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Theories of holographic consciousness postulate that consciousness has structural and functional similarities to a hologram, in that the information needed to model the whole is contained within each constituent component.

Many holographic theories of consciousness draw on holographic theories of the universe which hypothesize a holographic structure of the universe as a medium for storing information. Most holographic theories of consciousness postulate that human consciousness is a part of and/or interacts with a larger field of universal consciousness, and that information within this universal consciousness is encoded according to holographic principles.

There is considerable overlap between holographic theories of consciousness and quantum theories of consciousness. Like quantum theories of consciousness, holographic theories of consciousness aim to address a perceived inability of classical mechanistic physics to explain various phenomena of consciousness.

Motivation

Holographic consciousness has been proposed as a holistic model incorporating quantum theory which can explain the nature and origin of consciousness. These theories are viewed by some researchers as a possible solution to the problems of consciousness.

Theories of holographic consciousness have also been proposed as a potential explanation for capabilities such as the brain's capacity to retain memories despite extensive damage, the human ability to rapidly discern and integrate large amounts of related data, and a number of documented phenomena which indicate non-locality as a property of consciousness. Non-local consciousness is frequently cited in connection with experiences of "cosmic consciousness," where individuals in meditative, trance, or altered states of consciousness report experiencing knowledge or consciousness beyond what their own minds would seem to be able to access or store.

Origins

While it has been suggested that the forerunner of holographic theories of consciousness can be found in the work of Leibniz, contemporary holographic theories of conscious generally trace their origin to early attempts to use quantum mechanics to explain brain function. In the 1970s, a number of researchers invoked holography as a structure that could explain the distribution of memory within the brain.

These theories later gained more credence with the discovery of quantum effects in neuron microtubules by Karl Pribram, suggesting the possibility of highly coherent informational states similar to those found in lasers and superconductors. Along with David Bohm, Pribram proposed the holonomic brain theory which describes information as stored throughout the brain in the form of waves which give rise to holographic images.

Roger Penrose and Stuart Hameroff continued with this line of theory by hypothesizing that quantum activity inside neurons may have non-local interaction with other neurons, enabling "conscious events" when combined with a quantum hologram.

Building on these theories, other researchers have since attempted to develop and test a number of variations of these hypotheses in diverse contexts, including altered states of consciousness, near-death experiences, and out of body experiences, in addition to seeking a better understanding of the nature of consciousness.

Theories

Implicate/explicate order

In his book Wholeness and the Implicate Order, theoretical physicist David Bohm describes a cosmology based on implicate and explicate orders, wherein the implicate order acts as a kind of unified substrate for reality (the explicate order), and which he likens to a hologram. In this view, the implicate order necessarily encompasses human consciousness. Drawing on the work of Pribram, Bohm concludes that the implicate order may render a distinction between matter and consciousness impossible.

Bohm contrasts this perspective to the view of classical mechanics, which focuses on the behavior of individual entities like particles and fields, instead taking a view of reality centered on structures and processes which "project" the explicate reality. This leads to a more holistic and interconnected view of reality, which Bohm describes as "an order of undivided wholeness of the content of description similar to that indicated by the hologram rather than to an order of analysis of such content into separate parts..."

In keeping with its description as a process, Bohm terms this order of undivided wholeness a "holomovement" (lit. "movement of the whole"), where the explicate order of phenomenal reality arises out of the movement of an interconnected implicate order which is analogous to a hologram in its structure and process.

Quantum hologram theory of consciousness

Edgar D. Mitchell and Robert Staretz developed a quantum hologram theory of consciousness which views information as being as fundamental to the universe as matter or energy. This theory hypothesizes that all material objects as well as organisms store information, and that objects emit waves containing information which can be recognized and processed by the brain.

Mitchell and Staretz suggest that the movement of this information is not unidirectional, but that human consciousness can emit similar waves which can also play a role in shaping reality.

Holographic theory of transpersonal consciousness

Robert M. Anderson likens Bohm's distinction between implicate and explicate orders to the dichotomy between personal and transpersonal consciousness. Anderson situates personal and transpersonal consciousness in the context of Eastern mystical traditions and Western rational traditions, with Eastern traditions viewing individualistic, personal consciousness as an illusion, while Western traditions tend to view mystical or transcendent experiences of transpersonal consciousness as hallucinations resulting from aberrations in the brain.

Anderson suggests that while consciousness may be a constant property of reality on the level of the implicate order, higher levels of holographic complexity may result in higher levels of consciousness, which make a lizard more conscious than a rock, or a human more conscious than a lizard.

This hypothesis is proposed as an explanation for why humans in deep meditative states are able to experience ineffable "higher" states of consciousness; the mind ceases to be a vehicle for personal consciousness, but instead shifts to a highly synchronized harmonic brain state which is part of an underlying universal consciousness of much greater complexity.

Quantum holography and the zero point field

In connection with his work on magnetic resonance imaging, Walter Schemp developed a mathematical model called "quantum holography." The model demonstrated how information can be recovered and reconstituted from quantum fluctuations in the zero point field, also known as the quantum vacuum.

This was extended to theorize the zero point field as a medium for information storage, giving rise to an emitter/absorber model of holography. Some theorists proposed this model as a potential explanation for the large amounts of information experienced during near-death experience life reviews.

Syntergic theory

Syntergic theory, proposed by Jacobo Grinberg-Zylberbaum, postulates that the brain gives rise to a neuronal field which is the source of consciousness. The neuronal field is conceived as interacting directly with an interconnected, information-dense fabric of reality termed "pre-space," which Grinberg-Zylberbaum describes as "a holographic, non-local lattice that has as a basic characteristic the attribute of consciousness."

Grinberg-Zylberbaum proposed this theory as an explanation for the intense empathic connection that psychotherapists sometimes experience with patients.

Holographic principle

Mark Germine, in association with the California Institute of Integral Studies, outlined a holographic principle which he applies to the evolution of consciousness. Germine's theory is similar to other theories of holographic consciousness, but he elaborates on it by drawing on Jason Brown's theory of microgenesis. Microgenetic theory applies an evolutionary paradigm to the development of ideas, concepts, and mental constructs, which Germine applies to theorizing the evolutionary origins of consciousness.

Quantum holographic quantum gravitational

The quantum holographic/quantum gravitation model was developed by Dejan Rakovic and resembles other holographic theories of consciousness, but Rakovic theorizes that transitional and altered states of consciousness depend on Einstein-Rosen space-time bridges or wormholes. This approach is not entirely novel, as Penrose had previously proposed gravitationally induced wave function reduction as a possible explanation for non-local conscious experience.

Rakovic's approach is unique, however, insofar as it combines concepts from quantum physics, holography, and information theory to describe consciousness as a fundamental property of the universe whereby free will arises from interactions between universal consciousness and the quantum vacuum or zero-point field.

Holographic transdisciplinary framework for consciousness

Tamar Levin's holographic transdisciplinary framework for consciousness attempts to use complex systems theory to extend the model of holographic consciousness to the study of a wider range of subject matter, including society, culture, and spirituality. This view considers consciousness as an integral property of the universe, and attempts to provide a framework for transcending dualities such as the mind-body and spiritual-material dichotomies.

The framework conceptualizes consciousness as both a structure and a system, incorporating both metaphysical and physical layers. This supports the idea that human consciousness is not three dimensional but multi-dimensional, which allows incorporating non-local consciousness.

Holofield and connectivity hypothesis

Developed by Ervin Laszlo, the connectivity hypothesis describes the universe as consisting of A-dimension (corresponding to Bohm's implicate order) and M-dimension (material). The "A" in "A-dimension" is derived from the Vedic concept of Akasha. The A-dimension is conceived as a holographic informational field (holofield) fundamental to reality. This theory views information as more fundamental to the universe than energy.

The process of reality perception in humans, according to this theory, can be seen as a constant interaction between the A-dimension and the M-dimension. Information from the A-field (the implicate, non-local, and holographic domain) becomes manifest in the M-dimension (the explicate, local, and material domain) that we perceive as our reality.

This theory suggests that our consciousness is not confined to our brains or our bodies, but is part of this cosmic holographic field which connects humans to the cosmos. This interconnectedness and the holographic structure of the universe could potentially explain phenomena such as intuition, spontaneous healing, and other transpersonal experiences.

Applications

Psychotherapy

Due to their holistic perspective, holographic theories of consciousness can accommodate novel approaches to psychology and therapy which consider mind, body, emotion, and spirituality as an interconnected continuum; Bohm's explicate/implicit cosmology, for example, was cited by Stanislav Grof as a major influence on the development of transpersonal psychology, including his method of holonomic breathwork.

Radovic's quantum holographic quantum gravitational framework may have implications for advancing understanding of psychosomatic processes in the context of integrative medicine and transpersonal psychology. Radovic's model suggests that consciousness and free will can be understood in terms of quantum information processes and holographic principles, which could help to systematize psychosomatic treatment of traumas, phobias, disorders, and allergies in conjunction with acupuncture.

Evolutionary theory

Mark Germine argues that the evolution of consciousness is linked to the holographic principle of mind through a recursive process of successive applications of the same holographic process. According to Germine, the most fundamental levels of experiences— from the conformations of proteins and fields of electrons— exist as quantum potentials.

Through recursions of the holographic process, these potentials manifest as higher levels of experience, including consciousness. Germine suggests that this process of successive orders of manifestation on the microscopic and submicroscopic levels is what drives the evolution of consciousness.

Laszlo also believes that an informational field which may possess holographic properties is a potential explanation for why evolution appears to be informed rather than random.

Andre Lohrey and Bruce Boreham view Bohm's concept of holoflux as potentially supporting Lynn Margulis' theory of endosymbiotic evolution. This view, drawing on the essential unity of Bohm's cosmology, emphasizes cooperative aspects of evolution as opposed to competitive mechanisms emphasized by classical Darwinian evolutionary theory.

Altered states of consciousness research

Some consciousness researchers have suggested using holographic theories of consciousness for investigating altered states of consciousness, including near-death experiences and out of body experiences. Ethnobotanist Terence McKenna also suggested holographic frameworks for consciousness as a potential method for investigating the effects of psychedelic substances.

Gas discharge visualization has been used as a method for studying the behavior of the brain and nervous system during altered states of consciousness, with substantial differences in the signatures emitted by the nervous system in normal versus altered states of consciousness. Holographic theories of consciousness have been proposed as a framework for interpreting and drawing conclusions from data derived from these tests.

Acupuncture

Researchers at Zhejiang University in China and Siegen University in Germany detected an electromagnetic field composed of interference patterns of standing waves in the resonance cavity of the body. This field was inferred to be holographic, insofar as changes in the conductivity of the measurement current appear simultaneously on all acu-points as well as every point of the skin. Changes in resistance appear as soon as the organism undergoes a pathological, physiological, or psychological change.

Beyond its implications for understanding the coherence of the nervous system, other researchers have attempted to use this discovery to develop new acupuncture techniques.

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• Behavioral neuroscience