Coincidences vs. Synchronicity

I read and listen to many non-fiction and spiritual works — ideas drawn from a wide range of cultures and philosophies. So naturally, I’ve come to expect the occasional coincidence: hearing or reading something strikingly similar to what I had just written or spoken about the day before.

Yesterday, for instance, I wrote about the body as merely a vehicle — not such a radical thought on its own — but also about God as a child at play, experiencing life through us. That idea felt uniquely mine. Yet today, while listening to an old book, I heard almost the very same thought — as if the author had read my words before I wrote them.

In our modern world, it’s easy to credit coincidences to algorithms, to devices that listen, track, and predict. Some even suggest our technology is learning to anticipate our thoughts. But this wasn’t that. This was an old, analog book written long before data collection or artificial intelligence. And still, its words mirrored my own. To call that mere coincidence would feel dismissive — maybe even foolish.

So what is it then?
Is the universe whispering that I’m on the right path?
Is it telling me I’ve touched an ancient truth that’s always been waiting to be rediscovered?
Or perhaps time isn’t as linear as we think — maybe that author and I met on the same frequency, our thoughts existing together outside the limits of chronology.

I’ve entertained all of these possibilities. Whatever the cause, it was an extraordinary moment — one that stopped me in my tracks.

I often say I don’t believe in coincidences, though sometimes I still place things in that box for simplicity’s sake. But deep down, I believe synchronicities are a kind of language — a way the universe, or God, communicates with us. They carry meaning, guidance, and purpose. My task is to listen with openness and intention — and perhaps, in doing so, gain the wisdom to understand what’s truly being said.