(3) Considerations

The scenario totally shifted when I approached the thought of
David Bohm. He was a protege of both Einstein and Robert
Oppenheimer (the Father of the Atom Bomb) when he was at
the Institute for Advanced Study. In due course, Bohm moved
on to positions in Brazil and Israel--and eventually became the
Chair of the Physics Department at the University of London.
Known as the "Father of Quantum Mechanics," Bohm died in
1990.

But it was what Bohm did *after* he retired. Essentially he
became a philosopher, espousing an incredibly interesting
theory about what he called the "Implicate Order. What Bohm
was suggesting, strongly, is that there is an Inner Aspect of the
universe as well as an Outer Aspect that we normally study.

He based his theory on his knowledge as a physicist, especially
specializing in quantum physics and mechanics. But he inputted
lots and lots more into his theory. Bohm's universal system was
a *Whole,* if you will, seamless, with the Inner playing into the
Outer. Our's is a holistic universe, and the process is holistic.
Bohm believed that there was a Plenum, if you will, which he
called the "Holomovement."

Without going into a lot of seriously sophisticated physics, I'll just
make mention in this journal that Bohm's basic assumption is that
"elementary particles are actually systems of extremely complicated
internal structure, acting essentially as amplifiers of *information*
contained in a quantum wave." As a consequence, he evolved a
new and controversial theory of the universe--a new model of reality
that he calls the "Implicate Order."

The theory of the Implicate Order contains an ultraholistic cosmic
view; it connects everything with everything else. In principle, any
individual element could reveal "detailed information about every
other element in the universe." The central underlying theme of
Bohm's theory is the "unbroken wholeness of the totality of existence
as an undivided flowing movement without borders." Hence the
Holomovement.

At last I had found a scientist--a great scientist, too--who dared to
suggest that there is actually an Inner that feeds out *information*
to play into the Outer part of the universe.

However, excited as I may be, I knew that I had to be practical in
my quest. I just could not latch onto a theory without more under-
standing. Consequently I spent lots of time delving into Bohm's
thought, and I must say that the man was knowledgable. He really
knew his science! And he dared to say what he thought about the
nature and process(es) of the universe.

In the end, what I really latched onto when it came to Bohm's theory
was the focus on *Information.* By sheer happenstance, a friend
of mine back at the Plasma Physics Laboratory came across a
scientific article by John Wheeler, now gone but then known as
one of the greatest physicists in the world. Quoting Wheeler, here
is what he said: "the quantum teaches us that the world at bottom
has an information-theoretic character."

Wheeler continued, proceeding with the idea of an observer-participant
universe. "Participation reveals itself in the demand for choice. In this
game, as in quantum physics, no question, no answer."

Thrilled after reading Bohm's theory, after reading Wheeler's comment,
I couldn't help but think that their thinking presupposes an intelligent
universe that has to grasp information and creativity as its primary
process.