The Aura: The glowing fields of the aura

By Pawan Sony

Auras not only reflect our distinctive personalities but are also a barometer of energy fields within our body, warning us of impending trouble well in advance

Most of us have heard of the aura—that shining halo circling the heads of divinities and saints in religious calendars. But is an aura merely a symbol of divinity and purity? Luiz Almeida, a teacher at the Center for Gnostic and Anthropological Studies (CEG) in New Delhi, India, would have us believe otherwise. According to him, an aura is "a thermo-electrical field that emanates from all matter, whether living or non-living". In other words, aura is not for gods alone. It is energy fields which we all have. So do animals, plants and even your chair, table or that speck of dust on it.

Indian metaphysics describes the aura as an emanation that can only be felt in a state of tranquility. Ancient Egyptians and Greeks associated the halo with resurrection. They, along with Indians and Romans, used the halo in art to depict supernatural forces and mystical states.

But what makes the aura so special for clairvoyants, mystics and shamans? The answer lies in its form. The aura is like a multicolored mist, comprising seven layers of vital energy that radiates through you and around you. These layers are:

• Etheric layer (or the layer of physical health): It is bright in a healthy person, pale in the ailing.
• Emotional layer: Used as a storehouse for emotions.
• Mental layer: A weak mental layer indicates lack of will power.
• Astral layer: Deals with matters of the heart, provides a link between body, mind and spirit and connects the individual with all other living beings. It is large and bright in those who give relationships paramount importance.
• Etheric template: The energy field of communication and creative expression. Blockage or darkness in this layer indicates a feeling of isolation.
• Celestial layer: Represents the visual senses. It also reflects an individual's view of the world.
• Ketheric layer: When shining brightly, it indicates a mind unafraid of judgments and criticism.

Spiritual masters usually have bright seventh layers. According to experts, every aura has a unique shape and is in a constant state of flux, reflecting varying mental states. The colors of the aura are actually vibrations of energy, and represent different emotions, physical conditions and even degrees of spiritual development.

Dr Tom Chalko, a scientist with the University of Melbourne, Australia, who has been studying auras, describes the aura as "bio-energy vibrations radiating in all directions". The human aura is, according to him, partly composed of electromagnetic radiation, "spanning from the infrared to the ultraviolet (UV)". "While the low frequency part of the spectrum seems to be related to the low levels of functioning of the body," he says, "the high frequency of UV is more related to our conscious activity such as thinking, imagination, creativity, intentions. Many people can even train themselves to see shapes and colors of the high frequency part of an aura and then read what they see."

But how can you see the aura? One method used worldwide is Kirlian photography, developed in the 1930s by Russian scientists Semyon and Valentina Kirlian. However, the Kirlian camera is limited to photographing the aura of fingertips and toes.

Today, doctors in various parts of the world use Kirlian photography as a diagnostic tool. Russians apply it in sports to assess the metabolic process and fitness of athletes. In India, the CEG perhaps possesses one of the few Kirlian cameras in the country.

"The aura is as simple or as difficult as the human body," says Krishnan Veerappan, founder of Prana Vision, a healing and meditation center in Delhi, India.

"Kirlian cameras can photograph an aura of a certain intensity. Same goes for clairvoyants and healers. But the aura itself extends much further." Which is why, according to Veerappan, you might not be able to interpret the aura even if you could see it.

Recent years have seen the development of aura imaging photography—a technique that produces a full spectrum representation of the aura. Here, the body's energy is charged with electrical energy. This is picked by probes and the electronic image is recorded by a camera. In 1980, Guy Coggins, an American inventor, developed this camera which, unlike the Kirlian camera, could also record the aura of the torso.

Getting hold of an aura camera is difficult. But despair not—it is possible to see the aura with the naked eye. You can start by keeping an open mind and a relaxed state of awareness. "But," warns Veerappan, "you should prepare yourself through asanas, pranayama and kriyas before you actually begin to dabble with these subtle energies."

The aura is a protective shield that keeps you healthy and joyful. However, stress and illness may adversely affect your aura. Certain diseases can even cause gaps in it. When something blocks the energy flow within the aura, the shield weakens, making you unhappy, depressed or sick. As Dr Chalko puts it: "Any discontinuity of the bio-energy field around any body part indicates the abnormal activity of the organ. Specifically, 'gaps' or 'weak areas' in the aura, as well as detached areas, indicate problems or potential problems."

There are many ways of healing your aura. Crystals are often used to align and balance it. At CEG, Almeida uses dynamic meditation and Gnostic meditation for aura realignment. Reiki and grounding have also proved successful. "Aura plays a major role in pranic healing," says Veerappan. "Here, you are taught to sensitize your hands and feel the aura through scanning."

Dr Chalko rates meditation as the best possible method of improving auras. In an article on the subject, he writes: "When we have a kaleidoscope of thoughts in our mind, they override and disturb what our mind-body system would do by itself. When we manage to stop all thoughts, we give our own body and mind the freedom of attaining its natural state of being. In this state, our aura is not only stronger but also reflects our true nature better."

There are many aspects of the aura that yet remain unexplored. But with an increasing sensitivity towards the hitherto unknown facets of human existence, perhaps we'll soon understand this shimmering presence around us, and thus, connect to our souls.