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Types of Coincidences

There seems to be different types of coincidences, and/or levels of intensity. Some coincidences seem random or insignificant- for example, you hear a song on the radio and you turn the station only to hear the same song playing. This we might call a low-level coincidence. Another coincidence could be flying to another, faraway country and running into your old next-door neighbor, who is getting into the same cab you are with the same destination. Each would have different levels of significance for us. Going back to our definitions, it would be related to how surprised we are at the events. The more surprising it is to us, the more intense the coincidence. You wouldn't be very surprised that two stations are playing the same song, especially if the song is currently popular. It would be different if it was an obscure, old song.

What are the odds?

One night I was listening to a radio show at home (which I rarely do) that was playing a very eclectic mix of music. At one point the DJ played a cut from an obscure album ('Boulders' by Roy Wood.) I thought to myself that I might be the only other person in the city to currently own that album and be familiar with the song. I wondered to myself if he had heard another album I owned ('Lines' by Charlie.) The very next song came from that album.

This brings up another aspect that we'll look at another time- are there different types of coincidences and different mechanisms at work? Do they involve things like clairvoyance and telepathy? Or are some or all coincidences merely based on perceptions? Can we influence events and make coincidences happen by sheer will power- conscious or not?

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