Magic of Synchronicity: 7 Ways to Discover Its Deeper Meaning

Synchronicity reveals the meaningful connection between the subjective and objective world. 

– Carl Jung

For the lone wolf and spiritual wanderer, the awakening journey can often feel confusing and, at times, lonely.

This is where synchronicity can be like a light shining in the darkness for us, guiding the way and affirming that we’re on the right path.

Do you keep seeing the same repeated numbers, colors, words, or images all the time?

Do you wonder what on earth is happening?

Don’t worry, you’re not going crazy. You’re just experiencing synchronicity!

In this guide, I’ll share with you types of synchronicity, how to welcome more synchronicity into your life, how to interpret it, and more.

What is Synchronicity?

Synchronicity is a term originally coined by psychologist Carl Jung that refers to deeply meaningful coincidences that mysteriously occur in your life.

When you experience synchronicity, you’ll have experiences that seem far too significant to be mere day-to-day serendipitous encounters.

Some people describe these as ‘freak encounters,’ ‘miracles,’ ‘signs from the heavens,’ guidance from one’s personal spirit guides, or even mystical instances of Soul connection.

Synchronicity can manifest in an endless number of forms. For example, those who experience synchronious events usually report seeing or hearing meaningful names, numbers, words, or symbols.

What is the Purpose of Synchronicity?

There are various theories surrounding the purpose of synchronicity (which you’ll learn about a little later).

But for the lone wolf and spiritual wanderer on a path of inner awakening, synchronicity can be seen as a powerful ‘wink’ from the Universe telling us that yes, we’re on the right track.

We can also see synchronicity as a form of guidance from the Higher Self or Soul. In other words, it’s a way of showing you where to go and what to do next in your life as you proceed through your spiritual awakening journey.

Synchronicity is often experienced most commonly by those who are walking a path of self-actualization, spiritual transformation, and enlightenment.

Coming across a form of synchronicity can be powerful confirmation, a ray of guidance, or a sign of hope for lone wolves on the spiritual journey.

Read more: How to Start Your Spiritual Journey (7 Illuminating Steps) »

Common Forms of Synchronicity

Synchronicity is different for everyone – it’s dependent on our unique needs and desires at any given moment in life.

But there are a few common forms of synchronicity out there, such as:

• Seeing repeated numbers (such as 11 11, 2:22, 7:07, 5:55, etc.)
• Thinking about something, then mysteriously having it happen
• Being in the right place at the right time
• Dreaming about people/animals/places, then seeing them repeatedly in real life
• Seeing repeated symbols (such as the infinity sign, the triangle, the Tree of Life, etc.)

Can you think of any other common forms of synchronicity? Please share them below in the comments if you think I’ve missed any!

What’s the Difference Between Serendipity and Synchronicity?

Serendipity is when something good accidentally happens. For instance, we may need cash to pay for unexpected vet bills and find some in our jacket pocket that we’ve just put on.

Synchronicity, on the other hand, is not just a single experience of good fortune. Synchronicity is a string of events that seem to be highly symbolic and meaningful in nature.

If serendipity is like the breadcrumb, synchronicity is the trail that leads us toward a new destination.

Synchronicity can be seen as a lesson, affirmation, or message from Life.

One example of synchronicity is hearing the same name over and over again (in books, on TV, on number plates, in dreams) and later discovering that the name is a location where you finally find your soul place.

Synchronicity Examples

Here are some examples of synchronicity:

• Overhearing a couple of strangers talk about something that is of great significance to your own life that you’ve desperately needed guidance with.
• Watching episodes of your favorite TV shows that all somehow have the same underlying storyline/focus.
• Getting the exact message you need the most at the exact right time (e.g. if you’re going through a divorce, depression, betrayal, major life change, etc.).
• Meeting the exact right person at the exact right time (e.g., a partner, friend, teacher, etc.).
• Seeing the same symbols or images repeated everywhere (e.g., in magazines, on commercials, on buildings, on tattoos).
• Glancing at the clock the exact same time of the day for many days on end (and seeing 11:11, 14:14, 23:23, 2:22, etc.).
• Reoccurring signs that seem to lead you somewhere special (e.g., your ideal job, home, relationship).
• Hearing the same song repeated many times in unusual circumstances
• Strange alignments of birth dates between friends, partners, colleagues, etc.

How many of these experiences can you relate to?

6 Theories About Synchronicity (From Skeptics to Believers)

What exactly is synchronicity? Let’s examine some popular worldviews:

1. Hindus believe synchronicity is a manifestation of Brahman or the fundamental connection of all living things within the universe
2. Behavioral Economists would classify synchronicity as a form of confirmation bias. For example, if you’re told to look for yellow cars, you’ll start seeing a lot more of them than you initially thought existed
3. Quantum physicists attribute synchronicity to the “non-local” mind (or universal consciousness)
4. Skeptics call synchronicity Apophenia or the practice of seeing connections and patterns in random and/or meaningless data
5. Spiritual seekers believe synchronicity is a sign from their Higher Self or Soul
6. Psychologists (particularly those who follow Jungian theories) believe synchronicity comes from the unconscious mind and collective unconscious

Whatever causes it, synchronicity is far too common and too intriguing an experience to overlook or quickly dismiss and forget about.

As the author of You Are Not So Smart, David McRaney concludes:

Just remember that meaning comes only from within.

The only person who can understand why a synchronious experience occurs and what it means is you.

What Creates Synchronicity?

So, what actually creates synchronicity? Common explanations for the origins of synchronicity include the following:

• The unconscious mind. We get warning messages in our dreams, so why can’t we get them in waking life as well? Our unconscious mind influences a lot of our behavior, and at the same time, can also communicate with us. Spiritual signs and omens (or instances of synchronicity) are the unconscious mind’s way of guiding us.
• Harmony of energy. As everything consists of tiny vibrating atoms (aka. energy), synchronicity could also be a manifestation of global/environmental harmony, where the frequencies and vibrations of the moment sync together in perfect equilibrium (or Oneness) producing uncanny experiences.
• Law of attraction. This theory states that good and bad events in life are caused by your thoughts and feelings. Thus “like attracts like,” which possibly explains why synchronicity occurs.
• Psychic abilities. Synchronicity is also thought to be a manifestation of psychic abilities where, for example, we intuit that a certain person will call us or a significant event will befall us, and it does.

Personal Experience

Here is an illustration from my own life of synchronicity:

For some reason, the number 9 has been extremely significant in my life. When I need confirmation of anything, paying attention to number 9 is one of the most obvious places to look for me. I was born on the 9th, my partner was born on the 19th, my partner’s mother was born on the 29th, my partner’s uncle was born on the 29th, my three siblings were born in the 9th month of the year, and both myself and my partner share number 9 as our favorite number. What are the chances?!

How to Welcome More Synchronicity into Your Life

When you remain connected to the Divine, She will speak to you — in patterns and connections, signs and synchronicities, and all sorts of gifts. When magic rises to the surface of your awareness, and your life, you know you’re blessed. It makes life a wild adventure. It’s also a source of incredible strength, coming to you when you most need it …

– Phyllis Curott

Have you ever thought that perhaps the synchronicity in your life right now is a message in disguise?

Whether you’re a skeptic or not, I encourage you to take action and see where you’re led.

Welcoming synchronicity into your life is simple. Here are some basic practices and mindset shifts to adopt:

1. Be mindful and aware. Practice alertness and pay attention to the present moment.
2. Be open and receptive. Maintain an open-minded outlook towards synchronicity. This will enhance your receptibility towards such an experience.
3. Be humble. Sometimes what you desire or think is “best” for yourself isn’t. Learn to have a very loose hold on what you desire. In this way, you won’t be imposing yourself on Life, but you will allow Life to impose itself on you (in the form of synchronicity).
4. Be trusting. Trust that synchronicity will appear in your life and when it does, trust your intuition and follow the paths presented ahead of you. When you learn to trust yourself, you also learn to trust Life.
5. Follow your instincts. Listen to what your gut instinct is telling you – your unconscious mind is vast, limitless, and extremely wise. Doors are being opened for us all the time, and when we listen to our instincts, we can actively see them.

Other spiritual tools/practices you might like to use to increase the synchronicity in your life include:

• 6. Prayer – mentally or verbally express your desire to receive synchronicity (you don’t have to be religious to pray – you can pray to whatever you believe in).
• 7. Sigils – sigils are intention-infused symbols that are used to communicate to your unconscious mind and they can be used to increase the synchronicity in your life.

How to Interpret Synchronicity (7 Ways)

Perhaps you’ve had an increase in synchronicity lately. You might be wondering, “What does it mean and how can I correctly interpret it?”

By learning how to correctly interpret the signs and omens that appear in your life, you’ll be able to know when you’re on the right path, when you’re making the wisest choices, and when you’re living aligned with your deepest needs and values. 

Again, synchronicity is a powerful guide during the spiritual awakening process and essential for lone wolves choosing their own paths in life.

Sometimes synchronicity heralds new doors (or opportunities) that may open in your life.

Other times, synchronicity is simply trying to teach you a lesson, for instance, to stop pursuing the relationship/job that you’ve set your heart on because it won’t work out.

Here are some of the most accurate ways to interpret synchronicity:

1. Meditate and go inwards

Ask yourself, “What does this synchronicity mean?” Wait for images, feelings, or words to enter your mind. If you still feel doubtful, repeat the same practice three times and see what answer you get.

2. Tune into your body

Your body is a repository of wisdom, and it will tell you the truth no matter what your mind tries to make you believe.

When you think you know what the synchronicity means, tune into your body. Do you get any goosebumps, shivers, or feelings of expansion as though an inner lightbulb has gone off? If this is the case, you’ve likely found the right explanation.

If, on the other hand, your body doesn’t experience any notable changes, you probably haven’t found the right answer. Keep persisting.

3. Use a pendulum

Pendulum dowsing is a powerful way of getting a direct answer from your unconscious mind. Simply get a pendulum (or a make-shift one) and ask it a question that demands a “yes/no” answer.

For example, you may like to ask, “Does this synchronicity mean that this path is right for me?” Read more about pendulum dowsing.

4. Find patterns

One easy way to interpret the synchronicity in your life is to find patterns in your behavior.

What issues or questions have been emerging a lot in your life at the moment? What has been the biggest source of anxiety/frustration you’ve been dealing with?

Synchronicity often arises when we need answers and solutions. Find the patterns and relate them back to your synchronicity.

5. Explore the hidden symbolism

Synchronicity is symbolic in nature. For instance, you might see a black dog all the time in your dreams and waking life, which symbolizes negativity/bad choices.

Or you might keep seeing the repetitive number “111,” which symbolizes “being number one,” or the repeated number 222, which symbolizes “duality.”

Reflect on what symbolism is present in your synchronicity. What does that symbolism mean to you?

Yes, you can consult a symbol dictionary or look up the meanings online. But remember, the most important meaning is the one you create and believe in.

6. Use oracle and tarot cards

Renowned psychologist Carl Jung once commented on the Chinese divination method of I Ching:

“For more than thirty years I have interested myself in this oracle technique, or method of exploring the unconscious, for it has seemed to me of uncommon significance.”

Thanks to the I Ching, Jung developed his theory which he coined synchronicity.

I’m sure if Jung was alive today he would believe the same about oracle and tarot cards.

One of the easiest ways of interpreting synchronicity is to consult an oracle or tarot deck, and there’s no shortage of options out there!

I recommend reading intuitively at first and paying attention to what feelings emerge within you. You can pick up affordable decks online such as the Vintage Wisdom Oracle.

Before pulling cards, it’s always best to ground and center yourself, preferably through some form of meditation.

Then, shuffle the cards and stop when you intuitively feel the need to pause. Pull the card from the top of the deck and turn it over.

Pay attention to the feelings you get from the image – are they positive and welcoming, neutral, or unfriendly and negative? Depending on what type of card you receive you’ll have your answer.

Tarot and oracle cards are wonderful tools to help reveal the very core meaning of the synchronicity you’re experiencing.

7. Listen to your dreams 

Your dreams reveal a lot about the synchronicity occurring in your life – they are, after all, the language of the unconscious mind.

You can either try to passively analyze your dreams or actively try to “incubate” (or create) dreams that help to answer your question.

To practice dream incubation, think about the synchronicity that has been happening in your life lately about half an hour before bed. Write down your question or draw a picture that symbolizes your synchronicity and put it under your pillow.

This practice will help to prime your unconscious mind and prepare it to give you answers during your dreams. When first waking in the morning, record your dreams in a dream journal. Do this for one week and see what patterns emerge.

(Bonus) 8. Ask for guidance

When you’re still feeling stuck and confused by the synchronicity bombarding you or mysteriously poking you all the time, this is where others can be our mirrors and reflect back to the wisdom deep within us.

Asking for guidance from a trusted friend or spiritual guide can be tremendously helpful as they may be able to see your situation more objectively.

Our highly-rated Shadow & Light service can be a wonderful help to you on your journey as it works on the principles of synchronicity!

You get access to weekly intuitive guidance that can serve as a way to help you find clarity and direction. And you also get guaranteed personal spiritual support from us whenever you want/need help!

Find out more here!

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Re-read the list above and choose one technique that you’re immediately drawn to. Don’t overwhelm yourself!

If you don’t have success, try something new after a month. Keep your synchronicity exploration simple!

Synchronicities are mysterious and beautiful occurrences that spontaneously happen in life.

They are like lamps in the darkness and signposts that point the way – and they can help open your eyes to new potentials you didn’t know existed before.

What are some powerful forms of synchronicity that you’ve had? I’d love to hear your stories below in the comments.