The Holographic Universe

by Michael Talbot

Book Overview

"In The Holographic Universe, Michael Talbot argues nothing less than that the universe is itself one giant hologram. Mr. Talbot thus explains out-of-body experiences, quantum-theory problems, the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060922583
• Release Date: May 1992
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 338 Pages
• Weight: 0.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.8" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

important even after a decade

Talbot has created a great book. The Holographic Universe is a discourse on a new way (paradigm) for viewing life and the Universe, based primarily on revelations from quantum physics. While my copy is over 10 years old, and physics has moved forward a bit since then, most of the material in the book is as revelant today as it was when my copy was published in 1991.The basic premise of the book concerns the nature of holography, and how the Universe and our existence and experience can be viewed through a holographic model. For those who don't know, a holgram or holograph is a photographic image created by splitting a laser beam and recording interference patterns between the two beams after one has been reflected off the subject to be photographed. It has the remarkable property of containing the entire image on each piece if you cut it or break it into smaller pieces. This idea of the whole contained in each piece is the basis of the Holographic principle. It has been found to be very useful in explaining the behavior of many natural systems, hence the purpose of this book.Talbot discusses many areas of life, including particle physics and physical health. He quotes and cites authorities like Bohm, Grof, Pribram, and many others too numerous to mention here. The book is an incredible resource for a new view of reality as well as a huge listing of people, books, and research to go into more depth on the subjects covered. It is one of my favorite books, and I have given more than one away as a gift. At one time, I kept two additional copies just to loan out.My favorite parts of the book are the experiment in mass dreams near the end, and the section starting on page 90 dealing with the placebo effect and Multiple Personality Disorder(MPD). The fact that placebo effect can cure illness at a higher rate than many pharmaceuticals should make people sit up and take notice. If that doesn't wake you up, then the research on the health capabilities of people with MPD ought to really rattle your sense of reality darned hard. The fact that people with MPD can turn illnesses on and off totally destroys the whole Cartesian-clockwork view of physical reality, not to mention the Western allopathic model of medicine. These people can experience radical changes in their biology just by changing which personality is "in charge" of the body. I'm talking total disappearance of diabetes, complete changes in vision (color blindness as well as refractive errors), allergic reactions, erasing the effects of drugs and alcohol; tumors, scars, and cysts coming and going, and more. All of these things are well-documented in the scientific literature (cited in the book). I personally know of a case (not in the book) of a broken bone that would not show on x-rays unless the personality who broke the bone was present! The person who recounted this to me was very much frightened by it, and reluctantly revealed it only when I raved about this sction of the book.The MPD research

Suspend your preconceptions and you may have an epiphany ...

"I am sure you have gone astray if you are moved to homesickness for anything in this dimension. We transform these things; they are not real, they are only the reflection upon the polished surface of our being." ~~ Ranier M. Rilke, from "Requiem for a Friend" You've heard the parable of the five blind men who examined an elephant, to find it "like a rope, a tree, a wall, a spear, or a snake", depending on whether they encountered tail, leg, torso, tusk, or trunk? The polarities of the other 68 reviews remind me of that parable. I must comment to three: to 5-star "Mindboggling!!!!", who said, "...should be the new "Bible"!!!"; I liked it, too. But please, let's not. We've religions enough; to 1-star "The only book I ever trashed ... ", who threw it away, because, "To sell it would have made me feel guilty that someone might read it and believe it."; On behalf of the libraries to which you deprived a donation, thanks. Check out Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" at the library nearest you. You may find yourself. And to those who raked Talbot over the coals for his "unscientific" approach, I recommend your re-read his introduction, and understand his intention. For works of a sufficiently scientific approach, explore his 25 page bibliography. Part one begins, "Sit down before fact like a little child, and be prepared to give up every preconceived notion, to follow humbly wherever and to whatever abyss Nature leads, or you shall learn nothing." T. H. Huxley, quoted on the overleaf. Part One so thoroughly drew me in that I could not put the book down.Chapter 1: The Brain as Hologram (Pribram). Memory; local or non-local, that is the question. Do specific memories reside in specific locations (cells)? That they do is stipulated as the commonly accepted view. That they do not is put forward with evidence from Pribram's work, along with that of Penfield, Lashley, and others. Hologram fundamentals are reviewed (keep in mind "reference beam", "object beam", and "interference pattern"). Eyesight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste are spoken of as operating in frequency spectrums. How does associative memory work? And photographic memory? The statement that "there is evidence that neurons respond individually to narrow bands of frequencies" (everything has a resonant frequency) leapt off the page at me. The inference I take from it is that, in a holographic model for memory ~ and consciousness itself ~ our five senses provide the "reference beams". Talbot touches upon transference of motor skills, phantom limb phenomena, and the idea that the brain employs Fourier Transform to process and comprehend sensory input. He concludes by alluding to Pribram pondering the implications of his theory with respect to the nature of reality and how we experience it.Chapter 2: The Cosmos as Hologram (Bohm). Quanta only behave as particles when we look at them; they are interconnected (both at a distance, instantaneously, and with near-conscious,

One of the best books ever written

I've read The Holographic Universe often, and have gained new insights into the nature of consciousness and reality from its riches every time. I consider it to be author Michael Talbot's most important work, as well as one of the best books ever written on the subject of so-called paranormal phenomenon. Talbot's fascination for finding scientific explanations for psychic and paranormal activity began when he noticed objects moving inexplicably around him, regardless where he lived. He would sometimes awaken to find socks draped on his houseplants, and occasionally found objects in his apartment that he knew for a fact had been hundreds of miles away. His real-life experiences with such shifts in reality combined with his training in physics led him to explore possible reasons for these and other mysterious happenings.Talbot begins his book with an excellent introduction to physicist David Bohm's concept of the holographic model of the universe, and combines the physics model with Karl Pribram's work on the holographic model of the brain. The result is a marvelous description of a non-local, interconnected and alive universe that moves in response to our every thought and feeling.I am very impressed with the clarity with which Talbot presents the concept of a holographic universe and how various paranormal phenomenon can be explained within that model. Talbot's discussion is comprehensive, fascinating, clear, and packed with relevant and intriguing stories of paranormal phenomenon. Out of body experiences (OBEs), near death experiences (NDEs), auric readings, psychokinesis, acupuncture, X-ray vision, healing, and psychic readings are all described and considered for placement into the holographic model.Talbot presents a wealth of relevant research studies and scientific theories from David Bohm, Helmut Schmidt, Marilyn Schlitz, Robert Monroe, Charles Tart, Larry Dossey, Paul Davies, PMH Atwater, Ian Stevenson, Fred Alan Wolf, Harold Puthoff, Russell Targ, Lyall Watson, Stanislav Grof, and many others.

Excellent and makes you rethink your view of reality!

This is definitely a must read for anyone who ever pondered the meaning of reality or the universe. It puts together a big picture of all kinds of phenomenon and how they exist. So many things about our mind, our world, and our universe are explained if we adopt a holographic paradigm. There is convincing scientific evidence to support this too, such as the 1982 Alan Aspect experiment that showed that there was no locality between the twin particles. This book is not some wacky theory, because it contains quotes and studies from credible people and sources. In addition, the holographic theory is consistent with the view of reality by mystics and the idea that we are all connected and one, which is why love is so important because it brings unity.The only unanswered question I have that this book didn't seem to answer is this: If the universe is a hologram, then how is it that matter is solid to the touch? Why does my hand not pass through this table in front of me if it is a hologram? Upon reading the first 2 chapters closely, it appears that the answer to my question is that since our hands and our bodies are PART of the hologram of the universe, it would "feel" that other objects are solid too. I am not sure of this though, but that is my interpretation of it. If anyone else who has read the book knows the answer to my question, feel free to let me know. My email address is WWu777@aol.comThanks, Winston