When we experience a synchronicity, we feel a sense of meaning because it reveals the relationship between our inner and outer worlds. For a moment, their unifying field becomes evident, as if it were breaking through ordinary reality. Whether it was brought about by engaging in dreamwork, imaginal play, or ritual, the outer world acts as if it is

I felt as if my deepest longing was being answered. And isn’t it so for us all? When things fall into place, we begin to feel part of a larger coherence, as if nature itself is communicating with us, bringing us into its rhythms.

The philosopher Andrew Taggart believes that crisis moments lead to “existential openings” that force us to grapple with the deepest questions about life.⁠10 He argues there are two typical ways this happens. One is the “way of loss,” when things that matter are taken from us, such as loved ones, our health, or a job. The other path is the “way of

And when it does, it feels like an experience that you fall into—a serendipitous accident. The moment you try to control, define, deepen, or extend it, you are returned, unceremoniously, to your small, chattering mind.