The Universe (Cosmos) and the way the brain works are one of the subjects on which the scientists are working very hard.

Today, there are various points of view among the scientists about the structure of the Universe. They think that there is a correlation between the human brain and the Universe, which the brain is perceiving and interpreting. The scientists are putting forth opinions about how the human brain is functioning.

During the 1940’s various experiments were made on rats. The rats were trained to run a maze. Afterwards some part of their brain was surgically removed and  their behaviour/reactions were observed. The part that was removed was supposed to contain the memory of their maze running ability. However, in the end, it was found out that the rats had no trouble in finding the route in the maze as they had  learned before a part of their brain was removed. There was no loss in their memory. Similarly,  a cat 98% of whose visual cortex (the part of the brain that receives and interprets the image that the eye sees) in the brain had been removed, was able to see as if it had no operation.

These results surprised the scientists. The neurophysiologist Karl Pribram at Stanford University, thinking that the brain has holographic qualities, intensified his research on this subject. In the 1960’s, a text which he read on the principles of hologram, was quite in parallel with his ideas. According to Pribram, the brain was functioning in a holographic form. As there was no vision in the brain, then whose hologram was formed within it? What was the real thing?  Was it the world that is being seen, the wavelengths perceived by the brain or something further apart from these?

Today, according to our understanding of physics, the Universe is formed of electromagnetic waves which are interconnected (intercepting each other). With respect to this definition, we may understand that in the space, every point is full. There is no emptiness. The famous physician David Bohm, as a result of his research on subatomic particles, reached the conclusion that the Universe is a giant hologram. One of Bohm’s most important findings is that in reality, our daily life is an holographic image. According to him, the Universe is an endless, limitless one "WHOLE" holographic structure. It is meaningless to speak of parts.

When we think of what mystics have been telling, long before science has made the above statements, we can clearly see that their sayings were not so much different than the statements of science. Furthermore, they were living in this state of being (i.e. being fully aware of the hologramic principle). While living with this awareness, some of them didn’t declare anything about the truth they have attained, whereas some tried to give explanations, in a manner suitable to the level of understanding prevailing in the society at that time.

Now, we, in the light of the scientific data, can have a better understanding of what they meant.

The Hologramic Principle enabled the people, though partially  to have a better understanding of  what was told in sufism. In general, the Hologram Principle explains how all the qualities of the WHOLE exist dimensionally in every unit. The understanding of this definition automatically destroys the image of God further apart from us. Instead, this definition of hologram brings to light the real concept of <Allah>. At this point, let us give a short explanation about hologram and Sufism and try to find out the points where they meet.

We can say that Sufism is a philosophy which investigates one whole being, one truth with all the dimensions. This philosophy is based on contemplation.  As a result  of  this contemplation  the points that have been determined  are being experienced/lived/practiced by the individual.  It is compulsory to know this philosophy, to be able to understand the Koran and the hadithes and to be able to evaluate the clues given by the Saints.

Whereas Hologram, can be defined mainly, "as a method of recording the images  in three dimensions". The most important quality of the hologram technique is; instead of recording the image of the objects, the information necessary to obtain an image is recorded on the hologram plate. Therefore, even the smallest particle in the hologram plate has the capacity to store all the information belonging to the whole.

We can summarize this technique as follows: -

The beam coming from a laser source is split into two beams by a semi permeable mirror. One of these beams reaches directly the hologram plate, whereas the other beam is directed to the object which will be visualised. From there, by way of reflection, it reaches the hologram plate. The two laser beams; one coming directly to the hologram plate from the source, the other reflecting from the object, create an interference pattern on the plate. Thus, the image of the object is recorded.

Afterwards, if the hologram plate is illuminated with a new laser beam (which must have the same frequency with the beam used in recording and illumination must be made from the same angle), then the three dimensional image of the object appears in the room. This image is very clear and nothing is missing in comparison with the original. The reason is that  the hologram plate is reflecting the laser beams it has received exactly in the same form as the object whose image is being recorded.

Each of the brain cells that are called neurones are like mini holograms. They perceive the arriving impulses by classifying them according to their frequencies. The function of each neuron is creating a wavelength in itself. As a result of the interference of wavelengths belonging to a lot of cells, the holographic image that we can perceive by our five senses is being formed.

We can think of the human brain as a big hologram, made up of lots of mini holograms. Because, each cell in the brain has been created with a capacity and ability to perform every function. Only, after cosmic programming the cells become specialized and perform their own functions.

After the above explanatory information, and also in the light of the religious data, let us think about how the human brain is programmed...

The basic, fixed program of the person called "Ayan-i Sabite"* is formed on the hundred and twentieth day in the mother’s womb by the arriving cosmic beams and the angelic influences. Afterwards, during the seventh month and the ninth month of pregnancy this programming goes on.  At last, at the time of birth, the brain receives a shower of cosmic radiation and thus the programming of the brain is completed. Originally, the Human being is a unit composed of the meanings of Allah’s names... Through the genetic data, these virtues, this perfection  (the meanings of Allah’s names) are transferred from one human being to the next, from generation to generation. Therefore, in every human being the ninety-nine names of Allah are present (Bakara, The Cow 30-31). Also, the human being is a unit that has in his own essence  the four dimensions which are  the dimension of the Essence (Dhat), the dimesion of the Qualities, the dimension of  the Names and the dimension of the Multiplicity.

The most important quality of the hologram principle is:- Each point in the hologram is able to give the image of the whole object. Every point of the hologram receives and records the light waves coming from all over the object. Therefore, if the hologram plate is torn off or broken into pieces EVERY SINGLE PARTICLE IS LOADED WITH THE INFORMATION OF THE WHOLE AND WHEN NECESSARY CAN GIVE THE IMAGE OF THE WHOLE BY ITSELF.

Now, with these data we can reach the following conclusions:- As the laser beam reflected from an object records on the hologram plate the image of that same object, in a similar way, the brains of the human beings are programmed before birth and at the time of birth by the cosmic rays coming from infinite number of constellations, known as the astrological signs whose origins are the angels.  When you send the laser beams of a similar frequency to the holographic plate, the object appears in three dimensions. Similarly, the cosmic rays (radiations), coming from the Astrological Signs and the planets of the Solar system influence the pre-programmed human brains. Thus, they  make  every person, in the direction of his original, fixed program, to manifest  the activities, the behaviour patterns, the ideas and the thoughts (which have been stated  in his/her original fixed program)

Actually, the object which is seen on the plate does not have a real (tangible and concrete) existance. It’s a model (or an image) made up of wavelengths which we see as if it’s existing. Similarly, at this point the human brain is working just the same as a hologram and because of the limited capacity of our five senses we accept ourselves as a unit and think that everything that we see around us really exists. In fact, as the image on the hologram plate is not real, the things that we see around us and accept as existing do not have any existance too. The actions that we perceive are all meanings. To emphasize this concept the mystics have said "Thinking about the origin of the objects is tawhid (oneness/unity)". Also, every meaning is a wavelength of a certain frequency... As a result, the brain is perceiving the universe holographically.

Starting from this point, just the same as the brain cells, the Universe at the macro level is a hologramic structure whose source/origin is quantum energy. For a moment, think of the universe in absolute sense as a hologram plate. Allah, the infinite, eternal limitless One wished to observe the meanings that he had, and by making compositions of these meanings in various forms, the One created the infinite number of beings. However, all of these beings (units) are images of consciousness (knowledgeable forms) created by the only One from nothing, with His knowledge/science and in His knowledge. All of these units that Allah has  created from nonexistance; because they are created with Allah’s  knowledge, from Allah’s knowledge and from Allah’s  existance don’t have anything else existing in them apart from Alalh’s existance.

When told in terms of Sufism, the universe is made of One SPIRIT and everything existing in the UNIVERSE receives its vitality from this Spirit. At the same time this Spirit, because it is a concious structure, has knowledge (conciousness), science, will and power. Thus Universal Knowledge (Cosmic Conciousness), Power and Will is present in a holographic form, in every particle of every unit, at all levels of the Universe. Those, who have attained this truth tried to explain it by saying ""The smallest particle is the mirror of the whole." However, this way of explanation was misunderstood and it was thought that as if together with the Absolute Will there existed the individual’s will also.

In every molecule of your body, that Cosmic Power, Knowledge and Will is present with its original structure. And when you wish something, you are not requesting something from a being that is far beyond, but from the one in your existance, in your Essence. In other words the Science of Allah, present in your essence is bringing out into the open your wish, upon Allah’s Will and by Allah’s  Power...

Another important quality of the holographic structure is that; it contains altogether everything we know as the past, the present and the future without the concepts of time and place. In other words it contains all the information. The concepts perceived as "time", "place", "past" and "present" are all relative concepts depending upon the perceptive capacity of the perceiver. Once again, the holographic principle has intensified these statements. The information of the Whole is present in the essence of every particle, but the particle can evaluate this WHOLE information, only to the extent that he can bring this capacity out into the open or to the extent that he can utilize this capacity.

Levh-I Mahfuz, Allah's preordained will is the dimension in which Allah's decrees on "accident,fate  and command’’ destiny" regarding the compositions of Allah's names that form the universe of multiplicity, take place together with the knowledge and consciousness.  It is the reflection of the "command and the will" present in Allah’s science to the world of actions/multiplicity.

In this platform every, single thing is present as knowledge, design and with all its reasons of existance. In this platform, which is free from the concepts of time and place everything is present as information  from the past to the future eternity. Thus, Levh-i Mahfuz is the mirror of the universes and it is considered to be the gene of the universe.

All the beings created in the Universe and within all the dimensional levels of the Universe are made up of the detailed expansion/description of the immediate upper dimension known as Levh-i Mahfuz - Allah’s preordained will. Every unit present in this dimension, namely the galaxies, astrological signs (constellations), the sun, the planets and everything on  earth receives its being from  Allah.  And Each of the units are regarded as existing according to the perceiver in its dimension. In reality what is existing is the ONE and the ONLY ONE, ALLAH, who is vahid-ül ahad (there is nothing existing apart form ALLAH).

All of these meanings present in the Universe in the form of images have all the characteristics of the ONE. They are not separate beings and they are not existing separately.ALLAH is existing in every particle with Allah’s Essence,Qualities and Names; and due to this fact of "UNITY - ONENESS", the Universe has a holographic quality. The Islamic Saints, who have figured out this point, mentioned the truth by saying "The origin of all the Universes is imaginary".

Ahmet F. Yuksel     
afy@hotmail.com
sufafy@hotmail.com
Istanbul, 1998

Source: In this article the infromation about the hologram is taken from Mıchael Talbot’s book ‘’The Holographic Universe’’ and the monthly ‘’Bilim ve Teknik /The Journal of  Science and Technology’’.

(This article had been published in the monthly Populer Bilim/The Popular Science,  In the web page of TUBITAK Marmara Research Center that has been updated in may 1998 and in the newspaper Akşam in the corner ‘Converations with the Reader’’ .  

Translator’s Note:   ‘’LEVH-I MAHFUZ/Allah’s preordained will’’ is the dimension of the compositions of Allah’s names which make up the concept of multiplicity. These dimensions are "fate and command", knowledge and conciousness.