How to describe a hologram to someone who has never seen one

[gia]

My story takes place in the future but after the apocalypse...hence no technology. So if someone who had never seen movies, etc were to see a hologram for the first time...how the heck would you explain it in words???

 

[TheCrystallineEntity]

An image of a person or thing projected by something? *shrug*

 

[Mytherea]

I suppose if the viewer stuck their hand in the hologram and found it intangible, they might think it's a ghost/spirit?

 

[gia]

Good idea

An image of a person or thing projected by something? *shrug*

Describing some mechanism might really help "ground" the whole thing...thanks!

 

[gia]

I suppose if the viewer stuck their hand in the hologram and found it intangible, they might think it's a ghost/spirit?

That could be fun...the hologram doesn't work until you go inside it...kind of like a 3D reality game or something. Thanks!

 

[CupofJoe]

Aren't holograms 3D images in a 2D plane? So you think you see a real vase but it's a sheet of glass...