In this episode, we welcome Rupert Sheldrake – biologist, author of over a hundred scientific papers and fifteen books, and one of the most original and influential thinkers in contemporary science. Educated at Cambridge and Harvard, and listed among the world’s most spiritually influential people for twelve consecutive years, Sheldrake is known for pioneering and provocative research on morphic fields, telepathy, and the re-enchantment of nature. Our conversation with him explores his critique of mechanistic science, his research on human and animal telepathy, the role of spiritual practices such as meditation, gratitude, ritual, and pilgrimage, and the formative influence of his years in India. Together, we discuss how science might evolve by embracing openness, lived experience, and wisdom traditions—inviting a more holistic and interconnected understanding of life.

00:01:15 – Origins of Morphic Fields

00:04:24 – Morphic Fields and Re-Enchantment

00:06:08 – Telepathy in Animals

00:10:31 – The “Science Delusion” Explained

00:14:46 – Morphic Fields and Other Fields

00:15:23 – Why Science Lost Interest in the Unexplained

00:20:13 – Seven Spiritual Practices

00:27:45 – Influence of India on Your Thinking

00:31:03 – Integrating Spiritual Practice into Research

00:33:50 – Pilgrimage as Research Practice

00:37:15 – Coincidences, Synchronicity and Guidance

00:40:08 – Reflective and Hermeneutic Research

00:41:41 – Wish List for the Future of Science

Literature:  

• Sheldrake, R. (2017): Science and Spiritual Practices. Reconnecting through direct experience. Coronet Books. 
• Sheldrake, R. (2012): The Science Delusion: Freeing the spirit of enquiry. London: Coronet Books. 
• Sheldrake, R. (1999): Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home. New York: Crown. 
• Sheldrake, R. (1988): The Presence of the Past: morphic resonance and the habits of nature, New York: Times Books 
• Sheldrake, R. (1981): A New Science of Life: the hypothesis of formative causation Los Angeles: J.P. Tarcher.