Morphic Resonance (1)

Although it is purported to be a science fact, Morphic Resonance is actually a philosophical system of beliefs.  First proposed by Rupert Sheldrake (PhD. Theoretical biologist), Morphic Resonance tries to expounds upon Carl Jung’s concepts of collective memory and collective unconsciousness.  Dr. Sheldrake regards memory to be “similar things influencing similar things.”  His theory builds upon this definition of memory.

            Dr. Sheldrake further defines Morphic Resonance as “the idea of mysterious telepathy-type interconnections between organisms and of collective memories within species.”  He claims that morphs (similar forms) “exchange information within a universal life force.”  (1)  Therefore, cell systems would inherit a collective memory from their ancestors.

            One example that Dr. Sheldrake offers for Morphic Resonance is crossword puzzles.  People who work on the crossword puzzle, published in the morning newspaper, at night solve it faster.  The people who solved the puzzle in the morning and throughout the day add to the morphic field (memory connection) around the puzzle.  Since this field is a part of the universal whole, it will change through the activity of each puzzle solver.  Hence, the evening puzzle solvers will have an easier time, since they tuned into the changing morphic fields later.

            Outside of Dr. Sheldrake, other scientists cannot replicate his results with copying his experiments. (In science, for something to be a fact, it has to be replicated by others under controlled conditions.) Dr. Sheldrake’s response to their criticisms is that that mainstream scientists are skeptics.  He explains that their disbelief dampens the morphic fields.  Their response is to him is consider Dr. Sheldrake a quack.

            Moreover, Dr. Sheldrake has countered the other scientists’ skepticism with his personal philosophy concerning Morphic Resonance.  He says, “Descartes believed the only kind of mind was the conscious mind. Then Freud reinvented the unconscious. Then Jung said it's not just a personal unconscious but a collective unconscious. Morphic resonance shows us that our very souls are connected with those of others and bound up with the world around us.” (2)

            In addition, Dr. Sheldrake lambastes current scientific reasoning.  He says that modern science is based on two things.  First, the “Laws of Nature”, which only reflect mathematical principles, are eternal.  Second, reality is based on atoms that form into different combinations.  These two ideas conjoin into the modern mechanistic view of the universe.  He counters this philosophy with his holistic view which manifests itself in Morphic Resonance.

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