Morphogenetic field – not quite nonsense

Abstract

The term morphogenetic field, in a corrupted meaning, is frequently used in the contemporary pseudoscience (see T. Witkowski, „Nauka” 4/2007, p. 149-157). In fact the term in question first appeared in the early twentieth century among the students of embryological development. In 1920s and 1930s it was considered an important concept and frequently used. Later, the concept of the morphogenetic field was eclipsed and ignored. In recent years with the emerging of evolutionary developmental biology, the field concept was restored as an important paradigm of embryology. Unfortunately, the term morphogenetic field is nowadays mostly known in a distorted meaning, introduced by R. Sheldrake. It seems that the famous Copernicus law, saying that the bad coin will drive the better one out of the circulation, reigns in the realm of scientific terminology.