It seems somehow appropriate that a psychologist who names his book Demystifying Meaningful Coincidences, would be experiencing ‘coincidences’ that seem, well, somewhat mystifying, related to speaking engagements to promote his book. It seems that Gibbs Williams has the trickster on his trail.
“The other day I received an e-mail inviting me to be part of a panel discussion at Indiana University in a group of scientific psychologists. This has been very much on my mind as I have very much wanted to have speaking engagements and travel.” The timing was very favorable related to the release of his book.
“The next day I went to a copy store to have some class assignments printed up. The woman at the counter who knows me asked about my book. I mentioned in passing that I had been asked to speak at Indiana University. As I was telling her this I noticed a man of about 60 who looked professorial waiting for his reprints. In looking at him closer I saw the name Indiana on his sweatshirt.”
Not only was the sweatshirt from Indiana University, but the man was very familiar with the university’s psychology department. Currently he is a professor in of psychology at City University of New York. Up to that point he had never had any connection with Indiana.
Around that same time, Gibbs was talking with a salesman and mentioned his book. When the man said he was very interested in reading it, Gibbs asked if his group of sales people ever have conventions with guest speakers. He replied that there was one such upcoming convention at Colorado State University this summer. For Gibbs, that was a meaningful response. Colorado State University was where ten years ago, he presented his first paper on synchronicity: The Psychodynamics of Meaningful Coincidences.
Both examples were geographically meaningful coincidences to him, reinforcing his belief that he is on the right path for promoting his book, “The self-generated message is that the timing both internally and externally is just right for me to go all out to walk this pathway.”
He goes on to say: “Once again this confirms my naturalistic theory of synchronicities. I am not being guided by god, or fate, or master teachers, or angels – I am being guided by myself, clear about my purpose and working hard to attain and sustain it.”
But maybe with a little help from the trickster, who plays in the collective unconscious.
Addendum: Gibbs Williams has a tricky name. When we googled him to find the book cover for this post, we accidentally reversed the two names. Upon clicking William F. Gibbs, up popped a photo of a red-headed musician sipping from a bottle of orange drink with a crazy-looking chicken perched on his shoulder. More trickster stuff!
















