THE RHINE-JUNG LETTERS - DISTINGUISHING PARAPSYCHOLOGICAL FROM SYNCHRONISTIC EVENTS

Along with the previously published works and correspondence of J. B. Rhine and C. G. Jung, we use letters recently discovered in the Rhine archives from these two pioneers to discuss their relationship. Employ ing Jung's definition of synchronicity as an acausal connection of mea ning between inner psychological states and outer events, we argue tha t, contrary to Jung's view, parapsychological phenomena are distinct f rom synchronicity. We base our argument for this distinction on a care ful consideration of the roles of causality and meaning in both paraps ychological phenomena and synchronicity. We show that the distinction is true to Jung's original formulation of synchronicity, and affords a better understanding of both classes of experience. This distinction also helps illuminate the different understandings of these phenomena held by Rhine and Jung.