What is Synchronicity?

  • Post published:May 11, 2020
  • Post category:Jung
  • Post comments:0 Comments

            There is another concept that you’ll hear a lot of Jungians mention: synchronicity.

Jung used the term to note the co-occurrence of a psychic and physical event or of similar thoughts, dreams, etc. at the same time but in different places. One example is that a woman who he was treating who he wanted to let go of her intellect and get more in touch with her intuition was telling him about a dream she had in which a green beetle had appeared. At that time in the therapy session, Jung noticed an insect banging against the window. When he opened the window, Jung found it was a green beetle. He presented it to the woman and said, “There is your green beetle.” It was a way for her psyche to let her know that there were things going on that could not be explained by her rational side.

            To me, synchronicity is not as important as other Jungian concepts. The upshot is the inner and outer world are connected. The thing that I have always found overly stressed is that the two are very strongly connected or the assumption that the two are related by cause and effect. I have always felt that the inner process that is going on which involves an archetype is looking for an outer form to take. So when something happens in the real world that fits the archetype, it appears that the two are magically related. But to me, it’s the psyche seeing what it wants to see.

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