Morphic Field

[fetus_fajitas]

This whole Morphic Field thing sounds pretty interesting. But this Rupert Sheldrake fellow seems like a Nut.

Anyone here know anything about this guy and his work? I'd like to hear what you guys have to say on the Topic.

 

[Giambattista]

I think I've heard of it. I thought it had a different name, like biomorphic or morphogenetic field. Interesting, but I don't know much about it. It may fit into the discussion I started on precognition. A discussion that morphed into one about alien abduction and hypnotic regression, barely touching on precognition at all.
I had nothing to do with that.

 

[fetus_fajitas]

Yeah these threads have a habit of changing subject...
I've been researching it, but i've not come across much, just wondered if anyone here could give a clear, intelligent explanation or maybe some insight into the practicalities of it

 

[Hercules Rockefeller]

It’s pseudoscience twaddle from first to last. It’s just another attempt to impart some scientific legitimacy to the usual swag of paranormal nonsense like telepathy and the concept of a “life force” that connects all living things past and present. Of course, he’s come up with scientific-sounding terms such as “morphic resonance”.

And I love the intro to his webpage.....

Rupert Sheldrake, one of the world's most innovative biologists, has revolutionised scientific thinking…..

Yes, well, that must be his opinion of himself because in my scientific career to date I have never heard of him and his "revolutionary contributions" (aka crackpot pseudoscience) until this thread!

 

[spuriousmonkey]

I first heard of him when a Dutch public broadcasting organization (VPRO) made a documentary that consisted of one hour interviews on with quite different researchers on the topic of life and evolution. That included for instance S.J. Gould, Daniel dennet and our friend Rupert Sheldrake. It ended with a group discussion with all of them at one table.

I can still remember the despicable look Gould gave Sheldrake when he started blabbing his stuff.

 

[fetus_fajitas]

Yeah thought as much
Well cheers for clearing that up

 

[spuriousmonkey]

morphic field: A field within and around a morphic unit which organizes its characteristic structure and pattern of activity. Morphic fields underlie the form and behaviour of holons or morphic units at all levels of complexity. The term morphic field includes morphogenetic, behavioural, social, cultural, and mental fields. Morphic fields are shaped and stabilized by morphic resonance from previous similar morphic units, which were under the influence of fields of the same kind. They consequently contain a kind of cumulative memory and tend to become increasingly habitual.

gosh...sounds complicated. Holons you say? I think I had one for breakfast.

holon: A whole that can also be part of a larger whole. Holons are organized in multi-levelled nested hierarchies or holarchies. This term, due to Arthur Koestler, is equivalent in meaning to morphic unit (q.v.).

Gosh, I have no clue what he is talking about when I read his explanantion of morphic field. And I took it from the glossary which should explain the word I think.

 

[Hercules Rockefeller]

morphic field: A field within and around a morphic unit which organizes its characteristic structure and pattern of activity. Morphic fields underlie the form and behaviour of holons or morphic units at all levels of complexity. The term morphic field includes morphogenetic, behavioural, social, cultural, and mental fields. Morphic fields are shaped and stabilized by morphic resonance from previous similar morphic units, which were under the influence of fields of the same kind. They consequently contain a kind of cumulative memory and tend to become increasingly habitual.

Oh man!

I didn't proceed far enough into his webpage to get to that sort of stuff. He's even worse than I thought. That passage is completely meaningless! It's nothing but a hotchpotch jumble of unconnected scientific and pseuodscienceifc terms thrown together into a incoherant paragraph. It's purpose is nothing less than to con people who know nothing about biology into believing that he has some sort of insight, thus stimulating the sale of his books to those he has conned.

I hate people who use pseudoscience in this fashion for personal profit.