Synchromysticism facts for kids

Synchromysticism is a way of looking at the world where people believe that coincidences have a special, hidden meaning. The word itself is a mix of two other words: synchronicity and mysticism. It was first used by Jake Kotze in 2006. Some people describe synchromysticism as a mix of art, a spiritual idea, and even a way of looking at conspiracy theories. Others see it as a modern form of animism, which is the idea that everything has a spirit or life. It combines the idea of meaningful coincidences with a search for something divine or a deeper understanding of oneself.

What is Synchromysticism?

Understanding Synchronicity

The idea of synchronicity was first thought up by a psychologist named Carl Jung. He believed that some events are "meaningful coincidences." This means they happen at the same time and feel connected, even if one didn't directly cause the other. Jung called this an "acausal connecting principle," which just means things are linked by their meaning, not by cause and effect.

Jung thought that just as events can be connected by cause and effect, they can also be connected by their meaning. He used this idea to talk about the paranormal, which are things beyond normal scientific understanding. A writer named Arthur Koestler, who believed in the paranormal, wrote a lot about synchronicity in his 1972 book, The Roots of Coincidence.

Exploring Mysticism

Mysticism is generally about feeling a deep connection or even a "union" with something much bigger than yourself, like the universe or a divine power. A famous thinker named William James (who lived from 1842 to 1910) explained it well. He said that in mystical moments, "we both become one with the Absolute and we become aware of our oneness."

James helped make the term "religious experience" popular. He wrote about it in his book The Varieties of Religious Experience. He saw mysticism as a special kind of experience, similar to how we use our senses. He thought these personal religious experiences were more important than formal religious rules or teachings.

Connecting the Ideas

So, Synchromysticism brings together synchronicity and mysticism. It's about feeling connected to everything around you. This feeling comes from really noticing and understanding meaningful coincidences. It's like a modern form of animism, where you see patterns and connections in the world. It's similar to how ancient cultures might have seen spirits or meaning in nature.

Synchromysticism and Chaos Magic

Magic and Coincidences

Chaos magic is a modern way of practicing magic. It uses different "techniques," like going into a special altered state of consciousness or working with symbols. The goal is to make things happen in the real world. The people who started chaos magic said that these "results" often show up as synchronicities.

For example, Peter J. Carroll wrote in his 1978 book Liber Null & Psychonaut: "All magical ideas involve some kind of action from a distance, whether in space or time. In magic, this is called synchronicity. A thought, feeling, or act of will happens at the same time (synchronously) as an event in the real world... Of course, this can always be called a coincidence, but most magicians would be happy if they could arrange coincidences."

Basically, chaos magic offers ways to purposefully create these meaningful coincidences. Carroll later explained that magical "results" are "meaningful coincidences" or "a series of events going somewhat improbably in the desired direction."

How Synchromysticism Has Influenced Others

Online Discussions and Books

Synchromysticism has gained attention in different places. In 2008, a website called Reality Sandwich published a long article about it. This article mentioned that Jake Kotze's work became more known after a site called Red Ice Creations started featuring his articles and videos. Kotze also appeared on several podcasts, which are online audio shows.

A book called "The Secret Life of Movies: Schizophrenic and Shamanic Journeys in American Cinema" by Jason Horsley, published in 2009, talks a lot about synchromysticism. It explains that this idea didn't come from universities but from the internet. It grew among people interested in the occult (hidden knowledge) and conspiracy theories. It tries to find a "cosmic design" or bigger plan behind society, politics, and pop culture. The book says it's a modern form of animism, combining Jung's ideas of meaningful coincidences with a search for the divine.

Movies and Art

Synchromysticism has also been discussed in relation to movies. For example, in 2012, articles were published about an experimental film called "The Shining Forwards and Backwards, Simultaneously." This film was made by John Fell Ryan and Akiva Saunders, and it explored synchromystic ideas related to the movie The Shining.

In 2013, a visual artist named Mikey Cook said that he creates his art by looking at the world through a "synchromystic filter." This means he uses the ideas of synchromysticism to inspire his work.

In 2015, the website IDigitalTimes interviewed Joe Alexander, a filmmaker who is part of the synchromystic community. He talked about a popular video called "BACK TO THE FUTURE predicts 9/11." Alexander claimed that Rodney Ascher, who made the movie Room 237, found out about the "sync community" (people interested in synchromysticism) while making his film.

The Washington Post newspaper wrote that synchromystics "... believe that 9/11 and Back to the Future—and everything in the universe, really—are connected by a vast Web of unseen, mystical, esoteric ties." Good Magazine also covered the video and synchromysticism in an article asking, "Did 'Back to the Future' Predict 9/11?"

See also

• Synchronicity
• Apophenia
• Pareidolia
• Mysticism
• Chaos magic
• Carl Jung
• Peter J. Carroll