On December 8, 1999, Ben Robinson lectured on synchronicity in New York City at The Parapsychology Foundation as part of its Perspectives series. He is the first professional magician to lecture at the foundation, established in 1951 by the prominent psychic Eileen J. Garrett.

The audience included noted parapsychologist George Hansen, who has provided invaluable guidance to Robinson, and other noted psychic researchers. Musicians, authors, advertising mavericks and a noted Wall St. Wizard were also among the diverse audience!

Synchronicity, a word created by psychologist Carl Jung, describes a "meaningful coincidence." Robinson introduced the phenomenon with an illusion, then regaled the audience with extremely unusual and true stories --ranging from a father's death to the elephant god Ganesha and the Bronx zoo-- drawn from his life and other first hand accounts collected over ten years of research.

Robinson asked the audience to consider erasing the notion of time when trying to understand synchronicity. This same concept is also addressed in the TIME Magazine (December 27, 1999) article, "The Riddle of Time" by Michael D. Lemonick. At the close of the question and answer session, an eerie stillness inhabited the hall (often described as the moment Hermes -the trickster god- enters a room) followed by enthusiastic applause.

Robinson goes against the notion of magicians as skeptics and takes the opposite point of view. He says "My training as an illusionist has opened my eyes to the reality of the paranormal and given me a facility to study psi."

Robinson's book on the subject is still in progress. Following his lecture, he received several wonderful accounts from audience members. Please feel free to also share your stories with us through e-mail.