MR

 Morphic resonance is a hypothesis proposed by Rupert Sheldrake that patterns in nature are influenced by similar past patterns through a kind of non-local memory.

In his view:

• Systems inherit form and behavior not only through genes or physical causes
• They also resonate with previous similar systems
• The more often something happens, the easier it becomes for it to happen again

So “like influences like” across time and space.

The core idea in one sentence

Morphic resonance = past patterns influence present patterns through similarity, not physical contact.

Examples Sheldrake often uses

• Rats learning mazes faster after other rats already learned them elsewhere
• Crystals forming more easily once first synthesized
• Animals anticipating owners’ return home
• Telepathy-like experiences in close relationships

He interprets these as:

a field of memory forming around repeated forms or behaviors

He also connects this to morphic fields, which are supposed organizing fields that:

• shape biological form
• guide instinct
• store collective memory
• enable telepathy

Morphic resonance is the process; morphic fields are the structure.

Important: scientific status

Morphic resonance is not accepted in mainstream science because:

• no known physical mechanism
• experimental evidence is disputed or not reproducible
• it conflicts with established biology and neuroscience

So it’s considered a speculative hypothesis, not an established theory.

How it differs from normal memory

• Brain memory: stored in neural connections
• Genetic inheritance: stored in DNA
• Morphic resonance: stored in nature itself, accessed by similarity

That last claim is the controversial part.