Christian de Quincey, PhD, is dean of consciousness studies at the University of Philosophical Research. He is a faculty member at John F. Kennedy University and Sophia University. He is founder and director of the Wisdom Academy. He is author of Radical Nature: The Soul of Matter, Radical Knowing: Understanding Consciousness Through Relationship, Consciousness From Zombies to Angels: The Shadow and the Light of Knowing Who You Are, Deep Spirit: Cracking the Noetic Code, and Blindspots: 21 Good Reasons to Think Before You Talk.

Here he discusses the concept of synchronicity as popularized by the great Swiss psychiatrist, Carl G. Jung. Several classical Jungian examples of synchronicity are presented. He makes a point of stressing the non-causal aspect of synchronistic events, pointing out that they are connected in time – but not necessarily in space. He discusses synchronistic events in the context of a panpsychist view of reality – the idea that consciousness pervades all levels of the physical universe. The conversation also looks at apophenia, the potentially pathological tendency to project meaning into events that are purely random.

(Recorded on August 23, 2015)

Published on September 1, 2015