NeuroQuantology | September 2010 | Vol 8 | Issue 3 | Page 354‐358 354 Limar IN., phenomena by C. G. Jung

Opinion and Perspectives

Synchronicity Phenomena by C.G. Jung: Perspectives of Study and Possible Psychophysiological Substantiation

Igor V. Limar Abstract Directions of researches, considering in any event the of phenomena specified in terminology of analytical author, Carl G. Jung, as “synchronicity phenomena”, were considered. On the basis of available data the original concept was proposed, which could make it possible to provide a theoretical basis, interpreting observations of famous researchers, including from the position. Interdisciplinary approach is applied in this material taking into consideration state‐of‐the‐art progress of the modern science.

Key Words: entanglement, synchronicity, psychophysiology, , scattering processes, electrostatic interaction NeuroQuantology 2010; 3: 354‐358

Formulation of the problem1 such trend of depth psychology as “analytical At present, the practitioners of psychological psychology” is not exception, which creator services widely apply various was Swiss , philosopher and psychotherapeutic methods proposed within psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung as is generally the one or other branches of psychology. In known. The complex of phenomena defined, particular, the matter concerns “personality as “synchronicity phenomena” in Jung’s approaches”, such as classical terminology is the most mysterious as well as , , as key within “Jungian psychology” in opinion well as at once so “exotic” and thriving trend of the creator of such approach. Special as so-called “transpersonal psychology”. At discussing of such trend of researches is the same time, one should state that determined by the fact that possibility of practical application of considerable part of interpretation of such class phenomena runs diagnostics methods and subsequent counter to ordinary notion of physical psychological correction passes ahead of reality. However, more detailed study of their theoretical justification. In this respect, some foremost results, obtained by the modern science, affords ground for less skeptical consideration of “synchronicity” Corresponding author: Igor V. Limar Address: Institute of Innovative and Postgraduate Education (IIPE). problem. Although description of so-called Department of computer science and informational technologies, “semantic” coincidences (also called as Dvoryanskaya str., 2, Odesa, 65026, Ukraine “synchronicity phenomenon”) had been Phone: +38 048 725 3687 conducted a long time ago (Jung, 1969), Fax: +38 048 711 6533 e‐mail: [email protected] their research became topical just for the last Received: April 5, 2010. Revised: April 25, 2010. decades. Such researchers as Mindell Accepted: June 25, 2010. ISSN 1303 5150 www.neuroquantology.com

NeuroQuantology | September 2010 | Vol 8 | Issue 3 | Page 354‐358 355 Limar IN., Synchronicity phenomena by C. G. Jung

(2000), Grof (1992) and some others work in then the causality principle rather relatively such trend. “Breaking of the memory fits for explanation of some natural adaptation” theory is one of the most processes and therefore assumes existence of detailed researches (Tarlaci, 2006). one or some factors necessary for Therewith other hypotheses were also explanation. One may say that connection proposed. For example, some theories are between the events under certain based on comparison of synchronicity circumstances is of other than causal nature phenomenon with quantum entanglement and requires other principle of explanation. (Carminati and Martin, 2008; Duch, 2002; Jung classifies the synchronicity Martin et al., 2009). Value of other manifestation in the following way: 1) researcher’s investigation – S. Grof – lies in coincidence of observer’s mental state with attempt to provide a theoretical basis, which objective external event, taking place at the probably will illuminate quite specific moment of such state and corresponding to manifestations of mental life, based on mental state or its contents, where causal hypotheses of Karl Pribram and David connection between the mental state and Bohm. As is generally known these external event is not traced, and where such assumptions postulate holographic analogy connection can not exist taking into in attempt to describe psychophysiological consideration the mental relativity of time mechanisms underlying nature of and space; 2) coincidence of psychic state consciousness. with corresponding (occurring at the same At the same time, proposed schemes time more or less) external event, taking allow to supplement them and, probably, place beyond the observer’s , i.e. modify them to some extent from the at a distance, whereof one may ascertain only psychophysiology positions. later on; 3) coincidence of psychic state with All above-stated creates prerequisites corresponding but not existing yet future for subsequent researches in stated area. event, which considerably distant by the time and which reality may be also determined but later on. Purpose and formulation of task, research hypothesis Obviously, that foregoing is Being the consequence of trends stated in associated quite poorly with ordinary notions previous section the purpose of this article about determination of events by laws and formulation of task is to find out known to science. However, the possibility of possible mechanisms of “synchronicity” consideration of similar “synchronicity” phenomena realization subject to displays is demonstrated below from the psychophysiological constituent. positions of natural-science approach. It is necessary to go into detail on For many years Jung was collecting definition and interpretation of corresponding material but he did not “synchronicity” notion. publish the results of his observations and their analysis relating to so-called “acasual Synchronicity (by Jung) is the chances”. Sometimes Jung made casual phenomenon, when event in outside world mention of such problem in his papers, meaningfully (i.e. semantically) coincides however it and phenomena related to it were with psychological condition of one or so “extraordinary”, that only in 1951 the another person. In general the Jung’s notion scientist made a report “On synchronicity”, of “synchronicity” comes to the fact that it is where he stated in general terms his “acausal connecting principle” or “class of investigations in such area describing events connected not by the reason, but by “inconceivable coincidence”. It should be sense (i.e. dispersed in time and space”)”. noted that Jung’s papers, representing quite Causality is the philosophic principle extensive material for general understanding underlying the concept of the law of nature. of synchronicity phenomenon, does not seem Such is the methodology of the science. to be rich in concrete examples. Being However if the connection between the cause considered as “classical” incident, when the and consequence becomes apparent only Jung’s patient, having stated the meaning of statistically, and is only relatively true per se, her dream, which key character was “scarab

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NeuroQuantology | September 2010 | Vol 8 | Issue 3 | Page 354‐358 356 Limar IN., Synchronicity phenomena by C. G. Jung beetle”, “initiated” appearance of such insect such figure, that they were obviously sense on sill of opened window in Jung’s room, from the viewpoint of probability theory. As cannot be regarded as the most interesting it was mentioned above, in Jung’s opinion example. Really, incidents with correlation of the “semantic coincidences”, which should people behavior are far more informative be distinguished from senseless “chance and demonstrative. groups”, are reposed on archetype basis. At The case deserving attention is that least all cases in Jung’s practice (and there described such examples were many of them) possessed such (though in some other terms) more minutely distinguishing characteristic. than Jung. Although the creator of Not only Jung appealed to the matter psychoanalysis was materialist and strictly about possible correlation of mental adhered to points of his modern science. processes stipulated by connection with Also it is known that rupture between Jung some external substance. Laureate of Nobel and Freud occurred also in connection with Prize on physiology, John Eccles (Eccles and such researchers’ divergence of opinion Popper, 1977), and Canadian top-ranking about so-called “occult phenomena”. neurosurgeon, Penfield (1978) jointly put Specifically Freud described the “occult” forward similar hypothesis in their time. phenomena in his paper “Introduction into In addition, famous Italian psychoanalysis: Lectures” (Freud, 1966). As psychiatrist, Assagioli, appealed to is generally known the lectures from 1 to 28 synchronicity phenomenon in his papers were published by the author before 1917. (Assagioli, 1975). Subsequent sections, including lecture 30, which in fact stated synchronicity However without providing phenomena, were published by Freud only in corresponding theoretical basis and, surely, the thirties. Creator of theory of the subsequent experimental verification, the unconscious stated the fact when contents of synchronicity hypothesis risks remaining dream became the event correlating with only bold assumption, being of less interest external incident beyond the direct in the course of time. perception of such subject. This concerned a At the same time, some up-to-date fact when daughter of Freud’s patient gave trends of investigations, representing the birth to twins. Two more similar cases are forefront of modern science, are able to stated further in lectures. illuminate a number of problems in Jung believed that synchronicity psychology, including synchronicity phenomenon underlies his hypothesis of phenomenon. “”, which key ideas are In particular, the matter is about such so-called “archetypes” rather than being of new area of physics as “quantum own significance. Jung believed that information science”. Such section of synchronicity phenomena cannot be physical science is also called “quantum considered in isolation from the structure of information theory”. “collective unconscious”, having “archetype Many researchers, including Bohm nature”. Swiss psychologist expressed his (1980) and Pribram (1971), conclude that opinion that some phenomena of many phenomena similar to synchronicity coincidence or synchronicity are certainly may be interpreted within so-called stipulated by archetypes. holographic paradigm. At the same time, it is As to validity of such conclusions, postulated that subject’s and extremely rich practical material shall be consciousness is indivisible part of universe taken into account, whence the creator of and connected with other individual “I” in a had the opportunity of certain way. According to holographic data deriving. It is known that he (as well as paradigm, as Grof noted, the consciousness Freud) conducted about 10 analyses of the is the part of continuum in fact. Whereas patient’s states every day. At the same time correlation of mental processes may be he “found out coincidences”, which were so stipulated just by this mechanism. significantly connected and which Thereupon the hypotheses are put forward to probability of “chance” was expressed in the effect how the mental processes of

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NeuroQuantology | September 2010 | Vol 8 | Issue 3 | Page 354‐358 357 Limar IN., Synchronicity phenomena by C. G. Jung different individuals may correlate at any the positions of quantum mechanics. Article distance, and attempts of explanation of French researcher, Ogryzko, is of special (including of synchronicity phenomena) are interest therein, since it is the paper where made. Such hypotheses may be based on the possible meaning of such phenomenon as latest achievements of theoretical physics, “quantum entanglement” is considered for namely on quantum theory. As is generally processes taking place in DNA and its known description of quantum phenomena environment (Ogryzko, 2008). by no means conform to our notion about Key supposition about possible the nature formed during ordinary life. It is mechanism of synchronicity phenomenon notable that notions of the creator of realization is existence of quantum analytical psychology were formed due to his entanglement of genetic materials of close cooperation with theoretical physicist, different subjects. Nobel Prize Laureate, , who laid the foundation of quantum theory Both origination of quantum together with the others. entanglement because of “scattering processes”, and quantum entanglement At the same time, the synchronicity because of “fluorescence resonance energy principle has the properties capable of transfer” (FRET) may be the ways for solving mind-body dichotomy. It should be realization of such mechanism. Formalism noted that such principles is motiveless of the first process is described in paper of order indeed, or rather “semantic Mishima et al., (2004), wherein origination orderliness” capable of illuminating of quantum entanglement under electrostatic psychophysical parallelism. interaction is examined. In turn, electrostatic It is evident that the character of interaction in DNA is described in paper of phenomena attached to synchronicity and Kornyshev and Wyncveen (2009). As their psychophysiology cannot be studied concerns FRET, origination of quantum within investigations of electrochemical entanglement under such mechanism is transfer of nerve impulses. described in paper of Sekatskii et al., (2003). Specific solution of synchronicity FRET also occurs in DNA, whereof it is phenomena problem apparently may be described for example in paper of Ota et al., found by investigation of such phenomenon (1998 ). as “quantum non-locality” in respect of Solution of the problem of biological objects. Such investigations are decoherence – transformation of quantum conducted by such authors as Duch (2002), states, characterized by quantum Carminati and Martin (2008). superposition or so-called “pure states”, into As is generally known quantum so-called “mixed states” goes beyond the entanglement is referred to as quantum- scope of this article. It should be just noted mechanical phenomenon when quantum that one or another solutions of such state of two or more objects shall be problem are proposed by various described in mutual interconnection, even if researchers, in particular, in paper Ogryzko separate objects are dispersed in space. (2008). Hereupon the correlations between observed Appeal of above-stated hypothesis physical properties of the objects appear. lies in the fact that origination of quantum Described behavior of microcosm entanglement between genetic material of objects is capable of the most “functional” the parents and descendants seems to be appearing as mechanism whereby such quite realizable. Really, in its time DNA of mental phenomena may be realized as the descendants “interacted” with the same synchronicity phenomena are. However genotypes of the parents. By “extrapolation” study of synchronicity phenomena supposes of such assumption towards the people not to conduct analysis how similar phenomena of kin, one may assume existence of may be realized within biological objects and quantum entanglement within quite large human organism in particular. groups of individuals. In addition, truth of such extrapolation follows from relatively Many researchers tend to apply to recent obtained data about the origin of a interpretation of biological processes from

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NeuroQuantology | September 2010 | Vol 8 | Issue 3 | Page 354‐358 358 Limar IN., Synchronicity phenomena by C. G. Jung man from one center some hundreds Theoretical substantiation and experimental millions years ago. verification of quantum entanglement allows It is obvious that within proposed assuming possibility of synchronicity hypothesis it is necessary to reject stereotype reasoning by Jung. As it was noted, such notion about the role of electrochemical psychological phenomenon obviously transfer of nerve impulses in determination conforms to stated quantum effect. Quantum of consciousness nature. entanglement between DNA of brain cells of different subjects is proposed as The hypothesis is based on the psychophysiological mechanism in this assumption that “frame” in its way, where article. In its turn, the mechanisms of the material carriers of consciousness are quantum entanglement origination under located, forms DNA of brain neurons. In such conditions may be the processes of addition, molecular orbital (electron shells) scattering under electrostatic interaction in of nuclear DNA of nerve cells appears as DNA, as well as fluorescence resonance “carriers” of consciousness in fact. This energy transfer. perfectly conforms to the hypothesis of Karl Pribram about holographic principle of brain It stands to reason that perceptivities functioning. of such researches are defined by the possibility of their experimental verification. Thereat the publications of such researcher Conclusions and perspectives of as Thaheld deserve attention (Thaheld, subsequent researches 2001; 2004). Continuous improvement of Summarizing the material given in the article laboratory equipment and development of one may ascertain that study of new methods makes it possible to expect synchronicity phenomenon is quite topical at obtaining of acceptable data during the next present. First it is conditioned by the up-to- years. date achievements in the area of theoretical physics, namely of quantum theory.

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