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In parapsychology, spirituality and New Age belief, an aura is a subtle field of luminous multicolored radiation surrounding a person or object as a cocoon or halo.^[1] An aura may be held to represent or be composed of soul vibrations or chakras, and may reflect the moods or thoughts of the person it surrounds.

Skeptics such as Robert Todd Carroll say that although there is no scientific evidence for supernatural perception of auras, auras may be seen for explainable reasons such as migraines or synaesthesia.^[2]

1 Background
2 Perceiving auras as a medical condition
3 Analysis
4 Skepticism
5 See also
6 Notes
7 References
8 External links

Background

It is believed that auras may be viewed by the naked eye, though some psychics, like Edgar Cayce, believe this ability weakens with age. Focused training may be undergone in an attempt to improve one's ability to see auras. Layers of aura are seen as separate and distinct, yet connected to all of the remaining layers. Auras are also thought of as special kind of shields which certainly have more defensive power. The odic force may be thought of as a similar phenomenon.

W.E. Butler has connected auras with clairvoyance and etheric, mental, and emotional emanations. He classifies aura into two main types: etheric and spiritual.^[3] Robert Bruce classifies auras into three types: etheric, main, and spiritual.^[4] Various books have been written that derive various personality traits based upon the specific colors of the different layers of the aura.^[5]^[6] Auras are thought to be related to the etheric subtle body and to serve as a visual measure of the state of the health of the physical body.^[7] Auras are not thought to be actual light but a translation of other unknown sensory readings that is added to our visual processing. According to Bruce they are not seen in complete darkness and cannot be seen unless some portion of the person or object emitting the aura can also be seen.^[8]

Perceiving auras as a medical condition

Some people see auras as the result of a migraine, epilepsy, a visual system disorder, or a brain disorder.^[9]^[10] Eye fatigue can also produce an aura, sometimes to referred to as "eye burn". (See Aura (symptom) and synesthesia.)

Analysis

Supporters of the significance of paranormal auras claim that the body's aura or energy field can be accurately "analyzed" by an aura analyst, who may claim to sense experiences and emotions indicated by the aura. Believers say that the colors of the aura can reveal a person's nature, though not in itself predict the future.

According to western tradition (such as Theosophy, Anthroposophy, Archeosophy, etc.) each color of the aura has a precise meaning, indicaing a precise emotional state. A complete description of the Aura and its colors was provided by Charles Leadbeater, a theosophist of the 19th century.^[11] The works of Leadbeater were later on developed by Palamidessi, an Italian theosophist who became an archeosopher.^[12]

Some claim an imbalance in aura may be an indication of physical or psychological disorders, and might offer advice on how to balance it.

No known scientific evidence supports these claims, and those who claim to be able to see and interpret auras often disagree on what a particular colour or type of aura means. For instance, a red aura to one interpreter might mean anger or rage, while another may claim that red is passion and love. Both anger and love are commonly associated with the colour red, though the two emotions are quite far removed from one another.^{[citation
needed]}

Skepticism

Debunkers of paranormal activity deny claims of the existence of auras, labeling them pseudoscience. James Randi, for example, has for many years offered one million US dollars to any person capable of repeatedly detecting auras; no one has yet succeeded (see The $1 million challenge). One such test, which was televised,^[13] involved one aura reader standing on one side of a room with an opaque partition separating her from a number of slots which may contain either actual people or mannequins. The aura reader failed to identify which partitions had which behind them, by claiming that all were concealing people.^[14]

Notes

^ http://parapsych.org/glossary_a_d.html Parapsychological Association website, Glossary of Key Words Frequently Used in Parapsychology, Retrieved January 24, 2006
^ http://www.skepdic.com/auras.html The Skeptic's Dictionary by Robert Todd Carroll, entry on auras, Retrieved Oct 13, 2007
^ Butler, W.E.: How to Read the Aura, pp 181-182. Destiny Books, 1978.
^ Bruce, Robert: Auric Mechanics and Theory, "Capturing the Aura," pp 301-303. Blue Dolphin Publishing, 2000.
^ Oslie, Pamala: Life Colors, What the Colors in Your Aura Reveal, New World Library, 2000.
^ Bowers, Barbara, Ph.D: What Color Is Your Aura? Personality Spectrums for Understanding and Growth, Pocket Books, 1989.
^ Butler, W.E.: How to Read the Aura, page 183. Destiny Books, 1978.
^ Bruce, Robert: Auric Mechanics and Theory, "Capturing the Aura," pp 293-296. Blue Dolphin Publishing, 2000.
^ Deprez, L. et al.. Familial occipitotemporal lobe epilepsy and migraine with visual aura <Internet>. Retrieved on 16 July 2007.
^ Hill, Donna L. et al.. Most Cases Labeled as "Retinal Migraine" Are Not Migraine <Internet>. Retrieved on 16 July 2007.
^ LeadBeater, Charles: Man: Visible and Invisible, 1902.
^ Palamidessi, Tommaso: The Occult Constitution of Man and Woman, 1968.
^ James Randi tests an aura reader. Retrieved on 2008-01-14.
^ auras. The Skeptic's Dictionary. Retrieved on 2006-12-15.

References

Alfred, Jay, �Our Invisible Bodies: Scientific Evidence for Subtle Bodies�, Trafford Publishing, 2006, ISBN 1-412-06326-4.
Baltz, Jennifer and Carl Edwin Lindgren, Eds. (1997). Aura awareness: What your aura says about you. Nevada City, CA: Blue Dolphin Publishing. (ISBN 0-9652490-5-0)
Brennan, Barbara Ann, Hands of Light : A Guide to Healing Through the Human Energy Field, Bantam, 1988, ISBN 0-553-34539-7.
Brennan, Barbara Ann, Light Emerging : The Journey of Personal Healing, Bantam, 1993, ISBN 0-553-35456-6.
Cayce, Edgar, Auras, ARE Press, 2002, ISBN 0-87604-012-1.
Kilner, Walter J., The Human Aura, Citadel Press, 1965, ISBN 0-8065-0545-1.
Krippner, Stanley and Rubin, Daniel, The Kirlian Aura: Photographing the Galaxies of Life, Anchor Press/Doubleday, 1974, ISBN 0-385-06574-4.
Larson, Cynthia Sue, Aura Advantage, Adams Media, 2004, ISBN 1-58062-945-8.
Leadbeater, C.W., The Chakras, Theosophical Publishing House, 1987, ISBN 0-8356-0422-5.
Carl Edwin Lindgren, Ed. (1999). Capturing your aura: Integrationg science, technology, and science. Nevada City, CA: Blue Dolphin Publishing. (ISBN 0-9652490-6-9).
Carl Edwin Lindgren (1995). A review of Aura imaging photography by Johannes Fisslinger. Journal of Religion and Psychical Research, Volume 18, Number 1:49-50.
Carl Edwin Lindgren (1995 Jan.). Capturing your aura on film. Fate, 48(1), 32-35.
Moss, Thelma, The Body Electric: A Personal Journey into the Mysteries of Parapsychological Research, Bioenergy, and Kirlian Photography, Los Angeles, J.P. Tarcher, 1979, ISBN 0-87477-109-9.
Swami Panchadasi, The Human Aura. Astral Colors and Thought Forms, Advanced Thought Publishing, Chicago, 1916. (PDF)

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