“That’s the thing about coincidence that is so intriguing, and a little infuriating: it always seems to be about something, though what that something might be is often fleeting, whisked by in a blink of the inner eye.” – From the book
Synchronicity is a term invented by Swiss psychologist Carl Jung to describe meaningful coincidences. In the book What a Coincidence!, author Susan Watkins offers personal anecdotes about “coincidence clusters” and how they have the uncanny ability to reach into the past, present and even the future. Painstakingly recording her dreams and waking coincidences for over 37 years, she notes that some of these clusters can seem small and insignificant while others are so mind-bendingly complex that it verges into infinity—if not absurdity.
Watkins asks some intriguing questions about coincidences:
•
What if the mind is sorting through far more than what we think of as daily life?
What if the mind is sorting through far more than what we think of as daily life?•What if the mind has an infinite reach, encompassing everything that is possible and probable in a constant, dazzling organizational display from which we pick and choose the shape of our experience?
What if the mind has an infinite reach, encompassing everything that is possible and probable in a constant, dazzling organizational display from which we pick and choose the shape of our experience?•What if the workings of that display show itself all the time, in a “paranormal” context that we tend to ignore or belittle?
What if the workings of that display show itself all the time, in a “paranormal” context that we tend to ignore or belittle?•What if everything we need to know is contained in our conscious minds, of which we habitually employ the merest surface layer?
What if everything we need to know is contained in our conscious minds, of which we habitually employ the merest surface layer?•How could we consciously employ these different forms of information, and what would it mean to us in the daily practical world to do so? And how far should we go with this idea?
How could we consciously employ these different forms of information, and what would it mean to us in the daily practical world to do so? And how far should we go with this idea?She offers that she’s unsure anyone can arrive at an empirical conclusion about synchronicity, clairvoyance and precognition. Acknowledging that a lot of nonsense has been attached to dreams, ESP, and alternative perceptions, she maintains that swinging the pendulum the other way--tossing out coincidences and dreams as meaningless--cuts us off from an entire psychological landscape. According to Watkins, this stance is a hopeless folly that diminishes a sense of community and optimism.
So why bother examining the nature of coincidence? Moreover, why invest the time and energy to catalogue these coincidences and dreams tinged with clairvoyance and precognition? Watkins answers:
“…in the middle lies a window to the workings of consciousness; clues as to how and why we got here and maybe even a way to mitigate (or at least expose the roots of) messes. And this is where I think an anecdotal, yet sensible look-see at coincidence and oddball connections and encounters is worth a study, or at least an inquiry, without specifying proof or disproof as an absolute…”
The author suggests that coincidence clusters can reveal important information about individuals and human consciousness as a whole. For example, the “Google Mind”, as she calls it, can “attract” to us desired information and, acting as a form of precognition, can retrieve information into forms like “charged patterns”. The resulting “coincidence parable” would illustrate, by association, the central issue that called up one’s precognitive radar in the first place. Watkins also explains how coincidence “updates” itself—and, interestingly, both illuminate and change the past!
What a Coincidence! logs dozens of synchronistic happenings—from the complex to the simple. While a few of the situations are downright amazing, the intricacies of the personal anecdotes outweigh the surprise, at times. It’s like having a stranger tell you a complex story involving various relatives and friends, towns and shops, while your head spins trying to keep track of it all. Interesting, yes, but keeping track of the details can be mind numbing.
Nevertheless, this book was a (mostly) engrossing read about one woman’s experience with meaningful coincidences. Some of these coincidences span years and intersect with startling timing.
However, the author comes across as a fussy, cranky, aloof individual. I found it interesting that the synchronicities she depicted—while providing a mental “aha! Isn’t this neat!” experience for her—didn’t seem to influence her towards a more positive, compassionate outlook in life—despite the fact that they appeared to be customized for her own attitudes. Because of the lack of transformation, the book seemed incomplete—or, at least, unsatisfying. Why painstakingly catalogue dreams and coincidences for mere mental masturbation, I wondered?
If you’re fascinated by meaningful coincidences, this book provides some remarkable stories and theories about the origin, nature, and significance of synchronicities. Also, if you’ve been considering keeping a journal for dreams and/or coincidence clusters, What a Coincidence! just might give you that nudge you’ve been looking for.
Related Articles
Content copyright © by Janet Boyer. All rights reserved. This review was written by Janet Boyer. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission.
