Coincedence or synchronicity?

[Quantum Quack]

Coincidence or synchronicity?

Just thought to open a discussion on the comparison of these two notions. Coincedence and Synchronicity.

Most people are familiar with the term coincedence which could be defined briefly and for the purposes of this thread :

"The awareness of events that appear to have predetermination or patterns derived from randomly associated events."
Suffice to say that the use of the descriptor coincedence is a subjective expression of an opinion premised on the presumption of a underlying randomness and assumption of association made subjectively more as an entertainment of irony or the desire to find meaning in the chaos that we see around us.
In a sense describing something as coincedence is in fact expressing our superstitious natures in a way that is "scientifically" acceptable.
[randomness or chance have yet to be proved as valid notions both in physics and philosophy btw]

Synchronicity on the other hand is a different way of looking at what would other wise be concidered as coincedence.
Synchronicity is the descriptor used to express what is belived or known to be predestiny or predetermined events that are seemingly or obviously part of a plan that may be generated by an unknown, unknowable or obscure intelligence, usually as part of a teaching that the universe offers the observer(s). [ normally strong God references are utilised - ie. prophresy]
Synchronicity can also be referred to in it's softer and more flowing form as serendipity.

The intriguing thing about this from my perspective is how when persons descirbe a synchronistic awareness or self consciousness they often also refer to "God like powers of influence" and the like. Normally having to contend with mental health issues and societal dysfunction.
They often describe compulsion and a serious desire to not have and never having had discovered their ability. A love hate relationship exists so it seems.

As most psychologist will agree and so to would philosophers, mankind's mind is designed to attempt to control and change his environment, in fact that is the nature of the will that being the will to make a difference.

I would contend that when a person develops a sychronistic awareness their natural tendancy [ especially for males ] is to innately attempt to control what they are aware of and in doing so trap them selves in to a delusion of self power over something that would normally be considered as coincedence. They are in fact supporting synchronicity and claiming a deluded sense of control over it. A form of ego self deception.

Bart Simpson of the tv sitcom "Simpsons" made a joke of this once by claiming that he had trained his dog to sniff it's butt or cock it's leg or bark when it chose to etc etc.. Claiming false credit for something that would have occurred regardless.

If one belives in determinism which I happen to do coincedence is only a lazy way of describing synchroniity, Doing so allows the person to avoid making relevant the notion of psychic phenonema etc etc.

However in psychic terms synchronicity is also just another way of describing coincedance from another perspective or belief system.

However if one has ever experienced a sychronistic awareness one can not easilly discount it's validity. As evidence provided to the person is profound and often quite disturbing yet thrilling simultaneously.

"I have been waiting all my life from you to come into my life and can not believe that it was mere conincedence" sort of commentary is often expressed.
"or
"he got what he deserved"
or
"I knew I should have caught a later train but ignored my instincts" [crash survivor]
There is much evidence to support peoples awareness of things that transcend mere coincidence.
It is however when the person claims power over synchronicity or serendipity [destiny] that often places them in a state of constant and significant vexation:
"Did I influence that event psychically or am I merely forced to be consciously supporting the event and claiming false credit?"

This sort of vexation will often place the persons societal function into chaos and often medical or psychiatric assistance is required. [ needing to concentrate on involuntarilly supporting sychronicity is all consuming to some meaning that no time is available for normal life functioning.]


So, coincedence or synchronicity?
Which can be proved more?

I bet synchronicity is easier to prove than coincedence, for to prove coincedence one has to prove randomness or chance and that I am afraid would be impossible to do. Certainly determninism is more suported by evidence than canvce or randomness. And developing an awareness of this determinism coul dbe considered as the state of sychronicitic selfconscioousness.

A classic example of this confusion is the belief that some persons have that they can cause street lights to go out when they move under them.
IMO they may very well be a significant factor in the event but are now searching for the answer to the question of deliberate influence thus searching for answres to the vexation described above.


Care to dsicuss?

 

[PsychoticEpisode]

QQ....coincedence is not a word. Coincidence is. Is this just a coincidence, me happening to notice that is? or were events put in motion for you to learn the correct spelling?

 

[Vkothii]

Ok, I once tried to start a discussion about anyone suspecting an ability to influence others in some way.
In particular, if they had ever experienced some insult or injury from someone, wished bad things would happen to them, and then they do happen. That sort of coincidence.
Not the sort where you think of someone and next thing the phone rings, or you hear some news about them, usually this sort of coincidental thing is more common or maybe just more noticeable, when it's someone you haven't seen or heard about for some time.

 

[Quantum Quack]

QQ....coincedence is not a word. Coincidence is. Is this just a coincidence, me happening to notice that is? or were events put in motion for you to learn the correct spelling?

yeah maybe you can coinc'e'dentally provide me with a dictionary....ha....and maybe the nouse to use it...

 

[Quantum Quack]

Ok, I once tried to start a discussion about anyone suspecting an ability to influence others in some way.
In particular, if they had ever experienced some insult or injury from someone, wished bad things would happen to them, and then they do happen. That sort of coincidence.
Not the sort where you think of someone and next thing the phone rings, or you hear some news about them, usually this sort of coincidental thing is more common or maybe just more noticeable, when it's someone you haven't seen or heard about for some time.

Just that I was trying to get a handle on what appeared to be a serious vexation that persons suffering the "illusion" rather than "delusion" of the classic Schizophrenia symptom of "power of influence"
Of course it works two ways both believing in being influenced by others and doing the influencing. Premised on an "acute self consciousness" that these persons develop.

From my own experience I know that once one applies more value to coincidence than is normally ascribed a person can become overwhelmed by the potentials of predetermination, destiny and so called "God like powers"
This is not to discount the notion of God like powers however the situation that develops is one of significant risk of self illusion or self delusion as described in the OP.
If everything is determined then animated life "acka : free will " is also part of the deterministic picture. What role that will plays in the determination of local and non-local events is yet to be fully understood hence this article.

The human will is subconsciously involved [passively or innately] in the determining of events and it is when the person develops an acute awareness of this fundamental fact that the confusion sets in. IMO
However one must subscribe to "spooky action at distance" or psychic phenonema to see the significance of what I am suggesting.

 

[Vkothii]

Well this episode was like something I can say is not a regular feature of my life; but this goth of a mate of a mate smacked me at a party once, for no reason I could see other than he was pissed out of his tree and wanted to look good or something, so chose me for his macho display victim.

I had never liked this prick, and the next day he was all "oh, mate, must have been the piss, sorry about that", sort of style; I remember thinking something dark and brooding about this clown (he'd split my lip open, the bastard sucker punched me).

So awhile later, he's on a motorbike, cans off at speed on some corner (natch), buggers his right arm up (the one he connected with my face), and gets around for the next few years with his arm in a sling, gradually withering away (I think he may have lost it at some stage, or that was the upshot I think - the doctors had told him it was hard to say).

Somehow, this dude's problems didn't seem to fill me with sympathy?
A coincidental coincidence, where I asked "the universe" to sort this dude's head out, you know before he maybe got real silly and decided females were fair game too, or said something stupid to the wrong skinhead, or gang-member.

It's not the first sort of "ha ha good job", thing that's happened, and I haven't been wantonly victimised that often (a sense of humour can help with those awkward moments you can get into sometimes - in a place like NZ where you tend to end up mixing with all sorts, you know what I mean?).
It was the most coincidental one though - if I was convinced of my psychic abilities, I might write a book about it (a really boring book, probably).

 

[Quantum Quack]

Well this episode was like something I can say is not a regular feature of my life; but this goth of a mate of a mate smacked me at a party once, for no reason I could see other than he was pissed out of his tree and wanted to look good or something, so chose me for his macho display victim.

I had never liked this prick, and the next day he was all "oh, mate, must have been the piss, sorry about that", sort of style; I remember thinking something dark and brooding about this clown (he'd split my lip open, the bastard sucker punched me).

So awhile later, he's on a motorbike, cans off at speed on some corner (natch), buggers his right arm up (the one he connected with my face), and gets around for the next few years with his arm in a sling, gradually withering away (I think he may have lost it at some stage, or that was the upshot I think - the doctors had told him it was hard to say).

Somehow, this dude's problems didn't seem to fill me with sympathy?
A coincidental coincidence, where I asked "the universe" to sort this dude's head out, you know before he maybe got real silly and decided females were fair game too, or said something stupid to the wrong skinhead, or gang-member.

It's not the first sort of "ha ha good job", thing that's happened, and I haven't been wantonly victimised that often (a sense of humour can help with those awkward moments you can get into sometimes - in a place like NZ where you tend to end up mixing with all sorts, you know what I mean?).
It was the most coincidental one though - if I was convinced of my psychic abilities, I might write a book about it (a really boring book, probably).

When asked to comment on something like the above, [which I often do get asked about] I usually would say something like this [in point form]:
1] The dude was karmically primed and waiting for a catalyst to shift his destiny to one of balance.
2] The instinctive intelligence that is involved has set up a situation where by a person such as your self provide the trigger for such a change in the dudes path or journey. [ the event being predetermined entirely]
3] The dude was, prior to the event, proactively provoking or compromising or in contra to his best path [ usually due to rejection ] and you were used to trigger a resetting [ an over reaction to the negative to achieve balance]. The energy of your "wish for revenge, punishment or rehabilitation [ most likely "justice"] " was enough to provide a chain reaction in his destiny.
Now normally these sorts of events are not questioned in a psychic sense but in this case you have demonstrated an ongoing concern about implication in this event. Suggesting and questioning just how much impact you personally had on the outcome.
The difference betweeen me and most people is that I trust instinctive behaviour quite strongly and when a person indicates a concern or worry [ vexation ] I feel confident that they have or are developing a synchronistic awareness and also the self consciousness that tends to go with it.
When a person demonstrates a fixation or obsession about such events and feel empowered then I have concerns for their immediate future. The vexation is essential in maintaining a reality based perspective. With out the vexation and lack of understanding the person will demonstrate serious inclinations to delusions of granduer and society will be usually quite ruthless in it's reaction [ psychically and materially ]
However the vexation it self can become all consuming and lead to fragmentation of the persons own destiny and life style usually leading to voluntary as opposed to compulsary, acceptance of psychiatric help.

One of the reasons or motives behind publishing this thread was and is to inspire a better understanding if possible for those caught with this vexation.

May be it will help and maybe it wont....
ps.
You also indicate a refined sense of responsibility for what you believe "may" be your potential and this also indicates the significance and reality of your experiences. IMO
For one must ask why would you develop a strong sense of responsible and "self restrained" action or re-action instinctively to awkward events if there was no need to do so?
I might add that if you had not developed reaction-integrity you may have ended up in a worse situation than the dude in question....

 

[Vkothii]

The other aspect is that, apart from early school years, I wasn't much of a scrapper.
Most male friends I've had as an adult are all bigger than me physically. I suppose I'm a bit of a weed. So I've learned how to stay away from the testosterone battles, somewhat. Except when I'm a bit plastered, maybe.

What happened at the party was predatory, really. This idiot deserved every lesson he got.

 

[Quantum Quack]

The other aspect is that, apart from early school years, I wasn't much of a scrapper.
Most male friends I've had as an adult are all bigger than me physically. I suppose I'm a bit of a weed. So I've learned how to stay away from the testosterone battles, somewhat. Except when I'm a bit plastered, maybe.

What happened at the party was predatory, really. This idiot deserved every lesson he got.

but was it one of the first significant events of it's type? Regarding a sense of influence?

 

[Vkothii]

Er, not really. Can't say that at all actually. I've had a number of "unusual' coincidences that, when I was a youngster, I remember thinking (when they happened) "holy shit, I must have a guardian up there", type of thing. Like managing to convince bigger kids I could take them on (when it was fairly debatable), by some fortunate chance they'd believe it and back down, but sometimes it did require physical effort, or actual fighting. They would lose, of course, but as I've said I'm not a fighting type - never been built for it. Always talk my way out.

As a kid, the few scraps I did get into, I won (or ran away, or it was a draw, or it got stopped by some adult). So once you had the reputation, you got left alone. I remember this other kid (I think I was about 7 maybe) challenging me to a fight (as you do). I just stood there waiting, he came towards me, I grabbed the front of his shirt in a classic judo hold, dropped down, and rolled backwards with both feet against his stomach, I remember watching this surprised kid go flying over my head backwards, landing on his back. He had the wind and the fight knocked out of him, and I got some respect. I wasn't very good at bullying, I must say. I didn't let it go to my head or suddenly start thinking I was a judo expert; I was just lucky - real wham bam lucky - I just "did it".

Lucky escapes too, real close calls (but of course, now I'm all growed up, it isn't so amazing, it probably happens to a lot of people)

P.S. That last thing: lucky escapes; I've been wanting to know if other people think they also might have a "nine lives" syndrome. You know, you have a close call, like close enough you were inches from the big one sort of close. But you keep having them over the years, seemingly amazing luck that you didn't buy it each time - I can recall several incidents where I should have been in real trouble survival-wise, but here I still am.

 

[PsychoticEpisode]

When some guy goes to parties just to punch people in the face, drives away on a bike and loses the punching arm, it is a coincidence, that's all. To try and see something more into it is a waste of time.

In this case there is at least one human punching bag(victim) and there probably were more. You might as well say every time a violent bad guy is put behind bars that it is a coincidence. The prisons are full of coincidental reminders. Conveniently there were enough victims for the bad guys to act out their rage on before going to the jug, coincidentally.

Too many coincidences should make one stop and think. They are just random events determining fate, and sometimes it seems that some hidden force is behind it. Coincidences abound in everyday life except no one notices the ordinary and mundane. I believe in the law of averages. Not all lip splitters get their comeuppance, some get to screw your date, become your boss, live to be 90, etc. Are those coincidences? In the same vein as the party puncher above is described, they must be. I say no, the law of averages will see to it that some jerks get what they deserve.(and vice versa)

 

[Reiku]

For me, coincidence is just a metaphor for split-second decisions, or the human choice to believe that such things exist. In reality, there can't be anything such as a free-will, and this is what quantum mechanics can state about it. So i believe, as many respected people in science do, that everything we come to do, say or write, must somehow be a memory of the vacuum itself.

 

[Vkothii]

When some guy goes to parties just to punch people in the face, drives away on a bike and loses the punching arm, it is a coincidence, that's all. To try and see something more into it is a waste of time.

Assuming that it's a "waste of time", could be a waste of time though.
The guy canned off later on (I didn't actually say how much later) it wasn't the next day, or the day after.
The coincidence was that he had an accident. He accidentally injured the same part of himself that he had wantonly and deliberately abused someone with (me, with my guardian angel). Perhaps I should have warned him before we started getting too pissed, not to do anything like that to me, or something bad might happen to him...? I wonder how many other "charmed ones", he also abused, before or after adding my moosh to his list? Maybe it was a karma build-up, that the universal computer had to clear from some register?

Nah. A coincidence is just a coincidental meeting of events, right?

If you think about it, most of us probably do lead something of a charmed existence. I bet everyone can recall at least one "close one", where they were a second or two from death or serious injury, but escaped it (sort of miraculously).