Upon Reading Michael Talbot's "The Holographic Universe"
By Larry White

After reading through The Holographic Universe, my main reaction has been surprise (in turn) at how surprising this all is to the writer and those who read it. In opposition to a scientific perspective and coming from a philosophical perspective, (which I thought was imperative to think about existence and my own place in it), I am not surprised or amazed at all. That mind is the precursor and even the maker of matter is, to a religious person, a fundamental principle. However to take that principle to its logical end is the course on which we are all traveling by being here on the earth as conscious humans.

If mind made or makes matter then mind is not matter, a very elementary conclusion to which the scientists in Talbot's book seem to be blind. That therefore mind is the real "substance", not being substance at all, it follows that matter is temporal, i.e., temporary - and is an illusion that can just as well go out of existence - and which accommodates us in our course here "below". And therefore the corollary is that mind is eternal. It is the source of space/time existence and which is itself outside of space/time.

But mind, or from my perspective spirit, is incorporeal - it has no quantum existence, otherwise it would be matter. And so enter the man with no brain in Talbot's book. One need not have a brain to have a mind because mind is not material. But mind does have power, which I hasten to say that we, from a scientific view of energy, have little understanding of what we are observing. Bottom line, we simply have no idea what power or energy really is. (see 2 Corinthians 4:18)

This is what I understand at present if you will follow this. Space is an indication of power; from the space between my ears, to the space between the Earth and the farthest galaxy that we can see. You cannot have space without a tremendous amount of power to make it exist. Nicola Tesla called it the Ether. Theories on zero point energy call it the Void. To have the truly unspeakable amount of space that is in the universe, you must have a super-unspeakable amount of power to make it exist. In order to have a universal amount of power, there has to be a universally colossal mind. From the dawn of mankind, we have called him God. (see Hebrews 11:3 and Romans 1:20)

Calling this mind "him" leads me to say that the thing I believe is missing in a lot of people's understanding is the fact that mind is a person. I don't even want to say that mind is personal because that just dilutes the fact that we are dealing with a person when you deal with a mind. If you are a person, you don't have a mind, you are a mind. I suppose you could say that if you have mind, then you have personality, or personhood. You have a self-reflective awareness of your own being and those around you. You have more than consciousness, you have the divine spark of being that can look back into the face of God and mirror or reflect Him as the source. This, I think, and if you will accept it, is the real and only creation of the whole created universe, man in God's own image (remember this is mind, not matter). How could what people refer to as their "higher power" not be also personal like themselves? At least. The main error in idolatry and all the Eastern religions throughout history has been to make God less than man by depersonalizing him. To be a self-reflective person that is aware, is the ultimate state of existence. How could the source (the creator) be anything less?

Of course the proper way to have dealings with a person is to know him. The personality that he has revealed to us is one of love and the way to have life is to know him in a relationship of love. This is what persons do. (see John 17:3)

Yes, there is more to you than your body - you are a spirit. Being a spirit, then you are non-local and you are experiencing yourself as a local human in the physical realm. Our individual job here on earth is to find God and know him as he has revealed himself to us. The main component of this quest is faith which is the central issue of our lives. The way to life, light, love and truth is in Jesus Christ, God's perfect manifestation of his love toward us, and the revelation of his mind.

LW

Author's Intro to the Book

Paper by Michael Talbot

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