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Synchronicity
Synchronicity is a concept coined by the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) to indicate the meaningful coincidence of two events without apparent causal relation, which strike one as "not random". Jung developed it in collaboration with the physicist Wolfgang Pauli, Nobel laureate 1945, in the essay "Synchronicity as an Acausal Connecting Principle" (1952).
Jung s definition
A synchronicity has three characteristics: two or more events happen simultaneously or nearly so; there is no causal relation between them; one of the events is internal (a thought, a dream) and one is external (a fact in the world); the subject senses a meaningful connection. Classic example (Jung): while a patient is recounting a dream with a scarab, a scarab beetle taps against the window of the consulting room.
Contemporary readings
Academic psychology explains many cases through cognitive biases (apophenia, the Baader-Meinhof effect: when you think of something you notice it more). The esoteric tradition interprets them as "signs" and messages. The two positions are not necessarily in conflict: synchronicity becomes meaningful when the subject welcomes it as such.
FAQ
Are all coincidences synchronicities?
No. Synchronicity is "meaningful": it must touch the person living it deeply. Banal coincidences remain coincidences.
Is it scientifically demonstrable?
No, it is a philosophical-psychological concept. Science does not recognise extra-physical causality.
How is it used in practice?
Noting meaningful coincidences in a journal helps recognise patterns. In Jungian therapy, synchronicities are among the materials worked on.