Synchronicity
This is a huge area of contemplation and controversy.
So I will try to narrow the topic to help you to notice repetitive Synchronicity and be more in tune with it in your life when it happens repeatedly.
Carl Yung first really brought this notion to examination and created the term, explaining Synchronicity as: "Meaningful coincidences." It is the combination of 2 Latin words, that means together "in a union of time."
A lot of what you will find on the internet is more about precognition, as in you say a friend's name, and then out of the blue text you shortly after. Or people noticing one event, and trying to read something from it. The typical "We were just talking about you.." situation. I am more focused on explaining how to be in tune with your own path, which is not necessarily that example. I try to use analogies, metaphors, and allegories to explain things, as putting things into these forms generally makes it easier to simplify a complex idea without it losing its complexity, but the subtleness of Synchronicity is like that of a flower petal, one cannot pick a pedal and call it a flower.
A good example of the type of synchronization I am talking about is by Shaman Oaks on YouTube, he has some nice talks and good Shaman information from a quite realistic perspective. This one details his "Carl" synchronicity and keeps it in mind as you read on.
https://youtu.be/znyd_RLJ9nQ
It is only 5 min. And I suggest you watch now and then come back to it at the end.
The Warning
Now before I go any further, I should give some warning. For those that wish to think synchronicity will guide you, that is not how it works. Only you can see the synchronicity and interpret the meaning. It is more like it will shine a light on something that is already there for you to see it more clearly. This will help you on your path, but it is not lighting the path itself... I realize this is the age-old "chicken or egg" argument as to which came first.... but this 'edge of knowledge and understanding' is what we all seek, and true understanding comes from those types of moments, but that is a totally another topic for an explanation in a different post.
The warning is; do not put more weight into a synchronistic clue than the value you personally give to it, and thusly you must understand yourself clearly and the deep beliefs you have in these events. A simplistic example would be your black cat walking 3 times in front of you, blocking your path.... should you determine this is bad luck because of the old saying? Or should you feed the cat because it's likely hungry. One has to use set and setting to interpret synchronicity is what I am trying to exemplify here. Again, this is pointing out a very hard aspect of synchronicity, the ability to interpret the signs based on the situation emotionally, physically and perspective wise in relation to what it may be telling you, or hinting at.
The Losing one to Synchronicity
Now there is another warning I have to give. For those of you that like unusual thrillers, there is an old Pierce Brosnan movie called The Nomads. It explains this warning to a certain degree, and it is one many of you know already as the warning of the Occult and the unseen. Basically put, be careful what you look for, as once you find it, you may not be able to unsee it, as it can have a very real effect on you, and quite possibly not the one you think. Put another way, believe if Synchronicity is looked at with too much focus, it can drive one to madness, similar to the contemplation of infinity. So I suggest when you first start looking for Synchronistic happenings, you actually reject most of them, setting the bar for real 'synchro' events very high. This will help you to realize a feeling in the true events, which is the core learning of Synchronicity.
At first, when you are able to see many things that happen, all repeating a reminder in a different form, you will feel lost that it is just as pointless to have everything be a synchronicity to other things. This is actually the first lesson. You have to deeply feel the synchronicity when it happens, and know within you, it has true meaning. You may not know what the meaning is upon first happening. Once this happens a couple of times you will just know what it means. Within the space of a week, once aware, will have about 3 very powerful moments you wouldn't have seen before. To start with, do not act on them, but realize and internalize them, contemplate what they mean. This is a new type of understanding and it takes time to process what it can mean when all put together. This type of synchronicity can be used for inner emotional reflection, and emotional understanding of the "why" in your life that you may not be dealing with, as emotions underpin the understanding.
Pick out the Odd
So to start, what one does is to notice small unusual details around you. Kind of like little things that make you go hmmm. Like you find something out of place, or just a general ever so slight difference in something, or an event that is or happens around you. Or put differently, something you notice that the likely hood of it happening is less than normal. Again, set the bar fairly high for judging them as such, but keep them in mind all day. Not focus on, but cue your memory to not forget this moment.
Be Here Now
The second part of learning Synchronicity is being in the moment. You have to be able to stop your mind at any point and see what is there and how it makes you feel. Not be in that constant conversation with yourself about this and that, doing something and in that cloud of reality. Not only do you need to see these oddities around you, they must be oddities that give you a feeling. You may not know why some silly thing like you dropping a penny and it rolling across the floor, around things, and falling into the single uncovered floor vent and this giving you a flash of sadness. You have to be in the now to recognize it gave you that feeling, just as you have to recognize the fact it did that, is incredibly unusual to the point of statically impossible if you were to Try to make the penny do that in the way it happened. Stop immediately when these types of events happen, stop in thoughts, and action. Take a couple of seconds to contemplate your feeling on it. Not trying to interpret its meaning as a single event. Like Shaman Oaks described, he never noticed the name of the paper cutter had his dad's name Carl on it, but once he did, it set off synchronized events with that word. I would bet in recent days before this, had he been aware, he had some deep feelings for his father surface or contemplation on him. With that thought, synchronicity started to weave a path into his life.
That is where one can go crazy with synchronicity. One can argue then there is no free will, or the Matrix argument or that simply that synchronicity was always going to be there, we just saw or didn't see it. Do not get lost in all that, simply allow this new idea of your "path markers" to be realized.
So now, in following my example further, it is early morning and you had the "rolling penny" happen, and you realized it made you feel a flash of sadness. You say to yourself, ok, that has meaning, but I don't know what it is but I will keep that in mind. You have done a couple of things here by doing this. You have opened your mind to future events explaining to you what part it plays in that knowledge. Secondly, you have registered a feeling you need to see as valuable and contemplate it. Not general sadness, it was a very very specific sadness and you have to have taken a 'snapshot' of that emotional moment for later contemplation.
Now here is the hard part of synchronicity. Just as the outcome of an experiment doesn't happen a certain way unless it is observed (Schrodinger's Cat, Quantum Observer Effect, and the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle) we have to not look for Synchronicity to find Synchronicity. An easier way to think of this is one cant focus on the mechanics of riding a bike, one has to just ride the bike.... I don't want to deviate into Zen Flow or such here, but basically consider this: your day from that point on should be "riding the bike" not zooming in on the details looking for some synchronicity related to it. Keep that bar high of disbelief in synchronistic events happening to know one when it happens. This is best done by going on about your day, and really not thinking about that event, yet not forgetting what has happened either.
Now when a second event, like you, reach into a pair of jeans and find similar looking penny that day AND it gives you that feeling even BEFORE you remember the earlier "rolling penny" event, you are likely having a synchronistic event. Because after this event happens, you remember the morning penny event, and that it too gave you that feeling you have now.
So how do you put the two together? Does the thought you were having on the jeans directly relate to the stream of consciousness thought you had when the "rolling penny" happened? Is the distinct sadness this penny give you clarify the feeling you had that morning? You must stop again and contemplate that penny, as a fresh synchronicity, then realize it is actually part of a forming thread of synchronicity. The puzzle of what it means may actually come to you in reverse, when you get the last clue, the first becomes clear.
The ability to look without looking is very important. You have to let the signs come to you think maybe like fishing you are fishing with a hook in the water, but you don't actively 'fish'.
So now you have had 2 events you believe the underlying feelings are related, and this synchronicity is being cued by the penny. Is this enough to make you dive deep into it's meaning? Unfortunately, I cannot say it is, but you would be wise to still have caution with its meaning.
So when does Synchronicity become 'real' information? I believe in science. I believe in math, physics, and the principles of nature. I believe there is much we do not know, but know we do not. Still, nothing should stand outside of anything else in your belief system, or what is truly proven. If something has to be self-justified, like "God can"t make mistakes because he is God" then it is likely incorrect. All must flow together. From an understanding of facts and truths, we can actually give you an idea of when synchronicity becomes a realistic truth to be considered. To explain how I can prove this, I will help you avoid accidents. what? You say. Not through synchronicity, but by stopping the synchronicity that causes them.
A Truth
Simply put, in all math, physics, psychology, events, transactions, occult of course, 3 is needed. 3 elements, 3 spirits, 3 reference points, 3 dimensions, etc. There cannot be anything without the balance or play between 3. How one could dispute this is absolutely impossible. I will ask you believe this and you will see how life fits together in all ways much more easily.
So how does that relate to accidents? I believe, and you can verify it yourself, all accidents are caused by the addition and consequences of 3 actions or events coming together in succession and some manner of repetition involved(time).
Look back at any recent accident you have had. Let's say you cut your finger cutting carrots (yes I know one of you did that recently) let's say.
1. You were not focused
2. You were in a hurry
3. You placed your body in the line of harm's way.
Take any one of those out of the picture, and you would not cut your finger right? But put all of them together, with repeated action, and you will cut yourself. Not maybe, but when.
Cut avoidance is actually in scientific terms is applied risk management or an everyday example is risk assessment. Your bank assesses you on all your transactions and personal information as to the risk you are at failing to make a payment, or making one (think credit score, but more as a predictive number). When you are secure, all of a sudden you get visa applications saying you are pre-approved. You get loan offers. When you aren't, they pile fees on you, change payment dates, to get as much money as possible from you before you absolutely fail. This is a real analysis of risk and it affecting you in reality applied to your life.
So back to accidents to stop an accident like that cut, you need to be aware of 4 things "the key 3" that will contribute to almost certainly of an accident as listed, your initial state, and the repetition. The reason why we have 'accidents' is we were not adding up the risk factors as they happen to form an overall risk, from a baseline of risk at that moment. For those of you that like numbers, here is the cut example.
Finger in the way - Prerequisite (on the path to)
Not focused + 30% risk
In a hurry + 30% risk
Repetition - many, increases 3 fold
Only 60 increase of cutting right? The thing is, you repeatedly are taking that chance with the knife, chopping whatever it is. It doesn't need to be a 100% chance when you 'play the dice' with a 60 increase in risk. Ask any gambler if they would take a bet if the odds increased 60% over the next 20 bets to win. They will all take that bet without question... that is statistics.
So to not have an accident, you need to be aware of the 3 main factors that will make an accident happen. This is all 'safety' practice is risk mitigation.
In the course of your day, watch for these as 'bad omens' like.
- The ice is slippery - you are wearing slick shoes.
- You are in a hurry.
- You have to walk across a busy parking lot(repetition).
Outcome. I bet you fall. Stop and change any of those factors, and you may not fall...
Now you can see yourself falling. Just by putting on a shoe it is very powerful to think this way. Do not confuse this way of thinking with fear. This is a true understanding of just 3 factors that can make a situation real, and are real issues. That is not fear.
Back to the Future
Synchronicity, now that you see the power of 3 in that sense. I believe synchronicity happens in 3's as well. You have to have 3 meaningful connections of synchronicity to truly know it is a sign. Just as it took the addition of 3 risks and repetition to create an accident, it takes 3 to be a sign over time.
Unfortunately it may take time for the third, or it may be you get one sign, and then a couple of days, then 2 more quickly.
If you focus on the method of "cataloging" synchronous events, like putting markers in your life of unusual events, that are snapshots of emotions attached to them, you will start to get the meaning of them, when synchronicity makes them clear. Almost like a reverse accident, if you are understanding why I had to explain accidents to explain synchronicity.
I hope this gives you a new perspective on your life to use for finding this type of repetitive synchronicity. There are other types as well. But this is really the starting point one can really use day to day, to understand themselves and their lives better.