My Second Amazon Book Review Re Demystifying Meaningful Coincidences

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellently Developed Theory, May 15, 2010
By Alan S. Haas "Author "The Interconnectedn... (Waltham, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Demystifying Meaningful Coincidences (Synchronicities): The Evolving Self, the Personal Unconscious, and the Creative Process (Hardcover)
This book represents one of the best explications currently available on the problem of "synchronicity." I am qualified to say this because I am doing my own scientific research projects on the subject and I know the existing literature well enough that I am confident to say very few other authors have put forward a viable psychoanalytically based model. The first part of this book is about the best explanation and definition of the issues surrounding synchronicity that one will find. Williams clarifies the distinctions between Freud's deterministic views on these types of "coincidences" and Jung's occult/numinous interpretations. He pinpoints that there must be a flaw with Jung's "a-causal" model if the synchronistic events have meaning in the context of personal growth and development. He begins where others have left off at the purely psychopathological level (i.e. regressive theories) and adds an important piece to the puzzle by interpreting the synchronicities as attempts to make new connections to construct a solid reality of the world from a fragmented "self."

The second part of the book is basically a journal or diary and contains some perhaps extraneous personal anecdotes that were a little too detailed for my own tastes. But then again, it is not uncommon to present a personal story to show how one developed a new belief or view of the world. It is also important to note that Williams' argument is more convincing because he admits he began with a less rational view of the world and eventually, through hard experience and knowledge, grew to become confident about a fully rational psychodynamic approach.

The third part of the book is a summary of the formulated theory, and the fourth part discusses some therapeutic applications. I am currently fully "digesting" this material and will be referencing Williams in my own research next year, because I also strongly believe in this type of a fully rational scientific approach to Jung's concept. In my opinion, there are too many other books out there right now invoking "spooky action at a distance" quantum mechanical mechanisms etc. (an issue that Williams skillfully avoids but has properly identified as the "parapsychological" approach to synchronicity). I fully agree with Williams that the real mechanisms are most likely to be based on aspects of an individual's subjective experience and personal growth, whatever that ultimately means. Whatever the case and whatever relatively minor issues there might be with this book, I believe it represents a rather important piece of progress in the ongoing struggle to understand synchronicity.