Synchronicity and Self: Do We Create Our Luck?
I often sit with clients who feel like they are either the victims of a relentless 'streak of bad luck' or the beneficiaries of a charmed life. The question inevitably arises: Is this fate, or am I doing this to myself?
From a Jungian perspective, the answer isn't a simple 'either/or'. Carl Jung, the founder of analytical psychology, suggested that what we perceive as 'luck' or 'fate' is often the result of a profound dialogue between our conscious minds and the deep waters of the unconscious.
The Architecture of the Unconscious
To understand luck through a Jungian lens, we first have to look at how Jung viewed the psyche. He believed that much of what happens 'to' us is actually a reflection of what is happening 'inside' us.
* The Personal Unconscious: This houses our repressed memories and 'Shadow' elements.
* The Collective Unconscious: A deeper layer shared by all humans, containing archetypes (universal patterns like the Hero, the Mother, or the Trickster).
* The Ego: Our conscious sense of self.
Jung famously stated: 'Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate'. When we are unaware of our internal patterns, our fears, self-sabotaging beliefs, or unacknowledged desires, we tend to stumble into the same situations repeatedly. To the observer, it looks like 'bad luck'. To the Jungian, it looks like the unconscious trying to get our attention.
Synchronicity: When Luck and Meaning Collide
Jung introduced the concept of Synchronicity, the idea of 'meaningful coincidences'. This is the moment when an internal state (like a dream or a thought) aligns perfectly with an external event without any direct causal link.
* Example: You are thinking about changing careers but feel terrified. That afternoon, you 'randomly' meet someone at a coffee shop who works in your dream field and offers you a lead.
Is that luck? Is it fate? Jung would argue it is a manifestation of the Self (the organising principle of the psyche) attempting to move you toward 'Individuation', the process of becoming who you truly are.
Creating 'Luck' Through Awareness
While we cannot control the spinning of the world, a Jungian approach suggests we can 'create' luck by increasing our psychological hospitality. We do this by:
* Integrating the Shadow: When we face the parts of ourselves we dislike, we stop unconsciously 'arranging' failures to confirm our low self-esteem.
* Paying Attention to Symbols: Luck often looks like a small opportunity. If we are stuck in a rigid ego-perspective, we miss the 'breadcrumbs' the unconscious leaves for us.
* Active Imagination: By engaging with our inner world, we become more attuned to the external world. We begin to 'see' the doors that were always there, but previously invisible to us.
The Verdict: Fate or Creation?
In therapy, we often find that 'Fate' is what happens when we are asleep at the wheel of our own psyche. 'Luck' is what happens when we are awake enough to recognise the opportunities the universe (and our unconscious) provides.
We don't necessarily manifest luck like a magic trick. Rather, we align ourselves with the flow of our own psychological development. When you are in harmony with your internal archetypes, the external world often seems to conspire in your favour. Luck is the moment where preparation (inner work) meets opportunity (the external world).