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Morphic resonance is a controversial hypothesis proposed by British biologist Rupert Sheldrake, first introduced in his 1981 book A New Science of Life.
🧠 What Is Morphic Resonance?
Morphic resonance suggests that:
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Natural systems (like biological forms, habits, and behaviors) inherit a kind of collective memory from all previous similar systems.
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Once something happens (e.g. a crystal forms, a rat learns a maze), it becomes easier for the same thing to happen again elsewhere, not because of genetics or environmental cues—but because of resonance with a "morphic field".
It’s often summarized as:
"The more often a pattern is repeated, the more likely it is to occur again."
Core ideas:
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Morphic fields: Fields that organize the structure and behavior of systems—biological, physical, mental, or social.
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Non-local influence: These fields operate across space and time, enabling similar forms or behaviors to appear independently.
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Memory in nature: Nature has a form of memory—not stored in the brain or DNA but in the field.
📘 Key Books by Sheldrake:
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A New Science of Life (1981) – Introduces morphic resonance.
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The Presence of the Past (1988) – Explores memory and the idea of habits in nature.
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The Science Delusion (2012; Science Set Free in the US) – Critiques materialist science and includes a defense of morphic resonance.
🔬 Reception & Criticism
Mainstream science:
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Highly critical and dismissive.
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Nature magazine (1981) famously called A New Science of Life “a book for burning.”
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Critics argue:
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It’s untestable or unfalsifiable.
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There’s no mechanism for morphic fields in physics or biology.
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It often appeals to anecdotal or poorly controlled studies.
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Supporters:
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Some parapsychologists, New Age thinkers, and alternative medicine advocates find it appealing.
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It intersects with interests in telepathy, animal instincts, and collective consciousness.
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Sheldrake has argued that science itself is too dogmatic and should be open to bold new ideas.
🧪 Examples Sheldrake Cites:
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Crystal formation: New crystals of a compound become easier to form over time.
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Animal learning: Rats learning a maze in one location supposedly speed up learning for rats elsewhere.
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Biological development: Morphic fields guide embryology beyond what genes can explain.
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Human memory: Suggests memory might not be stored in the brain but accessed via resonance.
🧠 Related Ideas (but not the same):
| Concept | Description |
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| Collective Unconscious (Jung) | Archetypal memory inherited by all humans |
| Epigenetics | Environmental effects on gene expression (actual science) |
| Quantum entanglement | Non-local effects in physics—sometimes (misleadingly) used to justify morphic resonance |
🧩 In Summary
| Pros (to some) | Cons (scientifically) |
|---|---|
| Offers novel perspective on evolution, memory | Lacks empirical evidence or testable mechanism |
| Appeals to holistic, systems thinking | Dismissed as pseudoscience by mainstream biology |
| Explores mysteries of instinct, learning | Fails to explain how morphic fields operate |
If you're curious, I can:
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Summarize specific studies Sheldrake uses as evidence.
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Compare morphic resonance with epigenetics or information theory.
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Show where this idea shows up in science fiction or spirituality.
Would you like a deeper dive into any of those?
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