Hologram Holograms were projections of light by a laser beam ( TV : " The Talons of Weng - Chiang " ) which cast three - dimensional images used for information storage and communication . Some holograms were also capable of developing sentience or being used to recreate life . Variations . Holograms were usually projected from a device , meaning that they were generally stationary . Some were mobile , however , and appeared not to be connected to a projector , at least not visibly . A type of holograms , hologlyphs , could materialise and dematerialise at will or when summoned , could be programmed not to know they weren ' t real , and could have a solid feel to them as if they were real beings . A hologlyph of a recently deceased person could even be created to acquire as to the last few moments of their life . They were also able to interact with machinery , as Book was able to connect with the lexicon . ( AUDIO : " . . . ish " ) Xanxia was able to create a permanent cellular regeneration projection of herself , always nearly complete but forever connected to the real Xanxia whose near - dead body was preserved between two time dam s . The Doctor could not switch her off , and was even slapped by her . She could also physically interact with her surroundings and her personal devices , which might have been projected as well , were also physical . ( TV : " The Pirate Planet " ) Another type , those made of hard - light , were used on the " Orient Express " to deceive passengers into believing the train was normal , creating hologram furniture and people . ( TV : " Mummy on the Orient Express " ) Instances of hologram use . Distant past . 150 million years BC , the Kastrian s had a hologram recorded to tell Eldrad aeons later that his mission to revive the race had failed . ( TV : " The Hand of Fear " ) 9th century . In the 9th century , the leader of the Mire used a hologram to disguise himself as the Viking god Odin . Later , Ashildr , using a Mire helmet , projected a holographic Sea Snake over a wooden puppet . ( TV : " The Girl Who Died " ) 19th century . In 1890s London , the 51st century Magnus Greel employed the holographic technique to pretend the presence of a ghost guarding his lair under the Palace Theatre . ( TV : " The Talons of Weng - Chiang " ) 20th century . In 1938 , with little time left , the Eleventh Doctor used the TARDIS ' voice interface , which variously took on the images of Rose Tyler , Martha Jones , Donna Noble and Amelia Pond . ( TV : " Let ' s Kill Hitler " ) In 1969 , the Eleventh Doctor showed Canton Everett Delaware III a holographic projection of a Silent . ( TV : " Day of the Moon " ) 21st century . By the early 21st century , television s were capable of holographic broadcasting . ( PROSE : " " ) In 2007 , when Sally Sparrow inserted a DVD with the Tenth Doctor ' s message to her into the TARDIS console , it opened a projection of the Doctor , who announced the TARDIS was returning to his timestream . ( TV : " Blink " ) In 2008 , the Eleventh Doctor called the Atraxi back to check if Earth violated their laws , and if it was defended , which the Atraxi confirmed with holograms . The holograms showed Pete ' s World Cybermen , Dalek s flying out of the Genesis Ark , Dalek Sec , a Sea Devil , a Reaper , a Sontaran , the Empress of the Racnoss , Vashta Nerada operating a spacesuit , Hath , Ood and a Sycorax for those who had attacked Earth in the past . For its protector , it showed the first , second , third , fourth , fifth , sixth , seventh , eighth , ninth , and tenth incarnations of the Doctor . ( TV : " The Eleventh Hour " ) Captain John Hart used his vortex manipulator to send holographic messages to Captain Jack Harkness and the rest of Torchwood Three . ( TV : " Kiss Kiss , Bang Bang " , " Fragments " ) Captain John projected an image to Torchwood of a canister containing what he thought was part of a key to find an Arcadian diamond , but were actually parts to a bomb that attached to the DNA of whoever killed the woman that owned this canister . When Captain John , the woman ' s murder er , assembled these pieces , it projected a hologram recording of this woman to tell him this . ( TV : " Kiss Kiss , Bang Bang " ) In 2009 , the Shadow Proclamation used holograms to show the 27 planets the Dalek s had stolen . ( TV : " The Stolen Earth " ) In 2010 , the Claw Shansheeth had an epitaph stone declaring the Eleventh Doctor ' s death , which Mr Smith projected as a hologram . ( TV : " Death of the Doctor " ) In 2011 , the Skullion s under order of Harrison made and controlled a hologram of Joseph Serf during the release of the SerfBoard . This hologram had hypnotic powers that willed people to buy the SerfBoard . Luke and Sky Smith later took control , telling the journalists at the release that the SerfBoard was junk . ( TV : " The Man Who Never Was " ) In 2050 , Mede s captured by Inspector Drake projected holograms to warn K9 and his gang about the chenium pollution Drake had caused . ( TV : " Alien Avatar " ) 22nd century . By the 22nd century , holographic slides had replaced paper as a writing medium . ( PROSE : " Fear Itself " ) In 2119 , the Twelfth Doctor projected a hologram ghost version of himself into the future . ( TV : " Under the Lake " / " Before the Flood " ) 23rd century . On 23rd century Deimos , holograms were recorded on camera s in a similar way to photograph s . ( AUDIO : " Deimos " ) Earth Empire . By the age of the Earth Empire , magazine s had been abandoned in favour of holo - zine s . ( COMIC : " Pirates of Vourakis " ) 44th century . In the 44th century , Amy Pond , as the Ghost of Christmas Present , showed Kazran Sardick the ship she was on that was about to crash into a planet through the use of holograms . ( TV : " A Christmas Carol " ) 54th century . The TARDIS projected a pair of hologram antler s on the Twelfth Doctor ' s head at Christmas on Mendorax Dellora . ( TV : " The Husbands of River Song " ) 61st century . In 6012 , the human s and Hath on Messaline used holograms to show a map of their residence . ( TV : " The Doctor ' s Daughter " ) Far future . The TARDIS projected a hologram of the Ninth Doctor saying goodbye to Rose Tyler , when he thought he had no way out from the Game Station in 200 , 100 . ( TV : " The Parting of the Ways " ) On 5 , 000 , 000 , 053 New Earth , Sally Calypso was a hologram newsreader . ( TV : " Gridlock " ) Pete ' s World . The Tenth Doctor projected himself as a hologram into Dårlig Ulv Stranden on Pete ' s World while he said his final farewells to Rose Tyler from his own universe . ( TV : " Doomsday " ) Unknown dates . A hologram of Mel Bush was created by the Rani to trick the Seventh Doctor into giving her back a component of her Time Manipulator . The hologram could move like her and disappeared when the Doctor tried to embrace her . ( TV : " Time and the Rani " )