Science, Synchronicity and Tarot

By: Lois Wetzel Click author's name for more of his/her articles

"How on Earth is this possible," I wondered as I sat in my first Tarot class doing the first reading. My fellow student had shuffled the cards, and handed them to me. I laid them out and read them according to the teacher's written notes. The reading was so accurate it shocked us both. I had known nothing about this person beforehand, either. I wondered if there could be a scientific explanation?

There are several possible theories. There are those who think that there are living beings in other dimensional densities existing in the same "space" as we are who are guiding the reading.They can be labeled "The Higher Self", angelic forces, spirit guides, etc. Other people are pretty sure that somehow thoughts are transmitted, like radio waves, from client to reader via the energy fields of each. And if you understand a bit of quantum physics/mechanics, it becomes easier to understand how these readings may be working.

Bells Theorem states, "No theory of reality compatible with quantum theory can require spatially separated events to be separate."this means that there is constant communication between all distant events; interdependent and interconnected. This implies that each and every single particle must know exactly what every other particle in the universe is doing in order to know what it, itself, needs to be doing at any and all times. This further implies that every particle in the universe is constantly "in touch" with everything else

Fritjof Capra further summarizes Geoffrey Chew's "bootstrap" theory which explains the way subatomic particles behave:

"The "bootstrap" philosophy declares that we must abandon the idea of fundamental building blocks of matter. There are no fundamental entities whatsoever - no fundamental constants, laws, or equations. The material universe is seen as a dynamic web of interrelated events. None of the properties of any part of this web are fundamental. They all follow from the properties of other parts, and the overall consistency of their interrelations determines the structure of the entire web."

In other words, all that exists is inter-connected in a vast web. As that is true, then the client's past, present and future will show up in the card layout. Every atom and molecule in the Universe knows what every other atom and molecule in the universe is doing at any given time. Synchronicity just follows naturally from that. Some scientists have actually posited that the Universe is a single, living conscious organism, and we are parts of that organism.

Observation:

All these atoms and molecules exist in probability states until they are observed.This means that there are many possible outcomes out there, depending upon observation. So if the reader observes a possible outcome, and states it to you, and you then observe this probable outcome, the chances are greater the outcome will manifest. So it would seem wise to choose readers carefully. Choose ones with a positive attitude, ones with your best interest at heart, and who do not instill fear in their clients.

Additionally, physics experiments, especially the "double slit" have confirmed that reality conforms to our expectations and observations.

Synchronicity:

Carl Jung, who coined the term "synchronicity" was a psychologist and professor around the same time as Freud. He developed this idea because he noticed that both he and many of his patients had experiences in which "coincidences" played a very meaningful role, but were quite unlikely to have happened randomly. Here is an example, a patient dreamed about an insect, a golden scarab. While telling Jung about the dream in session, Jung just happened to look out the window, saw a golden scarab flying by, and reached out and grabbed it. He gave it to the client and said, "Here's your golden scarab." This event facilitated a major breakthrough for the client, as you might well imagine.

During Jung's lifetime Einstein's theory of relativity and the basics of quantum physics' theories were being developed. Carl Jung knew the scientists Einstein and Pauli. They corresponded and met each other in society. Recognizing that the principles of quantum mechanics perhaps explained the phenomenon he observed, which he began calling "synchronicity," Jung posited that something existed besides the cause-and-effect relationships we all know about. He believed that there is some kind of "connecting principle," the nature of which is not based in cause/effect. Two things may be somehow connected without there being an obvious cause and effect relationship.

Synchronistic events, unfortunately, are not easy to study, using the currently accepted "empirical" model of science. This may be why many scientists state that we have reached the end of empiricism. It is becoming apparent that the scientific method cannot measure everything!! Some things, like love for example, definitely exist, but cannot be proven using empiricism.

Empiricism is based on observing cause and effect situations that can be repeated. (I do this and that happens. If I do this exactly in the same way a second time with the same outcome. Joe Blow does it and it happens exactly the same way as when I did it. Now we have proven it.) Synchronistic events do not seem to occur in this way, thus it is not possible to prove their existence using the empirical method. It requires that the experiencer trust his own senses more than the scientific method (remember, we cannot prove love exists). Of course, this kind of belief requires that the person be able of self-validation, and not seeking the approval/validation of others.

Tarot works just as well with telephone readings with clients the reader has never met. Tarot does seem to work better with energy fields, situations and trends rather than the tiny details.

What makes Tarot work? The answer probably lies somewhere in science, rather than within the "airy-fairy" or within purely psychological explanations. I also believe that one day what was once considered the realm of the mystical will be clearly within the realm of science.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

About The Author: Founder of EDINA energy medicine, Lois Wetzel has been a Reiki Master for over 20 years, and is a Certified PaRama BodyTalker and shamanic practitioner. Her book written in 2009 is called "Akashic Records: Case Studies of Past Lives" www.blogtalkradio.com/Lois-Wetzel www.hotpinklotus.com