God is consciousness | Rupert Sheldrake on panpsychism and spirituality

Episode Overview

• Biologist Rupert Sheldrake challenges the modern scientific view that separates the natural world from the spiritual, arguing this "supernatural" category is an artificial and misleading construct from the 17th century.
• He proposes that consciousness is not confined to individual brains but is a universal field, using the metaphor of a single moon reflected in countless buckets of water to illustrate how individual minds reflect a greater consciousness.
• Sheldrake discusses how direct, personal experience—through spiritual practices, connection with nature, or even psychedelics—is the true foundation of spirituality, rather than adherence to doctrine or belief systems.
• He introduces his theory of "morphic resonance," suggesting that nature has an inherent memory and that rituals, habits, and even the laws of nature are influenced by the repetition of patterns over time.

Key Concepts

• The Supernatural/Natural Split: Sheldrake argues that the 17th-century scientific revolution created an artificial divide, relegating God, spirits, and consciousness to a "supernatural" realm separate from the "natural," mechanical world studied by science. He advocates for dissolving this split.
• Universal Consciousness: The idea that there is one universal consciousness, and our individual conscious minds are like reflections of it. This challenges the materialistic view that consciousness is merely a byproduct of brain activity.
• Spiritual Practices as Gateways: Activities such as meditation, connecting with nature, sports, and rituals are practical methods for quieting the discursive mind, entering the present moment, and experiencing a connection to a consciousness greater than oneself.
• Direct Experience vs. Dogma: The core of spirituality is rooted in direct, conscious experience (e.g., mystical experiences, NDEs), which forms the basis for religious traditions. The doctrines and beliefs are secondary interpretations of these primary experiences.
• Morphic Resonance: Sheldrake's hypothesis that nature has a form of memory. Similar patterns of activity (from crystal formation to animal behavior to human rituals) resonate across time, making them more likely to recur. This suggests that the past is present in every moment.

Quotes

• At 00:00 - "If you're at night looking at the moon reflected in buckets of water, you can have hundreds of buckets of water and see hundreds of reflections of the moon... actually, it's just one moon reflected in all these different buckets. In the same way, there's one consciousness reflected in all our conscious minds." - Explaining his model of universal consciousness versus individual minds.
• At 00:55 - "The first step in rediscovering God is to drop the concept of the supernatural, because the supernatural implies it's somewhere out there, different and separate, whereas I think the divine, or the world of the spirit, is actually... permeates all nature and is part of nature." - Arguing for an integrated worldview where the divine is inherent in the natural world.
• At 11:59 - "I think all these rituals work through morphic resonance, from the accumulated performance of these rituals by countless people in the past." - Connecting his scientific theory of morphic resonance to the perceived power and efficacy of ancient religious rituals.

Takeaways

• Question the rigid boundary between science and spirituality. Consider that the "supernatural" may not be outside of nature, but rather a dimension of nature that mainstream science does not yet understand.
• Engage in practices that bring you into the present moment. Whether through meditation, sports, or spending time in nature, actively quieting your inner monologue can open the door to a deeper sense of connection and well-being.
• Recognize the power of shared experience and ritual. Participating in collective activities, from festivals to team sports, can create a powerful sense of connection and shared identity that transcends the individual ego.