Observation leads me to believe that vegetation is connected to morphic fields that are also influenced by atmospheric phenomena

• The concept of morphic fields—introduced by Rupert Sheldrake—proposes that natural systems (like plants and animals) are guided by "fields" that influence their growth, form, and behaviors.

• In plant biology, these fields are sometimes described as morphogenetic fields: invisible fields that guide the development and structure of a plant, similar to how magnetic fields organize iron filings.

• The theory claims that morphic fields have both spatial and temporal properties, allowing similar forms or habits to recur and become habitual in nature. They act as organizing templates, and proponents suggest that changes or new habits developed by one group can influence others through a process called "morphic resonance"123.

• While morphic fields remain a minority viewpoint within mainstream biology, they are discussed in some developmental biology circles. Most conventional plant scientists attribute plant structure and adaptation to genetic and environmental interactions rather than non-physical fields124.

• There is currently limited empirical evidence for morphic fields, and the scientific community generally regards the theory as speculative. Mainstream developmental biology relies on gene regulation, cell signaling, and environmental feedback mechanisms to explain plant morphogenesis124.

• : There is robust scientific evidence that vegetation and atmospheric phenomena are interconnected through physical and biogeochemical feedback loops:

  • Plants influence local weather and climate by releasing water vapor (transpiration), regulating temperature, and altering surface energy and atmospheric turbulence56789.

  • Vegetation impacts boundary layer height, humidity, rainfall patterns, and even global climate systems through phenomena like roughness-induced turbulence and biosphere-radiation feedbacks56.

• : The relationship is two-way—atmospheric events such as rainfall and temperature shifts impact plant growth, stress, and reproduction67. Conversely, shifts in vegetation cover and activity can result in measurable changes in local and regional climate systems.

• Most proponents of morphic fields suggest that these fields are sensitive to environmental conditions, implying a possible indirect influence by atmospheric phenomena (since plant growth, habits, and community patterns are affected by weather and climate)12.

• However, mainstream ecological and climatological science explains vegetation’s responsiveness to atmospheric change through well-understood physiological and environmental mechanisms like transpiration, heat exchange, and hormone signaling—not through morphic fields56789.

Concept	Mainstream Science View	Morphic Field Theory View	Evidence Level
Vegetation↔Atmosphere	Direct, bidirectional (well-documented)	Indirect (via field influence)	Strong for direct link, speculative for fields567
Morphic Fields↔Atmosphere	Not recognized/accepted	Possible influence via resonance & habit	Speculative124
Plant Development Factors	Genes, environment, physiological cues	Genes + morphic field patterns	Strong for mainstream124

• Interaction between vegetation and atmospheric phenomena is well-documented, with physical, physiological, and chemical processes modulating weather and climate at multiple scales56789.

• The idea that morphic fields connect and coordinate plants, potentially being influenced by atmospheric changes, is an intriguing but speculative hypothesis with limited empirical support12.

• Most scientific explanations for plant-environment feedbacks do not require morphic fields, relying instead on physical and biological mechanisms.

: There is strong scientific consensus on the mutual influence between vegetation and atmospheric phenomena. The concept of morphic fields stands as an alternative hypothesis but is not widely accepted or evidenced in plant science and atmospheric research125.

1. https://www.sheldrake.org/research/morphic-resonance/introduction
2. https://www.sheldrake.org/files/pdfs/papers/Morphic-Fields.pdf
3. https://www.tamera.org/morphogenetic-field/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33751607/
5. https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2017/05/30/vegetation-can-strongly-alter-climate-and-weather-study-finds/
6. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11829326/
7. https://shareok.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/edd8d2c0-d704-4254-9285-2b6c477872a1/content
8. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0309133307079055
9. https://sustainability.stanford.edu/news/how-vegetation-alters-climate
10. https://footnotes2plato.com/2010/06/30/rupert-sheldrake-and-morphic-fields-at-schumacher/
11. https://discworld.fandom.com/wiki/Morphic_field
12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrIlWrGe4w4
13. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1550830710000820
14. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEE3T5Lv9zU
15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Sheldrake
16. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33903061/
17. https://www.essentiafoundation.org/morphic-fields-natures-hidden-memory/seeing/
18. https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2016JG003608
19. https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/21/3251/2024/
20. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X22006239