Morphic Resonance · The Nature of Formative Causation by Sheldrake, Rupert -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

TITLE PAGE DEDICATION EPIGRAPH ACKNOWLEDGMENTS PREFACE TO THE 2009 EDITION

This new edition How mechanistic biology has revealed its own limitations The evolution of development Epigenetics Morphogenetic and morphic fields The relationship of morphic fields to modern physics Experimental tests A new way of doing science Controversies

INTRODUCTION 1 THE UNSOLVED PROBLEMS OF BIOLOGY

1.1 The background of success 1.2 The problems of morphogenesis 1.3 Behavior 1.4 Evolution 1.5 The origin of life 1.6 Minds 1.7 Parapsychology 1.8 Conclusions

2 THREE THEORIES OF MORPHOGENESIS

2.1 Descriptive and experimental research 2.2 Mechanism 2.3 Vitalism 2.4 Organicism

3 THE CAUSES OF FORM

3.1 The problem of form 3.2 Form and energy 3.3 The structures of crystals 3.4 The structures of proteins 3.5 Formative causation

4 MORPHOGENETIC FIELDS

4.1 Morphogenetic germs 4.2 Chemical morphogenesis 4.3 Morphogenetic fields as “probability structures” 4.4 Probabilistic processes in biological morphogenesis 4.5 Morphogenetic germs in biological systems

5 THE INFLUENCE OF PAST FORMS

5.1 The constancy and repetition of forms 5.2 The general possibility of trans-temporal causal connections 5.3 Morphic resonance 5.4 The influence of the past 5.5 Implications of an attenuated morphic resonance 5.6 An experimental test with crystals

6 FORMATIVE CAUSATION AND MORPHOGENESIS

6.1 Sequential morphogeneses 6.2 The polarity of morphogenetic fields 6.3 The size of morphogenetic fields 6.4 The increasing specificity of morphic resonance during morphogenesis 6.5 The maintenance and stability of forms 6.6 A note on physical “dualism” 6.7 A summary of the hypothesis of formative causation

7 THE INHERITANCE OF FORM

7.1 Genetics and heredity 7.2 Altered morphogenetic germs 7.3 Altered pathways of morphogenesis 7.4 Dominance 7.5 Family resemblances 7.6 Environmental influences and morphic resonance 7.7 The inheritance of acquired characteristics 7.8 Epigenetic inheritance 7.9 Experiments with phenocopies

8 THE EVOLUTION OF BIOLOGICAL FORMS

8.1 The neo-Darwinian theory of evolution 8.2 Mutations 8.3 The divergence of chreodes 8.4 The suppression of chreodes 8.5 The repetition of chreodes 8.6 The influence of other species 8.7 The origin of new forms

9 MOVEMENTS AND BEHAVIORAL FIELDS

9.1 Introduction 9.2 The movements of plants 9.3 Amoeboid movement 9.4 The repetitive morphogenesis of specialized structures 9.5 Nervous systems 9.6 Morphogenetic fields, motor fields, and behavioral fields 9.7 Behavioral fields and the senses 9.8 Regulation and regeneration 9.9 Morphic fields

10 INSTINCT AND LEARNING

10.1 The influence of past actions 10.2 Instinct 10.3 Sign stimuli 10.4 Learning 10.5 Innate tendencies to learn

11 THE INHERITANCE AND EVOLUTION OF BEHAVIOR

11.1 The inheritance of behavior 11.2 Morphic resonance and behavior: an experimental test 11.3 The evolution of behavior 11.4 Human behavior

12 FOUR POSSIBLE CONCLUSIONS

12.1 The hypothesis of formative causation 12.2 Modified materialism 12.3 The conscious self 12.4 The creative universe 12.5 Transcendent reality

APPENDIX A: NEW TESTS FOR MORPHIC RESONANCE

A.1 Bose-Einstein condensates A.2 Melting points A.3 Crystal transformations A.4 Adaptations in cell cultures A.5 Heat tolerance in plants A.6 The transmission of aversion A.7 The evolution of animal behavior A.8 Collective human memory A.9 Improving human performance A.10 Resonant computers

APPENDIX B: MORPHIC FIELDS AND THE IMPLICATE ORDER—A DIALOGUE WITH DAVID BOHM ENDNOTES BIBLIOGRAPHY ABOUT THE AUTHOR ABOUT INNER TRADITIONS • BEAR & COMPANY COPYRIGHT & PERMISSIONS