The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon

Has this ever happened to you? You see something 1 time then all of a sudden you see it again somewhere you wouldn't expect. Then again and again until you start to question yourself asking "Is this divine intervention?" or saying something like "huh, what a coincidence I just saw this not too long ago." If yes, then you have experienced The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon.

For example: For me, when the Transformers movie came out, I couldn't help but notice yellow Camaro's all over the streets. They were always around me, everywhere I went, but I never noticed them until after I saw the movie. I'm not a car enthusiast so I'm not "keeping an eye out" for that hot yellow sports car, yet I still spot the Camaro as if we were attracted to each other! That was 14 years ago!

No one really knows how this phenomenon got its name, in fact, The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon was a group of German militia in the 1970s. Perhaps a soldier in that group repeatedly experienced a repetitious 'coincidence' that enhanced his intuition to understand that our brain is like a computer that recognizes patterns, therefore, said patterns ought to have a name. And what better way to name something you have discovered than the beloved group you are a part of! (This is speculation I could be very wrong.)

This phenomenon is the baby child of 2 other phenomena.

1. The Recency Effect
2. Cognitive Bias

The Recency Effect is the tendency to remember the most recently presented information best. For example, if you are trying to memorize a list of items, the recency effect means you are more likely to recall the items from the list that you studied last.

Cognitive Bias is your belief in seeing this new thing all over the place. It is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms or supports one's prior beliefs or values.

I have a friend who met a girl named Delilah. It was on a Wednesday around midday when he saw her for the first time. A day later, he texted me saying he heard her name over the radio in the Plain White T song "Hey there Delilah." A day after that, he saw some delilah flowers on his way home. Eventually, her name appeared everywhere and he fell in love not knowing he was experiencing The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon.

I'm not making this up guys it really happened!

I remember him telling me they were meant to be, making a big deal out of the little "signs" he believed were specifically tailored for him. But the reality was that he was connecting dots that shouldn't have been connected.

How does it work? Let's dissect my friend's romantic example. The last girl he saw that was apparently his type was Delilah, this here was the appetizer. Next, he established a connection with the Plain White T song, this here was the main course. Followed by the flowers he saw while going home, this was dessert. VOILA DINNER IS SERVED! The man was hungry and only ate the Delilah special which had the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon as its secret ingredient. In other words, he was able to become aware of anything Delilah related because that's what he began to look out for. It was his choice! Deep down it was a personal interest at play he just didn't realize. To him, it was "huh, what a coincidence" and "This divine intervention."

So if you're a little shocked by certain things life keeps unfolding unto you over and over just remember you're the one that CHOSE to look in the first place. You're the one controlling your brain, by your interests, you subconsciously tell it what patterns to create.

Coincidence? I think not.