Blind materialism teaches that all the structures around us emerge from random chance and happenstance. It’s just pure luck that a tree looks like a tree, and a dog looks like a dog.
But this theory has a flaw: none of the information contained in DNA seems to point to living things taking the forms they do. Instead, they seem to use their genes as a tool to fill a sort of world of Platonic forms that’s already there.
At least, that’s the view of independent scientist and researcher, Rupert Sheldrake. He believes the world is full of “morphic fields” – quasi-platonic structures that dictate why human babies grow fingers and dolphins grow fins.
Morphic resonance goes beyond this and suggests that the universe is a sort of habit-forming machine. When something happens somewhere, it is more likely to happen everywhere. That might be why DNA seems to produce humans that look roughly similar, argues Sheldrake, because there’s some sort of invisible communication going on, telling embryos how to develop.
Interestingly, Sheldrake believes this concept goes beyond humans, plants, and animals. He thinks it is an intrinsic property of the universe, something built into the fabric of reality. In his view, it explains why when one group of scientists create a crystal in the laboratory in Mexico, those in South Korea suddenly discover they can do the same (even when they couldn’t before). It’s the universe talking to itself and forming a new habit.
The same principle applies to learning new skills. Once one human discovers calculus, it becomes significantly easier for others to do so. (This might explain why discoveries often arrive in waves instead of being randomly distributed over time).
Do Scientists Believe In Morphic Resonance?
The main complaint about morphic resonance is the lack of evidence of so-called morphic fields. Researchers can’t identify them directly, or so the complaint goes.
However, there is indirect evidence that these fields exist, just as there are for the magnetic and gravitational fields. These structures aren’t visible by themselves. But they can be seen by the shape other objects take in reality.
For example, iron filings will assume the shape of the field lines around a magnet, while a baby will take the shape of a human even though it starts as a single cell.
It could also affect researchers, like Science.bio, coming up with new ideas to do with human biology. Breakthroughs that affect one person might have knock-on effects for another, improving longevity.
This theory means that Sheldrake has been influential across the scientific community. The concept of fields seems as plausible as any other, and it ties in nicely with what the universe already does. All physical forces work through fields, so it isn’t out of the question that other fields might emerge as complexity increases.
The theory might also be testable. For example, you could demonstrate morphic resonance if it turns out that creating new crystals or coming up with ideas is easier for people if the task has already been done somewhere else.
Unfortunately, the whole concept remains outside of the mainstream, so it is unlikely we will get proper science on the topic any time soon.
