Source: Morphic Fields, RUPERT SHELDRAKE, Trinity College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK, World Futures, 62: 31–41, 2006.
This podcast explores the concept of morphic fields, which are proposed as invisible organizing patterns that influence the form and behavior of systems in nature. These fields are said to possess an inherent memory and contribute to the formation of habits, impacting everything from the development of organisms (morphogenesis) to collective behaviors and even human learning. The author suggests this idea could help explain phenomena like telepathy and the sense of being stared at, proposing that minds may extend beyond the brain through these perceptual fields.
1. Morphic Fields: These are described as fields within and around systems, where the whole is considered greater than the sum of its parts. They organize systems at various levels, including molecules, cells, organisms, and societies. Different types of morphic fields include morphogenetic fields (shaping development), perceptual and behavioral fields (organizing perception and behavior), social fields (linking members of groups), and mental fields (underlying mental activities). They contain attractors (goals) and chreodes (habitual pathways) that guide a system towards its end state and maintain its integrity.
2. Morphic Resonance: This is the process by which morphic fields inherit a cumulative, collective memory from past similar systems across time and space. It involves a non-local transfer of form or information, not energy, and depends on similarity. This means the more often patterns of activity are repeated, the more habitual they become, influencing subsequent similar systems.
3. Telepathy: The morphic field hypothesis suggests telepathy is an interaction between members of social groups within the morphic field of the group. It is predicted to occur most effectively between strongly bonded individuals (like family members or pets and owners) and is seen as a natural, biological phenomenon, rather than supernatural or paranormal. Experimental evidence is presented, including studies on pets knowing when owners are coming home and experiments on telephone telepathy.
4. The Sense of Being Stared At (Scopesthesia): This phenomenon is explained by perceptual fields, which are types of morphic fields that extend beyond the brain. These fields link the person looking to the object or person being looked at, implying that something can be affected by being looked at. This sense is suggested to be widespread in the animal kingdom and among humans, potentially having adaptive value, and is supported by empirical evidence from experiments.
5. Animal Navigation: The mystery of how animals navigate, such as homing pigeons finding their way from hundreds of miles away, is proposed to be explained by morphic fields. These fields, built through familiarity with a home or area, are hypothesized to connect animals to their destinations, providing a sense of direction. The sources mention preliminary experiments with mobile pigeon lofts yielding promising results.
6. Nature's Habits: The hypothesis of formative causation, which includes morphic fields and morphic resonance, suggests that many of the so-called laws of nature are more like habits. These habits develop and become stronger through repetition over time via morphic resonance. The perspective is that nature is essentially habitual, with the more often patterns are repeated, the more probable they become.
1. What are morphic fields?
Morphic fields are conceptualized as fields within and around self-organizing systems, ranging from molecules and cells to organisms and societies. They represent a holistic organizing principle where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. These fields contain inherent memory, acquired through a process called morphic resonance.