This is a blog post by Floh member, Keerthi. Learn more at www.floh.in (a network that connects singles in real life)
Synchronicity is a concept first proposed by Carl Jung in the 1950s. He explained that some experiences are ‘meaningful coincidences’ which occur at any random time and place. These events are not causally related, yet may have some subtle association.
If you really think about something long enough or want something hard enough, does the Universe respond to your thoughts through relevant ‘coincidences’?
I arrived a bit late for the Floh event at Hard Rock Café last Sunday. Wondering if I had already missed half the fun, I introduced myself to the Floh founder, Siddharth Mangharam. As he checked my Driving License (Floh checks photo ID at each event), he exclaimed “I lived at this exact same address, as a tenant!” My instant response was that this was probably a misunderstanding, as addresses after all, can always appear so ambiguous.
To my pleasant and rather shocking surprise, Siddharth had spent a good ten years of his childhood in my grandfather’s house! Interestingly, he also happened to have had a vivid dream of the place just the previous Saturday night. Not to mention his recent growing desire to revisit the now sixty year old residence. Since I was probably just born in the time period when Siddharth’s family moved out, there was no memory to relate to. To Siddharth however, this encounter meant so much more – his boyhood memories came blazingly alive in the next five minutes. We launched into an animated discussion about the good old garden, the jolly Ashoka trees, the wall paint colours… all the way to my cousins, uncles and everyone else that he could remember. Infact, if I could transform his absolute clarity of memory, enthusiasm and colourful descriptions – it would be a spirited 4D movie, full HD, replete with all the action of his childhood!
Then there was the second surprise of the evening. The idea of someone’s future foretold through a deck of 78 cards has always piqued my curiosity. How did this 16th century European art form gain so much credibility? For months, I skimmed through single online profiles of Bangalore Tarot card readers. I was constantly searching for someone who was genuine, had a solid experience and with whom I hoped I would feel comfortable talking to. What a pleasant surprise it was then, that I stood right across the table from another Floh member who was a professional tarot card reader and had been one for many years. As we debated about the convergence of Science with the ‘unexplainable’, I knew I did not have to bother searching anymore.
If all of this hadn’t already made my evening interesting enough, I also connected with a gentleman who happens to live in the same building as I do, eight floors above! We amusedly decided to carpool for future Floh events. My evening ended with exchanging numbers with a fellow trekking enthusiast and of course, inviting the Floh Founder to visit his childhood home! After two hours of a great ambience, unexpected conversations, good food and music, I left the place on a happy high (which had nothing to do with the alcohol).
In the days that followed, I often asked myself if this event was significant enough to be written about. The logical part of me analyzed that there was a 50-50 probability of finding commonalities in any new social group. The skeptic in me nudged me with the ‘no meaning in mere coincidences’ theory. However after years of breaking out of mental stereotypes and embracing being curious about life – I am naturally inclined to explore and to wonder.
How is it that I found genuine life intersects with multiple people, at the same event, all within two hours? Surely this deserves more than just a passing mention?
Whatever the case may be, it truly was a memorable evening. I will always look forward to more supposedly ‘random’ connections.
