Synchronicity: Life's Greatest Mystery

Few years ago, I have noticed a sort of pattern on how every year begins and ends. Everytime I think over the pattern, I hesitate to acknowledge that certain pattern do exist, but there is. I would not want to find meaning on the series of events, but the mere coincidence seems to be improbable to happen and unimaginable to find logic using cause and effect those happened in the exact order and intensity. This blogpost will attempt to shed light on the concept of synchronicity or acausal coincidence of events.

One week before Christmas 2011, a great storm hit the Southern Philippines, killing hundreds before daybreak. I was working as an nursing instructor then and more than 100 students almost drown in the flashflood that came with the storm. The event permanently changed my career path, beliefs and working relationships with known institutions. The same period in 2013, I was already in Norway, earning nothing and having no concrete work offer then. That was the first time since I finished college when I did not know where to go and what role to assume. The next events that followed challenged my life philosophy, family core values and concept of right and wrong.

Moreover, last year 16th of December 2014 it is hard to admit but this was the time I got the news that I will be losing my job, after I had just started working full-time for less than three months. It happened just before I and my sister were about to travel for a vacation in the Philippines. The events that followed made me mature enough to accept responsibilities on my own career, expanding my knowledge on Norwegian immigration rules, work policies and employment customs. This year, I and my sister is preparing for a vacation. Both of us few weeks ago got our renewed visa, but something happened that made me thinking on role of chance in our lives. I am feeling right now somehow cheated by destiny after losing control of the situation. Although I am optimistic something better will result in the end, but the series of events now lead me to think of the realism of the mystery of synchronicity.

Carl Jung's Apophenia

The Swedish psycologist Carl Jung introduced the concept of meaningful coincidence, which refers to series of events that have no logical causal explanation, but are somehow interrelated. He explains that in reality there is no relationship between the events but it is us who merely think the existence of such relationship. This is the concept of apophenia, a break from the Freudian philosophy of instinctual drives as motivators of actions an individual takes.

The Interconnectedness of Everything

Many believe that destiny plays and important role in shaping the life events of a person. The past and the present has a direct imfluence of our future, and that synchronicity is a sign or prophecy of what will happen in the future. This explanation seems miopic for some, given that man loses control of what will happen such that destiny seemingly takes over an individual's life and steers it to where destiny wants to go.

The Power of Thoughts and Feelings

The frequency of man's thoughts and feelings dictates the universe of what will happen on our future. Personally, I find more logic in this explanation as it says one's feelings influence one's thoughts. Thoughts on the other hand are crucial elements in building up one's future. Somehow, this theory associates closely with the chaos theory that a single small event could lead to a multitude of events and possibilities that determines one's future and the outcomes of our actions and decisions.

Lastly, I still strongly believe on the influence of faith. In our personal life, the cycle of a challenging event to major decision-making seems evident. It is tough emotionally for me to endure but I noticed in the end, we were able to hurdle those challenges. The solutions came not immediately but on the right time. I hope next year would be a better year for myself and my loved ones. Perhaps there is no mystery of synchronicity but I really do not know what the future will bring. I will just live one day at a time, taking every hindrance out of my way towards a happier and more meaningful life.

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