"The Holographic Universe"

By Michael Talbot
Copyright 1991 by Michael Talbot
Published by HarperPerennial/HarperCollins
ISBN !"!9##$%!&
Reviewed by Michael Kisor
The Holographic Universe is a '(ust read' )or anyone *ith an open+ in,uiring (ind and a curiosity
about the cos(os in *hich *e reside- Talbot has a talent )or presenting co(ple. sub/ects in lay(an0s
ter(s+ yet (a1e it interesting reading- 2hile so(e o) the topics (ay at )irst glance appear inti(idating+
(ost )ol1s *ill )ind this boo1 ,uite readable and understandable- That doesn0t (ean The Holographic
Universe is light reading- 3ou are li1ely to )ind the (aterial presented here to be nothing short o)
astounding- The ra(i)ications )or hu(anity are staggering as this boo1 seriously challenges the basis
)or our cultural 4ie* o) reality5 (aterialis(- 6)ter reading The Holographic Universe, you *ill
understand *hy so (any people are starting to say that a paradig( shi)t in our science and culture is at
hand-
Science0s orthodo.y still resists abandoning (aterialis(+ but the scienti)ic hand*riting has been on the
*all e4er since 19$ *hen 7instein deli4ered his papers on Special 8elati4ity and The Photo4oltaic
7))ect- Subse,uent research in 9uantu( Mechanics :sub!ato(ic physics; continues to usher us a*ay
)ro( (aterialis( and to*ard so(ething )ar (ore interesting- History has sho*n us that radically ne*
ad4ances in *orld4ie*s al(ost ne4er occur *ith the blessing o) the <ld =uard> it in4ariably ta1es
)resh ne* (inds to accept change o) such (agnitude- So it is *ith our society- 6s *e (o4e into the
ne.t (illenniu(+ concepts si(ilar to those presented by Talbot *ill beco(e (ainstrea( and
co((onplace- 6s a result+ our society *ill also be trans)or(ed-
The concepts presented in this boo1 are a cornerstone o) 9uanta!=aia !! the ,uest to better understand
the cos(os and our role in it- 6)ter reading this boo1+ you *ill either dis(iss it as )antasy+ li1e so (any
dis(issed 7instein0s papers in 19$+ or you *ill be i(pressed by the (agnitude o) change *hich is at
hand-
Other comments on The Holographic Universe:
?yall 2atson+ author o) Supernature *rites5
'@or a *hile no*+ science has been con4erging *ith co((on sense+ catching up at last *ith
e.perience+ con)ir(ing a *idespread suspicion that things are )ar (ore connected than traditional
physics e4er allo*ed- The Holographic Universe is an elegant a))ir(ation o) this process+ a li)eline
that helps to bridge the arti)icial gap that has opened up bet*een (ind and (atter+ bet*een us and the
rest o) the cos(os-'
?arry Aossey+ M-A-+ author o) Space, Time & Medicine *rites5
Today nearly e4eryone is )a(iliar *ith hologra(s+ three!di(ensional i(ages pro/ected into space *ith
the aid o) a laser- No*+ t*o o) the *orld0s (ost e(inent thin1ers !! Bni4ersity o) ?ondon physicist
Aa4id Boh(+ a )or(er protege o) 7instein0s and one o) the *orld0s (ost respected ,uantu( physicists+
and Stan)ord neurophysiologist Carl Pribra(+ one o) the architects o) our (odern understandingo)the
brain !! belie4e that the uni4erse itsel) (ay be a giant hologra(+ ,uite literally a 1ind o) i(age or
construct created+ at least in part+ by the hu(an (ind- This re(ar1able ne* *ay o) loo1ing at the
uni4erse e.plains not only (any o) the unsol4ed puDDles o) physics+ but also such (ysterious
occurrences as telepathy+ out!o)!body and near!death e.periences+ 'lucid' drea(s+ and e4en religious
and (ystical e.periences such as )eelings o) cos(ic unity and (iraculous healings-
'2e desperately need ne* (odels o) reality to )ire the i(agination o) *hat is possible and to gi4e us
ne* 4isions o) our place in the cos(os- Michael Talbot0s The Holographic Universe does this- It is a
*a1e!up call to *onder+ an ad4enture in ideas- I) you need to (aintain your idea that science has
pro4ed that 0It0s all (echanical+0 that there is no roo( in the uni4erse )or consciousness+ soul+ and spirit+
don0t read this boo1-'
@red 6lan 2ol)+ Ph-A-+ author o) Taking the Quantum Leap *rites5
'The concept o) the uni4erse as a giant hologra( containing both (atter and consciousness as a single
)ield *ill+ I a( sure+ e.cite anyone *ho has as1ed the ,uestion+ 02hat is realityE0 This boo1 (ay
ans*er that ,uestion once and )or all-'
Author's ntroduction to The Holographic Universe:
In the (o4ie Star Wars, ?u1e S1y*al1er0s ad4enture begins *hen a bea( o) light shoots out o) the
robot 6rtoo Aetoo and pro/ects a (iniature three!di(ensional i(age o) Princess ?eia- ?u1e *atches
spellbound as the ghostly sculpture o) light begs )or so(eone na(ed <bi!*an Cenobi to co(e to her
assistance- The i(age is a hologram, a three!di(ensional picture (ade *ith the aid o) a laser+ and the
technological (agic re,uired to (a1e such i(ages is re(ar1able- But *hat is e4en (ore astounding is
that so(e scientists are beginning to belie4e the uni4erse itsel) is a 1ind o) giant hologra(+ a
splendidly detailed illusion no (ore or less real than the i(age o) Princess ?eia that starts ?u1e on his
,uest-
Put another *ay+ there is e4idence to suggest that our *orld and e4erything in it !! )ro( sno*)la1es to
(aple trees to )alling stars and spinning electrons !! are also only ghostly i(ages+ pro/ections )ro( a
le4el o) reality so beyond our o*n it is literally beyond both space and ti(e-
The (ain architects o) this astonishing idea are t*o o) the *orld0s (ost e(inent thin1ers5 Bni4ersity o)
?ondon physicist Aa4id Boh(+ a protege o) 7instein0s and one o) the *orld0s (ost respected ,uantu(
physicists> and Carl Pribra(+ a neurophysiologist at Stan)ord Bni4ersity and author o) the classic
neuropsychological te.tboo1 Languages of the Brain Intriguingly+ Boh( and Pribra( arri4ed at their
conclusions independently and *hile *or1ing )ro( t*o 4ery di))erent directions- Boh( beca(e
con4inced o) the uni4erse0s holographic nature only a)ter years o) dissatis)action *ith standard
theories0 inability to e.plain all o) the pheno(ena encountered in ,uantu( physics- Pribra( beca(e
con4inced because o) the )ailure o) standard theories o) the brain to e.plain 4arious neurophysiological
puDDles-
Ho*e4er+ a)ter arri4ing at their 4ie*s+ Boh( and Pribra( ,uic1ly realiDed the holographic (odel
e.plained a nu(ber o) other (ysteries as *ell+ including the apparent inability o) any theory+ no (atter
ho* co(prehensi4e+ e4er to account )or all the pheno(ena encountered in nature> the ability o)
indi4iduals *ith! hearing in only one ear to deter(ine the direction )ro( *hich a sound originates> and
our ability to recogniDe the )ace o) so(eone *e ha4e not seen )or (any years e4en i) that person has
changed considerably in the interi(-
But the (ost staggering thing about the holographic (odel *as that it suddenly (ade sense o) a *ide
range o) pheno(ena so elusi4e they generally ha4e been categoriDed outside the pro4ince o) scienti)ic
understanding- These include telepathy+ precognition+ (ystical )eelings o) oneness *ith the uni4erse+
and e4en psycho1inesis+ or the ability o) the (ind to (o4e physical ob/ects *ithout anyone touching
the(-
Indeed+ it ,uic1ly beca(e apparent to the e4er gro*ing nu(ber o) scientists *ho ca(e to e(brace the
holographic (odel that it helped e.plain 4irtually all paranor(al and (ystical e.periences+ and in the
last hal)!doDen years or so it has continued to gal4aniDe researchers and shed light on an increasing
nu(ber o) pre4iously ine.plicable pheno(ena- @or e.a(ple5
In 19% Bni4ersity o) Connecticut psychologist Ar- Cenneth 8ing proposed that near!death
e.periences could be e.plained by the holographic (odel- 8ing+ *ho is president o) the
International 6ssociation )or Near!Aeath Studies+ belie4es such e.periences+ as *ell as death
itsel)+ are really nothing (ore than the shi)ting o) a person0s consciousness )ro( one le4el o)
the hologra( o) reality to another-
In 19%$ Ar- Stanisla4 =ro)+ chie) o) psychiatric research at the Maryland Psychiatric 8esearch
Center and an assistant pro)essor o) psychiatry at the Fohns Hop1ins Bni4ersity School o)
Medicine+ published a boo1 in *hich he concluded that e.isting neurophysiological (odels o)
the brain are inade,uate and only a holographic (odel can e.plain such things as archetypal
e.periences+ encounters *ith the collecti4e unconscious+ and other unusual pheno(ena
e.perienced during altered states o) consciousness-
6t the 19%G annual (eeting o) the 6ssociation )or the Study o) Area(s held in 2ashington+
A-C-+ physicist @red 6lan 2ol) deli4ered a tal1 in *hich he asserted that the holographic (odel
e.plains lucid drea(s :unusually 4i4id drea(s in *hich the drea(er realiDes he or she is
a*a1e;- 2ol) belie4es such drea(s are actually 4isits to parallel realities+ and the holographic
(odel *ill ulti(ately allo* us to de4elop a 'physics o) consciousness' *hich *ill enable us to
begin to e.plore (ore )ully these other!di(ensional le4els o) e.istence-
In his 19%G boo1 entitled S!nchronicit!" The Bridge Bet#een Matter and Mind, Ar- @- Aa4id
Peat+ a physicist at 9ueen0s Bni4ersity in Canada+ asserted that synchronicities :coincidences
that are so unusual and so psychologically (eaning)ul they don0t see( to be the result o)
chance alone; can be e.plained by the holographic (odel- Peat belie4es such coincidences are
actually ')la*s in the )abric o) reality-' They re4eal that our thought processes are (uch (ore
inti(ately connected to the physical *orld than has been hitherto suspected-
These are only a )e* o) the thought!pro4o1ing ideas that *ill be e.plored in this boo1- Many o) these
ideas are e.tre(ely contro4ersial- Indeed+ the holographic (odel itsel) is highly contro4ersial and is by
no (eans accepted by a (a/ority o) scientists- Nonetheless+ and as *e shall see+ (any i(portant and
i(pressi4e thin1ers do support it and belie4e it (ay be the (ost accurate picture o) reality *e ha4e to
date-
The holographic (odel has also recei4ed so(e dra(atic e.peri(ental support- In the )ield o)
neurophysiology nu(erous studies ha4e corroborated Pribra(0s 4arious predictions about the
holographic nature o) (e(ory and perception- Si(ilarly+ in 19%# a land(ar1 e.peri(ent per)or(ed by
a research tea( led by physicist 6lain 6spect at the Institute o) Theoretical and 6pplied <ptics+ in
Paris+ de(onstrated that the *eb o) subato(ic particles that co(pose our physical uni4erse !! the 4ery
)abric o) reality itsel) !! possesses *hat appears to be an undeniable 'holographic' property- These
)indings *ill also be discussed in the boo1-
In addition to the e.peri(ental e4idence+ se4eral other things add *eight to the holographic
hypothesis- Perhaps the (ost i(portant considerations are the character and achie4e(ents o) the t*o
(en *ho originated the idea- 7arly in their careers+ and be)ore the holographic (odel *as e4en a
gli((er in their thoughts+ each a(assed acco(plish(ents that *ould inspire (ost researchers to
spend the rest o) their acade(ic li4es resting on their laurels- In the 19Hs Pribra( did pioneering *or1
on the li(bic syste(+ a region o) the brain in4ol4ed in e(otions and beha4ior- Boh(0s *or1 in plas(a
physics in the 19$s is also considered land(ar1-
But e4en (ore signi)icantly+ each has distinguished hi(sel) in another *ay- It is a *ay e4en the (ost
acco(plished (en and *o(en can seldo( call their o*n+ )or it is (easured not by (ere intelligence
or e4en talent- It is (easured by courage+ the tre(endous resol4e it ta1es to stand up )or one0s
con4ictions e4en in the )ace o) o4er*hel(ing opposition- 2hile he *as a graduate student+ Boh( did
doctoral *or1 *ith 8obert <ppenhei(er- ?ater+ in 19$1+ *hen <ppenhei(er ca(e under the perilous
scrutiny o) Senator Foseph McCarthy0s Co((ittee on Bn!6(erican 6cti4ities+ Boh( *as called to
testi)y against hi( and re)used- 6s a result he lost his /ob at Princeton and ne4er again taught in the
B(ted States+ (o4ing )irst to BraDil and then to ?ondon-
7arly in his career Pribra( )aced a si(ilar test o) (ettle- In 19&$ a Portuguese neurologist na(ed 7gas
MoniD de4ised *hat he belie4ed *as the per)ect treat(ent )or (ental illness- He disco4ered that by
boring into an indi4idual0s s1ull *ith a surgical pic1 and se4ering the pre)rontal corte. )ro( the rest o)
the brain he could (a1e the (ost troubleso(e patients docile- He called the procedure a prefrontal
lo$otom!, and by the 19Hs it had beco(e such a popular (edical techni,ue that MoniD *as a*arded
the Nobel PriDe- In the 19$s the procedure0s popularity continued and it beca(e a tool+ li1e the
McCarthy hearings+ to sta(p out cultural undesirables- So accepted *as its use )or this purpose that the
surgeon 2alter @ree(an+ the (ost outspo1en ad4ocate )or the procedure in the Bnited States+ *rote
unasha(edly that loboto(ies '(ade good 6(erican citiDens' out o) society0s (is)its+ 'schiDophrenics+
ho(ose.uals+ and radicals-'
Auring this ti(e Pribra( ca(e on the (edical scene- Ho*e4er unli1e (any o) his peers+ Pribra( )elt
it *as *rong to ta(per so rec1lessly *ith the brain o) another- So deep *ere his con4ictions that *hile
*or1ing as a young neurosurgeon in Fac1son4ille+ @lorida+ he opposed the accepted (edical *isdo( o)
the day and re)used to allo* any loboto(ies to be per)or(ed in the *ard he *as o4erseeing- ?ater at
3ale he (aintained his contro4ersial stance+ and his then radical ne*s 4ery nearly lost hi( his /ob-
Boh( and Pribra(0s co((it(ent to stand up )or *hat they belie4e in+ regardless o) the conse,uences+
is also e4ident in the holographic (odel- 6s *e shall see+ placing their not inconsiderable reputations
behind such a contro4ersial idea is not the easiest path either could ha4e ta1en- Both their courage and
the 4ision they ha4e de(onstrated in the past again add *eight to the holographic idea-
<ne )inal piece o) e4idence in )a4or o) the holographic (odel is the paranor(al itsel)- This is no s(all
point+ )or in the last se4eral decades a re(ar1able body o) e4idence has accrued suggesting that our
current understanding o) reality+ the solid and co()orting stic1s!andstones picture o) the *orld *e all
learned about in high!school science class+ is *rong- Because these )indings cannot be e.plained by
any o) our standard scienti)ic (odels+ science has in the (ain ignored the(- Ho*e4er+ the 4olu(e o)
e4idence has reached the point *here this is no longer a tenable situation-
To gi4e /ust one e.a(ple+ in 19%G+ physicist 8obert =- Fahn and clinical psychologist Brenda F- Aunne+
both at Princeton Bni4ersity+ announced that a)ter a decade o) rigorous e.peri(entation by their
Princeton 7ngineering 6no(alies 8esearch ?aboratory+ they had accu(ulated une,ui4ocal e4idence
that the (ind can psychically interact *ith physical reality- More speci)ically+ Fahn and Aunne )ound
that through (ental concentration alone+ hu(an beings are able to a))ect the *ay certain 1inds o)
(achines operate- This is an astounding )inding and one that cannot be accounted )or in ter(s o) our
standard picture o) reality-
It can be e.plained by the holographic 4ie*+ ho*e4er- Con4ersely+ because paranor(al e4ents cannot
be accounted )or by our current scienti)ic understandings+ they cry out )or a ne* *ay o) loo1ing at the
uni4erse+ a ne* scienti)ic paradig(- In addition to sho*ing ho* the holographic (odel can account
)or the paranor(al+ the boo1 *ill also e.a(ine ho* (ounting e4idence in )a4or o) the paranor(al in
turn actually see(s to necessitate the e.istence o) such a (odel-
The )act that the paranor(al cannot be e.plained by our current scienti)ic *orld4ie* is only one o) the
reasons it re(ains so contro4ersial- 6nother is that psychic )unctioning is o)ten 4ery di))icult to pin
do*n in the lab+ and this has caused (any scientists to conclude it there)ore does not e.ist- This
apparent elusi4eness *ill also be discussed in the boo1-
6n e4en (ore i(portant reason is that contrary to *hat (any o) us ha4e co(e to belie4e+ science is
not pre/udice!)ree- I )irst learned this a nu(ber o) years ago *hen I as1ed a *ell!1no*n physicist *hat
he thought about a particular parapsychological e.peri(ent- The physicist :*ho had a reputation )or
being s1eptical o) the paranor(al; loo1ed at (e and *ith great authority said the results re4ealed 'no
e4idence o) any psychic )unctioning *hatsoe4er-' I had not yet seen the results+ but because I respected
the physicist0s intelligence and reputation+ I accepted his /udg(ent *ithout ,uestion- ?ater *hen I
e.a(ined the results )or (ysel)+ I *as stunned to disco4er the e.peri(ent had produced 4ery stri1ing
e4idence o) psychic ability- I realiDed then that e4en *ell!1no*n scientists can possess biases and blind
spots-
Bn)ortunately this is a situation that occurs o)ten in the in4estigation o) the paranor(al- In a recent
article in %merican &s!chologist, 3ale psychologist Ir4in ?- Child e.a(ined ho* a *ell!1no*n series
o) 7SP drea( e.peri(ents conducted at the Mai(onides Medical Center in Broo1lyn+ Ne* 3or1+ had
been treated by the scienti)ic establish(ent- Aespite the dra(atic e4idence supporti4e o) 7SP
unco4ered by the e.peri(enters+ Child )ound their *or1 had been al(ost co(pletely ignored by the
scienti)ic co((unity- 74en (ore distressing+ in the hand)ul o) scienti)ic publications that had bothered
to co((ent on the e.peri(ents+ he )ound the research had been so 'se4erely distorted' its i(portance
*as co(pletely obscured-
Ho* is this possibleE <ne reason is science is not al*ays as ob/ecti4e as *e *ould li1e to belie4e- 2e
4ie* scientists *ith a bit o) a*e+ and *hen they tell us so(ething *e are con4inced it (ust be true 2e
)orget they are only hu(an and sub/ect to the sa(e religious+ philosophical+ and cultural pre/udices as
the rest o) us- This is un)ortunate )or as this boo1 *ill sho*+ there is a great deal o) e4idence that the
u(4erse enco(passes considerably (ore than our current *orld4ie* allo*s-
But *hy is science so resistant to the paranor(al in particularE This is a (ore di))icult ,uestion- In
co((enting on the resistance he e.perienced to his o*n unorthodo. 4ie*s on health+ 3ale surgeon Ar-
Bernie S- Siegel+ author o) the best!selling boo1 Love, Medicine, and Miracles, asserts that it is
because people are addicted to their belie)s- Siegel says this is *hy *hen you try to change so(eone0s
belie) they act li1e an addict-
There see(s to be a good deal o) truth to Siegel0s obser4ation+ *hich perhaps is *hy so (any o)
ci4iliDation0s greatest insights and ad4ances ha4e at )irst been greeted *ith such passionate denial- 2e
are addicted to our belie)s and *e do act li1e addicts *hen so(eone tries to *rest )ro( us the
po*er)ul opiu( o) our dog(as- 6nd since 2estern science has de4oted se4eral centuries to not
belie4ing in the paranor(al+ it is not going to surrender its addiction lightly-
I a( luc1y- I ha4e al*ays 1no*n there *as (ore to the *orld than is generally accepted- I gre* up in a
psychic )a(ily+ and )ro( an early age I e.perienced )irsthand (any o) the pheno(ena that *ill be
tal1ed about in this boo1- <ccasionally+ and *hen it is rele4ant to the topic being discussed+ I *ill
relate a )e* o) (y o*n e.periences- 6lthough they can only be 4ie*ed as anecedotal e4idence+ )or (e
they ha4e pro4ided the (ost co(pelling proo) o) all that *e li4e in a uni4erse *e are only /ust
beginning to )atho(+ and I include the( because o) the insight they o))er-
?astly+ because the holographic concept is still 4ery (uch an idea in the (a1ing and is a (osaic o)
(any di))erent points o) 4ie* and pieces o) e4idence+ so(e ha4e argued that it should not be called a
(odel or theory until these disparate points o) 4ie* are integrated into a (ore uni)ied *hole- 6s a
result+ so(e researchers re)er to the ideas as the holographic paradigm <thers pre)er holographic
analog!, holographic metaphor, and so on- In this boo1 and )or the sa1e o) di4ersity I ha4e e(ployed
all o) these e.pressions+ including holographic model and holographic theor!, but do not (ean to
i(ply that the holographic idea has achie4ed the status o) a (odel or theory in the strictest sense o)
these ter(s-
In this sa(e 4ein it is i(portant to note that although Boh( and Pribra( are the originators o) the
holographic idea+ they do not e(brace all o) the 4ie*s and conclusions put )or*ard in this boo1-
8ather+ this is a boo1 that loo1s not only at Boh( and Pribra(0s theories+ but at the ideas and
conclusions o) nu(erous researchers *ho ha4e been in)luenced by the holographic (odel and *ho
ha4e interpreted it in their o*n so(eti(es contro4ersial *ays-
Throughout this boo1 I also discuss 4arious ideas )ro( ,uantu( physics+ the branch o) physics that
studies subato(ic particles :electrons+ protons+ and so on;- Because I ha4e *ritten on this sub/ect
be)ore+ I a( a*are that so(e people are inti(idated by the ter( 'uantum ph!sics and are a)raid they
*ill not be able to understand its concepts- My e.perience has taught (e that e4en those *ho do not
1no* any (athe(atics are able to understand the 1inds o) ideas )ro( physics that are touched upon in
this boo1- 3ou do not e4en need a bac1ground in science- 6ll you need is an open (ind i) you happen
to glance at a page and see a scienti)ic ter( you do not 1no*- I ha4e 1ept such ter(s do*n to a
(ini(u(+ and on those occasions *hen it *as necessary to use one+ I al*ays e.plain it be)ore
continuing on *ith the te.t-
So don0t be a)raid- <nce you ha4e o4erco(e your ')ear o) the *ater+' I thin1 you0ll )ind s*i((ing
a(ong ,uantu( physics0 strange and )ascinating ideas (uch easier than you thought- I thin1 you0ll also
)ind that pondering a )e* o) these ideas (ight e4en change the *ay you loo1 at the *orld- In )act+ it is
(y hope that the ideas contained in the )ollo*ing chapters #ill change the *ay you loo1 at the *orld-
It is *ith this hu(ble desire that I o))er this boo1-