I’ve noticed that the word ‘synchronicity’ is becoming mainstream, but the more mainstream the source the more I see the word misused. Writers in the mainstream media, who should know better, sometimes equate synchronicity with synchronize, as in ‘Let’s synchronize our watches.’ In other words, they use synchronicity to mean two things running parallel, leaving out the essence of ‘meaningful coincidence.’
Here’s an example from the Vancouver Sun (3/3/09):
“That view was echoed by Warren Jestin, the chief economist at Scotia Capital. He said the Canadian economy was set to contract by more than 2% this year in a recession that was unlike anything we have seen in our lifetimes because of the synchronicity of the downturn in both developed and developing countries around the globe.
“Synchronicity is something that is remarkably different than in previous periods and it’s really aggravating the economic adjustment,” Mr. Jestin said. It appears this factor may have caught the Bank of Canada off guard.
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Jestin may know economics, but he doesn’t know synchronicity, and the journalist latched onto the term, doubling the misuse.
Now please read the next post by Jim Dee. He first expresses a clear definition of synchronicity, then provides us with a fascinating example, one that takes us into the spiritual realm. Thank you, Jim.
Rob
