Editing Rupert Sheldrake (section)

{{Short description|English author and parapsychological researcher}}
{{about|Rupert Sheldrake and his theory of morphic fields|the concept in developmental biology|Morphogenetic field}}
{{Pp-protected|reason=Persistent [[WP:Disruptive editing|disruptive editing]] - restoring indefinite semi that was overridden by timed full protection.|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = {{center|Rupert Sheldrake}}
| image              = Sheldrake TASC2008.JPG
| image_size         = 
| alt                = 
| caption            = Sheldrake in 2008
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1942|6|28|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [[Newark-on-Trent]], Nottinghamshire, England<ref name=bio-anglican/>
| nationality        = British
| education          = [[Clare College, Cambridge]] ([[MA (Oxon)|MA]])<br />[[Harvard University]]<br />[[University of Cambridge]] ([[PhD]])
| employer           = The [[Perrott-Warrick Fund]] (2005–2010)
| occupation         = Researcher, author, critic
| years_active       = 
| awards             = 
| spouse             = [[Jill Purce]]
| children           = [[Cosmo Sheldrake]]<br>[[Merlin Sheldrake]]
| website            = [https://www.sheldrake.org/ www.sheldrake.org]
}}
'''Alfred Rupert Sheldrake''' (born 28 June 1942) is an English author and [[parapsychology]] researcher. He proposed the concept of morphic resonance,<ref name=TimAdams/><ref name=whitfield/> a conjecture that lacks mainstream acceptance and has been widely criticized as [[pseudoscience]].<ref name="PracontalPseudoscience2001">{{cite book |last1=Pracontal |first1=Michel de |title=L'imposture scientifique en dix leçons : édition du troisième millénaire |date=2001 |publisher=Editions La Découverte |location=Paris |isbn=2-7071-3293-4}}</ref><ref name="KaufmannMIT">{{cite book |last1=Kaufmann |first1=Allison B. |last2=Kaufmann |first2=James C. |editor-first1=Allison B |editor-first2=James C |editor-last1=Kaufman |editor-last2=Kaufman |title=Pseudoscience: The Conspiracy Against Science |publisher=MIT Press |date=2018 |doi=10.7551/mitpress/10747.001.0001 |isbn=9780262344814 |s2cid=240203967 |url=https://direct.mit.edu/books/book/3620/ |access-date=19 November 2022}}</ref><ref name="Hassani2015Smokescreen">{{cite news |last1=Hassani |first1=Sadri |title='Post-Materialist' Science? A Smokescreen for Woo |work=Skeptical Inquirer|url=https://skepticalinquirer.org/2015/09/post-materialist-science-a-smokescreen-for-woo/ |access-date=19 November 2022 |date=1 September 2015}}</ref><ref name="Maddox 1981"/><ref name="Blancke2017">{{cite journal |last1=Blancke |first1=Stefaan |last2=Boudry |first2=Maarten |last3=Pigliucci |first3=Massimo |title=Why Do Irrational Beliefs Mimic Science? The Cultural Evolution of Pseudoscience: Cultural evolution of pseudoscience |journal=Theoria |date=February 2017 |volume=83 |issue=1 |pages=78–97 |doi=10.1111/theo.12109|s2cid=151706584 |url=https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/8500702/file/8500704 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> He has worked as a biochemist at [[Cambridge University]], a [[Harvard]] scholar, a researcher at the [[Royal Society]], and a [[plant physiologist]] for [[International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics|ICRISAT]] in India.<ref name=TimAdams/><ref name=chaos/>

Other work by Sheldrake encompasses paranormal subjects such as [[precognition]], [[empirical research]] into [[telepathy]], and the [[psychic staring effect]].<ref name=hood/><ref name=MarksColwell/> He has been described as a [[New Age]] author.<ref name="Guardian holistic"/><ref name=gunther/><ref name=frazier/>

Sheldrake's morphic resonance posits that "memory is inherent in nature"<ref name=TimAdams/><ref name=presencepast/> and that "natural systems&nbsp;... inherit a collective memory from all previous things of their kind."<ref name=presencepast/> Sheldrake proposes that it is also responsible for "telepathy-type interconnections between organisms."<ref name=bio2/><ref name=hood/> His advocacy of the idea offers idiosyncratic explanations of standard subjects in biology such as [[biological development|development]], [[biological inheritance|inheritance]], and memory.

Critics cite a lack of evidence for morphic resonance and inconsistencies between its tenets and data from genetics, embryology, neuroscience, and biochemistry. They also express concern that popular attention paid to Sheldrake's books and public appearances undermines the public's understanding of science.{{efn|Sources:
* pseudoscience<ref name=gardner/><ref name=sharma/><ref name=samuel/><ref name="Maddox 1981"/><ref name=rose/><ref name=impostures/><ref name="Jones"/><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/115533/rupert-sheldrake-fools-bbc-deepak-chopra |magazine=The New Republic |title=Pseudoscientist Rupert Sheldrake Is Not Being Persecuted, And Is Not Like Galileo |last=Coyne |first=Jerry A. | author-link = Jerry Coyne|date=8 November 2013}}</ref>
* lack of evidence<ref name=hood/><ref name="Blackmore 2009"/><ref name=Rutherford/><ref name=sciam/><ref name="Rose 1988"/>
* inconsistency with data from genetics and embryology<ref name="Wolpert 1984"/>
* inconsistency with consensus in neuroscience and biochemistry<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shermer |first1=Michael |author-link=Michael Shermer |title=Rupert's Resonance |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ruperts-resonance/ |access-date=6 March 2019 |date=1 November 2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Horgan |first1=John |author-link=John Horgan (journalist) |title=Scientific Heretic Rupert Sheldrake on Morphic Fields, Psychic Dogs and Other Mysteries |url=https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/scientific-heretic-rupert-sheldrake-on-morphic-fields-psychic-dogs-and-other-mysteries/ |access-date=6 March 2019 |work=Scientific American Blog Network }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Leviton |first1=Mark |title=Wrong Turn |url=https://www.thesunmagazine.org/issues/446/wrong-turn |access-date=6 March 2019 |work=The Sun Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sheldrake-Shermer, Materialism in Science, Opening Statements |url=https://thebestschools.org/sheldrake-shermer-materialism-in-science-opening-statements/ |website=TheBestSchools.org |access-date=6 March 2019 |date=1 May 2015}}</ref>
* undermines the public's understanding of science<ref name=whitfield/><ref name="Maddox 1981"/><ref name=rose/><ref name=Rutherford/>
}}