Jung grasped something that modern-day alchemists--those who work deeply with the unconscious--also understand. We have within us a primordial urge to evolve awareness.This human imperative plays out in both individual and collective arenas.

"As within, so without" could be a modern restatement of the alchemists' motto, "As above, so below." Spirit finds its reflection in matter. Our unconscious situation inevitably unfolds in the world around us. From bodily symptoms to personal relationships to collective world predicaments--our outer, external circumstances are compelled to mirror the unconscious aspects we carry within. When you grasp the implications of the holographic nature of psyche as it manifests in our collective interbeing, care for your own unconscious then becomes a human imperative: what is within us--and especially that which is unconscious within us--manifests around us for the explicit purpose of evolving conscious awareness.

Synchronicity is the intersection of two kinds of reality, a meeting of Matter (outer) with Spirit (inner) in Time. It manifests as the coincidence of an outer event with some inner, unconscious, situation. And while intersecting reality is probably happening all the time, it becomes more noticeable when the unconscious is "charged"–when psyche wants our attention. Then neglected issues not only get noisier, but they do so with astonishing timing and flair.

The escalating awfulness of our global situation is a deafening call to wake up to the power of the unconscious. Neglected dynamics within us have been forced to manifest on the outer level to an alarming degree. Meaningful change in our outer situation will necessitate forging relationship with our own unconscious--with the bullied, walled off, rejected and unseen inner analogs for our outer dilemma.

Amidst every challenge that arises, you have your best ally in psyche. By learning its holographic language you can use all that you find around you (in your symptoms, relationships, and circumstances) to inform you in detail about the inner care that is called for. Managing and caring for your relationship with your inner life in turn positions you to offer responsible sustainable care and healing to the situation in the world around you.

© Suzanne Szalay, M.D.