Carl Jung and the physicist Wolfgang Pauli developed the term synchronicity to describe the phenomenon of “meaningful coincidence,” but as many readers of Reality Sandwich know, these events are personal ones that often break open our heads and our hearts. They pull back the curtains of normalcy, embedded as we are in the frenetic paces of modern life, to reveal a reality whose substance resembles more the stuff of thought. In these often brief, glimmering shifts of perception, time and space are irrevocably bound up in myth and wonder, naturally directing us to the works of mystics, indigenous wisdom holders and contemplatives, but also to the “high weirdness” of quantum physics and modern science. It’s a place that demands – like Jung’s psychology and Pauli’s physics – that science and spirituality have their lines blurred. These meaningful coincidences shatter the ideological curtain between meaning and matter, daring us to consider that whatever reality is, it’s “hermeneutical,” as religious scholar Jeffrey J. Kripal suggests.
In this exclusive clip from the forthcoming documentary film, Time is Art, Jennifer’s quest to find the meaning of symbols that keep appearing in her life lead her to a labyrinthine exploration of cosmology and synchronicity with artist Justin Gray Morgan. They discuss the failure of our current calendar and how shifting our perception of time can create new possibilities and awaken the divine spark within us all. Works by Manly P. Hall, Carl Jung, and Jose Arguelles are explored, marking an important point in Jennifer’s journey.
Jennifer Palmer is the writer and narrator behind the Time is Art cast. What started as a documentary has since evolved into a transmedia project that you can read more about below:
Filmmakers Take Risks with a Controversial Documentary that Blurs the Line Between Science and Spirituality
Brooklyn, NY – 5 April 2015
Brooklyn-based independent filmmakers and husband and wife team, Joél Mejia and Katy Walker, are close to finishing a three year project that documents a mysterious phenomenon called synchronicity, first discovered by renowned psychotherapist, Carl Jung. Their documentary film, Time is Art, follows the journey of a writer trying to make sense of the recurring symbols and strange coincidences that she began experiencing after 9/11 and the death of a loved one.
The filmmakers did not set out to make another “new age” film, instead their film aims to merge science and spirituality, and addresses the very real phenomenon of meaningful coincidences. What the filmmakers discovered is that there is a growing ecosystem and culture inspired by synchronicity all around the world that is eager to make sense of a world ravaged by environmental destruction, corruption, income inequality, and social unrest. Together with some of the leading voices in psychoanalysis, parapsychology, biology, and activism in art, the filmmakers explore a reality where time is transformed from a unit that can be measured and commodified -“Time is money”- to an experience of oneness with the natural rhythms of nature and the universe. It is here that the filmmakers discovers that time is, in fact, art.
The filmmakers aspire to bridge the gap between the format of the cult classic film like Richard Linklater’s “Waking LIfe” and the documentary, “What the Bleep Do We Know”, by taking an unconventional approach that allows audiences to experience reality as Jennifer Palmer, a corporate IT specialist turned writer, begins to see it – one less concerned with linear storytelling, and more open to the cyclical patterns of nature, the hidden meanings of symbols, and the dreamlike overlapping of people, places, and moments. Visually captivating images of urban and natural landscapes, visionary art and street murals, excerpts of Jennifer’s writing, and compelling conversations with fellow seekers and mystics like Toko-Pa Turner, Richard Tarnas, Ph.D, Graham Hancock, biologist, Rupert Sheldrake, and visionary artists, Allyson & Alex Grey, guide us through the underlying premise of the film: perhaps we can tap into a way of being that is not ruled by a finite sense of time, but rather by the ability to live in harmony with the true creative nature of our existence.
Inspired by acclaimed & visionary author Jose Arguelle’s studies in ancient indigenous wisdom, this film explores the idea that modern humanity is immersed in an erroneous and artificial perception of time that deviates from the natural order of the universe. We have become disconnected from the natural rhythms of the earth by focusing our energy and intelligence solely on money, consumerism and exploitation while deep down inside, we crave the return to a foundation of culture, community, and creativity.
As Jennifer navigates the labyrinth of her own light and darkness, she opens herself to a new reality in which everyone and everything appear connected by a larger purpose. She is revealed to be part of a global movement of people challenging a linear and restrictive consciousness in exchange for one grounded in meaningful connection and action – a template for a new era where we are one with the earth and each other.
View the 2014 trailer for the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v4OWWxHqFk
Time is Art is produced by Things Are Changing Productions, an independent production company “for seekers of conscious media.” The filmmakers will be launching a crowdfunding campaign in June to raise funds to complete the film, to raise awareness and continue to build their audience and community. For more information about the film, visit www.thesyncmovie.com and www.thingsarechanging.com. You can also support the making of the film by purchasing a pre-sale copy. They also have 9 webisodes from the ongoing web series “SyncStories” available via youtube, a series of short videos where inspiring stories about synchronicity are shared.
Follow Time is Art @TheSyncMovie and Like Them on Facebook
Photo credit: Mandala Mural by Chris Soria & Groundswell