Our Magical Universe
Morphic Resonance and the Akashic Field
The title of this essay, "Our Magical Universe," delineates a worldview distinct from the rigid framework of a deterministic universe. In a deterministic universe, materialists and atheists assert that every event is the result of a preceding cause, bound by an immutable chain of cause and effect.
Such a universe, devoid of free will and governed solely by physical laws, is essentially a closed system — mechanistic and computational, where consciousness and spiritual vibrancy are reduced to mere byproducts of material processes.
This materialist outlook, while grounded in a particular reading of scientific principles, has significant limitations. Modern science, for all its advances, has yet to offer a comprehensive account of consciousness, much less the phenomenon of free will. Since the Enlightenment, when figures like Copernicus and Galileo fundamentally challenged the cosmological authority of the Church, there has been a tacit agreement: science would govern the realm of material investigation, while the Church would retain its domain over spiritual matters.
This separation, dubbed the ‘Cartesian Bargain’ by philosopher/author Peter Kreeft, was once seen as prudent but has ultimately led to an imbalance — science has flourished, but spirituality, particularly in the Western Church, has languished.
The failure of the Church to adapt to this evolving landscape has been costly. Rather than fostering individual spiritual growth and engagement with the mystical dimensions of existence, the Church has focused narrowly on dogma and orthodoxy.
The Protestant Reformation, a direct consequence of this institutional rigidity, was both a revolt against ecclesiastical corruption and a call for deeper spiritual renewal — a call that remains as urgent today as it was centuries ago. With the Church mired in scandal and bureaucracy, modern spirituality, at least in the West, appears fractured and impoverished, and the materialist worldview reigns virtually unchallenged.
Fate vs. Destiny
In the context of this "Magical Universe," we should reconsider the concepts of fate and destiny. Fate, in its classical sense, is bound to the deterministic universe — a fixed and unalterable sequence of events dictated by forces beyond human control.
In contrast, destiny operates within a spiritually dynamic and living universe. Here, destiny is not a predetermined path but rather an unfolding narrative shaped by the choices and actions of free individuals.
Rational Spirituality rejects the idea of fate as an oppressive inevitability, preferring instead the concept of destiny, which accommodates human agency and divine cooperation. Fate implicates a universe controlled by a puppetmaster — whether divine or impersonal — where human beings are mere passive actors.
Destiny, on the other hand, suggests a partnership between humanity and the Divine, where free will plays a crucial role in shaping outcomes. In this sense, destiny is not a 'done deal' but a collaborative effort, responsive to the moral and spiritual decisions of individuals and communities.
One can reject dogmatic religion yet still embrace guidance from unseen forces. Rational Spirituality accounts for these mystical forces as archetypes of the Collective Unconscious, which is a substratum of the Akashic Field.1 Another ethereal substratum of the Akashic Field — and there are many — is the Morphogenetic Field.
While both concepts or fields suggest a shared, underlying influence on individuals, the Collective Unconscious is more focused on psychological and symbolic elements, whereas the Morphogenetic Field pertains to biological and developmental processes.
Morphic Resonance: Pathway to a Living Universe
One concept that challenges the materialistic view of the universe is Morphic Resonance, a theory proposed by British biologist Rupert Sheldrake. Sheldrake, a Cambridge-educated scientist with a Ph.D. in biochemistry, is known for his groundbreaking work in biology, but his ideas have often placed him at odds with the mainstream scientific community.
I was introduced to Sheldrake’s work by a philosopher friend of mine who gave me a copy of A New Science of Life: The Hypothesis of Formative Causation. He handed it to me, smiled, and cryptically said, “Toney, magic is real!”
Sheldrake teaches that Psi — parapsychological phenomena such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition — is real and common, though often dismissed by mainstream science.2
In the context of a Magical Universe, Sheldrake’s theory implies that the interconnectedness and influence across time and space could be seen as a form of natural magic, where the past continuously shapes the present in a dynamic and quasi mystical manner. This perspective opens up possibilities for understanding phenomena that traditional science struggles to explain, aligning with esoteric and mystical interpretations of the universe.
His theory of Morphic Resonance, which suggests that memory is inherent in nature, is one such theory. It has been dismissed by much of the scientific establishment because it challenges the materialist paradigm that dominates modern science. In other words, it contradicts the ‘approved’ scientific narrative.
Morphic Resonance posits that there is a collective memory shared by all forms of life, which influences the development and behavior of organisms. According to Sheldrake, this process occurs through the "morphic field"— invisible patterns that shape the form and structure of everything in the universe, from atoms to ecosystems. It has affinity with C.G. Jung’s ‘Collective Unconscious.’ Both ideas involve underlying and unseen influences that shape reality
Morphic fields store information from past experiences, and new behaviors or forms are influenced by previous instances of similar phenomena. This concept offers a radically different explanation for the organization of the material and natural world, one that sees life as interconnected and evolving through a shared, non-physical memory.
Sheldrake’s theory challenges the reductionist framework that materialism imposes on the universe, offering an alternative vision where the past shapes the present not just through genetic inheritance or physical mechanisms, but through dynamic patterns embedded in the fabric of reality itself.
This perspective aligns seamlessly with Rational Spirituality’s concept of a Magical Universe, where unseen forces and metaphysical principles influence both the material and spiritual realms. In our view, Morphic Resonance is not a fringe idea but a crucial mechanism that allows for the transmission of knowledge, behavior, and even consciousness across time and space.
In the same way that mystical traditions speak of the Akashic Records — a cosmic storehouse of all human knowledge and experience — Sheldrake’s morphic fields suggest that the memory of the universe is not bound by the constraints of materialism. Instead, it operates through spiritual mechanisms that lie beyond the reach of modern empirical tools.
This resonates with esoteric understandings of the cosmos as alive, conscious, and interconnected — where human thought, intention, and spirit play integral roles in shaping reality.
Morphic Resonance becomes a scientific bridge to a living universe, one in which Psi phenomena like intuition, telepathy, and shared consciousness can be understood not as anomalies but as fundamental aspects of existence. It reintroduces the possibility that magic and spirituality are not merely archaic concepts but real, measurable forces that science has yet to fully understand and has chosen to ignore.
Materialistic science has largely rejected Morphic Resonance because it cannot be easily measured or tested using conventional empirical methods. In a universe dominated by reductionism, where all phenomena must be explainable by physical processes, the idea of metaphysical fields influencing the behavior of living organisms is viewed with skepticism and disdain.
Yet Sheldrake’s work resonates with those who seek a more holistic understanding of life, one that accounts for phenomena like instinct, memory, and intuition in ways that transcend mere genetic inheritance or neurocentric processes.
Morphic Resonance offers a framework for understanding how spiritual and material realms might be intertwined. It suggests that consciousness is not confined to individual brains but is part of a larger, interconnected system that spans time and space called Cosmic Consciousness.3
This resonates with the view that the universe is a living, dynamic entity, one in which spiritual forces and human choices play a crucial role in shaping reality and attaining one’s destiny.
The Apparitions at Fatima: Visions of a Living Universe
The apparitions of the Virgin Mary at Fatima in 1917 illustrate the mysteries of human free will and divine intervention within a living universe.4
On May 13, 1917, the six monthly apparitions began, culminating in the famed "Miracle of the Sun" on October 13. This miraculous event, witnessed by an estimated 70,000 people, both believers and skeptics alike, serves as a testament to the magical, mysterious forces that exist beyond the material plane.
But the Fatima apparitions were not merely celestial phenomena; they carried urgent messages. Mary’s prophecies foretold the outbreak of World War II, warning of “a new and greater war” even as Europe was struggling to recover from the devastation of World War I.
She also presented the three young seers — Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta — with a terrifying vision: a future in which the Pope, along with other bishops, priests, and laypeople, would be violently martyred by soldiers.
These prophecies should not be interpreted through a fatalistic lens. As Pope Benedict XVI later remarked, the prophecy was not meant to indicate an unavoidable fate but rather to “mobilize the forces of change in the right direction.”
The prophecies of Fatima illustrate the tension between forewarning and free will. While Mary’s visions depicted apocalyptic events, they also called for repentance, prayer, and reparation, implying that the future could be altered or mitigated by human choices.
The Fatima apparitions, far from aligning with a deterministic view of history, emphasize the living, dynamic nature of the universe. The miraculous phenomena witnessed during the apparitions — such as the dramatic movement or “dancing of the sun” and the shared visions — are consistent with a worldview that embraces mystery, spiritual power, and human agency.
In this Magical Universe, divine intervention is not a violation of natural laws but an expression of deeper, metaphysical principles that guide the evolution of consciousness and moral action.
The visions at Fatima remind us that we live in a universe where spiritual and material realities are intertwined, and where human actions and intentions have profound, transformative consequences.
The "Magical Universe" is not one of arbitrary chaos but of a cosmos imbued with purpose, where free will and destiny shape the unfolding of history.
A New Paradigm
Yet despite repeated divine warnings, humanity has largely continued along a path of spiritual decline. The secular world, with its embrace of relativism and moral ambiguity, has severed its connection to the sacred, reducing ethical and spiritual concerns to matters of personal preference.
Warnings of eternal punishment, once a staple of religious teaching, have become unpopular, dismissed as relics of a more primitive, less enlightened time. But how can modern society claim that discussions of hell are too uncomfortable, when three children — Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta — witnessed its horrors and responded with a steadfast resolve to amend their lives and the lives of others?
Rational Spirituality defines hell not as a place of physical torment, but as a state of being characterized by eternal separation from the Divine. This separation is understood as a profound disconnection from the Source of all love, wisdom, and spiritual nourishment.
In this view, hell represents the ultimate consequence of turning away from the Divine, resulting in a life devoid of meaning, purpose, and inner peace. Being cut off from this source leads to a state of existential despair and spiritual desolation. We emphasize that this separation is not imposed by an external force but is the result of one’s own choices and actions, reflecting a self-imposed exile from the Divine presence.
This vision of hell was created using OpenArt.ai
The apparitions of Fatima, as well as those now occurring in Medugorje, should serve as a reminder that humanity stands at a crossroads. We are not bound by fate, but we are responsible for our collective destiny. The growing sense of spiritual impoverishment in today’s world, coupled with rapid technological and societal changes, has created a dangerous vacuum — one where moral relativism, the inversion of virtue, and spiritual lethargy threaten to unravel the moral fabric of civilization.
A Framework for Hope
"Our Magical Universe" offers a vision of hope in a world that increasingly denies the sacred and spiritual dimensions of existence. The Fatima apparitions, with their blend of miraculous phenomena and dire warnings, challenge the deterministic assumptions of materialism and point toward a universe alive with spiritual potential.
This universe is governed not by blind fate but by the choices of individuals and communities, who can either align with divine will or drift into spiritual deprivation.
The question remains: will we choose to see the obvious signs and embrace our role as co-creators of a magical, living universe, or will we continue on a path of moral and spiritual decay?
The answer is not predetermined, but it is urgent. The stakes are high, and the future depends on the decisions we make today — decisions that resonate not only in the material world but in the mystical currents that shape our collective destiny.
Our society today, which is fully enmeshed in the snares of relativism, demands we tolerate — and even affirm — that which we know is evil, all in the name of individual autonomy. Warnings of eternal punishment are no longer in vogue. Yet how can we claim the notion of hell makes us too uncomfortable to discuss? Are we more cowardly than three small children who saw its horrors and were filled with resolution rather than terror?5
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:12
The Akashic Field is an information field that holds all information related to a person, including details about ancestors, energy blockages, and soul predispositions. It is considered a "storehouse" of the universe, containing information about the past, present, and future potentials. Recent discoveries in vacuum physics suggest that this field is real and has its equivalent in science's zero-point field, which underlies space itself. The book to read is Science and the Akashic Field: An Integral Theory of Everything by Ervin Laszlo, here.
3 (Footnote #3 “Cosmic Consciousness” is addressed by Sheldrake in the video below:)
Fatima Timeline, 1917
May 13: Our Lady appears to the three children at the Cova da Iria [a parish or quarter in Fatima] and asks that they return for five more months in succession, on the 13th day, at the same hour.
June 13: Our Lady tells the children that God wants to establish in the world devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. About 50 people come to the Cova da Iria to witness the apparition.
July 13: Our Lady shows the children a vision of hell and tells them that she will come back at a later date to ask for the consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate Heart and the Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays. She tells the children the Secret (in three parts) and promises to prove her appearances with a miracle on October 13, 1917. About 5,000 people come to the Cova on July 13.
August 13: The children are kidnapped by the Mayor of Ourém and miss their appointed meeting with Our Lady. About 15,000 people come to the Cova and many witness supernatural phenomena, indicating that Our Lady came nonetheless.
August 19: Our Lady visits the children in nearby Valinhos and again prophesizes the working of a miracle in October while telling the children to pray and make sacrifices for sinners.
September 13: Our Lady tells the children that in October, Our Lord will come, as well as Our Lady of Sorrows and Our Lady of Carmel. Also, Saint Joseph will appear with the child Jesus in order to bless the world. About 30,000 people come to the Cova and again, many witness supernatural phenomena indicating Our Lady’s presence.
October 13: Our Lady announces: “People must amend their lives and ask pardon for their sins. They must not offend Our Lord any more for he is already too much offended.” She tells us to continue to pray the Rosary every day. Then the 70,000 people present witness the Miracle of the Sun at the Cova da Iria.
This quote is from Kelly Marcum, who studied International Politics at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and received a M.A. from the War Studies Department at King’s College London.
A very interesting essay, thanks!
I'm interested in how you square your belief that destiny, rather than fate, controls outcomes, with the Fatima warnings that we must not anger God, which suggest punishment is a possibility.
Do you see the messages/warnings as speaking somewhat metaphorically in a way that believers of that faith could relate to? Or as specific and concrete?
I'm not sure if that makes sense at all but am hoping so!