David Bohm and The Holomovement

From the book “The Time Space Adventurers: Creating More Enjoyable and Satisfying Futures by John Brodie

There are many stories to share but looking back, one of the most important occasions for me was when I ended up at a lecture given at Lincoln Center in NYC.

David Bohm was a theoretical physicist and philosopher known for his contributions to the foundations of quantum mechanics, the relationship between consciousness and matter, and the development of a holistic and implicate order worldview.

I have no idea how I happened to be at what was a very high level scientific lecture in NYC – at Lincoln Center I believe – by David Bohm and neuroscientist Karl Pribram.  Bohm worked with Pribram on the theory that the brain operates in a manner similar to a hologram, in accordance with quantum mathematical principles and the characteristics of wave patterns.  At the lecture I attended Bohm and Pribram discussed their “holographic theory of the Universe”.  A hologram is actually an information storage system that allows the information to be compressed in its dimensions.  Like standard photography, an image is captured on a special film.  If you shine the light of a laser through the film a very precise three-dimensional image will appear in the air – maybe you remember the scene in Star Wars where Princess Leia appeared to deliver an important message.  You don’t need special glasses and you can move around the image just as if it were a real object. 

One of the very interesting things about a holograph is how the information is stored – it is stored throughout the film.  By this I mean that you can take any small piece of the film and the information for the entire image is there.  If you have a square film 12 inches by 12 inches and you cut a one inch by one inch piece and then shine the laser through it, the entire image will all be there – it will just lack some of the detail, it won’t be as crisp and precise but it will all be there.  Bohm and Pribram postulated that our brain functions similarly and that the physical Universe as a whole holds information in the same way.  This would mean that all of the information existing in the Universe exists in every molecule – just in less detail.  The bigger a piece of the data field you had access to, the greater the detail available.  Since we are all individual points of consciousness of an infinite and continuously expanding energy field, this would suggest that we have direct access to all of the knowledge / information in the Universe.  Might this be how inspiration works?  Like a Universal Search Engine, we pose a question and our inquiry goes out into the network and when possible answers are found, they come back to us as flashes of insight.  The prolific inventor Thomas Edison said that when something stumped him he would pose the question to himself and then take a nap.  Upon waking, the answer he sought would often be revealed as an “inspired” thought. 

The Holographic Theory of the Universe would indicate the inseparably interconnectedness of all of Creation. 

Some of his main theories include:

  • the theory of the implicate order, which suggests that the universe is made up of an infinite number of interconnected layers, and that the appearance of separate and distinct objects is only a projection of a deeper underlying reality.
  • his interpretation of quantum mechanics, which proposed that the apparent randomness of quantum events is a result of our limited perception of a deeper and more interconnected reality.
  • his ideas on the relationship between consciousness and matter, in which he proposed that consciousness and matter are not separate entities, but rather two aspects of the same underlying reality.

Karl Pribram, a neuroscientist and psychologist, expanded on David Bohm’s theories by developing the concept of a holographic model of the brain. Pribram was heavily influenced by Bohm’s theory of the implicate order and proposed that the brain processes information in a holographic manner, where the information is distributed throughout the brain in a pattern similar to the way that information is encoded on a holographic film. He proposed that the brain uses a Fourier transform, similar to the mathematical process used to create a hologram, to analyze and process information. He also proposed that the brain uses holographic processing to create the illusion of continuity of experience and that our perception of the external world is not a direct representation of reality but a construct of our brain. Pribram’s holographic model of the brain has been influential in the field of neuroscience and has sparked further research into the relationship between the brain, consciousness, and the nature of reality.

 David Bohm is the founder of what is called The Holomovement

What is the Holomovement?

Holomovement is a concept that was introduced by physicist David Bohm as part of his interpretation of quantum mechanics. According to Bohm, the universe is not made up of isolated, separate objects, but rather it is an interconnected whole, in which everything is fundamentally interconnected and inseparable.

Bohm believed that this interconnectedness was reflected in the behavior of subatomic particles, which he referred to as the “holomovement”. The holomovement refers to the idea that subatomic particles are not just localized objects that exist at specific points in space and time, but rather they are constantly moving and changing in a dynamic and interconnected way.

Bohm believed that this holomovement was a fundamental aspect of the universe, and that it underlies all of the physical phenomena that we observe. He suggested that it was the foundation for everything from the behavior of subatomic particles to the functioning of the human brain and the workings of society as a whole.

In Bohm’s view, the holomovement is a dynamic process that unfolds over time, and it is not governed by fixed laws or predetermined outcomes. Instead, it is a constantly evolving and changing process that is shaped by a variety of factors, including our own thoughts and actions.

Overall, the holomovement is a central concept in Bohm’s philosophy, and it represents his attempt to reconcile the seemingly contradictory ideas of quantum mechanics with the traditional understanding of reality as a collection of isolated objects.

Home | The Holomovement a website focused on discussion, applications and implications of the holomovement.