Ultimate Guide to Synchronicity: Meaning, Theory and Examples

Have you ever noticed patterns that seem too coincidental to be a coincidence? I have too, and I've often wondered what was up.

Why do I think about something and it appears the next day?

Is this the real-life version of The Truman Show?

Of course, that's not the case. We all have our own unique version of this phenomenon, so it's not about one specific person. But what gives?

What are synchronicities and what do they mean?

The term synchronicity was first coined by analytical psychologist Carl Jung to refer to "meaningful coincidences" without a casual relationship that seem to be related. And, in truth, no one knows what they mean.

In this post, we're going to explore all possible theories and help you decide what the synchronicities in your life mean for YOU.

Let's get started with a law of coincidence...

Law of Truly Large Numbers and Synchronicity

The Law of Truly Large Numbers essentially explains that coincidences are just coincidences. If you take a large enough sample, similarities are inevitable.

According to this theory, the sample in your life is virtually any combination of things that could possibly happen. And if you look at the synchronicities in comparison to average events, they may make up a fraction of a percentage of your day.

At least, that's the skeptic's view. And I certainly cannot prove a skeptic wrong (nor is that my goal). I understand and respect people who believe that coincidences are nothing more than just that.

And in reality, there probably are some coincidences that can be explained. For example, if you buy a white Honda CR-V and start seeing them everywhere shortly after, it's probably just because you've become more aware of them.

As much as I'd love to say "there's no such thing as coincidence," I think some things do just happen.

And if I'm being honest, I used to be more likely to chalk up everything as coincidence.

Then, something happened to make me start paying closer attention, and I realized that there is most definitely more to this than meets the eye. We'll get to my examples soon.

But first, let's look at another theory.

The spiritual nature of synchronicity

Regardless of religious faith, someone who has a spiritual outlook is likely to look upon synchronicities as signs or some other form of communication.

Depending on the person and the experience, they may be signs that you're on the right track or wrong track. It comes down to you.

If you're seeing signs or synchronicities, think about what's going on in your life. Are you looking for answers on something? Are you making any major life changes? And, most importantly, how do these synchronicities make you feel?

Many people experience synchronicities with numbers. Personally, I haven't had many of these experiences, but I am always interested to learn about things like this.

Synchronicity in numbers

A very good friend of mine always points out when she notices 11:11 on a clock. "Make a wish, she says."

To be honest, I've never really understood why this seem so significant aside from the obvious repetition.

But upon further inspection, boy, this is a loaded topic. There are answers in Numerology and the bible, and many believe that any number patterns you see will have personal meaning to you.

One thing we can take away from this topic is that since ancient times, people have believed that repeating number patterns are God's way of communicating with us.

Now, back to the infamous 1111.

• Biblical meaning -- Those who believe 1111 has biblical meaning believe that the number signals a transition or wake up call from God. To be honest, I've tried to find the 1111 connection in the bible and I'm coming up short. This isn't to say I think anyone is wrong, but I just want to be clear about what I'm relaying. And I couldn't find a logical reason for this connection. If you know what it is, please comment below!

• Numerology meaning -- Numerology is based on the belief that angels, spirits or other divine beings communicate with us through numbers. And each number has a meaning. The number 1 in numerology relates to independence and self-determination. When it's repeated in this sequence, those qualities are magnified 4-fold.

If you start seeing number patterns that appear more often than could be a coincidence, it's a good bet that those numbers have meaning. During this time, remember that thoughts become things, so keep your thoughts positive. You're likely coming up on a transition.

Real life examples of synchronicity

Now for the moment I've been waiting to share...

I have a few examples of synchronicity in my life that I think are not-so-coincidental. I'm going to share them here, and you can let me know what you think.

1. Divine Intervention

In one particular interaction with someone, I felt as though someone was screaming at me to pay attention (there was no voice, but that's the best way I can explain it). I didn't know why at the time, but there was a definite power in the moment. As it turns out, this moment was instrumental in me figuring out that years of what I thought to be drama was actually a very specific type of emotional abuse. After realizing, I explained this moment to someone as "divine intervention." A few days later, a stranger approached me at Starbucks and struck up a short conversation about luck. The last thing she said was, "I don't know, I like to believe there's such a thing as divine intervention."

Could it have been coincidence? Sure. Do I think it was? Abso-freaking-lutely not.

2. Book of Secrets

When I began my spiritual awakening, I was naturally looking for answers. I realized I needed guidance, so I went on a hunt for an audiobook. Turns out, I had a few Deepak Chopra books in my library and I seemed drawn to one in particular. Partway through the first Chapter, I realized I didn't even look at the book title. As you might have guessed, it was the Book of Secrets.

A few days earlier, as my head was reeling from new discoveries and shedding old beliefs, I had picked up one of my daughter's books that was sitting on the floor. I held it in my hands for a minute just looking at the cover. It seemed meaningful to me, but again, I had no idea why.

So when I saw the title of the audiobook I was listening to, I jumped up and grabbed my daughter's book. You already know what it was titled, the Book of Secrets.

Could this have been my subconscious mind making a connection and drawing me towards Deepak Chopra's book? Certainly. Do I think the subconscious mind plays a large role in spirituality? Most definitely.

3. Random sticker

My examples get less profound from here, but they are synchronicities nonetheless. Here's another thing my daughter left on the floor. It's a sticker of a cartoon eye that came from some kit she had. And of all the possible stickers I could see out and about, I saw that same exact cartoon eye on the ground at a water park a few days later.

4. "I feel good"

I was sitting outside at Starbucks the other day (a common theme with me) and I stopped working for a moment and thought, "I feel good." About two seconds later, James Brown's song of the same name came on the radio. I spend a lot of time at Starbucks and I hear the same songs again and again. I've never heard that one before (that I can remember) and I haven't heard it after.

Common synchronicities

In addition to any specific synchronicities you may experience, there are common ones that impact us all.

There are the times you're thinking about someone and they reach out to you out of the blue. Or the times you think of a song and it comes on the radio.

Repeating numbers are a common synchronicity for many people.

And then, there are answers to questions you've asked that suddenly appear out of nowhere. I can't tell you how many times this has happened to me recently. My answers usually come from a Quora email where someone is asking the very question I was just contemplating or a YouTube video that pops up on my homepage where someone explains exactly what I needed to know.

Synchronicity and the Law of Attraction

If you aren't familiar with the Law of Attraction, made famous by the movie, the Secret, it refers to the idea that your thoughts become things.

Personally, I have many examples of the Law of Attraction at work and I believe wholeheartedly. I'll save those examples for another day (subscribe to the newsletter, so you don't miss it!). But for now, I want to touch on the connection between synchronicity and the Law of Attraction.

If your thoughts become things, wouldn't it be natural to manifest things that have been on your mind? In many cases, maybe synchronicities are nothing more than the Law of Attraction at work. You think of a person and then they call you. You sing a song and it plays on the radio.

In this case, I think it's safe to assume that when you're seeing synchronicities that originated from your thoughts, you're on the right track. You're likely vibrating at a high level and naturally attracting these random little things.

Bottom line on synchronicities

From my experience, these things happen in waves. The four examples I've given were all within a 1-2 month time frame. And it was definitely a time of transition for me. I can guess at the reasons for each of these things, but I don't really have the answers.

I do believe that this is a very personal thing. So if you think synchronicities are there to deliver a message, start paying attention. Try to remove judgment and follow your intuition. You really have nothing to lose.

Now, I want to hear from you. I love hearing about synchronicities. Tell me all about yours!