Synchronicity as Transpersonal Modality: An Exploration of Jungian Spirituality in the Frame of Transrational Philosophy

147 Pages·2016·2.377 MB·English

by  Morten Frederiksen (auth.)

Masters of Peace
Morten Frederiksen
Synchronicity as
Transpersonal
Modality
An Exploration of Jungian Spirituality
in the Frame of Transrational Philosophy
Masters of Peace
Masters of Peace is a book series edited by the University of Innsbruck’s UNESCO
Chair for Peace Studies. It has been founded to honour outstanding works of young
academics in the field of Peace and Conflict Studies. It is reserved for selected Mas­
ter theses of the Innsbruck school and published twice a year. The Innsbruck school
follows the principles of Transrational Peace Philosophy. It defines peace as a p lural
and regards all aspects of human nature relevant for the understanding of peace
and conflict. Its applied method is Elicitive Conflict Transformation, a pragmatic
approach to conflict rooted in Humanistic Psychology that entrusts the responsi­
bility for finding alternative options of behaviour, communication and encounter
to the conflict parties. Facilitators provide a safe frame, tools and methods for this
quest without imposing their own solutions on the parties.
Edited by:
Wolfgang Dietrich
UNESCO Chair for Peace Studies
University of Innsbruck/Austria
Editorial Board:
Josefi na Echavarría (cid:56)(cid:49)(cid:40)(cid:54)(cid:38)(cid:50)(cid:3)(cid:38)(cid:75)(cid:68)(cid:76)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:3)
Peace Studies
(cid:56)(cid:81)(cid:76)(cid:89)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:86)(cid:76)(cid:87)(cid:108)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:44)(cid:81)(cid:81)(cid:86)(cid:69)(cid:85)(cid:88)(cid:70)(cid:78)(cid:15)(cid:3)
Daniela Ingruber (cid:36)(cid:88)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:85)(cid:76)(cid:68)
(cid:56)(cid:81)(cid:76)(cid:87)(cid:72)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:49)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:86) (cid:55)(cid:90)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:81)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:74)
Franz Jenewein (cid:40)(cid:71)(cid:88)(cid:70)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:54)(cid:70)(cid:76)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:191)(cid:70)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:71) (cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:56)(cid:81)(cid:76)(cid:89)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:86)(cid:76)(cid:87)(cid:92)
(cid:38)(cid:88)(cid:79)(cid:87)(cid:88)(cid:85)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:50)(cid:85)(cid:74)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:76)(cid:93)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:81) (cid:49)(cid:72)(cid:87)(cid:90)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:78)(cid:86)
Norbert Koppensteiner
Fabian Mayr
Andreas Oberprantacher
Johney Xavier
Austria
Editorial work of current volume:
Norbert Koppensteiner, Austria
Morten Frederiksen
Synchronicity as
Transpersonal Modality
An Exploration of Jungian Spirituality
in the Frame of Transrational
Philosophy
Morten Frederiksen
Innsbruck, Austria
ISSN 2364­463X ISSN 2364­4648 (electronic)
Masters of Peace
ISBN 978­3­658­14227­8 ISBN 978­3­658­14228­5 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978­3­658­14228­5
Library of Congress Control Number: 2016939933
Springer
© Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden 2016
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part
of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations,
recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission
or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or
dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this
publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt
from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this
book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the
authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained
herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made.
Printed on acid­free paper
This Springer imprint is published by Springer Nature
The registered company is Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ........................................................................... 7
1.1. Personal Perspective ............................................................... 8
1.1.2. The first Symbol – A Path With A Heart.................................. 8
1.1.3. The Language of Life ............................................................... 9
1.1.4. Messages from the Animal Kingdom ...................................... 9
1.2. Research Question ................................................................. 12
1.3. Method ................................................................................. 13
1.4. State of the Art ...................................................................... 18
1.4.1. The Synchronicity Debate ..................................................... 18
1.4.2. Transrational Peace-Studies ................................................. 23
2. A Story of Consciousness ...................................................... 27
2.1. The Model ............................................................................. 27
2.2. Structures of Consciousness ................................................... 32
2.2.1. Archaic .................................................................................. 32
2.2.2. Magic .................................................................................... 34
2.2.3. Mythic ................................................................................... 44
2.2.4. Mental .................................................................................. 49
2.2.5. Integral .................................................................................. 55
2.2.6. Witness-awareness ............................................................... 62
2.2.7. Non-dual ............................................................................... 63
2.3. On the Correlation of the First and the Last Layers ................. 67
2.3.1. Closing the Circle .................................................................. 71
3. Jung and Synchronicity ......................................................... 73
3.1. Re-discovering an ancient Principle ........................................ 74
3.1.1. ESP and Synchronicity ........................................................... 77
3.1.2. Synchronicity and Correspondence ...................................... 81
3.2. Jungian Psychology ................................................................ 84
3.2.1. The Unconscious ................................................................... 85
3.2.2. Archetypes and Healing ........................................................ 95
3.2.3. Compensation ..................................................................... 101
3.2.4. Individuation ....................................................................... 102
3.3. Synchronicity and Archetypes .............................................. 106
3.3.1. Synchronicity in Action ....................................................... 107
3.3.2. The Consequences of Synchronicity ................................... 111
3.3.3. Fields of Knowledge ............................................................ 119
4. Consequences for Transrational Peace Studies .................... 125
4.1. The Suspension of the Contact Border .................................. 126
4.2. Synchronicity and Peace Philosophy ..................................... 127
4.2.1. Science of Mind .................................................................. 129
4.2.2. Universal Peace and Practice .............................................. 131
4.3. Working with Magic ............................................................ 131
4.3.1. Consciousness and the Art of Peace ................................... 133
5. Conclusion.......................................................................... 137
List of references .................................................................... 145

6
1. Introduction

Γνῶθι σεαυτόν1

At the beginning of every academical text stands the personal question, why
write, and on which topic? My general intention with the following work is to
place myself within the transrational approach to peace-studies through
processing the topic of synchronicity – a topic that has haunted me for many
years now. Carl Rogers’s insight that “the most personal also is the most
universal,” means by implication that the most universal also is the most
personal. Consequently, it should indeed be possible to write something relevant
for the general public by taking outset in a personal topic – and learn something
deeply personal by engaging with universal topics and processes in a general
way. This general statement of intent, which implies my plan to move between
the only apparent poles of the personal and the universal in the widest sense,
means particularly that by outlining phylogenetic and ontogenetic modes of
consciousness and frames of reference in a transrational perspective, I expect to
learn about and transform my personal mode of consciousness and
understanding. By discussing the general findings in light of my personal interest
in and experience of synchronicity, I hope on the other hand to be able to
contribute to the transrational discourse on consciousness and frames of
reference. As such, I understand this work as a dialog between the personal and
the universal. Hence, in the following paragraph I will begin by grounding the
topic in my own biography, and thus lay the ground for a subsequent research
question and method.

1 The Greek word Γνῶθι σεαυτόν (Gnōthi seautón – translated: Know Thyself) is not only the
paradigmatic imperative for the elicitive conflict worker, but also the motto found at the gate of the
Apollon temple in Delphi, known for its oracle (Tränkle 1985, 20).

© Spr inger Fachmedien Wiesbaden 2016
M. Frederiksen, Synchronicity as Transpersonal Modality,
Masters of Peace, DOI 10.1007/978-3-658-14228-5_1
1.1. Personal Perspective

In a certain sense, this work began in the summer of 2004 with my last summer-
holidays, just turned eighteen and still at high school (Gymnasium). Two friends
and I, tired of modern society, and philosophically connected to Thoreau and
Rousseau´s motto “back to nature,” took a car up to Sweden. We were searching
for the deepest and most isolated forest, in order to live off the land for some
weeks with no aids but our knives and axes. Since none of us had ever learned to
live of the land, or even been serious boy-scouts – and since most forests we
found were industrial pinewoods with ants as the seemingly only inhabitants -
this endeavor became a mixed success. At some point, hungry, tired of my
friends, and seriously craving some tobacco, we split up. I hitchhiked to Oslo,
Norway, without any money, and without knowing anyone, with only dirty
clothes in my backpack. I planned to make my way to Bergen, to visit a friend
and lend some money for a ferry back to Kiel, close to Flensburg, Germany,
where my home was. The rest of the holidays, where I never made it further than
to Oslo and straight back to Flensburg (and back again to Oslo and again straight
back to Flensburg), I deem worthy of a book by itself. However, the main lesson
and experience on the way was how 'life' has a way to 'magically' provide when I
surrender to it. The point here, though, is something I discovered just after
arriving back home.

1.1.2. The first Symbol – A Path with A Heart

I discovered how my 'initiatory' travel (after all it were my last summer-holiday
just turned eighteen, and thus of legal age) had taken the shape of a heart, when
painted on a map. I saw how I would have completed a whole heart shape if I
had made it to Bergen and back from there, and how I only had managed a half
heart the way I actually traveled. This struck me quite heavily, remembering that
my family middle name, which I never received, would have been Hjertmand (in
English “heart-man”) a circumstance I had not considered previously. This
highly symbolic circumstance occupied my mind quite a lot (and was the reason
for attempting to finish my heart-journey right away and hitchhike to Oslo
twice). Symbolically, and fittingly enough, the first topic back at school in was
the periods of Symbolism, with Henri-Frederic Amiel´s quote “Any landscape is
a condition of the soul” as its motto (here quoted after Shanks 1924, 645). I
remember thinking that the teacher and pupils got no clue what symbolism
actually is about (and neither did I in retrospect). But from that time on my mind
and senses were tuned in to see symbolic accordance and correspondences
happen in my life and that of others - something that happened and happens all
the time.
8
1.1.3. The Language of Life

From there it was not far to experience something I, in lack of other words, came
to call “the language of life.” While the symbolism with the heart on a map were
quite abstract and only recognized in retrospect, this new form of experience
happened right in the here and now, apparently speaking to me directly. What I
experienced were symbolic happenings, often telepathically answering my very
thoughts and feelings in the moment. These could be as everyday as the sound of
an ambulance, or fireworks, or simple cheering somewhere, having a profound
meaningful connection to my inner life. For instance, I could go to my kitchen in
the morning, wondering whether I should let my cat climb on the roof (I was
living on the 4th floor) and turning on the radio, the announcer would relate that
cats are superb climbers, and often survive falls from as high as the 6th floor. Of
course, when such things happen only occasionally, one, with my cultural
background, takes it as stunning coincidence, as in random chance. However, if
such coincidences keep accumulating, eventually the chance theory collapses. I
got quite weary of ambulances and the radio at some point. Those symbolical
incidences did not just relate to me but also relate to things and people happening
around me. What I am talking about are incidents, for instance a near car-crash
just outside our home, accompanied by heavy honking, just in the moment where
the girlfriend of my flat mate was ringing the doorbell. If you now think that this
probably was a rather bad omen, then you are in line with my reasoning. After
she left, I learned from my flat mate that she just broke up with him. Following
the proverb that “the teacher shows up when the student is ready,” I came by
'chance' to read C. G. Jung´s (1964) book “Man and his Symbols,” learning
among other things that what I was experiencing is called synchronicity.

1.1.4. Messages from the Animal Kingdom

Inspired by Jung´s symbolism, I started to buy books about symbols in general,
and 'power-animals' and 'animal-messengers' in particular. I learned about the
symbolical meanings of the different animals, and experienced a profound
change of perception – where often the smallest things were full of striking and
intrinsic meaning, and my synchronistic experiences thus further increased
dramatically. This is because, if you are not aware of the mythological and
symbolical dimension of animals (and virtually all kind of entities around), you
might walk or sit in a particular mood having corresponding thoughts and not
realize how the dove landing before your feet symbolically reflects or
meaningfully answers what is going inside yourself. In the following, I will give
a personal and more recent example in this regard, which demonstrate the
subtlety involved in synchronistic events.
9