The Western conception of linear time influences and dictates nearly every aspect of life and with the exponential increase in technology and overvaluation of speed, efficiency, and productivity, modern life has become increasingly divorced from the natural rhythms and cycles of the earth, as well as the natural rhythms of the human body. Great emphasis is placed on the ordering of events and plan
ning for or anticipating the future. However, nearly everyone has experienced brief moments of insight, clarity, or a sense of timelessness in which life begins to take on a dreamlike quality where it appears as if one is come in contact with a deeper reality that exists outside of linear time. Most of us have experienced profound or mundane synchronicities. According to Carl Jung, “Synchronicity has something to do with time, or to be more accurate, a kind of simultaneity. We can also use for simultaneity the concept of a meaningful coincidence of two or more events when something other than the probability of chance is involved.” (1951/1997, p. 90)
1. The coincidence of a psychic state in the observer with a simultaneous, objective, external event that corresponds to the psychic state or content . . . where there is no evidence of a causal connection between the psychic state and the external event, and where, considering the psychic relativity of space and time, such a connection is not even conceivable.
2. The coincidence of a psychic state with a corresponding (more or less simultaneous) external event taking place outside the observers field of perception, i.e., at a distance, and only verifiable afterward.
3. The coincidence of a psychic state with a corresponding, not yet existent future event that is distant in time and can likewise only be verified afterward. (Jung, 1951/1997, p. 94)
The experience of synchronicity grants the individual a glimpse into a deeper reality, beyond the limits of space, time, and causality—a reality that resembles Bohm’s (1980) idea of the implicate order, from which physical phenomena emerge. In discussing synchronicity, Peat (1987) stressed the importance and implications of synchronicity as a mechanism for recognizing the content of one’s consciousness mirrored in the external world. He argued for a new paradigm that places greater value on subjective, meaningful experiences such as synchronous ones as a way to engage more fully in life and enter into a greater state of awareness and subtle perception (p. 102). The observance or experience of synchronicity is similar to that of a waking dream, and it is worth noting that many Native American tribes hold worldviews that allow the individual to operate within similar states in daily life.
“‘Indian time’ makes sense” (Patton, 1993, p. iii), because it does not discriminate between spiritual and bodily needs but instead is “multidimensional and mythic . . . [and] based on appropriateness of action” (p. iii), whereas “chronological and linear notions of time contribute to dislocation and illness . . . [because] living in bo***ge to watches is disruptive” (p. iii) and averse to “ceremonial time concepts” (p. iii).
“…When one forsakes linear time in order to enter mythological time, ceremonial time, renewed spirituality and improved physical health result. Those characters who remain victims of the time machine inevitable suffer; their homelessness, lack of community support, emptiness and self-destructive tendencies” (Patton, 1993, p. 4).
“To be modern was to be punctual, disciplined, fast-paced, and future-directed. Spontaneity, irregularity, laxity, and the unhurried ease that accompanied a less materialist, more traditional medieval culture was being abandoned in favor of a restless, driving promethean vision…The new man and woman were taught to expose the totality of their lives to an exacting schedule and to fill in every moment with a productive task” (Rifkin, 1987, p. 97).
“Although little has been written on the subject, there is no doubt that time has been a critical factor in redirecting entire cultures to the modern frame of mind” (Rifkin, 1987, p. 113).
“Effective rule, in every society, depends on the ability of those in power to establish a compelling image of the future and then convince people to sacrifice their time in hope of gaining access to the perfect kingdom that exists just beyond the time horizon” (Rifkin, 1987, p. 123).
“Political tyranny in every culture begins by devaluing the time of others. Indeed, the exploitation of human beings is only possible in pyramidal time cultures, where rulership is always based on the proposition that some people’s time is more valuable and other people’s time more expendable” (Rifkin, 1987, p. 196-7). (1997). On synchronicity. Main (Ed.), Jung on synchronicity and the paranormal (pp. 90-98). London, UK: Routledge. (Original work published 1951)
Patton, J. (1993, November). Time and technology in Native American Indian literature. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Council of Teachers of English, Pittsburg, PA. Peat, D. (1987). Synchronicity: The bridge between matter and mind. New York, NY: Bantam Books. Rifkin, J. Time wars: The primary conflict in human history. New York, NY: Touchstone.
