Chopra's The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire

The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire: Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence by Deepak Chopra.

A Review by Cheryl A. Chatfield

In this book, Chopra states, “When you live your life with an appreciation of coincidences and their meanings, you connect with the underlying field of infinite possibilities…This is synchrodestiny, in which it becomes possible to achieve the spontaneous fulfillment of our every desire” (21). To achieve his synchrodensity, we must go inward to tap the deep recesses of our spirit as well as outward to accept the coincidences of the physical world.

An understanding of three levels of existences of matter, mind and spirit is necessary for understanding the synchronicity in our lives. Matter is the physical domain, where the world is visible, rational and objective. Everything in this level has a beginning, middle and end. We are born and we die. This part of the world is predictable; scientists can measure it. We understand this domain.

The second level of existence, Mind, refers to energy and thoughts. We can’t see either, but we know they exist. This domain is less clear than the physical one. Our thoughts aren’t solid and we can’t touch them. We do not see atoms and molecules and we cannot distinguish energy waves. “Everything at this level is insubstantial, meaning that it cannot be touched or perceived by any of the five senses” (36).

The third domain, Spirit, is more even confusing, yet Chopra provides some structure to this formless level of existence, which he describes as “virtual” or “nonlocal.” Whereas the physical world has a specific place, this “nonlocality” has no boundaries.

In the 20th century, science found proof of the existence of this virtual domain. The world is made up of particles and waves. Particles are solid, while waves, such as sound and light waves, are not. A wave-particle was discovered, and “until we measure either its location or its momentum, it is both particle and wave simultaneously” (48). “Without consciousness acting as an observer and interpreter, everything would exist only as pure potential” (51). This “pure potential” is the nonlocal domain.

Without our consciousness, or our thoughts, there is no physical existence. We, collectively, create our world. Our thoughts bridge the virtual reality and the physical world. This is a complicated concept, but the spirit domain is the source of the coincidences we find in our lives. Tapping into this domain, into this unlimited and undefined area, we observe the synchronicity in our lives. Then we can create, on the physical level, the lives we desire.

For a better understanding of how we create our lives, this is a must read. No short discussion can incorporate all that Chopra offers. The explanation of the three domains is only the beginning.

There is one other, among many, of Chopra’s ideas that I wish to mention: power over our emotions. “Ask, don’t demand…Don’t give others power over your emotions” (229) is Chopra’s advice. Think about that. When we demand something from others, we give them the power to conform or refuse. They are in control, not us. If we simply ask, we retain the power and don’t have to be angry at any decision. We continue to create our world with positive emotions, even if we don’t like others’ actions.

Our Excessive Consumerism

In a time of financial concern, it is important to look at our rate of consumption. What about the consumption of products? Too often the social center of our country is the shopping mall. While this is a good place for kids to meet, it is often the family destination as well. Is spending money on "things" a good focus? Is there a problem when consuming is our national pastime? Should we look at the implications of this obsession with owning more and more? What about the message given to our children? We worry about family values. What are family values when we seem to have consuming as a main goal?

We cannot continue our greedy rate of consumption. Each new electric gadget reguires more electricity. Do these make us happy? Do we understand the correlation with the need for more power that pollutes the air we breathe and affects the overall climate of our planet? Does the small amount that we each use cause any real harm? Multiply that by all of us and, yes, it makes a big difference.

Less consuming with more awareness. That could be a wonderful goal at this time.