Morphic Resonance and Communication with Nature
When we listen to someone speaking, our brain activates a system for interpreting and categorising the sounds to make meaning of them. Let’s take the noise “carrot” as an example. This articulation in itself does not mean “an orange root vegetable”. Our mind has to decipher it to deliver that mening.
This system of symbolic language has developed over millions of years to arrive at today’s level of complexity. But at one point in human history, language worked in a very different way: It was the noise itself that was the meaning. And the cool thing is that you can still find remnants of that in modern language, for example in exclamations like “wow!” or “yippie!”.
In the natural world, this “direct language” (called original language by some) is still what’s being spoken. What the bird says is exactly what it means. Sure, a certain sequence might mean: “This is my area. Get out.” or: “I’m ready to mate”. But whoever is listening don’t need to interpret it to get the message. It’s instant and precise in its immediate beauty.
The various forms of communication in the film “Morphic Resonance”, like bird-talk, jojking, and crystal bowl playing, are of that same frequency. They put forth nothing more and nothing less than exactly what they mean. And the origins of that meaning comes from somewhere beyond the mind.
Before I leave you to watch the film, allow me to offer a few words on the title: Morph being short for Metamorphosis, or “change of form or structure”. And Resonance, as in “prolongation of sound by reverberation”. In addition to the poetic marriage of these two words into a film title, there’s another meaning to it.
“Morphic Resonance” is the name of a theory, put forth by biologist, author and parapsychology researcher Rupert Sheldrake. The theory says that if a change occurs once it creates a field of change that makes it easier for the same change to happen elsewhere. Like when a large enough group of mice master a labyrinth in Australia, other groups of mice in, say, North America suddenly have an easier time solving it. Or, as an extension of the theory, if someone acts selflessly, it becomes easier for others to do the same.
But that’s not really what this film is about. Or, come to think of it, perhaps it is.
About the Cast
Andris Birdwhisperer (Andris Fågelviskare) is a nature guide and tracker. He is also featured in our film A Tale from the Woods. Furthermore he can imitate 120 different species of birds, and you can see some of his talent on display in this clip (from the tv program “Talang”).
Ellen Molnia, other than being tremendous at joiking, is an artist and music producer. She wrote and performed the soundtrack to our film Vaccine – a Conversation and was the co-creator of the soundscape for our film on Ben Bushill, One Poem to Catch it All. You can hear more of her music on Spotify.
Charu Hariharan is a world renown kanjira (drum) player from India, and one of the members of Världens Band. You can read more about her here.
Joakim Ehn is a troubadour from Sweden with a propensity for playing concerts sitting in a tree. See and hear more of him at his Youtube channel.
Petronella Sjöö is a Swedish singer and storyteller, and a master of crystal bowl healing meditation. Hers is one of the voices on the soundtrack of our film On Compassion, and you can learn more about her here.