The existential hologram: toward a neurophenomenological and symbolic theory of sacred presence in architecture
Humanities and Social Sciences Communications April 17, 2026 Sevil Mehdilou, F Davari Dolatabadi, Masoomeh Yaghoobi 1 citation
Sacred presence in architecture is not a fixed symbolic meaning but a fragile, repeatable achievement that arises when four analytic fields—Embodied, Mnemonic, Symbolic, and Resonant—are coordinated by a cross-field operator called LUX, which organizes salience through light, shadow, and visibility. Applying this Existential Hologram model to the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan and Chartres Cathedral reveals distinct configurations: an aligned field of co-presence under LUX-as-containment in Isfahan, and a hierarchical narrative field of participation under LUX-as-solicitation in Chartres. The model offers a transparent protocol for comparative analysis focused on configurations rather than inventories of forms or doctrines.