  We develop a model for hadrons in the framework of the worldline formalism.
While being based wholly in four-dimensional quantum field theory, it shares
many features with holographic approaches: Already by the use of the worldline
formalism the approach appears intrinsically quantum mechanical. As auxiliary
fifth dimension Schwinger's proper time is grouped with the physical four
spacetime dimensions into an AdS5 geometry, which is warped due to
conformal-symmetry breaking effects. Hidden local symmetry is emergent. The
four-dimensional sources are extended to five-dimensional fields by a Wilson
flow (gradient flow). A variational principle for the flow reproduces exactly
the corresponding holographic computation. The worldline approach also yields
the higher-dimensional description in the non-relativistic case.
