Holographic Universe

Definition

The holographic universe theory proposes that the three-dimensional reality we perceive is a projection from information encoded on a lower-dimensional boundary — meaning the universe operates like a hologram where every fragment contains the complete information of the whole. This model bridges quantum physics with ancient Gnostic and Hermetic descriptions of a projected reality.

Deep Understanding

Physicist David Bohm proposed in the 1970s, in papers gathered in Wholeness and the Implicate Order (1980), that quantum phenomena like non-locality (particles influencing each other instantaneously across vast distances) could be explained if the universe has two orders: an implicate order where everything is enfolded and interconnected, and an explicate order — the unfolded, seemingly separate reality we experience.

The structural parallels to Gnostic cosmology are striking. Bohm's implicate order maps to the Pleroma — the hidden, authentic reality. The explicate order maps to the Kenoma — the projected, deficient reality we perceive. The principle that every part contains information about the whole mirrors the Hermetic axiom "As Above, So Below" — that the microcosm reflects the macrocosm.

In 2017, physicists reported that holographic models of the very early universe, described by quantum fields in one dimension fewer, fit the cosmic microwave background about as well as the standard model of cosmology, which still did better overall. An echo of what mystics have taught for millennia, not yet a verdict.

Primary sources

• David Bohm, Wholeness and the Implicate Order (Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1980), ch. 6, pp. 177–199: the hologram as an image of undivided wholeness, and the implicate and explicate orders. Catalogue record
• The Emerald Tablet, trans. Isaac Newton (Keynes MS 28, c. 1680; The Chymistry of Isaac Newton, Indiana University): the lower is like the upper and the upper like the lower, for the miracles of the one thing. Open-access copy

In Practice

Contemplate the holographic principle in your own experience: notice how a single interaction — a conversation, a dream, a moment of silence — can contain a reflection of your entire life pattern. The whole is present in every part. When you encounter a recurring pattern in relationships, work, or inner life, you are seeing the implicate order revealing itself through the explicate. This recognition is not theoretical — it is a direct practice of perceiving the deeper structure behind the surface of experience.

The Voice of Pleroma

The hologram is not a metaphor. Every fragment of your experience contains the signature of the whole. When you learn to read one moment deeply enough, you are reading the entire universe.

Stefan's Alkimia. (2026, October 4). Holographic Universe. Pleroma Guide. https://pleroma.guide/en/lexicon/holographic-universe

Stefan's Alkimia. “Holographic Universe.” Pleroma Guide, 4 Oct. 2026, pleroma.guide/en/lexicon/holographic-universe.

Stefan's Alkimia. “Holographic Universe.” Pleroma Guide. April 3, 2026. Last modified October 4, 2026. https://pleroma.guide/en/lexicon/holographic-universe.

@online{alkimia2026holographicuniverse,
  author = {{Stefan's Alkimia}},
  title = {{Holographic Universe}},
  organization = {{Pleroma Guide}},
  date = {2026-04-03},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Last modified 2026-10-04},
  url = {https://pleroma.guide/en/lexicon/holographic-universe},
  langid = {english}
}