I have a friend who travelled the world on a quest to find himself. Only to arrive back home, look in the mirror and proclaim… “I’m right here”.
Holograms, focus and reality
You’ve probably heard the expression that life or the universe is a hologram. Science and psychology can certainly both agree that focus determines reality. Quantum physics has proven that observation and focus effects reality in a measurable way. Just have a look on YouTube for the ‘double slit experiment’ to see that in action. And it gets even weirder. Because they have also proven that this observation can affect reality before the observation is made. Like quantum pre-cognition. It’s both fascinating and thought provoking. Psychology has also proven on a human scale that what you expect to see will affect your reality. From confirmation bias (the tendency to see what you expect), to literal scotoma’s where an object is deleted from our view just by the power of belief. Have you ever been looking for something and then eventually found it somewhere where you have already looked? You could swear that it was not there right!? This is your brain deleting information based on the certainty that it’s lost. So, focus is everything!
Holograms and the quantum world
When you zoom in to small scale parts of a larger structure., you start to notice that it looks pretty much identical in structure to the larger object you’re zooming in on. This leads scientists down the rabbit hole of fractals, organised chaos, Fibonacci sequences, and Mandelbrot sets. These can often be used to explain the repeating patterns of nature. It seems that the closer scientists look at the very small world, the more information they find packed into tiny spaces. And our technology reflects this. Computer function and memory that took up a whole warehouse, is now contained in a single silicone chip. Small things really do contain large amounts of information. This is the nature of a hologram but in a special way. The holographic light from even a small broken piece of a hologram, contains the entirety of the holographic image. All that is required is the right focus of light, to reveal the image.
Holographic light effects and focus
We can therefore accept that focus is a fundamental aspect of reality. And this makes the subject of holograms even more interesting. Because focus is the very thing that also controls the formation and display of a hologram. If you look close enough at a small aspect of life, you will discover life in its entirety. Just like a hologram. And as we will get to soon., Holographic light might even explain the structure and functioning of our brain. Science knows that our brain communicates with a form of light called biophotons. We think in light!
What is a hologram
A hologram is a flat two-dimensional image that appears to have depth and a third dimension when viewed. Holograms contain all the information of the whole in every piece of the image. This is known as non-locality of information. The entire image can still be re-created from a small piece, even if most of a hologram is damaged. A hologram works by storing an interference pattern and not the actual image. The interference pattern is effectively organised blur. If you look through a camera lens and change the focus so that an image is no longer clear, you will see a blurry image. This is effectively a hologram. Because the blur you see is like an organised interference pattern.
How holograms are created
Holograms are created using a laser. A single laser beam is split into two identical beams by a lens. One of those beams is the reference beam. And this is shone directly on to a type of photographic film. The second beam is reflected off the object that is to become a hologram. When the two laser beams intersect, they create an interference pattern. This is the pattern that two sets of waves make when they overlap. Like the effect made when two stones are dropped into a pond and the ripples meet. That pattern is what’s recorded on to the film. And when the film is developed, you can see the whole image.
Holographic light and the brain
Some Neuroscientists believe that our brain works in the same way as a hologram. In fact, it is suggested that the idea of the brain being holographic isn’t just a useful metaphor but an accurate description of brain structure. Electrical (biophoton) brain activity in the form of brainwaves travelling through the brain creates interference patterns. And these interference patterns then become stored memory. This stored memory is made up of an interference pattern created by many different waves of electrical biophoton activity. Therefore, what is stored contains more than what is created in that area of the brain. No wonder then that the minds reconstruction of an image can have as much impact on our lives as the image itself. Something that modern electronic systems seek replicate due to its robust nature.
Holographic memory
And this idea matches some of the features recently discovered about slow electrical oscillations that move thought the brain in waves. Neuroscience has not been able to isolate memory in the brain to one area. A brain region can be said to be responsible for certain memory, but no location can be isolated within that region. Neither can proof be isolated showing communication between one memory and another to create a third combined construction. It seems that in any moment we just know what we need to know from all relevant memories to respond to a new situation. In other words, it seems that all the necessary information needed to act in the moment is everywhere at once that it is needed. One theory about how this works is similar to how fibre optic systems work. Clusters of brain microtubules acting like clusters of fibre optic networks. It has been suggested that people with a photographic memory, have easier access to these microtubule systems.
Holonomic brain theory
One logical way to explain human consciousness is to consider the brain as being a holographic storage device. Each part of the brain contains all of the brains data. And this explains why people can still function with large parts of their brain damaged. It’s only when the remaining healthy brain matter is not large enough to store the information of the whole that memory fails. In a holographic light image, this happens when the piece is too small. Holonomic brain theory goes one step further and suggests that the brain has multiple holographic storage area’s that then interact with each other. As the world of quantum physics grows, so does the idea of the brain and consciousness as being quantum effects. And holographic models often work well with quantum ones. Holonomic brain theory is also known as quantum holography. And it states that information is stored in webs of fine microtubules as interference patterns. Again just as a physical hologram is. And therefore, facilitate speed and efficiency of thought and processing of information vital to our survival in real time. Something that classical physics has a hard time explaining.
Thinking at the speed of holographic light
Using classical physics, lets consider an example. If the speed of travel of electrical information between the body and brain is calculated., our reaction speed is impossible. Based on classical physics, we would all get injured constantly by being too slow to react. Consider also, how the brain knows what pieces of memories to connect to others to create the whole memory. The logistics of such a task seem impossible unless you consider that all parts of a memory are stored in each sub part of the memory. And if this information is also available at the speed of light, then cohesive human reaction becomes easier to accept. Holonomic brain theory answers this question. Even if parts of a memory are stored in one region of the brain., that part contains the interference pattern of the whole memory. Much like a radio signal contains every station that you could tune in to. But only projects the sound of one part of it at a time. Studies in mice show that with proper application of neural control, a memory can be turned off. However, this is a basic use of short-term memory. It does not prove that the memory is gone, but rather that it has been blocked.
Memory as an engram
Another popular and similar theory with memory is that of an engram. Once again, the idea is that a memory is stored in more than one place in the brain. The visual part might be stored in one brain area, and the auditory part might be stored in another. The result is a whole brain memory that relies on inter-brain communication to access the memory. However, examples of people with severely damaged or even completely removed parts of their brain don’t necessarily match this idea. It seems that even in the extreme case of children being born with only half a brain, they can still lead a normal life with normal memory function. And do so despite not having parts of the brain identified as specific to certain tasks. Why? This is where neuroplasticity comes in. The brains’ ability to rewire itself and repurpose brain regions.
Holographic light and holograms – uses and benefits
Because holograms and holographic light contain so much information, there are some surprisingly useful applications and benefits. From art to virtual meetings, holograms are finding their way into daily life. One interesting use is the creation of holographic maps that can literally be rolled up and carried. Theses maps make it possible to study minute details and even look around corners. The same applies to medical holograms where doctors and students can literally walk around an organ without the need for special glasses. And the storage of information is beginning to be revolutionised by holographic technology. Holographic light images can just as easily store raw data. Information is stored in three dimensions meaning that a massive amount can be stored compared to other methods. And even if the hologram is smashed, the data can be reconstructed from any piece. Making holographic storage one of the most exciting and safest forms of long-term storage. Computing is already moving in the direction of photons (light) instead of electrons (electricity). And due to how difficult it is to replicate a hologram., security aspects are already in use. Like the holograms on most credit cards and now also on some banknotes.
Holographic duality and consciousness
There seems to be equally good reasons to believe that consciousness is both physical and non-physical. A kind of mix between science and philosophy. Consciousness in the brain therefore is both in the brain physically and not in the brain at all. Holographic duality suggests that physical location exists, but also doesn’t. And that non-physical location exists, but also doesn’t. You may be able to find a location in the brain responsible for an activity or thought. But then you discover that the thinker of the thought is not there. So, have you found anything? There is a saying when speaking of a person’s character that “it takes one to know one”. Gregory Bateson, a social scientist and systems theorist said that “It takes two to know one”. Ask a hologram the same question and it might say “It takes everyone to know one, and one to know everyone”.
Holographic duality (consciousness) >>>
Holographic mind and quantum psychology
I remember years ago studying the work of hypnotherapist Dr Milton Erickson. He is famous for treating people as if all of their problems are in the present. This may seem obvious. But it is different from the reductionist practices of most therapies. By reductionist I mean that typically the desired result is to isolate a person’s issue to a time or situation in the past. Yes, there is great value in that in many situations. But there is another way. If we look at the universe as holographic in nature, then all parts of the universe reflect the entire universe. Everything that has or will exist, exists right now in quantum holographic form. Which as many quantum physicists suggest, means that time and space are constructs and not fundamental to existence. And if time and space don’t exist, then cause and effect don’t exist either. Nothing caused you to be where you are now. Now is simply one aspect of everything and everywhere.
The present as a holographic reflection of your entire life
Now, let’s apply that same idea to the mind. That means that past and future in the mind are simply holographic reflections available in the present. Erickson was (and by many still is) considered to be the most effective therapist of modern times. One of his techniques that made him famous, is putting people into a trance and having them imagine a future where they no longer had their problem. Then he would ask them what they had done to get there. The resulting information would then form the basis of his suggestions and therapeutic interventions.
Thus, Erickson treated the person in front of him as a holographic reflection of the entirety of their existence. And it was incredibly effective. Future and past were merely useful or irrelevant pieces of a much bigger whole. And the goal, was to make the person’s life a more complete representation of that whole. Something that I think we could all take lessons from.
Quantum psychology and the hologram >>>
Holotropic breathwork – extending the holographic principal
The idea of holographic light effects and holograms have made their way into other therapeutic methods. Psychedelic researcher Stanislav Grof made discoveries on the nature of being human that are just now starting to be studied more seriously again. The emergence of psychedelic therapy and psychedelic integration as viable ways to treat people with drug resistance problems is making a comeback. One common psychedelic experiences is that of how interconnected everything and everyone is. Said another way, reality under the influence of psychedelics is holographic in nature. There are ways to have a drug free psychedelic trip however.
Creating a holographic mind through breath
And when research with drugs like LSD became illegal, Stan Grof combined his understanding of psychology with conscious connected breathing techniques. The result was holotropic breathwork. Holotropic (meaning – moving toward wholeness) breathwork combines rapid deep breathing with engaging music, bodywork, mandala drawing, and group sharing in a supportive environment. Breathing with intention in an almost hyperventilating way causes people to go into altered states of consciousness. And in these states, a ‘self-healer’ part of our unconscious mind, brings to the surface that which has the strongest emotional charge.
Non ordinary states of consciousness and the three psychological needs
This results in what is often called a ‘non-ordinary state of consciousness’ (NOSC). And this leads to deeper access to unconscious thoughts, feelings, and motivations. By contrast, anything that stands in the way of accessing the unconscious is likely to be a barrier to effective therapy. Non ordinary states of consciousness reduce the self-protectiveness of the logical/thinking part of the brain. And this often results in new insights that can be processed appropriately. Self-determination Theory (SDT) suggests that there are three universal psychological needs of growth for psychological well-being. Those being autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
Removing barriers to personal growth
As Albert Einstein is credited (in paraphrased form) with saying., “We cannot solve problems with the same level of consciousness that created them. NOSC’s, allow people to solve problems from a different level of consciousness. And effectively remove the barriers to personal growth. These NOSC’s, seem to temporarily lower activity in the frontal lobes of the brain. And the frontal lobes are involved in control, cognition, and behaviour. Non-ordinary states of consciousness are beneficial and therapeutic, partly because they allow people to get out of their own way. Holotropic breathwork and psychedelic light experiences (as we will get to next) are ways to assist people to do that.
The three psychological needs and how to facilitate them
- Need number one: Autonomy., is the need for people to organize and self-regulate their actions. Any change is more likely to last if the client takes responsibility. Holotropic breathwork and holographic light journeys encourage participants to follow their instincts. In a sense they are encouraged to trust their inner healer and that whatever needs healing will emerge at the right time.
- Need number two: Competence., is the sense that people can function and be effective in the world and is a result of this autonomous supportive process. The assumption with competence is that people tend to have active tendencies toward integration and personal evolution. As a facilitator of change., clients are motivated and supported in this tendency for growth without direction, interference, or interpretation from the facilitator.
- Need number three: Relatedness is the sense of being cared for and connected with another. This is an important part of internalising and valuing the process. Included in this is creating a safe space, connecting and building rapport with the client, sharing goals and what they experienced afterwards., and being a type of sitter. A sitter is someone who actively provides whatever the client needs during the session and is present. Even if the client needs no assistance, knowing that someone is there who has a shared experience with the same modality creates safety and the ability to let go into the experience.
Three psychological needs for growth holotropic breathwork >>>
Holographic light journeys
There is no doubt that light contains a huge amount of information. Some of it we see and some of it is beyond our normal vision. And even that which is visible gets filtered depending on our beliefs. We pay attention to that which is important to us and ignore the rest. If we did not do this, we would be overwhelmed by information. And people tend to filter information that is challenging to look at or deal with. What this all means is that as we go into non-ordinary or altered states of consciousness., the result is often seeing more. Because in an altered state, our filters are also altered. Holographic light journeys are created by light used in specific ways. And they can create this effect of seeing more than what is there. The Roxiva RX1 featured on this website is one such device that does this very effectively. Using light and sound meditation sessions as either brainwave entrainment or as a way to have a drug free psychedelic experience.
>>>> Light and sound meditation >>>>
Holographic effects in psychedelic light
Psychedelic light experiences are the result of interference patterns also (made up of effects called phosphenes). The brain responds to patterns of neural and optical charge and discharge by building multi-layer visual effects. And this results in fully immersive psychedelic fractals, movement, and colour. As these visuals morph and change, organisation often appears from within the interference of geometry and form. The user is taken on a transformational journey by using specific frequencies in specific ways. Holographic effects within psychedelic light experiences are quite common. As layers of visual effect build upon each other, the mind tries to interpret what it sees. And combined with deeply altered states of consciousness, complex form emerges out of simple form. What starts as a series of enjoyable patterns., progresses into fully realistic hallucination experiences. And if the user is willing to follow the trail, deep insight, self-awareness, and even healing can be the result.
Psychedelic light experiences and letting go
Letting go is one of the fundamental aspects of effective therapeutic change. Letting go of limiting beliefs, thoughts and habits., and letting go of tension and stress. With the right application of psychedelic experiences, the body and mind can heal themselves. The unconscious mind (or subconscious) has access to the 90% of information that we typically are not aware of consciously. And the unconscious mind becomes more accessible when we let go. As self-organising systems, the mind in this state will generally bring to the surface what needs attention. And this can then be dealt with from the perspective of an older more knowledgeable frame of reference. Psychedelic light experiences create an altered state of consciousness and open this possibility. Because as the mind changes state, conscious filters are removed.
The holographic nature of effective therapy
In psychology there is a term called a gestalt. From which gestalt therapy arose. One interpretation of a gestalt is that of linked memories. If someone experiences a traumatic event, that event may be stored in a way that affects the persons future. Every time a similar event occurs, they respond as if it is traumatic even if it is not. This new memory gets linked to the first one and strengthens it. Eventually the person ends up with a chain of events that all link back to that original one forming a gestalt of trauma. This is how people develop certain physical and emotional challenges that last and expand over time.
Holographic trauma treatment
This leads to an interesting way of approaching trauma. It is not always necessary to get to the root cause of an issue to heal it. Break the gestalt chain and access to the emotion of the trauma becomes harder or impossible. In practice this means working with whatever memory has the most impact that the person can remember. Because the nature of trauma in this way is holographic. Whatever memory has the strongest feel to it, will contain the whole experience. At least in enough detail to affect the original and all other instances of this traumatic response. Deal effectively with that memory, and the rest of the memories in the chain can be dealt with also.
The heliotropic effect
The heliotropic effect comes from the plant world but can be applied to personal wellbeing. Although not related to holographic light it is an interesting addition to the subject. The heliotropic effect is the tendency of people or groups of people to move towards positivity. The effect is most noticeable in the plant world when a plant grows and turns toward light and away from darkness. The heliotropic effect in people applies to light also, but more commonly to energy and positiveness. We do tend to gravitate toward positive and away from negative. And this applies to both personal development, organisations, and leadership. Organisations that foster positive practices will attract people to them. As for light and sound journeys or psychedelic light experiences the effect is more direct. Here the heliotropic effect adds to the non-ordinary states of consciousness. Literally people feel themselves moving toward the light. The holographic light effects become the attractor to pull people into an altered state of consciousness that results in euphoria and feelings of wellbeing.
Holographic light and the universe
Scientists only understand a fraction of what the universe contains. And some believe that the universe itself is holographic. This belief can actually be explained mathematically. And the theory of the holographic universe also explains some of the strangest things we know little about. Take black holes for example. If we except that matter is neither created nor destroyed, then how is it that a black hole can absorb matter never to be seen again? The answer according to the holographic universe theory, is that the matter becomes stored in two dimensions on the border of the black hole. And these two dimensional ‘images’ are holograms of the three-dimensional matter. The holographic principal suggests that the entire universe originates from code stored on the boundary of the universe. And that what we perceive to have three dimensions, might instead be written on a two-dimensional surface, like a hologram.
Living in a giant hologram >>>
A parting thought about holographic theory
Science is undecided if the universe is infinite or not. If it has a boundary, can it be infinite? That may depend on how many dimensions are in focus. The answers to such questions may not influence the average person’s life. But the quest to explain existence and consciousness remains temptingly close. And the closer we look, the more something we find in nothing. Does consciousness have a boundary? And can the universe and consciousness be separated? One popular meaning of the (mainly Indian) traditional greeting ‘namaste’, is., “the divine in me, recognises the divine in you”. Assuming the divine is infinite, then maybe ancient traditions recognised the infinite in everyone. And as such, perhaps we are all a holographic image of ‘all that is’.
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Integration of psychedelics >>>>