🌚 Random Number Generators, Coherence & Collective Change 🌀
What do random number generators have to do with collective consciousness & physical transformation?
Happy New Moon y’all! Random number generators have been on the mind. Why, you might ask? A few days ago I found about the Princeton Global Consciousness Project — and it’s completely blowing my mind. From their words, the research project is:
TLDR- They study physical random number generators all over the world and track the moments in time when those random number generators become…not so random…perhaps, subtly structured…even synchronized, At a level of probability that’s extremely low. You know, something in the one in a trillion odds low.
Well, turns out that over the past 15 years, several global events have triggered synchronization across random number generators, like new years celebrations, a 40k+ group meditation in India, natural disasters, and more. What they found is that large events that promote group heart coherence - think, group attention and emotion amplification of compassion, celebration, love and joy, make the random number generators….not random. Even Synchronized. But it’s not every big collective global event that triggers this synchronization. For example, political elections or sports team matches don’t trigger any deviation from randomness.
The implications of this is…powerful. Essentially, the Global Consciousness Project hypothesizes that:
Emergence is a term used in systems theory to describe how complex systems develop properties that aren't present in individual components but arise from their interactions. Global coherence often emerges when local interactions align to create system-wide patterns - like how individual neurons create consciousness, or how individual actors unify their heart-minds to possibly affect physical systems.
Seven years ago I was living in Denmark studying Positive Psychology. I wrote one of my favorite papers that fall: “The Interaction Between Group Flow, The Collaborative Community Model and Subjective Well Being”. This paper was the emergence of three areas of interest I was fascinated by: Flow State, Systems Theory and Psychological Flourishing. It turned out that these three topics were talking to each other in ways I was just starting to tune into, and feeling VERY inspired by. But in some ways, it the notion was not new: healthy communities that sync with each other create remarkable wellbeing within themselves, each other and all beings on earth.
In a stroke of luck, I was able to access that paper on my old college email. I’d like to share some snippets with you, as there are some underlying themes here that are remarkably linked to the basis of this research.
1. Systems Theory and Synergy:
"The definition of a social system, adapted from Complexity Labs, is a set of people with roles and their set of relations through which they act interdependently, carrying out some collective function... The type of process in systems that is most important to highlight is 'synergy', which is some interaction or cooperation between two or more actors that produce a combined 'effect' that is greater than just the addition of their separate effects."
Ok, so individual components create system-wide properties…
2. Differentiation and Integration Process:
"So, for synergy to occur, two different processes need to happen: differentiation and integration. Differentiation refers to occupying different functions concerning each other... However, these skills have to be reintegrated toward carrying out some collective function, otherwise, there would be no interaction between actors."
This is the mechanism behind how coherent group consciousness might emerge from individual contributions.
3. Flow and Collective Function:
"Without flow, where one's complete attention goes into an activity for optimal functioning and the challenges are congruent with one's skills, one cannot build on that skill... Individuals in a system need to differentiate their functions, and flow facilitates this skill."
This connects individual flow states to collective coherence - showing how personal optimal experience contributes to group synchronization. And connecting that to the Global Consciousness Project, the effects could be widespread and physical.
Research Evidence Sections:
4. Supportive vs. Conflictual Interactions:
"Research points to a link between psychological effects and positive versus negative synergies, or supportive versus conflictual interactions... both supportive and conflictual interaction had a similar magnitude of effect with psychological distress while their influences on psychological distress were opposed."
This supports the GCP observation that not all major events trigger synchronization - only those involving compassion, celebration, and unity rather than conflict.
5. Flow and Place Identity Study:
"Using a sample of 287 residents of Greece and Italy, researchers found that involving oneself in activities that bring people to flow states in specific places contributed to their sense of not only individual but the social identity of that place... strongly reflecting their original hypothesis."
This provides empirical backing for how shared flow experiences create collective identity and belonging.
Finally, I end my paper with a Carl Sagan Quote:
"The beauty of a living thing is not the atoms that go into it, but the way those atoms are put together... To understand how systems work collaboratively, we have to focus on how the parts work together to create a cohesive whole, adding something more than just the parts combined."
If you actually want to read the full paper and nerd out with me you can find it here. It’s crazy to think that 7 years before I even knew about the Global Consciousness Project, I was laying a theoretical framework for understanding this research which would later connect to something as expansive as global consciousness. And the implications could be profound.
If group coherence can affect physical systems, it suggests group healing modalities, collective meditation, and community-based interventions might have effects we haven't fully measured yet scientifically, but many indigenous cultures and spiritual/wisdom lineages have known since time immemorial. And it explains why on an individual level I have had so much resistance to going back to school for traditional 1:1 talk therapy training. 😜
Of course, this is just one domain. Think about the power of sociopolitical movements if we designed for attention and emotion to synchronize in heart-based ways. I’m thinking the prayers cast by the Standing Rock water protectors, the poetry and songs protecting the summit of Mauna Kea, meditation or dance flash mobs, public benefit music festivals, drumming circles and busking, group vigils and collective mourning, peace walks — the manifestations are endless.
Even being here at Vallecitos Retreat Center, I notice synchronization with my nervous system, the land and the guests on retreat. In “The Eternal Song”, the film I mentioned in my last newsletter, one of the indigenous elders said something along the lines of…the land is also our nervous system. Even when I enter a group meditation with folks who have been in silence for days on end, the energy is PALPABLE. Their quality of silence and clarity helps me land in a much deeper way. I even notice a shift in energy since we’ve been on teacher’s retreat with so many depthful practitioners on the land.
Yesterday the staff members at Vallecitos were able to talk to a local ecologist and deepen our knowledge of the land in various ways. I learned about how to ask for permission from a plant to forage, I learned that the new growth on spruce tips go great in salads, how fragile and diverse the ecosystem here is - I could write multiple essays just on this topic. But what I found beautiful was right after our convening, as we were walking back to the main cabin, there was a beautiful full rainbow crossing the entire meadow. Rainbows to me have always been an affirmation from the universe and a connection to a greater purpose. Could it be that us becoming more in group sync with the land affected the physical emanation of the rainbow? I genuinely don’t know, but it did feel special and connected.
My hunch is that more we engage in group coherence where the emergence is an outcome so irresistible we can’t help but transform as a person, as a collective, as a world. And this becomes a virtuous cycle, spiraling out goodness in ways that are enjoyable, even infectious.
We probably can’t use group coherence as our one and only strategy given the state of the world. There are real situations that call for push back, strategic resistance. But notice the word strategic.
Even with resistance efforts, if we follow the pareto principle that 20% of causes produce 80% of effects, and draw upon the teachings of martial arts, chiropractic work and systems theory, often times we have to strategize about finding the leverage, tipping or weak point in a system where our minimal effort (the 20% input) has maximum impact (80% output) instead of exhausting our energy (that 80% in) to get less than 20% out, or more resistance in exchange.
What emerges from connecting these dots - the Global Consciousness Project's data, the paper I wrote seven years ago, and real-world examples of group coherence- is both humbling and hopeful. Our capacity for collective coherence isn't just spiritually fulfilling or psychologically beneficial — it could literally influence physical reality. As we face unprecedented global challenges, perhaps our greatest untapped resource isn't new technology or policy that opposes what we don’t want, but our innate ability to synchronize our hearts and minds in service of what we do, in service to something larger than ourselves. My hope is that we'll choose to sync up with goodness intentionally and often, creating the conditions for emergence that could transform not just our communities, but the very fabric of reality itself.
And part of the reason for sending these out on full and new moons is that we can all sync up to something generative, meaningful and connected. Imagine if, right now, you recalled something you were grateful for, and sent a well wish to someone. Now imagine 160 people are doing the same thing with you in the next day or two. What might happen?
I honestly couldn’t end this reflection without sharing a picture I took two days ago of a bee sleeping inside a flower (!!) The bee-flower relationship is a perfect ecological metaphor for synchronized coherence!
Okok one more picture…. I found this butterfly taking a nap on a blade of grass on my morning walk…more cuteness and coherence please 🥹
Recipe
Tomato Harrissa Bisque
Serves 4
This is inspired by a tomato soup I made last week , adding harrissa paste on a whim last minute and really digging it.
Ingredients
Base
2 lbs mixed fresh tomatoes (you can use a variety or stick to what you have)
1 large yellow onion, diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tbsp harissa paste (adjust to taste)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp tomato paste
Liquid & Creaminess
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1.5 cup coconut milk
Flavor Balance
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Garnish
Fresh basil leaves
A drizzle of good olive oil
Crusty bread for serving
Instructions
1. Prepare the Tomatoes
Core and roughly chop the larger tomatoes into 1-inch pieces
Halve the cherry tomatoes
Set aside about 1 cup of the nicest chunks for adding back later
2. Build the Base
Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat
Add diced onion and cook until softened and lightly caramelized, about 8-10 minutes
Add garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant
Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes to deepen the flavor
3. Add Harissa and Spices
Add harissa paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes
Stir constantly for 1-2 minutes to bloom the spices and prevent burning
The mixture should be fragrant and garlicky
4. Add Tomatoes and Simmer
Add the majority of chopped tomatoes (reserving those chunks for later)
Add bay leaf and stock
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes until tomatoes break down
5. Blend Partially
Remove bay leaf
Using an immersion blender, blend about 3/4 of the soup, leaving some texture
Alternatively, carefully transfer half the soup to a regular blender, blend until smooth, then return to pot
6. Add Cream and Balance Flavors
Stir in coconut milk
Add maple syrup to balance acidity
Season with salt and pepper
Add lemon juice and red wine vinegar for tang - taste and adjust harissa, salt, or honey as needed
What’s in Season This Month in Cali:
Resource(s)
Inspired by this new moon’s reflection, here’s some unique and inspiring examples of positive group coherence — some you can even join!
• Gaia Music Collective hosting a group sing-a-long to“Unwritten” by Natasha Beningfield with 90 strangers - just notice how you feel when you watch it….
• The Buddha Shrine in Oakland I was mentioning in my last newsletter, how it initially was to reverse the trash and crime, but it soon attracted Vietnamese immigrants to pray, and now attracts folks of all walks of life to stop, breathe and appreciate their surroundings
• Oakland’s Hella Juneteenth Festival - In their words: “Hella Juneteenth invites the community to gather in celebration of Black freedom, creativity, and legacy—through food, music, art, and collective joy. This year’s celebration features a multi-day schedule filled with intentional, joyful experiences.”
• Deer Park’s Online Gathering to Pray for Peace happening tomorrow! 5:45 am PST
• Buddhist Peace Fellowship presence in DC for the Interfaith Action for Palestine 2025
• In the short film Aloha Aina, poetry and song inspire protection of the Mauna Kea Summit
• American Symphony: A Documentary of musician composing an original symphony which beautifully demonstrates Group Flow and Systems Coherence Principles (my mom couldn’t stop raving about this film when she saw it)
• St. Louis Symphony Free Concert in Forest Park
• Vallecitos Staff going up to the “Icarus Statue” to watch the sun move through that tiny hole, which only happens during the solstice!
From Left to Right: Amanda, Neco, Sophie and Carolyn posing in front of the statue with the sun shining through a small hole and the backdrop of a sunset.
That’s all for now y’all! Thank you for reading this far. It means a lot to be able to share in this way with you. And like usual, this newsletter was and is a labor of love. If sharing goodness in the form of monetary support for this newsletter inspires you, I would be smiling at you like I am in that photo — grateful that we can participate in the flow of synchronized giving and receiving together.