What a coincidence
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The ClubHouse: Archives: What a coincidence

Ocean_Islands

Saturday, April 27, 2002 - 07:48 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Synchronicity. Yes, it is time once again to talk about synchronicity. What is it?

Synchronicity was a term originally created by Carl Jung to describe the meaningful coincidences that occur in one's life.

Synchronicity can best be described by examples. A friend of mine was wondering whether or not he should follow through on his decision to get a divorce. He turned on the radio and found an ad for available apartments. He smiled and knew what he needed to do.

Another example would be thinking of a friend and receiving a phone call from that friend at that time. Another example would be watching a movie and seeing within the story of that film a metaphor for your own life situation. When you are open to synchronous events, they can help you make choices in your life, because they are a form of guidance from the Universe.

Not many people are comfortable at first with the idea that the Universe is giving them guidance. What helps to make it more understandable is to see all energy and matter as interconnected. One part of the web affects the other. Therefore, all parts of the web are informing each other at all times. We are undeniably interconnected. Therefore, it would make sense that two seemingly disconnected events (thinking about leaving one's partner and turning on the radio) are actually interconnected.

No, you're not crazy. You are part of the Universe, and the Universe is communicating with itself.

Ocean_Islands

Saturday, April 27, 2002 - 07:50 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Strange stories of synchronicity

Looking for Janice

In 1978 I arrived at the tiny village of Toyabunka on Lake Batur in Bali. The only way to get to the village in those days was by canoe across the lake. As I pulled up at the shore, I noticed a stunning young woman with very long hair at the springs, washing clothes. It turned out she was an American, and she told me her name was Janice and that she was a Cherokee. She was doing some sort of research into indigenous people at Trunyan on the other side of the lake.

Unfortunately, she left the next day and I've never seen her since. But then, it gets weird. The day after she left, a young man turned up in Toyabunka saying he was 'looking for Janice'. We told him she'd left, but because it was late and starting to get dark, he stayed the night and I cooked him a meal. I took a photo of him which I've still got.

Months later, I was landing at Moscow airport. There was a tap on my shoulder, and David introduced himself. He remembered me from Toyabunka. We can a meal together at the Aeroflot Hotel in Moscow and he told me he'd been told Janice had been in Moscow.

I went to England, got a job and married an English girl. We decided to backpack to Australia. It was now late 1979, early 1980. On the island of Crete, we walked into the Post Office and saw David from Toyabunka. Far Out!! I'd told my wife the story of Janice and it was as though this happened to prove that it was true.

No - that's not the end of it. I raised three kids in Australia, and
the Janice story became a bit of a family legend. I'm sure the kids through it was just a Mum and Dad tale.

In 1996 I took the family back to Bali and we went back to Toyabunka. I was greeted as if I was McArthur returning. The whole village turned out, chickens were quickly killed and cooked and I became famous for fifteen minutes. Of course, we had to go to the temple to give thanks.

Now, when you go to a Balines temple, you have to wear a sarong to cover bare legs. Men also wear a sash. The temple workers usually rent this to foreigners to earn a bit of money, and although I had my own, I went along with it.

At the end of the ceremony, I went to return the sarong. There was a small hut and my wife and three children trooped in. I was asked if I'd sign the visitor's book. In front of four witnesses, I signed the book which revealed that THE DAY BEFORE there was an entry that read "Janice - The Cherokee Nation"

I've never seen Janice since 1978, and then, for just a few hours. What is she doing in our lives? Who is she? What's the significance?

Wayne Smith - Perth, Australia

Ocean_Islands

Saturday, April 27, 2002 - 07:58 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Strange stories of synchronicity

Having lived many years in a rural part of Scotland...my husband and I decided to return to the City. With my moving arrangements almost complete I took a huge fit of the "wobbles" and had serious doubts about my decision to move.

On the wall of my present home I had a favourite picture. It depicted a woman with a silly hat pulling a reluctant wee Jack Russell dog behind her. Being the owner of a similar hat and also the owner of a wee Jack Russell this picture was almost a self portrait.

I decided to travel to my prospective new home and view it one more time to reassure myself. Arriving at my destination I go off the bus two blocks early and decided to walk to the flat but on the way noticed for the first time a small tea shop.

Deciding to boost my flagging spirits I popped into the shop and sat down at the table furthest from the door.

During my short stay the owner appeared and started to fuss about the shop trying to find a spot for something he wished to hang on the wall, after a lengthy, almost ridiculous deliberation, he decided to hang it right above my table.

You guessed it..... it was the very same picture I had hanging on the wall at my present address of a woman with a Jack Russell terrier.

I took it as a sign I was meant to move and on reaching the flat was asked by the property Agent would I mind very much looking around by myself, as she had to get back to feed her own wee Jack Russell terrier! My decision was happily made.

Sheila - Scotland

Twiggyish

Saturday, April 27, 2002 - 12:59 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I have small coincedences all the time. The other day I was speaking to a man about a specialized computer program. We were talking about how few people know how to use it. I mentioned to him that there was a man in Poland who was an expert at it. He's a friend of someone I know in town.
This man says, that's funny because my friend in Tampa (over 100 miles away) says he knows a man in Poland who is an expert, too. I have to find out if it's the same man.
Talk about your 6 degrees of separation..LOL

Faerygdds

Saturday, April 27, 2002 - 01:24 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
When I was 17 years old I went through a "rough patch" in life. One afternoon things went too far. It had been one of "those" days. School blew; my boyfriend broke up with me; My Mother and I had a fight over something really stupid and insignificant; and My two best friends were ignoring me. I felt really all alone. My family hated me... my friends hated me.. you know.. the USUAL teenage angst BS. But this day was different.

I had a brand new supply of my diet pills with me that day and somewhere between leaving my b/f and getting to a red light about 4 blocks from home I consumed about a month's supply. Then it suddenly hit me... WHAT HAD I DONE??? I could feel my heart racing and I started to panic, but I couldn't go home... Mom was already mad at me, so I went to a friends.

Here's where synchronicity comes in:

1) When I got to the friends house I told his Mom what I had done. She immediately called my Mom. Meanwhile Mom had to return some movies, but had (oddly enough) decided she needed exercise and was going to ride her bike to the video shop, but she had a low tire. She was inflating the tire when the phone rang... she NEVER, not before, not after rode her bike to return videos.

2) My Mom then tried to call my Dad, but no good. She decided to try and beep him even though we KNEW Dad never carried his beeper and always left it in his desk at work. He HATED that thing! But for SOME reason he "felt the need" to wear it that day. He was called out of a meeting half way across town from his office (where the beper usually was) to meet us at the ER.

3) My Brother (who was in college) had a "wierd feeling" and decided to skip his afternoon and Friday classes and come home for the weekend. Mom had left a note for Dad in case he came home and never got the beep (which we thought was likely). My brother saw the note and headed for the ER.

Amazing how at the moment I was ready to end my life because I thought I was so alone... synchronicity showed me that I wasn't...

:)

Gail

Saturday, April 27, 2002 - 01:51 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I had something happen recently that was a small coincidence. In early March, I started buying handmade soaps. I bought from three different people in Albuquerque and then bought some from a lady on Ebay. The ones on Ebay were so good, I went to the lady's website and saw she had even more varieties of soap along with homemade baskets.

Anyways, I bought more soap from her for myself and as gifts to friends. I gave a bar to a friend at work and she took one look at the label and said she personally knew the person who made this soap. She grew up in the same town in Montana and my friend's aunt and uncle give the soapmaker the antlers she uses for her homemade baskets. I thought that was pretty cool - one of those "small world" things.

And out of all the people that I could have bought soap from on the internet, I happened to find one really nice person that was very happy to give me a few good pointers and get me started in the right directions so I could do it for myself. It has been a month now and I have about 20 batches of soap curing.

Twiggyish

Saturday, April 27, 2002 - 07:03 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Faery, that was an awful experience, but amazing that your family was each in the right place to receive their call.

Gail, I've made soap, too. It makes a nice little gift for friends.

Riviere

Monday, April 29, 2002 - 04:42 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I'm a great believer in synchronicity.. When my husband finally talked me into buying a house I found an agent in the state we wanted to move to. She'd fax me MLS sheets and then I'd call her to arrange viewing a few in one trip, it was a very long drive for me. One day THE house came thru my fax machine and I just had to see it immediately! Turned out that it was owned by a widow who was born in MI (like me) and loved animals (like me) and on the family room wall was a painting that was part of a set, I also had one by that artist, but had left it at my Granny's in MI for 30+ yrs for safekeeping until I finally settled down.. I offered $1500 less than the asking price knowing it was a nice house but needing the wiring fixed to run our computers. To my surprise the agent called 2 days later and said the widow had been offered $2000 more than the asking price, but she was accepting MY offer because she felt I was the right person meant to live here and take care of the house she'd owned for 18 years! When we got the keys, we came in expecting to find the house empty, and it was except for one thing ~ that painting was still hanging on the wall, the widow had left it for me although we never discussed it as being included in the sale.. I'd known from the minute I saw it this was meant to be my home, and the widow had mentioned to her agent that it really came down to me admiring that painting that made her feel I was meant to buy the house! I brought my old painting 'home' from MI finally in 1998, and it hangs beside its twin.. When the tornado tore through here this weekend there was so much damage behind us, in front of us, beside us, but the house sat like a rock of safety and I know that's a minor miracle I'm grateful for! The house has 'good vibes' for me and maybe it knows how much I love it, too..

Juju2bigdog

Monday, April 29, 2002 - 08:21 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Gave me goosebumps, Riviere.

Wink

Monday, April 29, 2002 - 09:29 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Wonderful story Riviere. Goosebumps here too.

Teatime

Monday, April 29, 2002 - 09:53 am EditMoveDeleteIP
What a great story, Riviere. I'm so glad you are safe after the storms.

Oregonfire

Monday, April 29, 2002 - 10:02 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I don't know if this counts, but I had a stange nightmare last night--a number of concurrences. Yesterday, I moved an old broken down table that belonged to my deceased grandfather out into the hallway to throw out; it's falling apart anyway.

Then last night, I dreamt that I was on an airplane that was suddenly forced down in a field. I ended up in my aunt's house in Upstate New York, the scene of many of my dreams, most of them very pleasant, as I have fond memories of that house growing up.

This time the feeling was chilly to the bone. The inside of the house was blanketed in pitch black darkness. I felt someone watching me, who then escaped out the back door and into sunlight--I followed in pursuit, and woke up as I was about to catch up to the person.

The table that I threw out came from my aunt's basement--I can only assume that my grandfather wasn't too pleased. Coincidentally, there was the red flashing light of a police car in the window when I woke up--someone had an accident on the corner or something while I was dreaming. Usually I feel better when I wake up fom a bad dream, but this time even waking up was unnerving.

To be fair, I also watched "The Sixth Sense" on TV last night--maybe I was just freaked out!

Wink

Monday, April 29, 2002 - 10:07 am EditMoveDeleteIP
So Oregon are you still going to throw out the table?

Oregonfire

Monday, April 29, 2002 - 10:20 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Heck yeah--he ain't the boss of me! He was my less friendly, more critical grandpa, showing up once a year to generally berate my sister and me for not helping out our mom enough, when what we really needed was his love and some reassurance as children of divorce. Entirely in character that he'd show up only when I'd done something "wrong."

The table wasn't a bequeath either--just a left over sack of rotting wood and rusted bolts in the basement of my aunt's house. The "acceptable" grandchildren in Maryland got the good stuff. Luckily I had nice grandparents on my dad's side who bequeathed us very nice wood furniture that will be kept in the family.

Kstme

Monday, April 29, 2002 - 11:16 am EditMoveDeleteIP
OK...I'm going to stick my neck out. I've had "vibes" about stuff since I was VERY young. Most have been regarding things that would be happening to my immediate family members or very close friends. Usually not so good stuff. I've always had an uncanny ability to pick up the phone and know who's on the other end...before "caller id." My mother used to tell me to "go with the flow" and not be afraid of my "gift." As I've gotten older, the "gift" has lessened...I think, because I refuse to "work" on it as I did when I was younger.

Three incidents when my "gift" came into play...

I was in HS and living in Seattle...it was 12:30 at night. My best friend lived in Aberdeen, WA, on the Coast. I woke up screaming my lungs out, "Debbie's dead!" I went on to tell my mother of the whole accident. The call I got 2 hours later confirmed her death. The ONLY thing I had wrong...she wasn't driving the car. I had the place, the time, the vehicle.

A month before we were to be married. My dh decided to ride his motorcycle to work instead of taking the car. He refused to believe me that something bad would happen. I pleaded with him, but he was going to be "Mr. Macho" and do it his way. I was not surprised when 3 Seattle PD officer's showed up our door less than a half hour later with his helmet in hand and his bike. He was in emergency! He ended up with reconstruction of his left elbow and to this day his arm is slightly bent.

A month later my mother was in the hospital dying. I knew she felt I had finally found my "perfect" mate and I would be settling down, AT LAST! The day she became sick, I knew she would was never coming home again. Everyone, including the drs. told me I was wrong. We held a vigil at the hospital. I finally asked my sisters and all our dh's if we could go out for dinner. I knew my mother would not pass away while we were there. She died while we were having our dinner away from the hospital.

Boy, guess I rambled! I'm sorry! Just one more thing...you ALL realize it was one of these "vibes" that brought Oliver into our lives, don't you?

Fruitbat

Monday, April 29, 2002 - 11:20 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Riviere! goose bumps here too. That is very cool.

Oregon, glad to hear that table is going. Better move on it fast so your grandfather can visit the dump in the future. The rats there will freak but they can deal.

Kstme

Monday, April 29, 2002 - 11:58 am EditMoveDeleteIP
OOps! I'm having a "monday morning" here! lol

Riviere...isn't it amazing? It certainly gave you a second chance to KNOW all the people that cared for you were "connected"!

LOL...Oregon! Too funny!

Wink

Monday, April 29, 2002 - 01:55 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Oregon no doubt Fruitbat is right.

Kstme now I have the shivers.

Riviere

Monday, April 29, 2002 - 11:45 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I love all these "amazing stories" too!!! But it comes back to: life's synchronicity, how being in the right place right time affects events, or a dream or 'vibe' can change something. Folks who scoff and call it mere coincidence should read this thread! There's a mysterious rhyme & reason in nature usually sensed by folks in tune with their world and openminded about things science can't explain. I'm explaining it badly, but hey I know you guys understand what I mean! :)

Juju2bigdog

Tuesday, April 30, 2002 - 04:41 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Just had one happen. Last week I happened to think about an old boyfriend I had not thought about in years. Today out of the blue, I got an e-mail from him, asking if I am the Juju2bigdog he met in math class (cough) 33 years ago. And here I thought my e-mail address was not "out there" or easy to find. I wrote back and said yes, it is me, and I can't write a lot because I am getting ready to go to London and Paris this Friday, but how did he ever find me? He said he was on the internet researching an upcoming trip to London and Paris and Prague and happened across a telephone search site and entered my name and got back a high school alumni site.

Ack!

Twiggyish

Tuesday, April 30, 2002 - 04:56 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Wow, that's cool. Did you write back?

Ocean_Islands

Tuesday, April 30, 2002 - 06:18 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
When you get back you can tell him about all the places you saw to help him plan his trip.

Sunshinemiss

Tuesday, April 30, 2002 - 06:29 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Wow, wow and wow! I am a firm believer in synchronicity, having learned over the years to trust the "little voice inside", wherever it comes from. It always gives good advice. Sometimes you don't realize it until later, but trusting your instincts has stood me in good stead.

Thanks all for sharing your stories..creepy and cool at the same time.

Twiggyish

Wednesday, May 01, 2002 - 06:24 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Sunshine, I believe that, too.

Kaili

Wednesday, May 01, 2002 - 01:47 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I don't know how well this story fits in here but I was thinking about it during my sociology class this afternoon. My gramma died in 1987 and we put her ashes into the river by their cabin. As we did that, the sky cleared and a bald eagle (which were pretty rare to see at the time) flew over. We always thought about that as meaningful. When my grampa died in 1994 we did the same thing with his ashes- putting them in the same spot as my gramma's. Again an eagle flew over. My mom said that she wouldn't be happy about it unlesss there were two to show that they were together again. Soon afterward, the eagle flew away and came back with another one so there were two flying. I always think about them when I'm at the cabin and see eagles flying around.

Grooch

Wednesday, May 01, 2002 - 01:55 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Wow. That is amazing, Kaili. :)

Kstme

Wednesday, May 01, 2002 - 02:09 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Kali...how awsome! Second that WOW!

Kaili

Wednesday, May 01, 2002 - 02:24 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Yeah, I love that story even though I get a little teary thinking about it sometimes. But it's happy teary so it's okay.

Sunshinemiss

Wednesday, May 01, 2002 - 10:12 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
That is so cool, very Lion king-circle of life sort of thing. Very comforting too.

Bookworm

Friday, May 03, 2002 - 09:24 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
What a wonderful story Kaili.

What a great thread!!

Marysafan

Saturday, May 04, 2002 - 01:49 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
From the news recently:

Jack Roush NASCAR race team owner, multi-millioniare and aviation nut, turned 60 a couple of weeks ago. He was attending the races at Talledega in Alabama. He celebrated his birthday with some friends, who allowed him to fly an experimental aircraft as a present to him.

As he was flying the wing clipped a wire, flipped the plane over, and the craft landed upside down in 8 ft. of water in a pond near a gated community.

Watching this transpire was a man by the name of Larry Hicks and his wife. Mr Hicks immediately instructed his wife to call 911, while he jumped in his row boat and rowed out to the over turned aircraft.

Then, he dove into the water. Mr. Hicks was a retired marine who had been trained in underwater rescue. He surveyed the situation and came up for air. He was familar with the hatch used on the aircraft....on the second dive, he was able to open the hatch. He came up for air again. On the third dive, he was able to release Mr. Roush from the harness he was wearing , again because he was familar with this type of harness.

He brought Mr. Roush up to the surface, realized that he needed to get the water out of his lungs, placed him on the aircraft and knew exactly where to press to for maximum effect. He then got Mr. Roush to shore and began giving him CPR to revive him. His efforts were sucessful.

This is an amazing story in itself. It was remarkable that this extraordinarily qualifed man was the one standing on the shore witnessing this event...but there is more.

Mr. Hicks has cancer. He wasn't supposed to be there that night...because he was supposed to have died last year. Six months ago he was undergoing yet another round of chemotherapy treatments, and would have been unable to row the boat, much less dive into the water.

Mr. Hicks doesn't think of himself as a hero. Mr Roush disagrees. Mr Roush is at home recouperating from his injuries, which included a head injury, some internal injuries, and two broken legs.

Of all the men that could have been standing there, Mr. Hicks was one of a handful that could have rescued Mr. Roush in time.

Kstme

Saturday, May 04, 2002 - 02:08 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Wow!

Madelane

Saturday, May 04, 2002 - 02:45 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Not too profound but...

I met a guy about 3 or 4 weeks ago at an event and he asked for my number. He was very cute and told me what he did for a living. Said he would call Monday, never did. (surprise)

After a few days I got a little stalker-y and tried calling workplaces he might be at, no dice. I decided to give up.

Last night I went to see The Sweetest Thing, which is basically about tracking down the guy/girl you met briefly and had a spark with. They talked about how you can't let those possibilities go away, that sort of thing. I kept thinking about the guy, wishing there was some way to find him.

So when I got out of the movie, I had a message from him! And we have a date tonight! I thought it was a very strange coincidence.

Whit4you

Monday, June 24, 2002 - 06:07 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Ocean - thanks for starting this thread :) Didnt see it down there at the bottom so I thought I'd bump it back up :)