Morphic fields are form-shaping fields that are an inherent part of the universal structure. Just like electromagnetic fields or gravitational fields, these fields aren't made of matter. The substance of all fields is space; fields are modifications of space. They are patterns of space-time. And so morphic fields, like other fields, are structures in space and time. They have their own kind of ontological status, the same kind of status as gravity and EM fields. The morphic fields organize all things that have forms, patterns, structures, or self-organizing properties. They work by imposing organized patterns on otherwise random or indeterminate patterns of activity.
Like other fields, morphic fields are localized. They're in and around the systems they organize. However, different morphic fields resonate with each other across space and time, causing one field to influence another field. This process of resonating means a pattern of development can spread through space and time and therefore similar and even identical structures and forms can developed at different times and places.
An astonishing example of this was the morphic fields of two planets, Kobol and Earth, resonating with each other in a way that caused the development of life on both worlds to be identical. Because of 'morphic resonance' the same life forms naturally evolved on both worlds; such as grass, birds, dogs, and even human beings.
When the Kobol-evolved humans settled the Twelve Colonies, they initially lost most elements of civilization from Kobol. However, instincts and behavioral patterns are also organized by morphic fields. As are social structures, cultural forms, and ideas. They are all patterns organized by these fields with an inherent memory. This means there is a collective human memory in the form of a "collective unconscious." Through morphic resonance, an unconscious knowledge of certain invented concepts and ideas such as technology, language, engineering and even fashion and music along with various other aesthetic cultural aspects were passed on through the collective unconscious.
Over a period of a couple thousand years, all the technological and cultural aspects from Kobol completely reconstituted because the memory of these concepts and ideas 'leaked' into the minds of various people from the collective unconscious. These people gradually and collectively reinvented these aspects of Kobol society. Eventually, even the memory of the concept of artificial life in the form of Cylons was reconstituted in the conscious minds of such men as Daniel Graystone and Tomas Vergis.
When the survivors of the Twelve Colonies settled on Earth, climatic circumstances kept civilization from being redeveloped for 140,000 years. But eventually it was. After the end of the Stone Age, certain Colonial societal ideas and concepts began to reemerge from the collective unconscious. However, they reappeared only in rudimentary, fragmented and even modified forms. For example, the Colonial religion gradually reconstituted in the minds of the people of ancient Greece - but in a modified form (e.g. the "Lords of Kobol" became the "Gods of Olympus).
Over a period of several millennia, a multitude of Colonial ideas, concepts, and cultural aspects reemerged from the collective unconscious. Although they would continue to reemerge in rudimentary, modified and fragmented forms, eventually these fragments coalesced into complete reconstitution of Colonial aspects. For instance, the Colonial language eventually reconstituted as the "English" language. The English language did not suddenly appear, but instead evolved through centuries of modifications along with amalgamations from numerous other languages. It was all the result of the morphic resonance of the language 'leaking' into the subconscious minds of people who unconsciously directed the language toward a linguistic endpoint that is an exact replication of the Colonial language (apart from a certain profanity word).
As a result of Colonial societal morphic resonance from the human collective unconscious, by the early 21st century virtually every cultural aspect of Colonial society has reemerged: language, names, fashion, engineering, architecture, furniture, music, art, cuisine, household appliances, television, automobiles, federalized government, judicial systems, labor unions, military protocols, etc. Countries such as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom collectively form a near perfect replication of the society of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol more than 150,000 years ago – just without advanced technology such as jump drive and sentient machines.