I know, I know, I should have posted this on the 23rd. But 3 + 2 + 6 = 11, and 2 + 0 + 0 +9 = 11, which is 11 11, yet another ‘meaningful’ number, so there you go…
before you hurt yourself by rolling your eyes too violently…
The so-called ‘23 Enigma’ can be traced back to the beliefs of the Discordians, a ridiculous religion of which I am a pope, and to the writings of William Burroughs. The basic idea is that the number 23 is somehow important, meaningful beyond its utility as a numeral. ‘23rdians’, as we are known, are constantly assailed by synchronicities involving the number 23 and find meaning in its bizarre intrusions into our lives.
The number features prominently, and strangely, in the world around us. The 23rd letter of the alphabet, for instance, is ‘W’, which is the only letter with two points pointing down, and three pointing up; each parent contributes 23 chromosomes to DNA, there are 23 vertebrae in the human spine, 23 axioms in Euclid’s geometry, the Knights Templar had 23 Grand Masters, 23 is the first prime number made up of 2 other primes, 2 and 3, and—conclusively I think—not only is David Beckham’s jersey number 23, but so was Michael Jordan’s and, in college, Richard Nixon’s. And I could happily continue listing trivia like this for at least 23 minutes.
I think of the 23 Enigma as an infection of sorts, one that you might catch simply by reading this essay. It overtook my life in 2002. I read about it in a library and as I was driving home, I happened to notice two registration stickers on my windshield: the digits of both added up to 23. So did both halves of my phone number at the time, 887 and 8348. And after that, the infernal number invaded my life; it seems I can no longer glance at a clock without the time being 23 after something, receipt numbers and prices tend to end in 23, the 23rd of the month is often momentous and I never fail to notice mile marker 23 on whatever road I happen to be traversing.
Now, before you hurt yourself by rolling your eyes too violently, I happily admit that there is nothing magical about all this. The world, after all, is chockfull of numbers and some are bound to be 23. My sensitivity to the number causes me to notice it more. There is even a technical word for my neurosis, apophenia, which means, “the experience of seeing patterns in random data”. But the ability to “see patterns in random data” is also a fundamental component of human intelligence and there is something else that should be noted: it doesn’t really matter how my world came to be filled with 23s, the salient fact is simply that it is. By focusing on it, I have brought about real change, at least for me. As an experiment, I once tried to similarly sensitize myself to quarters on the ground and, sure enough, I began to find a lot of quarters. It doesn’t take a genius, fortunately, to see that one’s expectations have a real effect on one’s world. If you’re a racist, for example, you will probably be assailed with good evidence for racial stereotypes and if you’re an optimist you’re likely to experience a lot of things going right, at least for you.
Look around you now – there’s a 23 somewhere; on a clock, perhaps, or on the page of a book, or on your computer screen. Listening to this piece may not have caused that number to appear, but it is there.
By learning to focus, what else might you bring into your life?
Did you like this essay? You’ll love my books!
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Holy shit it’s 11:23 right now! And there is a 23 in the title of this post! *screams and runs*
I blame Michael Jordan for all of this.
I have found a number with even more occurrences, more applications, more spiritual connotations. I guarantee you will see countless instances wherever you look. More than 23 even.
One.
I know, I’m neurotic. But at least I’m harmless. Here’s what a friend of mine had to say on Facebook:
“I went to a class on Jewish civil law in Aspen last week. The Rabbi in charge of the class mentioned that if 23 judges were to all have the same result of guilty than the man was set free. I asked the unrelated question “why the number 23?”. He didn’t know.”
Sorry I was consumed by smartassness in my last comment. There are patterns everywhere and it’s amazing how they readily they emerge once you’ve identified a few instances. Looking at the world this way reveals new connections and allegories.
I am nervous about contagion though. Not long ago I developed the maddening habit of reading the words on every sign backwards to see what nonsense word it made. It took me over a year to stop; it was addictive and scary.
I still do that, and anagrams too.
You overlook another dynamic at play here. The books of Burroughs and more importantly Robert Anton Wilson that popularized the 23 Enigma were widely read by authors and screenwriters. As a consequence, writers have been consciously selecting the number 23 to be included in books, movies, tv shows, advertisements, etc. over the decades since their books were published. So another factor in why we see so many “23’s” is that – at least in popular culture – there really are a lot more “23’s”.
So what started as a exercise in apophenia, is now a reality and a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Agreed.
I have been expereincing this 23 phenomena for twelve years, since November 7th 1997 to be exact. Until last night I did not know there was a ‘23 Enigma’ theory.
The synchronicities during the past twelve years have been profound. Everyone who knows me knows that the number 23 shows up in my life all the time. While I agree that we attract and percieve through our thoughts, words and actions, I also beleive that the universe is communicating with us, using everything within and arround us, because the universe ( Insert whatever word you choose to refer the oness; God, Allah, Jesus, Mohamed, Krishna, The Unified Field, Bhudda, Shiva, ect, here) is all there is.
These synchronicities tend to bring our attention into the NOW, which is where enlightenment exists.
You are absolutley right that any number or word or phrase ect. can become that for you.
I am looking at the Tv right now and Rosetta Stone has a comercial 800 251-6923 advertising learning another language-hmmmm- we are learning another language, the language of the universe, synchronicity, realising that everyhting is connected-now, I just happened to look up at this moment!
Now, when the movie “The Number 23′ came out in February 2003 I of course went to see it. In the movie a young girl is muredered on her 23rd birthday. Carrey’s character visits the girls grave. Her birthdate is February 10th. That is my birthday…..
I could go on and on……
Now having looked at the list of synchronistic 23’s posted on the net there seems to be one that is not listed that was a part of my first expereince of this number when it came into my life on November 7th 1997. PSI is the 23rd letter in the Greek alpabet. The Collins English concise dictionary defines PSI as all harmonious sounds combined. There are 24 letters in the Greek alpahabet. The first letter is Alpha and the last letter is Omega. Alpha/Omega. My only prior reference to Alpha and OMega was the beginning and the end from the book of revelations. The 23 letter PSI is the next to to last.
It is phrophesied in all religions and cultures that we are about to enter and new age, a new era, a new eon, the age of aquarius, the Native American Indians call it the next dream, Bhuddists the next yuga, Christians The Second Coming, whatever term you choose to label/describe this period. One thing they all agree on is that after a period of radical rapid change/cleansing/purification in our MINDS, BODIES & SPIRITS, which will then be reflected in the external world around us, there will be peace and HARMONY, for a period, age, eon ect.
Just looked up again and saw message running at bottom of picture on HLN ‘23 college presidents earn $1 million’
hmmmm….
In Numerology 2 represents earth, 3 represents heaven. Are we in the process of bring heaven on earth? This is the time we come into balance. The old systems are breaking down and causing confusion/chaos. Of course confusin/chaos in just another form of order and order is born out of chaos.
This is simply a preparation for the new systems to come into place. 23 is just one of many poweful synchronistic tools the force of creation is using to help us all wake up and help us let go of our addiction to the external world, the past and the future and come back to our senses, come back to our selves and live in the now, I guess that’s why they cal it the present!
The last letter of the Greek Alphabet is Omega
OM is the combined sound of all existence, the sound of the universe.
Eg in greek means: for example
A is the first letter- the begining
perhaps Omega is not the end it is simply a new beginning.
After a thousand years (if indeed time has any real meaning in the of universal time) of peace and harmony as predicted there will simply be a new begining….perhaps
Hello my name is David i saw the movie 23 when it came out and it is one of my favorite movies, but when i saw it i did’nt know there was a 23 enigma. Now I am very fascinated with the number 23. I have found out many 23 related events on my own and I am only 15.