The Human Experience · Episode

Episode 158 – Synchronicity, Serendipity, Meaningful Coincidence w/ Dr. Bernard Beitman

A conversation with Synchronicity, Serendipity, Meaningful Coincidence w/ Dr. Bernard Beitman

Dr. Beitman is a psychiatrist, author and researcher. He is widely regarded as the first psychiatrist since Carl Jung to systematize the study of coincidences and add scientific rigor to the term…

Published
January 30, 2020
Runtime
1:11:40
Portrait or artwork for Episode 158 – Synchronicity, Serendipity, Meaningful Coincidence w/ Dr. Bernard Beitman

Episode field notes

Show notes

Dr. Beitman is a psychiatrist, author and researcher. He is widely regarded as the first psychiatrist since Carl Jung to systematize the study of coincidences and add scientific rigor to the term synchronicity. He developed the first valid scale to measure coincidence sensitivity. Dr. Bernard has written several books, one of which, received two national awards. He is internationally known for his research in panic disorder.   he attended Yale Medical School and completed his residency at the University of Stanford.

We’ve all experienced or heard of surprising events and unexplainable coincidences—money that seems to come from nowhere, a spontaneous idea that turns into a life-changing solution, meeting our soulmate on a flight we weren’t supposed to take, or families being reunited by “accident” after years of separation. Often these coincidences are explained as being controlled by a higher power or pure chance. But for the first time since Carl Jung’s work, comes bold new research that explains scientifically how we can identify, understand, and perhaps even control the frequency of coincidences in our everyday lives.

Bernard Beitman, a leading expert on Coincidence Studies, proposes a greater personal responsibility which depends partly upon newly discovered “grid cells” located in the brain, near the hippocampus. But neuroscience cannot complete the entire puzzle, and in this fascinating guide, Beitman provides the missing piece. From analyzing true stories of synchronicity from around the globe and throughout history, he shares key personality characteristics and situational factors that contribute to the occurrence of meaningful coincidences in our lives. Where other books on coincidences tend to be theoretical, inspirational, or story collections only, Beitman’s book is the first to provide a scientific understanding and practical ways in which readers can use them in their own lives. He reveals:

How to activate your observing self so you don’t miss synchronistic moments

How serendipity can offer insights into solving problems or making difficult decisions

Why stress activates meaningful coincidences

Which states of mind impede our ability to experience synchronicity

How to interpret the meaning of a coincidence

Why being attuned to coincidences is a learned skill—and how to hone your sensitivity.

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To Find Dr. Bernard Visit coincider.com.

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Transcript

A full transcript has been published for this conversation.

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Ideas worth returning to

Quotes

Five substantial excerpts from the published transcript, lightly edited for clarity without changing their meaning.

  1. The stories suggest that meaningful coincidences between two people definitely happen. The problem is deciding what to do once they happen. Some people rely on those coincidences to keep a relationship together, but that will not work by itself. Marriage takes work, and it requires learning tolerance for one another.
    From the conversation
  2. When you ask why people are brought into your life, consider what they teach you about yourself and about how the world works. One person made it clear to me that, when you become angry, you can look for the possibility that a boundary has been violated between you and the other person.
    From the conversation
  3. After reading many stories, I describe the correlation this way: tear the web of ordinary reality, and coincidences fly in. It is an image worth paying attention to because it opens doors. The conditions associated with tearing that web include need, life stress, life change, and high emotion.
    From the conversation
  4. We often understand events only when we look back at how they unfolded. While we are living through them, the subjective experience makes them very difficult to understand. That raises a question about free will: if life keeps placing different walls and possibilities in front of me, where does my freedom to choose enter the picture?
    From the conversation
  5. Asking what a coincidence means is an attempt to understand its implications for a person’s future and its personal significance. The coincidence may imply something about a decision, whether to take a course of action, or whether to consider a new possibility.
    From the conversation

About the guest

Synchronicity, Serendipity, Meaningful Coincidence w/ Dr. Bernard Beitman

We’ve all experienced or heard of surprising events and unexplainable coincidences—money that seems to come from nowhere, a spontaneous idea that turns into a life-changing solution, meeting our soulmate on a flight we weren’t supposed to take, or families being reunited by “accident” after years of separation. Often these coincidences are explained as being controlled by a higher power or pure chance. But for the first time since Carl Jung’s work, comes bold new research that explains scientifically how we can identify, understand, and perhaps even control the frequency of coincidences in our everyday lives.

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