. The internal states of Simone, Simon, and CJ, shaped by their wishes, desires, and hopes, will infuse these events with personal value or dismiss them as mere randomness brought by the wave of life’s unpredictability. In any case, no matter how one looks at them, the time spent together that evening carried vibrations of connection that can last.
In the Eye of a Beholder
Is the interpretation we give to external events a matter of personal perspective rather than something that can be examined scientifically? Do our beliefs or desires drive us to investigate and assign meaning to seemingly unrelated situations? Does confirmation bias play a role in individuals reinterpreting past occasions as synchronistic, attributing significance to them based on their present convictions or selective recollection that conforms to their worldview?
To illustrate the complexity inherent in providing potential answers to the aforementioned questions, I will briefly describe the event that substantially influenced my decision to become a psychiatrist.
It has been my dream since I was 11 years old, to become a physician. I entered medical school with high expectations, envisioning a rigorous yet fulfilling venture that would align with this long-held goal of mine. I was among a large and diverse group of individuals from across the country, all of us witnessing the realization of our dreams.
The first two years of medical school were devoted to non-clinical subjects such as anatomy, biology, physics, chemistry, histology, physiology, and others. Although we did have some lab work related to these subjects, most of our time was spent in a huge amphitheater that held around 1000 people, listening to lectures from morning to evening. Somehow, I didn’t expect that. I expected a more personal touch, small discussion groups, illustrations from medical practice, etc.
As a result, for the first time, I began to doubt my decision and felt internal anguish about continuing on this path. During that time, I attended an elective lecture by a psychiatrist and suddenly became drawn to the field of psychiatry as a solution to the doubts I harbored about the “dryness” of teachings and impersonal style of classes I had encountered thus far.
It took only seeing and hearing Dr. Jozef Vesel to unleash in me an unstoppable avalanche of passion for psychiatry. I was fascinated by his flamboyant style, erudition, and his ability to speak without any notes. I remember saying, “I want to be like him.” Something profound happened, like a eureka moment, and almost immediately, I decided to enroll in psychology in addition to my studies of medicine as a way to broaden this newfound interest in studying the mind. It was an unconventional choice for a medical student since medicine was widely regarded as one of the most difficult and demanding fields of study. But I didn’t care about the voice of reason. For me, this decision carried importance that I couldn’t disregard. And the rest is history, as they say; everything that followed supported this crucial decision, which I later interpreted as a synchronistic event that resolved my internal state of suffering and offered a solution that became my destiny.
Concluding Remarks
A meaningful coincidence is the coming together of two or more events in a surprising, unexpected, and improbable way that seems to have significance to the person experiencing them, either at the moment or in retrospect. For Jung, who introduced synchronicity to the West, synchronicity is a connecting principle by which chance events were connected not by cause but by similarity in meaning. If we accept this perspective, synchronicity reflects a holistic worldview, in which an external experience has meaning when it is connected to a person’s inner world and serves as a guide in the quest for self-realization, personal and spiritual growth, and a deeper experience of interconnectedness (3).
Empirical research in the field of analytical psychology has investigated the role of synchronicity in the therapeutic relationship, its potential for enhancing self-awareness and insight, and its contribution to the therapeutic process (4).
The psychiatrist of our time, Bernard Beitman, has devoted his professional life to exploring meaningful coincidences in a thoughtful and scholarly way. He co-founded The Coincidence Project, which gathered a cohort of “Coincidence Ambassadors” – writers, researchers, therapists, and other professionals interested in the study of coincidence, synchronicity, and serendipity. Their mission is to increase global awareness and collect evidence of mind-environment connections and their impact on our world (6).
Dr. Beitman developed The Weird Coincidence Survey as a research tool to assess the types of coincidences that are most commonly observed, the personality types most correlated with noticing them, and how most people explain them. About 3,000 people have completed the survey so far. The survey has revealed that the most commonly reported coincidences are associated with mass media, such as thinking of an idea and then hearing or seeing it on TV, the radio, or the internet, as well as thinking of someone and then having that person call unexpectedly (5).
Dr. Beitman’s website (www.coincider.com) is rich with information about his research, books, blogs, podcasts, and other areas related to coincidences. He describes himself as a pragmatician, unlike Jung, whom he considers a theoretician in this field. Dr. Beitman shares with Jung a belief that synchronicity is the signpost and gives clues about how reality works. According to him, coincidences open doors and encourage possibilities, creating an opportunity for grander connections. He says that coincidences help us regulate our lives individually, interpersonally, organizationally, and globally.
If at least some of this is true, I will continue to subscribe to meaningful coincidences in my spiritual path as a means to enhance connections with my higher states of consciousness, with other people, and with the universe.
1. Analytical Psychology: Its Theory and Practice, by Carl Jung, (Tavistock Lectures)
2. Synchronicity, by Carl G. Jung, Princeton University Press, 1973
3. An underexplored pathway to life satisfaction: The development and validation of the synchronicity awareness and meaning-detecting scale, by P. Russo-Netzer and T, Icekson, Frontiers in Psychology, 13:1-17, 2022
4. Research in Analytical Psychology: Applications from Scientific, Historical, and Cross-Cultural Research, by J. Cambray and L. Sawin (eds.), London and New York: Routledge, 2018
5. Meaningful Coincidences: How and Why Synchronicity and Serendipity Happen, by Bernard Beitman, Park Street Press, 2022
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