Coincidences

A coincidence is defined as the noteworthy alignment of two or more events or circumstances without obvious causal connection. Skeptics dismiss this as "pure chance". Yet chance is a subject of complex mathematical analysis. Randomness requires complex formulae for computer generation. Recently the teenage generation have begun using the term "random" - as in "her action was really random". What they mean is, they don't understand - and therefore it seems random to them; apparently without causal connection.

My brain is trained to look for patterns, and when I notice patterns without apparent explanation I try to find an explanation or some underlying law. If the occurence can be explained by the laws of chance, then there is an explanation. If it can't, then maybe there are causes and laws operation which we have still to discover. The attraction of iron particles and flashes of light due to static electricity was mysterious and "random" to people 1,000 years ago - now we have a scientific understanding of the laws underlying this phenomenon.

Other related terms

The term coincidence was defined above. Related terms are:

Synchronicity - is the experience of two or more events which occur in a meaningful manner, but which are causally unrelated. In order to be synchronous, the events must be related to one another conceptually, and the chance that they would occur together by random chance must be very small.
Serendipity - is the effect by which one accidentally discovers something fortunate, especially while looking for something else entirely. The path described in The Celestine Prophecy has a recurring theme of synchronicity, and serendipity. For many people on a spiritual search, including myself, the stages of unfoldment described in the novel are quite familiar.
Deja vu (already seen) - describes the experience of feeling that one has witnessed or experienced a new situation previously. There are some closely related but less well known terms:
- Deja vecu (already lived) - refers to an experience involving more than just sight, which is why labeling such deja vu is usually inaccurate. The sense involves a great amount of detail, sensing that everything is just as it was before and a weird knowledge of what is going to be said or happen next. A bit like a vision or premonition. What most people describe as deja vu is more accurately describe as deja vecu. Brain damage causing memory disorders can result in this as a persistent condition. However, many people have the occasional experience in their lives (myself included).
- Deja senti (already felt) - unlike the implied precognition of deja vecu, deja senti is primarily or even exclusively a mental happening, has no precognitive aspects, and rarely if ever remains in the afflicted person's memory afterwards. It is a recollection resulting in recognition which is remembered, but the stimulus giving rise the the initial recollectin is forgotten resulting in a strange feeling. Again, brain damage can give rise to persistent recurrences of this condition. I don't think I have ever experienced this.
- Deja visite (already visited) - one may know his or her way around in a new town or landscape while at the same time knowing that this should not be possible. Some explanations for this involve theories of reincarnation and out-of-body experiences.
Jamais vu (never seen) - is used to describe any familiar situation which is not recognized by the observer.

In my personal experience I can recall examples of synchronicity, deja vu, deja visite, and jamais vu. Estimates are that 70% of the population also have such experiences at some time in their lives. For me, it happens rarely. Official explanation involve brain spasms, such as a mild epileptic episode similar to a hypnagogic jerk which sometimes occurs when falling asleep at night. I don't find these explanations entirely satisfactory.

Some theories

Carl Jung wrote on these topics and used such examples of sychronicity and deja vu to support his theories on the collective unconscious. The Harvard graduate and lecturer Daniel Goleman's work on Emotional Intelligence proposes the existence of a sub-conscious, emotional brain (or intelligence) separate from our rational thinking consciousness. It undoubtedly exists, and may well be more intelligent than our rational consciousness (refer back to The Framework). There is a tendency to think of the subconscious as a powerful force, but rather primitive - ie it regulates digestion, breathing, healing and all bodily functions. But it is also capable of making spontaneous decisions during emergencies, and plays a major role in forming relationships and social interaction. It recognises body language and is the source of "intuition". The incredible mental abilities of people with photographic minds, and savants, also supports the theory that the subconscious is actually very intelligent.

In Hindu teachings there is the story about two birds in a tree. One bird pecking around on the lower branches enjoying the fruits, the other bird sitting quietly on the higher branches observing. The teaching is that in reality the two birds are one, ie the conscious brain and the unconscious brain (the unconscious, the higher bird, is the quiet distant one always aware of the lower bird, but the lower bird is unaware of the bird higher in the tree).

There is a conscious state, and there is a subconscious state which is not well understood. Our awareness is of our waking conscious state. The subconscious is always awake, it is the conscious state that sleeps. Teachings from Eastern sages also refer to a superconscious state, which has similarities to the wider collective unconscious of Jung. The subconscious is part of the individual, the superconscious is a link beyond the individual to all humans, or all creation. If we are barely aware of the subconscious and all its facets, which definitely exists, we certainly know even less about the superconscious state if indeed it exists.

I propose that some of the patterns that emerge through coincidences or synchronicities demonstrate connection with the subconscious and superconscious. Brain abnormalities or temporary glitches in the neural networks may result in an ability to access these channels, which clearly are not normally available to us.

Subconscious at work

I have had many experiences over the years which have been really odd. Far too odd to be the result of chance. After much contemplation about the events and experiences, I realised that they were coincidences because they were important or relevant to me. Yet they were a surprise to my conscious memory. The more time I spend investigating this the more I have come to realise that the subconscious is at work - remember, the subconscious is that which is below conscious awareness. There is actually a huge amount going on in the subconscious brain (refer back to section of The Framework). It isn't a dumb, mechical part of the brain. It is larger and probably more intelligent than the conscious brain - it just operates completely differently. Coincidences provide a connection between the conscious and sub-conscious brains. To some people this is a "spiritual" experience.

Coincidences and subconscious laws

There is always something different about a coincidence or synchronicity (which is what I'm really talking about) which makes it stand out from other chance occurrences. I meet someone on the street that I haven't seen for many years. We talk, I move on. It is not a coincidence.

A year or so ago I met a gentleman I hadn't seen for many years, and then a day or two later another gentleman whom I also hadn't seen for many years, but I always saw when I saw the first gentleman. This was now a coincidence. It was as though the first chance happenning had put into motion a force that had caused the second meeting to occur. To explain that all I can do is postulate a connection through the collective unconscious or superconscious. Have you had the experience of suddenly thinking of someone, and the telephone rings and it is them. Is this chance, or coincidence, or the operation of subtle laws at levels we are as yet unaware of and unable to control?

That is my hypothesis, and one that has been postulated by many others. Skeptics argue that attempts to duplicate these situations in a proper test have always failed. But there is a flaw in the testing, as it generally heavily engages the rational thinking brain. We are not trained in engaging with the emotional or subconscious brain, particularly skeptics who pride themselves on being rational. The skeptic argument can also be countered by stating that it is an argument from ignorance.

It remains an interesting area for study and you can study it in your own life. It costs nothing to do so. My theory is that coincidences are pointers leading to a closer connection to the subconscious (and possibly superconscious) and a set of natural laws of cause and effect which we mostly have little awareness of or control over. Expansion of awareness may lead to an increase of abilities in this area. As I explained in The Framework, the spiritual journey is actually an expansion of awareness into the workings of the inner brain, and if my theories are correct then those engaged in such Yoga or meditation work (or other spiritual path) are likely to be more aware of coincidences.