Synchroners, High Emotion, and Coincidence Interpretation
Authors: Beitman Bernard D. , Shaw Albert 
Published: June 2009

CME Educational Objectives

1.

Express the characteristics of high frequency coincidence detectors.

2.

Recognize that people who are high in vitality or high in self-referential tendencies tend to detect more coincidences.

3.

Recall that intense emotional states tend to drive coincidence detection.

Participant Attestation

___ I certify that I have read the article(s) on which this activity is based, and claim credit commensurate with the extent of my participation.

Commercial Bias Evaluation

Please rate the degree to which the content presented in this activity was free from commercial bias.
No bias
Significant bias

5
4
3
2
1

  Comments regarding commercial bias: ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Instructions

1.

Review the stated learning objectives of the CME articles and determine if these objectives match your individual learning needs.

2.

Read the articles carefully. Do not neglect the tables and other illustrative materials, as they have been selected to enhance your knowledge and understanding.

3.

The following quiz questions have been designed to provide a useful link between the CME articles in the issue and your everyday practice. Read each question, choose the correct answer, and record your answer on the CME REGISTRATION FORM at the end of the quiz. Retain a copy of your answers so that they can be compared with the correct answers should you choose to request them.

4.

Type your full name and address and your date of birth in the space provided on the CME REGISTRATION FORM.

5.

Complete the evaluation portion of the CME REGISTRATION FORM. Forms and quizzes cannot be processed if the evaluation portion is incomplete. The evaluation portion of the CME REGISTRATION FORM will be separated from the quiz upon receipt at PSYCHIATRIC ANNALS. Your evaluation of this activity will in no way affect the scoring of your quiz.

6.

Your answers will be graded, and you will be advised whether you have passed or failed. Unanswered questions will be considered incorrect. A score of at least 80% is required to pass. Your certificate will be mailed to you at the mailing address provided. Upon receiving your grade, you may request quiz answers. Contact our customer service department at (856) 994-9400.

7.

Be sure to complete the CME REGISTRATION FORM on or before May 31, 2010. After that date, the quiz will close. Any CME REGISTRATION FORM received after the date listed will not be processed.

8.

This activity is to be completed and submitted online only.

Indicate the total time spent on the activity
(reading article and completing quiz). Forms and quizzes cannot be processed if this section is incomplete. All participants are required by the accreditation agency to attest to the time spent completing the activity.

CME Accreditation

This CME activity is primarily targeted to patient-caring physicians specializing in psychiatry. There are no specific background requirements for participants taking this activity. Learning objectives are found at the beginning of each CME article.

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint sponsorship of Vindico Medical Education and PSYCHIATRIC ANNALS. Vindico Medical Education is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Vindico Medical Education designates this educational activity for a maximum of 3
AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Full Disclosure Policy

In accordance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education's Standards for Commercial Support, all CME providers are required to disclose to the activity audience the relevant financial relationships of the planners, teachers, and authors involved in the development of CME content. An individual has a
relevant financial relationship
if he or she has a financial relationship in any amount occurring in the last 12 months with a commercial interest whose products or services are discussed in the CME activity content over which the individual has control. Relationship information appears at the beginning of each CME-accredited article in this issue.

Unlabeled and Investigational Usage

The audience is advised that this continuing medical education activity may contain references to unlabeled uses of FDA-approved products or to products not approved by the FDA for use in the United States. The faculty members have been made aware of their obligation to disclose such usage.

How to Obtain CME Credits by Reading this Issue

This CME activity is primarily targeted to patient-caring physicians specializing in psychiatry. Physicians can receive
AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
by reading the CME articles in PSYCHIATRIC ANNALS and successfully completing the quiz at the end of the articles. Complete instructions are given subsequently. Educational objectives are found at the beginning of each CME article.

CME Accreditation

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint sponsorship of Vindico Medical Education and PSYCHIATRIC ANNALS. Vindico Medical Education is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Vindico Medical Education designates this educational activity for a maximum of 3
AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Full Disclosure Policy

In accordance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education's Standards for Commercial Support, all CME providers are required to disclose to the activity audience the
relevant financial relationships
of the planners, teachers, and authors involved in the development of CME content. An individual has a relevant financial relationship if he or she has a financial relationship in any amount occurring in the last 12 months with a commercial interest whose products or services are discussed in the CME activity content over which the individual has control. Relationship information appears at the beginning of each CME-accredited article in this issue.

Unlabeled and Investigational Usage

The audience is advised that this continuing medical education activity may contain references to unlabeled uses of FDA-approved products or to products not approved by the FDA for use in the United States. The faculty members have been made aware of their obligation to disclose such usage.

Educational Objectives Overview

We tend to be delighted, surprised, or puzzled by coincidences that happen to us (but not so much to others, which we tend to explain as merely a coincidence). The series of articles on the experience of reacting to coincidences provides a different window into how our brains and minds work. Perhaps when explanatory models about weird coincidence experiences become dysregulated, psychopathology (eg, paranoia) can result.

Note that in the Beitman article, the story about John Snow finding that the Broad Street pump was the cause of a cholera outbreak, although quite interesting, may not be as true as most might think. By mapping the outbreak, Dr. Snow identified the pump as the cause of cholera. He removed the pump, and the cholera epidemic diminished. But as detailed by Tufte, the rate of cholera was decreasing before the water pump was removed, which is a good example of finding a relationship where one did not necessarily exist.

Table of Contents

255
Brains Seek Patterns in Coincidences

Bernard D. Beitman, MD

265
Weird Coincidences Commonly Occur

Stephanie L. Coleman; Bernard D. Beitman, MD: and Elif Celebi, MD

271
Characterizing High-frequency Coincidence Detectors

Stephanie L. Coleman; and Bernard D. Beitman, MD

280
Synchroners, High Emotion, and Coincidence Interpretation

Bernard D. Beitman, MD; and Albert Shaw, MD

287
Synchronicity and Psychotherapy: Jung's Concept and Its Use in Clinical Work

Robert H. Hopcke, MFT

Responsibility for Statements

All opinions expressed by authors and quoted sources are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, publishers, or editorial boards of
Psychiatric Annals
or its employees, Vindico Medical Education or its employees, or the University of New Mexico. The acceptance of advertising in no way implies endorsement by the editors, publishers, or editorial boards of
Psychiatric Annals
.

The material presented at or in any
Psychiatric Annals
or Vindico Medical Education continuing education activity does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Vindico Medical Education or
Psychiatric Annals
. Neither
Psychiatric Annals
, Vindico Medical Education, nor the faculty endorse or recommend any techniques, commercial products, or manufacturers. The faculty/authors may discuss the use of materials and/or products that have not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Articles are intended for informational purposes only and should not be used as the basis of patient treatment. All readers and continuing education participants should verify all information before treating patients or utilizing any product.

Copyright © 2009
by SLACK Incorporated. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent of the publisher.