Source: The Quantum Hologram And the Nature of Consciousness, Edgar D. Mitchell, Sc.D. and Robert Staretz, M.S. (Consciousness & Contact Research Institute, CCRI, 2022)
Quantum Hologram And the Nature of Consciousness.wav
This podcast the concept of the Quantum Hologram (QH), a proposed model of information processing in nature suggesting that information is as fundamental as matter and energy. The podcast argues that this QH model, supported by evidence from various fields including quantum physics and biology, provides a basis for understanding consciousness not just in complex organisms, but at a fundamental level of awareness and interconnectedness present in all matter through quantum phenomena like entanglement and non-locality. They suggest that nature utilizes this QH as a vast information storage and retrieval mechanism, explaining phenomena ranging from cellular communication to seemingly "psychic" events, and proposing it as a framework for how the universe learns, self-corrects, and evolves as a unified system.
1. The Quantum Hologram (QH) as Nature's Information System: The source introduces the Quantum Hologram as a new model for information processing in nature. It posits that QH is a vast, built-in mechanism for storing and retrieving information that has existed since the beginning of time. This model suggests that information should be considered as fundamental a status in nature as matter and energy. The QH is proposed to be the storage mechanism residing in the zero-point field (ZPF), which is described as ubiquitous, nonlocal, unattenuated, and capable of lasting indefinitely and storing unlimited information. Importantly, any portion of the QH is said to encode the whole, similar to a traditional hologram. Every physical object, living or nonliving, is believed to have its own unique resonant holographic memory stored in the ZPF. For living organisms, the QH contains the entire event history, both objective and subjective experiences. This information about an entity is carried in the amplitude, frequencies, and phase relationships of its emitted quantum waves, forming interference patterns akin to those on a holographic plate. The QH is seen as a three-dimensional view or movie that evolves over time, fully describing the states of the object that created it. Not only does each entity have its own unique QH, acting as a non-local "fingerprint," but it is also suggested that others can access parts of this information through resonance. The QH model is presented as a description of how reality works, enabling predictions and interpretations about nature's operations.
2. Consciousness and its Basis in Quantum Principles: The source explores various definitions of consciousness, noting that it is easily recognized but difficult to define, similar to life itself. Definitions range from basic awareness and the ability to perceive oneself in relation to the environment to more complex ideas involving thoughts, sensations, perceptions, moods, emotions, and self-awareness, typically associated with organisms having a brain. However, the sources question if consciousness is restricted to organisms with brains, pointing out that even microscopic entities like viruses, amoeba, and algae exhibit purposeful behavior and environmental awareness without having brains or nervous systems. They propose that consciousness might begin at the most fundamental level with ubiquitous quantum events, specifically entanglement and non-locality. Moving up the evolutionary scale, consciousness is seen as an evolutionary scaffolding built upon these quantum principles, described as a basic, undifferentiated awareness that interconnects all matter across space and time. This fundamental awareness extends up the evolutionary chain, with differences in consciousness being a matter of degree rather than kind. Simple life forms utilize molecular structures sensitive to their environment, employing chemical and electromagnetic means for awareness. The Quantum Hologram theory is applied to suggest that life, even at the basic level, exchanges information non-locally, implying that all organisms are fundamentally interconnected through nonlocal quantum coherence. Consciousness is also seen in the context of processing and using information gathered from the environment, assigning meaning to it based on context.
3. Resonance and Phase Conjugate Adaptive Resonance (PCAR): Resonance is postulated as the primary mechanism for accessing information stored in the Quantum Hologram. This process is illustrated with the analogy of resonating guitar strings, where plucking one string causes a corresponding string on another identically tuned guitar to vibrate. Adding more guitars and plucking strings simultaneously leads to constructive interference and increased amplitude of the resonating wave, making it easier for other objects to resonate with it. This analogy relates to the brain resonating with standing waves of corresponding frequencies in the ZPF to access information in the QH. The source introduces Phase Conjugate Adaptive Resonance (PCAR) as the specific process involved, suggesting it is the basis for the most fundamental level of perception in all living organisms. PCAR is described as a resonant loop utilizing overlapping reference signals of quantum emissions from an external object. The brain is proposed to act as a phase conjugating device, creating a mirror image, or "virtual," signal that resonates with the input signal (quantum emissions) from the object being perceived, setting up a standing wave. This resonance condition allows the brain to process information to locate and associate the object in three-dimensional space. PCAR is suggested to be necessary for perceiving objects as they really exist in 3D, rather than as flat images. This holographic processing is not limited to vision but applies to enhancing all five senses, explaining why sounds, for example, seem to originate from their source location rather than inside the brain. PCAR requires a reciprocal relationship where information flows in both directions between the object and the percipient, each being both target and percipient to the other.
4. Non-locality, Entanglement, and Interconnectedness: The concept of non-locality, a quantum phenomenon implying instantaneous transmission of information across space and time, is presented as fundamental to the understanding of QH and consciousness. Non-locality and entanglement are described as ubiquitous throughout the world of matter, underlying the idea that all matter is interconnected and this interconnection transcends space and time. While these quantum phenomena are well-established at the micro level, the source argues that they also operate at the macro level as "group" phenomena, explaining various macro-scale observations. This interconnectedness implies a participatory universe where every object, in some sense, affects every other object, challenging the notion of pure objective reality. Experimental evidence, including meta-analyses of random number generator (RNG) and Ganzfeld studies, is discussed as suggesting non-local effects and correlations beyond chance, even influenced by group attention or emotion. Animal behavior studies, such as dogs anticipating owners' return or rats non-locally benefiting from the experiences of others in a maze, are also presented as evidence of non-local awareness and information transfer. The existence of QH is seen as providing the informational structure necessary for these observed non-local phenomena, suggesting they were previously unexplained due to the lack of an adequate theoretical framework in classical science.
5. Applications, Evidence, and Implications of the Model: The source explores numerous applications and implications of the Quantum Hologram model, suggesting it explains previously unexplained phenomena across various domains. Beyond basic perception, the model offers potential explanations for psychic phenomena, telepathy, healing, remote viewing, collective unconscious (Jung), the noosphere (Teilhard de Chardin), and the Akashic record. These phenomena are proposed to involve accessing non-local information stored in the QH through resonance, often facilitated by attention, intention, or the use of icons. Experimental work, such as the De La Warr experiments involving remote diagnosis using resonance and producing spatially encoded photographic plates years before fMRI, is presented as compelling evidence for macro-scale quantum holography influenced by conscious attention and intention. The model is also applied to biological processes like embryonic development and epigenetic inheritance, suggesting that inter-cellular communication and the passing of acquired characteristics might involve access to species-specific or ancestral information fields similar to the QH. The overall implication of the QH model is a view of the universe as a self-organizing, interconnected, conscious, and holistic system where information is fundamental, learning occurs through retaining experience in the QH, and evolution is driven by adaptation based on these principles. This perspective suggests a fundamental interconnectedness of all existence, mirroring ideas found in ancient traditions.
Drawing upon the information presented in the sources, the concept of the Quantum Hologram (QH) is introduced as a novel model for understanding information processing in nature and, significantly, as a potential basis for consciousness. The sources suggest that this model is supported by evidence and offers explanations for how living organisms acquire and utilize information. It elevates the role of information in the natural world, placing it on the same fundamental level as matter and energy. The QH is speculated to be nature's inherent mechanism for vast information storage and retrieval, potentially active since the universe's inception. This framework posits that the universe, through the QH, learns, self-corrects, and evolves as a self-organizing, interconnected, holistic system.
Defining consciousness has historically been challenging, ranging from simple "awareness" to more complex descriptions encompassing thoughts, sensations, perceptions, moods, emotions, and self-awareness. While easy to recognize, its definition remains elusive, having been debated for millennia across philosophical and religious traditions. Only recently has the scientific community made a serious effort to understand consciousness, often assuming it is merely a byproduct of brain function, confined within neural processes. However, the sources point to accumulating evidence that suggests this view may be incomplete, highlighting phenomena that are not easily explained by brain function alone.
At a basic level, consciousness seems linked to a sense of separation, awareness of the environment, and the ability to process, store, or act upon environmental information. This raises the question of whether consciousness is exclusive to creatures with brains. The sources explore the idea that even microscopic organisms like viruses, amoeba, and algae, lacking nervous systems, exhibit purposeful behavior and environmental awareness, suggesting a primitive form of consciousness. It is proposed that consciousness, in some degree, extends to simple living entities that display awareness and intentionality. Further, certain properties observed down to the subatomic level, where particles appear "aware" of their environment through quantum entanglement and non-locality, suggest that consciousness might have roots in ubiquitous quantum events.