Rupert Sheldrake

Rupert Sheldrake
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Name	Rupert Sheldrake
Birth date	June 28, 1942
Birth place	Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, England
Nationality	British
Fields	Biochemistry, Biology, Psychology

Rupert Sheldrake is a British biologist and author, known for his work on morphogenetic fields and the concept of morphic resonance. He has written extensively on the topics of parapsychology, psychology, and biology, and has been influenced by the works of Charles Darwin, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, and Carl Jung. Sheldrake's ideas have been met with both interest and criticism from the scientific community, with some notable supporters including Terence McKenna and Deepak Chopra. His work has also been compared to that of James Lovelock, known for his Gaia hypothesis.

Biography

Rupert Sheldrake was born in Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, England, to a family of Anglican clergy. He was educated at Clifton College in Bristol and later studied biochemistry at Cambridge University, where he earned his PhD under the supervision of Nobel laureate Sir Hans Krebs. Sheldrake's early life was influenced by his interest in natural history and philosophy, particularly the works of Aristotle and Immanuel Kant. He has also been influenced by the ideas of Theosophy and the Theosophical Society, founded by Helena Blavatsky and Henry Steel Olcott.

Scientific Career

Sheldrake's scientific career began at Cambridge University, where he worked as a research fellow in the Department of Biochemistry. He later moved to India to work at the Institute of Medical Research in Hyderabad, where he studied the physiology of plants and animals. Sheldrake's work has been influenced by the ideas of Lynn Margulis and her theory of endosymbiosis, as well as the work of Francis Crick and James Watson on the structure of DNA. He has also been interested in the work of Ilya Prigogine and his theory of dissipative structures.

Research and Theories

Sheldrake's research has focused on the concept of morphic resonance and the idea that organisms are connected through a collective unconscious, similar to the concept proposed by Carl Jung. He has also studied the phenomenon of telepathy and the ability of animals to sense and respond to their environment in ways that cannot be explained by conventional physics or biology. Sheldrake's work has been influenced by the ideas of David Bohm and his theory of implicate order, as well as the work of Roger Penrose on the nature of consciousness. He has also been interested in the research of Stanislav Grof and his work on transpersonal psychology.

Criticism and Controversy

Sheldrake's ideas have been met with criticism and controversy from the scientific community, with some notable critics including Richard Dawkins and Stephen Jay Gould. His work has been accused of being pseudoscientific and lacking empirical evidence, and he has been criticized for his views on the nature of science and the scientific method. Sheldrake has also been involved in public debates with skeptics such as James Randi and Michael Shermer, and has been a vocal critic of the skeptical movement. Despite the criticism, Sheldrake's work has also been supported by notable figures such as Nobel laureate Brian Josephson and physicist Amit Goswami.

Publications

Sheldrake has written several books on his ideas, including The Presence of the Past and The Sense of Being Stared At. He has also written articles for publications such as The Guardian and The Times, and has been featured in documentaries such as The Connection and What the Bleep Do We Know!. Sheldrake's work has been translated into many languages, including French, German, and Spanish, and he has been interviewed by media outlets such as BBC Radio and NPR. His books have been praised by authors such as Larry Dossey and Bruce Lipton, and have been compared to the works of Gregg Braden and Daniel Pinchbeck.

Public Life and Media Appearances

Sheldrake has been a prominent figure in public debates on science and spirituality, and has appeared on television shows such as The Colbert Report and The Daily Show. He has also been a guest on radio shows such as Coast to Coast AM and The Alex Jones Show, and has spoken at conferences such as the Bioneers Conference and the Science and Spirituality Conference. Sheldrake's work has been featured in films such as The Living Matrix and The Quantum Activist, and he has been interviewed by journalists such as Daniel Pinchbeck and Graham Hancock. He has also been a vocal critic of the War on Terror and the Iraq War, and has written about the politics of science and the role of science in society.