The Reiki Cafe 

Hi Friends,

I think we're all familiar with the concept of synchronidities. My brother, physicist and party pooper, has said that there is such a huge amount of random events taking place at any given time, that just by the law of chance, some meaningful coincidences are bound to happen, but it doesn't mean anything. I have to disagree, it depends on magnitude and how significant the event is.

So here's my story. During an unremarkable time in my life, I was walking to the bank on a routine errand. There is an old apartment building on the way, with pretty interesting architecture. It has a ornate cement decoration over the front door. On this particular day, I noticed that the decoration had writing moulded into it, so I crossed the street to see what it said. Well, the word in it was "Roxanne", which is of course, my formal first name. (Please don't starting singing Sting to me). I think this is an example of pure coincidence, since it didn't happen in relation to anything else. It just got me thinking about what my brother said.

I'd like to hear what others think of my story, and other views on the topic of coincidence vs. synchronicities.

Blessings,
Roxy

roxy,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- every moment of a life is remarkable

>:-}}

- coincidence? You happpened to notice something about a building you probably had walked past any number of times, right? So, on this day you were, perhaps, simply more mindful of the building and less pre-occupied with yourself or your errand, or whatever.

>:-}}

- it is not as if the building materialized in front of you for the first time, is it??

- or did it???

bagl

- just because you do not know why you noticed the inscription that day and not in the past does not mean there were no "connections", albeit acausal ones.

>:-}}

- do we not say "all things are connected"??

- coincidences are co-occurances which one cannot seem explain at the time, a mystery as it were. But there are always "connections", not necessarily "causes" which, of course, make the occurances synchronicities

>:-}}

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Dear Roxy,
I agree that sometimes things just happen. Each time I have purchased a car, all of a sudden I notice every one of these cars on the road. They seem to be all over the place. What made the difference from one day to the next, why didnt I notice them the day before? Perhaps our level of awareness, our focus, as well as the degree of distraction in our lives has a greater part in it than we realize.
The conclusions we choose to draw about episodes of coincidence or synchronicity may be more reflective of who we are than any real "truth". :)

peace & joy,
holobon

Thanks Firekeeper,

No, the building certainly didn't suddenly materialize. And yes, I had walked by it many times. More mindful? Definitely.

But honestly, otherwise, I can't conceive of any particular meaning to the connection. Or does there have to be one?

Blessings,
Roxy

roxy,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- that you noticed the inscription and that it had meaning to you (you recognized your name) has already occurred

>:-}}

- whether you find additional symbolism (or not) would, in some views, imbue the initial event with additional "meaning"

- one might, if so inclined, even look for "meaning" in the fact that you had not noticed the inscription during all those previous trips past the building

>:-}}

- is the inscribed 'Roxy' the same exact organization of letters as in your name??

>:-}}

- take care

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Firekeeper,

My nickname is "Roxy". My given name is "Roxanne". The inscription was "Roxanne", and yes, it was written with the exact spelling I use when I use my legal name.

Roxy

Roxy,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- I was merely conserving bytes (or pixels or whatever ether-letters are measured in)

bagl

- I wonder if that means anything??

LOL

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, you're confusing me!

;-)

Roxanne,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- you are blaming me for your confusion????

bagl, bagl

- now, that (might) be meaningful

>:-0}}

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Firekeeper,

Yes, I am blaming you for it........

And the meaning is, after all, you're the Coyote!

Roxanne

Dear Holobon,

I'm sure sometimes, things like that happen because of our state of mind. Those cars were probably there all along.

But in my experience, sometimes really odd things happen seemingly out of the blue. But of course, I agree, they are subjective.

Blessings,
Roxyu

Ms. Roxanne,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- perhaps you merely project your own Coyote(ness) on to me

bagl

- which would (mean) that the confusion originates with you

>:-}}

- passing the buck is only OK if it actually involves some 'greenbacks' in which case we could call it a "love offering"

bagl, bagl, bagl

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

I have two cats, sisters from the same litter. At my sister's suggestion, I named them after a pair of sisters who were neighbors where I grew up.

A couple of years after I adopted those two cats, we adopted a male kitten. I decided to follow the pattern, and named the kitten after the sisters' younger brother, who was a childhood friend that I lost track of. The kitten turned out to be sick when we got him, and soon died of feline distemper.

Years later, I was looking through a website and found mention of my childhood friend, who had become a successful sculptor. I found out he had died (I don't know of what), a couple of years after the kitten did. He was (the man)only about 42, so at that age, it was pretty unusual

Roxy

Ms. Roxanne,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- had the man and the cat died the same day or in the same manner (hit by a car, for example) I might find that a little unusual.....perhaps

- but, all living things die (and some re-incarnate)

- we are all connected - but only infrequently in a causal manner

>:-}}

- have there been any "connections" related to the sisters and the cats named after them?

- sometimes we can take things too litterally

>:-}}

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Firekeeper,

I don't know how the man died. For that, I'd have to make a trip to my hometown library, and look up the articles about him in the local paper. I mean to someday, but it frankly hasn't been my priority. Howwever, I frankly doubt he died of feline distemper.

As for the sisters, no, no coincidences.

And yes, frankly, I didn't see the events as significant. Just one of those things, like "Roxanne" on the building.

Roxy

PS. Did I use the word "frankly" enough?

Ms. Roxy,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- you said, in part: "PS. Did I use the word "frankly" enough?"

- was the artist's name Frank? Now, that would be a little weird

BAGL

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Dear Coyote,

Enough already!

LOL

Blessings,
Roxy

Hi Honey,

Sometimes I think that coincidences are just synchronicities that we haven't recognized.

Sometimes I think that sometimes s*#t happens.

Best I can do on the subject. The jury is still out.

:-))

I do have one for you though. Coincidence, synchronicity, or statistical annomoly?

One of my grandfathers had a 'wooden' leg. He lost his leg in a train related accident.

Ok, unusual but doesn't seem to fit any of the above catagories.

My other grandfather also had a 'wooden' leg. He also lost his leg in a train related accident. I've scratched my head over that one for years.

:-))

Only one of them was called 'Peg'

bagl

Walk in beauty,
Rebecca

My Dearest Ms. Roxanne,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- it is your fault, afterall

bagl

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Coyote

Becca,

Great to see you!

Sometimes, I think if there is more than one connection, that makes it significant

For instance,

First connection, they were both grandfathers to you.

Second connection, they both lost a leg,

Third connection, the cause of both was a train accident.

But more than that? I have no clue.

Love,
Roxy

On a serious note, however, Firekeeper,

Didn't Jung have something to say about synchronicity? Do you remember what it was?

Blessings,
Ms. Roxanne

Ms. Roxanne,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- actually, towards the end of his life he had identified three types of synchronicity (not including, of course, 'false' synchronicities)

- and, your noticing the name on the building for the first time does not really seem to fit any of his three types (unless you can assert that, as you walked that morning, you were thinking that someone should name a building after you)

>:-}}

- Jung might contend that you had actually seen the name on the building in the past but the 'memory' never made it into the brain's memory store that is easily accessed consciously (so it is possible your case might be similar to cases of cryptamnesia)

- Jung wrote about type 1: "The meaningful acausal coincidence of a psychological event and an external observable event, both taking place at or around the same time." (and within the observer's range of sensory perception).

- hope this was serious, enough

>:-}}

- take care,

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Yes, Mr. Firekeeper,

Serious enough. Thank you for explaining Jung's definition of a true synchronicity. Did he offer any theories as to how or why they happen?

Blessings,
Ms. Roxanne

Hi Roxy,

Good to see you too.

:-)

I view it more as a curiosity that anything else. There might be some signifigance to it but if there is I figure got the benefit of it without making myself crazy trying to figure out the reason behind it.

:-))

hugs

Walk in beauty,
Rebecca

Ms. Roxanne,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- Jung specified three basic types of synchronicities but these also seem to correspond somewhat, or be analagous, to the three primary levels of dreaming - a connection I am not sure he made (or perhaps he chose not to discuss which would seem a little weird to me) - or at least I do not recall it from my readings of Jung which have been some years ago by now (his collected works makes quite a syllabus if you are interested)

- and, he was something of a mystic so I am not sure, at present (again, it has been a while since I read his complete works) whether he really tried to "explain" why they happen

- I think he believed implicitly in the complexity of the Mind (including the Unconscious) and Spirit connections so it is likely all this seemed very natural to him - just as dreams are natural

>:-}}

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper