There are certainly meaningless coincidences. Like the simultaneous occurrence of a read word and spoken word from the radio or TV. But there are others I call "helpful synchronicities" like Anthony Hopkins' experience. When I moved to Austin in my 20's I applied for a job at Cintas uniform company. Within a few days I get a call from my old high school buddy Robert who tells me to come in for a second interview and I'm hired. He's was a manager at Cintas! And there was a stack of applications he was going thru. Coincidence again?
It could be that you know a few people, who have common background, and that live in the same geographical area. Since you seem to be interested in little other than this subject don't you think it's possible that you might see patterns where there are none?
One time I was trying to locate a phone number for my former boss and his wife. This was like 15 years since I had last seen them and I knew they had moved to Gatlinburg TN. Online I found a phone number and tried it. Sure enough they answered. But Shirley asked how did I know they were there. Apparently they were at one of their rental homes doing clean up work and I happened to call that number when they were there! Pretty amazing..It suggests to me we are connected to our aquaintances in various mysterious ways.
I have interest in many topics. While in this thread, I discuss the op. That's the rules here. Question: if I see a pattern, does it mean it is there or not there? How can I see a pattern that's not there?
Look in the clouds and tell me if you can see a face. When the wind blows though the trees can you imagine someone being there? Pattern recognition is useful for humans. Understanding probability isn't as important to survival. If you win the lottery it seems amazing yet someone has to win. You see a pattern there or meaning there but there is actually none.
I can see a face in the cloud because it objectively resembles a face. Other people can see it too. The pattern is not imagined. It is objectively there, in the cloud itself. A lottery win, like other coincidences in my life, occurs in an isolated single instance. To suggest a pattern it would have to cluster with other coincidences, and only then those that seem helpful to me. I don't look for such patterns. Making all the green lights on one day and not on another is just good luck. It doesn't mean anything in terms of my being special. I don't believe in providence.
Statistics tell us that there should be people who have won the lottery more than once. And that has in fact occurred. Seems to us that winning the lottery twice is almost impossible, statistics says it is not surprising. We just aren't very good judges at what is probable and reasonable.
In 2001 I booked a tour of Scotland. Before leaving the US a friend gave me a copy of Robert Louis Stevenson's book "Kidnapped". As the tour bus was maneuvering through the Edinburgh traffic I decided to read some of my book. The scene in the book was taking place in the Hawes Inn. I looked up from my book and the bus was stopped directly in front of the Hawes Inn. Coincidence? Yeah, I think so.
Exactly. You were interested in Scotland, you bought a book that was set in Scotland and you went to Scotland. To see something from the book in Scotland is not unexpected. It does make the trip more interesting though. I do the same thing before or during a trip. I bought a book about Gustave Eiffel before going to France. I read that he was friends with Thomas Edison and built a room for Edison at the top of the Eiffel Tower. When I was in Paris I went to the Eiffel Tower and went up as far as you could go which is one flight up from the obsevation area that many stop at. I looked though a small window in a small door that I initially thought was probably a room for the elevator equipment. I was surprised to see a waxed figure of Thomas Edison sitting in a chair in the small compartment that Eiffel had built for him. I had no idea that the room had been preserved. There is no ESP here but having read that book did make me more curious about the tower and it was more rewarding when I found that room.
I get to butterflies earlier when they are caterpillars When I told one what a great life he would have soon as a butterfly he said I was mad and accused me of using his hookah and sprouting hokum Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
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You might like to see me pushing my walking frame around the shopping center before you form an opinion. Alex
The closest I've ever come was when I had a dream that my house was on fire. The next day a patio broom leaning against the wall caught fire. Fortunately my son walked up on it before it became serious.
