[.ca] Holographic Universe (ISBN 0060922583)

A little too new age:
This book is interesting but ultimately is attempting to justify new agey feel good connectedness with a little pseudo science. Its nothing new. People have been using the wierdness of quantum theory to justify wacky meta-physical ideas since its inception. The creditials of some of the thinkers doesn't cut it for me. Many brilliant scientists go non-linear as they get older trying to find some kind of spiritual meaning to existence. Not having traditional religion they create their own using questionable interpretations of modern physics. An excellent example of this is Tipler's 'The Physics of Immortality' where he invents his own heaven complete with all the trapping of eternal bliss in paradise. And he 'proves' it using modern cosmology. Wow. I only write this review to warn people that are looking for science not meta-physical speculation. I bought this book without a lot of checking and thought I was getting a discourse on the holographic model used in cosmology as an information theoretic approach to physics. See for example Lee Smolin 'The Three Roads to Quantum Gravity'. Instead I got a lot of wild speculation based on anecdotes of ESP,Coincidences and miracle healings. This just isn't science. To quote the late Carl Sagan. 'Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence'.

From the scientific to the esoteric:
In the introduction, the author clarifies terms like Holographic Universe, and concepts like the holographic analogy, metaphor or paradigm. The physicist Bohm and the quantum physicist Pribram are the originators of the idea. In this book, the theories and the conclusions of many researchers influenced by the holographic model and its interpretations are explored. Talbot warns that some interpretations are controversial and the book indeed strays into highly esoteric territory. Part One: A Remarkable New View of Reality, looks at the work of Pribram and Bohm and how these two scientists teamed up. These two chapters, The Brain as Hologram and The Cosmos as Hologram, examines the vastness of memory, associative memories, photographic memory, phantom limb sensations, the transference of learnt skills and our amazing ability to recall, forget and recognize familiar things. Part Two: Mind and Body, investigates the holographic model in psychology, the body, miracles and in the ability to see holographically. Phenomena like dreams, psychosis, lucid dreaming and holographic therapy are examined, with reference to the work of Stanislav Grof amongst others. The section on healing deals inter alia with the work of pioneers like Dr Carl Simonton and Larry Dossey, with emphasis on conscious and unconscious beliefs, acupuncture and the use of imagery (visualization). In the chapter: A Pocketful of Miracles, there are discussions of psychokinesis, the kahunas of Hawaii, the work of Carlos Castaneda and the question of whether consciousness creates subatomic particles. The next chapter explores research on the human energy field, the energy field of the psyche, the aura and the chakras, x-ray vision and the altered states of shamanism. Part Three: Space and Time, attempts to apply the holographic model to clairvoyance, retrocognition, ghosts and apparitions. It also explores the possibility of a holographic past and future and of thought as the creator of reality. Out-of-Body experiences, Near-Death experiences and their holographic explanation are discussed and there is an interesting section on the famous mystic Swedenborg. This part also looks at a variety of phenomena like Marian appearances, UFO's, the results of taking the herb ayahuasca and various shamanic experiences. The chapter Return to Dreamtime revisits Bohm's idea of the implicate and explicate order and compares it to Tibetan Buddhism, Zen and Hinduism. In the next one: The Future of the Holographic Idea, the author investigates holographic sound with reference to the physiologist Hugo Zuccarelli, and speculates on the implications for science of the holographic paradigm. Amongst them are new kinds of computers and puzzles in chemistry that might finally be solved. The model might be able to eventually explain telepathy, synchronicity, paranormal and mystical experiences. The text concludes with Talbot's view of mankind's evolutionay thrust towards a higher consciousness. The book contains voluminous notes arranged by chapter, and an index. The text is well-documented. The only problem is that there are repetitive accounts of well-known historical paranormal experiences that are already very familiar from the literature. Overall, The Holographic Universe contains enough purely scientific information to serve as a starting point, but it will appeal more to those who are into the metaphysical and spiritual side of things.

Best book on this subject:
Michael Talbot makes a very strong case that reality is but an illusion, a type of holograph constantly moving. If your interested in this type of stuff this is the book to get. It is even better than David Icke's book "Infinite Love is the only Truth, Everything Else Is An Illusion." Michael Talbot takes us through the world of quantum physics, psychology, medicine, and mysticism. It is a very easy book to read and once you start reading it it's hard to put it down.

An excellent resource:
The Holographic Universe is by far one of the best books quantum physics I've read. This book clearly presents a unified view of both science and spirituality. Their are many mystical concepts that the author touches upon. The idea of a Collective Unconcious; that we all share a deeper racial memory is reminiscent of the later works of Carl Jung. In addition, there is a small but helpful chapter devoted to Multiplicity or multiple personalities. The author articulates a theory that multiples exist as a collection of individual souls that exist in parallel dimensions as well as our own. Physical differences are scientifically observed in different members of a multiple's system. A brain tumor is seen in the x-rays of a multiple patient. When the patient changes personalities, the brain tumor is no longer present. I found his theories to be helpful and well thought out. For any student of psychology or self discovery, these ideas are are insightful and creative. There is a great deal we don't know and may never know. This book allows the reader the opportunity to go beyond their limited understanding of how their universe may exist.

LOVE THIS BOOK:
The book not only provides a perspective of looking at the universe as holographic, but also provides an avalanche of very interesting stories. As a Clinical Hypnotherapist, and a firm believer that there are no limitations to what we can experience and the changes we can create in our bodies and in our lives, even on genetic level, I wanted to share one of the stories from this book: "Brocq's disease involves a horribly disfiguring hereditary condition. Victims of Brocq's disease develop a thick, horny covering over their skin that resembles the scales of a reptile. The skin can become so hardened and rigid that even the slightest movement will cause it to crack and bleed. Brocq's disease was incurable until 1951 when a sixteen-year-old boy with an advanced case of the affliction was referred as a last resort to a hypnotherapist named A.A. Mason at the Queen Victoria Hospital in London. Mason discovered that the boy was a good hypnotic subject and could easily be put into a deep state of trance. While the boy was in trance, Mason told him that his Brocq's disease was healing and would soon be gone. Five days later the scaly layer covering the boy's left arm fell off, revealing soft, healthy flesh beneath. By the end of tend days the arm was completely normal. Mason and the boy continued to work on different body areas until all of the scaly skin was gone. The boy remained symptom-free for at least five years, at which point Mason lost touch with him. This is extraordinary because Brocq's disease is a genetic condition, and getting rid of it involves more than just controlling autonomic processes such as blood flow patterns and various cells of the immune system. It means tapping into the masterplan, the DNA programming itself. So, it would appear that when we access the right strata of our beliefs, our minds can override even our genetic makeup.