The “knowing field” —Hellinger named it so to distinguish it from Rupert Sheldrake’s “morphic field,” though they share a conceptual kinship— is the invisible space where, during a constellation, representatives access information they did not possess about the client’s family.
Hellinger did not formulate a scientific theory of the field; he merely observed that it exists and operates according to certain rules: it opens when there is a client with a real systemic issue, it does not function in “test” simulations, it requires respect and silence, and it closes when the work is complete.
Later researchers (Albrecht Mahr, Franz Ruppert, Bertold Ulsamer) have written about the phenomenon, attempting to build bridges with transpersonal psychology, systemic theory, and neuroscience. The clinical consensus is pragmatic: the field operates, the therapeutic effects are reproducible, and the ultimate explanation remains open.
What’s important in practice: the field is not magic. It is an observable phenomenon that requires a trained facilitator, a clear framework, respect for systemic laws, and the representatives’ availability to feel without interpreting.
Clinical Example
In a constellation, a representative for “the paternal grandmother” —of whom the client barely knew the name— begins to tremble and says, “I’m very cold, especially in my legs.” Days later, the client calls her aunt: the grandmother died of hypothermia after a fall in the snow, a detail the family had never shared. The field doesn’t invent: it reveals.
Illustrative case, anonymized and composited from frequent patterns in Family Constellation sessions.
Evidence and Contemporary Voices
The term 'knowing field' or 'morphic field' in Family Constellations derives directly from the hypothesis of morphic resonance proposed by Rupert Sheldrake (1981), who postulates non-local memory fields connecting biological and social systems. In systemic psychology, there is no peer-reviewed empirical evidence validating its existence or clinical application; systematic reviews classify it as pseudoscience (López et al., 2018; Norcross et al., 2015). Controlled studies on Family Constellations, such as that by Ortiz-Talló and Gross (2010), report suggestive effects but attribute representatives' perceptions to standard psychological mechanisms like projective empathy and group suggestion, without requiring morphic fields. Institutions such as the Spanish Association of Cognitive Behavioral Clinical Psychology (AEPC) and the Foundation for Psychology Without Borders reject it due to lack of falsifiability and a testable model (Fundación PSF, 2020).
Verifiable Citations
- "Family Constellations are a form of pseudopsychotherapy whose theoretical model is based on ideas extracted from other pseudotherapies" — Daniel López, Family Constellations, a dangerous pseudoscientific method (2015).
- "It defends Rupert Sheldrake's idea of morphic resonance to explain how our destiny is connected with that of our ancestors" — Daniel Lopez, Family Constellations, a dangerous pseudoscientific method (2015).
Researchers and Experts
- Rupert Sheldrake — University of Cambridge (independent) — Morphic Resonance Hypothesis
- Bert Hellinger — Founder of Family Constellations — Application in systemic therapy
- Daniel López — Psyciencia — Critique of pseudotherapies
- Marta Ortiz-Talló — University of Malaga — Empirical studies on Constellations
Auditable Sources
Notes and open debates
The morphic field hypothesis lacks reproducible experimental support; reviews in Nature and Skeptical Inquirer (Blackmore, 2009) declare it unfalsifiable and pseudoscientific. In Family Constellations, representatives' perceptions are explained by cognitive biases (Forer effect, somatic empathy) without the need for non-local mechanisms, with risks of iatrogenic suggestion and false memories (Fundación PSF, 2020; López, 2015).
Additional research generated with consultation of academic sources (Perplexity Sonar Pro). Citations and URLs are the responsibility of their original source; verify before formal citation.
Bibliography
- Love's Orders — Bert Hellinger. Herder, 2001.
- Trauma, Bond, and Family Constellations — Franz Ruppert. Herder, 2010.
- No Roots, No Wings — Bertold Ulsamer. Desclée de Brouwer, 2004.
These books are in the reference library that nourishes Constelando el Origen.
Site articles that address this topic
Related terms
Family Constellation
A therapeutic method developed by Bert Hellinger that makes visible the hidden dynamics of the family system through representatives in space.
View detailsRepresentative
A person or object that the client places in the space to embody a member of their family system during the constellation.
View detailsSystemic movement
An internal action or physical gesture that reorders the image of the system during the constellation and releases the blocked dynamic.
View detailsA session that names what hurts
If you recognize this dynamic in your own history, a Family Constellation can reveal where it comes from and what movement brings order to it. Daniela accompanies each case with respect.
Sessions in Spanish only