Can You Stop Seeing Synchronicity: Understanding and Managing Your Perception

Synchronicities are out of your control. These meaningful coincidences, first introduced by psychologist Carl Jung, appear to be strange coincidences until you start adding them up and realize the extent of their occurrence. Unlike other seemingly coincidental events, synchronicities just happen; they are beyond your control. What you notice is a result of conscious effort to identify and interpret these events.

I would like to share a story that occurred a few weeks ago. While driving through the city with my wife, a song came on the radio with the phrase 'I'll be seeing you.' I asked my wife if she was aware of any coincidences happening at that moment. She stated that she had experienced many synchronicities in her life, just like most people. Her belief is that once you become aware of these coincidences, they will never stop. Meanwhile, those who do not give thought to these occurrences may never recognize them.

Awareness and Interpretation

You can choose to ignore or reinterpret events in your life. The frequency with which you notice coincidences may decrease if you consciously decide to focus less on them. For example, you may find that you are less likely to attribute significance to events that initially seemed meaningful. Instead, you might choose to see these events as part of everyday life.

Mindset and Perception

A shift in mindset can influence your perception. Practicing mindfulness or focusing on more mundane aspects of life might reduce the tendency to see synchronicity. Recognize that your brain is wired to find patterns and meaning in things. Being aware of this cognitive bias can help you recognize when you may be attributing significance to coincidences that are not meaningful.

Choice vs. Automatic Experience

Your subjective experience plays a significant role in how you perceive and interpret coincidences. While you may not have control over the occurrence of these events, you do have control over your perception and interpretation. The occurrence of coincidences themselves is often random, but your interpretation may lead you to perceive them as meaningful.

Psychological Factors

Personal beliefs, emotional states, and life circumstances can influence how often you notice and interpret synchronicities. For instance, individuals who are more open to new experiences or who have a positive mindset might notice synchronicities more frequently. Conversely, individuals who tend to be skeptical or have a negative outlook may overlook these events.

Summary

While you may not have control over the occurrence of coincidences, you do have control over your perception and interpretation of them. By choosing to focus less on these events or by changing your mindset, you can influence how you perceive and react to synchronicities. Understanding and managing your perception of these events can lead to a more balanced and realistic view of the world around you.