ByQuotes

Rupert Sheldrake Quotes

Powerful Rupert Sheldrake for Daily Growth

About Rupert Sheldrake

Rupert Sheldrake (born June 28, 1942) is a British biologist, author, and pioneer in the field of morphic resonance, a controversial concept that suggests patterns in nature have collective memory and influence future instances of similar events or phenomena. Born in East Sussex, England, Sheldrake grew up in an intellectual environment. His father was the historian Victor Saxton Sheldrake and his mother was the author Frances Alice (Penny) Sheldrake. Rupert attended Sherborne School, where he developed a deep interest in science. He later studied natural sciences at Cambridge University, earning a scholarship to study philosophy at Harvard University. Sheldrake's career as a biologist began with research on the development of patterns in cells and embryos, first at Cambridge and then at the Biological Research Laboratory in Seattle. In 1967, he joined the Institute of Ecology and Resource Management in Delhi, India, where he conducted field research on the ecology of forests and wildlife. In 1970, Sheldrake moved to London to study the physiology of plants at the International Institute for Advanced Study. It was during this time that he began to develop his theory of morphic resonance, based on his observations of seemingly telepathic connections between plants and their seeds. Sheldrake's first book, "A New Science of Life: The Hypothesis of Morphic Resonance," published in 1981, presented this controversial idea to a wider audience. Since then, he has written numerous books exploring various aspects of this theory, including "The Presence of the Past" (1988), "Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home" (1999), and "Seven Experiments that Could Change the World" (2013). Sheldrake's work has been both celebrated and criticized, with many scientists viewing his ideas as unscientific or pseudoscientific. However, he continues to be a prolific writer and speaker, challenging conventional scientific thinking and advocating for a more holistic understanding of the natural world.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"A new science of the living world should be based on a holistic view, acknowledging the intrinsic wholeness and organization of living systems at every level."

Rupert Sheldrake's quote emphasizes the importance of viewing life and its phenomena as interconnected wholes, rather than reductionist, compartmentalized perspectives. He suggests that this holistic approach should form the basis for future scientific exploration of the living world, acknowledging self-organization and inherent structure at all levels – from cells to ecosystems – as fundamental principles in understanding life.

"The past is not dead, it is very much alive, and it is influencing the present." - Morphic Resonance

Rupert Sheldrake's quote suggests that the past continues to have an impact on the present through a phenomenon he calls "morphic resonance." This idea proposes that the collective memory of a species, or even the world, can influence the behaviors and experiences of individuals in the present. Essentially, this theory implies that patterns from the past are not entirely forgotten, but instead, they resonate and shape current events and circumstances. In other words, history repeats itself not solely because we learn from it, but because it leaves an imprint or "morphic field" on the present.

"Things influence each other through being like each other, in a way that doesn't require any known interaction between them at all." - Morphic Resonance

Rupert Sheldrake's concept of "Morphic Resonance" suggests that patterns of behavior or structure in one system can influence similar systems, even if they are not directly interacting with each other. This idea posits that these influences occur because like systems have a collective memory or field that can be tapped into. It implies that the universe may be interconnected on deeper levels beyond what we currently understand. The quote emphasizes this idea of influence between similar things without the need for direct interaction, which challenges traditional scientific assumptions about causality and suggests a more holistic view of our connectedness to the world around us.

"We are here to awaken from our trance, to realize our place in the wider circle of life, and to live our lives with joy, wonder, and fulfillment."

Rupert Sheldrake suggests that we are living in a state of unconsciousness or "trance," disconnected from the larger web of life around us. The purpose of our existence, according to this quote, is to break free from this trance, becoming aware of our place within the broader ecosystem of life and embracing it with joy, wonder, and fulfillment. In other words, Sheldrake encourages us to wake up, recognize our interconnectedness, and live our lives with a sense of curiosity and purpose.

"Memories are not stored as images or traces in neurons but as patterns of orderly organization in the network of relationships between them." - Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home

Rupert Sheldrake's quote suggests that memories are not physical entities located within individual neurons, but rather dynamic patterns or structures that emerge from the complex interconnections and organization of these neurons as a network. In the context of his book "Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home," this interpretation highlights Sheldrake's theory of 'morphic resonance,' where memories can be influenced by collective consciousness or fields of information shared between organisms, such as dogs sensing their owner's return. In essence, the quote implies that our brains form and retain memories not just through isolated neuronal activity, but also due to the intricate web of relationships between these neural networks.

I have been a scientist for more than 40 years, having studied at Cambridge and Harvard. I researched and taught at Cambridge University, was a research fellow of the Royal Society, and have more than 80 publications in peer-reviewed journals. I am strongly pro-science.

- Rupert Sheldrake

University, Been, Scientist, Publications

The simplest and cheapest of all reforms within institutional science is to switch from the passive to the active voice in writing about science.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Voice, Within, Simplest, Passive

All research scientists know that writing in the passive voice is artificial; they are not disembodied observers, but people doing research.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Voice, People, Doing, Passive

The facts of science are real enough, and so are the techniques that scientists use, and so are the technologies based on them. But the belief system that governs conventional scientific thinking is an act of faith.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Scientific, Use, Based, Governs

Because a truly skeptical position would be a very uncertain one.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Because, Very, Would, Skeptical

The sciences are being held back by assumptions that have hardened into dogmas, maintained by powerful taboos. I believe that the sciences will be regenerated when they are set free.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Will, Set, Held, Maintained

Right now, any opinion anyone has about whether dogs can or cannot really tell when their owner is coming home by some unknown means... nobody knows. The weight of evi dence suggests they can.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Tell, Some, About, Coming Home

Of the seven experiments, the ones that have been most investigated so far have been the pets. The dogs who know when their masters for coming home, and the sense of being stared at.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Experiments, Been, Pets, Coming Home

I learnt about plants from my father, who was a herbalist and an amateur microscopist.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Father, Plants, About, Learnt

Most of nature is inherently chaotic. It's not rigidly determined in the old sense. It's not rigidly predictable.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Nature, Predictable, Most, Chaotic

In both religion and science, some people are dishonest, exploitative, incompetent and exhibit other human failings.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Some, Other, Exploitative, Exhibit

Now the whole point about machines is they are designed not to be random. When you call up a word processing program on your computer, you don't want it to be different every time you call it up. You want it to stay the same.

- Rupert Sheldrake

About, Whole, Program, Machines

I think that the 'laws of nature' are also prone to evolve; I think they are more like habits than laws.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Think, Habits, I Think, Prone

To describe the overwhelming life of a tropical forest just in terms of inert biochemistry and DNA didn't seem to give a very full picture of the world.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Forest, Give, Very, Overwhelming

Contemporary science is based on the philosophy of materialism, which claims that all reality is material or physical.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Contemporary, Which, Based, Materialism

For more than 200 years, materialists have promised that science will eventually explain everything in terms of physics and chemistry. Believers are sustained by the faith that scientific discoveries will justify their beliefs.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Chemistry, Will, Explain, Discoveries

I went through the standard scientific atheist phase when I was about 14. I bought into that package deal of science equals atheism.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Through, Phase, Standard, Atheist

Bad religion is arrogant, self-righteous, dogmatic and intolerant. And so is bad science. But unlike religious fundamentalists, scientific fundamentalists do not realize that their opinions are based on faith. They think they know the truth.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Think, Religious, Based, Realize

Science at its best is an open-minded method of inquiry, not a belief system.

- Rupert Sheldrake

System, Inquiry, Method, Open-Minded

There's a certain kind of scepticism that can't bear uncertainty.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Uncertainty, Kind, Certain, Bear

Physics is based on the assumption that certain fundamental features of nature are constant.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Constant, Based, Features, Physics

I still say the 'Lord's Prayer' every day. It covers a lot of ground in our relation to the world.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Every Day, Lord, Still, Covers

The idea is that there is a kind of memory in nature. Each kind of thing has a collective memory. So, take a squirrel living in New York now. That squirrel is being influenced by all past squirrels.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Memory, New, Living, York

I'm talking about science on the leading edge, where it's not clear which way things are going be cause we don't know, and I'm dealing with areas which we don't know about.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Dealing, Going, Which, Edge

I do vote but I don't think that any political party represents my point of view.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Political, Think, Any, Point Of View

I think hard work is what gets most people to the top.

- Rupert Sheldrake

Think, I Think, Most, Hard Work

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.