When Carl Jung met with Sigmund Freud in Vienna in 1909, the two men had met before and exchanged numerous letters about their respective views on psychology, the mind, and the unconscious. Even though they were still friends, there was an undercurrent of tension between them that Jung later attributed to the differences in their views about the human psyche. Jung’s research had begun to diverge from Freud’s and was leading him deeper into the world of parapsychology myth, religion, and symbolism.
At this particular meeting, Jung asked Freud about his views on precognition and parapsychology in general. Freud rejected it all as nonsense and did so, as Jung wrote in his autobiography, Memories, Dreams, & Reflections, “in terms of so shallow a positivism that I had difficulty in checking the sharp retort on the tip of my tongue.”
Suddenly, Jung felt a curious sensation, as if his diaphragm was made of iron and was turning scorching hot. Then there was a loud cracking sound in a nearby bookcase and both men bolted to their feet, alarmed that the bookcase was about to topple over on them. Jung exclaimed, “There, that is an example of a so-called catalytic exteriorization phenomenon.”
“This is sheer bosh,” Freud retorted.
Jung said that it wasn’t and predicted that in a moment, it would happen again. “Sure enough, no sooner had I said the words than the same detonation went off in the bookcase. To this day, I do not know what gave me this certainty. But I knew beyond all doubt that the report would come again.”
Freud just stared at him and Jung didn’t have any idea what the look meant. “In any case, this incident aroused his mistrust of me.
What’s fascinating about this instance of precognition is that it happened so quickly after Jung had made the prediction and probably reinforced his belief that synchronicities peak during times when deep unconscious forces are activated.
But we don’t have to wait until life is locked in some sort of crisis before we hook into the future. In our daily lives, we’re surrounded by signs, symbols, and patterns that carry hints about our future. Sometimes the message is obvious, sometimes it requires interpretation.
In The Three Only Things: Tapping the Power of Dreams, Coincidence & Imagination, author and dream researcher Robert Moss recounts an incident that happened to him shortly before the stock market crash in 1987. He was in an airplane restroom when he accidentally dropped a wallet with his credit card and checks from a brokerage account into the toilet. He barely managed to snatch it out before it was flushed away.
“Had this been a dream, I might have written a one-liner like: ‘If you’re not very careful, your stock market investments will go down the toilet.’ Unfortunately, in 1987, I was not yet fully aware that incidents in waking life speak to us exactly like dream symbols. I failed to harvest the message, neglected to take the appropriate action to limit the risk to my brokerage account – and saw a large percentage of my net worth go down the toilet.”
The incident was clearly a hint about the future, a warning specifically about his assets, but Moss didn’t get the message.
I first read this story in 2007 shortly after the book was released, and my first thought was, OMG, how many messages like this have I missed? A lot. But I may have avoided some really critical oversights because I’m a book hound.
When I was a freshman in college, I bought a copy of the Richard Wilhelm edition of the I Ching, in which Jung wrote the introduction and first explained his theory of synchronicity. After reading it several dozen times, and then devouring everything I could find that Jung had written, I finally understood that the universe is alive. We are inundated with signs and symbols, portents and omens, messages both great and small. If you tune in and listen with your heart, this is the stuff that guides, directs, and comforts you. It confirms, warns, laughs at and with you. It offers wisdom, solace, and a real, tangible sense that everything and everyone is connected.
You have reminded me of the years and years I used the I Ching as my guide forward. I too realize that the universe is alive and that the signs and portents of our daily lives, as well as the larger world, are all around us, every day. I studied Jung and read his autobiography years ago. Maybe it’s time for a second read. Thank you, Trish. 🙂
On the second read of Jung, I found information I didn’t recall reading the first time!
This is very interesting. I keep wondering what it means that since the attack on Paris I have looked at my dashboard clock daily at exactly 911 and three days in a row I was turning into the same parking lot.
I don’t know what the parking lot means except familiarity. The 911 reference speaks for itself. I am humbled and awed by what I have discovered as Rob and I write this book. I really do believe that the fabric of our existence is far more complex and strange than we have been led to believe.