The Benefits of Experiencing Synchronicity

Indra's net

Source: Radhule B. Weininger M.D.,

When life becomes difficult and the “us versus them” attitudes of the dominant culture leave us feeling overwhelmed or sad, we can feel quite alone or alienated. On top of that, so much of the news we watch and the articles we read seem to contribute to digging this hole of isolation even deeper.

It helps to remind ourselves that we are, in fact, part of an interdependent web of life. All living things depend on their environment to supply them with what they need. This includes food, water, and shelter, as well as more basic physical factors, such as soil, air, and temperature. Many living things interact with other organisms, as well, to survive.

Quantum physics and Buddhist philosophy both use the metaphor of Indra’s net to describe the interdependence of all living things. Imagine an infinite web of jewels hanging in each nodule of the net, where each jewel reflects all the other jewels. When a jewel in this intricate net is touched, all the others are affected. This image vividly reflects the hidden interconnectedness and interdependency of everything and everyone in the universe.

But how can we understand this not only conceptually, but also experience it directly? One way we can get a glimpse of interdependence is through the phenomenon of synchronicity. C.G. Jung defined this as a meaningful coincidence and Jungian author Richard Tarnas described it as, “A coincidence in which two or more independent events, having no apparent causal connection, nevertheless seem to form a meaningful pattern.”

Synchronicity, when it happens to us personally, can be a beautiful medicine for our pain. This is especially true when we feel cut off or on our own. I remember a client shared that her oldest dearest childhood friend called unexpectedly, exactly on the day my client found out that her own son was very ill. That call of support made a big difference. My husband told me about the time he saved a ladybug from an invasion of aggressive ants. Just when the single ladybug flew away from my husband’s hands, free at last, an entire swarm of ladybugs landed on his arms, as if in thanks.

Many of us have experienced these “ambiguous, suggestive coincidences and patternings,” which are “usually regarded as merely fortuitous and subjective” (Tarnas). When we choose to notice these patternings with an attitude of openness, we can recognize in this deeper stratum of life a pervasive intelligence and joy. Mysterious creativity is at the basis of reality itself. Positive psychologist Mckay tells us, “Synchronicity can also bolster our sense of connection to others and to the world around us. Uncanny timing in our encounters with others, also known as “propinquity”, can bolster our existing relationships and forge new connections that seem all the more meaningful.”

How can we better recognize synchronicities when they come our way? Zen master Suzuki Roshi said, “For the miraculous to happen is an accident. Practice makes us more accident prone.” Part of this practice is the attitude with which we meet life. Openness, humility, gratitude, and a general stance of open heartedness allows us to notice “meaningful coincidences.” This outlook makes it more likely for synchronicities to happen.

We can recognize the pervasive intelligence and artfulness of life by engaging with nature, including plants, animals, earth, water, sun and wind. Also listening without preconceived notions to our dreams allows us to discover unforeseen connections and insights, especially if we possess the willingness to be surprised. Then we can recognize the conscious and unconscious, the inside and outside, and events and the space around them are all deeply and mysteriously interconnected.

Meditative stillness, as well as a mindful presence to all that passes through our lives, allow us to see and appreciate the sacred and the unexpected. Calming the conceptual restless mind immediately allows the fine, filaggrin fabric of subtle reality to come forward. This is especially true when we learn to rest in the field quality of awareness. Knowing the space around and within all phenomena allows us to hear the stillness that is already there. Then we naturally begin to realize how everything comes into being and then, vanishes again. It is at this point we become, as poet Mary Oliver put it, “part of the family of things.”