aura

aura:

see spiritismspiritism
or spiritualism,
belief that the human personality continues to exist after death and can communicate with the living through the agency of a medium or psychic.
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aura

the distinctive quality of a thing, e.g. a particular work of art, and (as defined by BENJAMIN, Charles Baudelaire, 1983) also ‘a unique manifestation of distance’. Benjamins reading is dependent on a quasi-religious understanding of society. Thus social order requires certain objects in society to be popularly regarded as sacred. For example, objects like the Emerald Buddha in Thailand or Stonehenge possess an aura. They are socially distant from us in the sense of occupying the symbolic apex of culture; and they also require us to make an inner journey away from the surface preoccupations of everyday life to a posited deeper, immemorial reality. In his troubled paper on the effects of mechanical reproduction, Benjamin (Illuminations, 1955) argued that the duplication of these objects as artefacts and symbols within mass culture weakens their auratic power. They become clichéd and hackneyed. Authenticity and the sacred are lost, and the social integration of society falters. See also SIMULATION, POSTMODERNISM.

Aura

(religion, spiritualism, and occult)

The aura is an emanation that surrounds all living things, especially human beings, which many believers in the Western Esoteric tradition, including the modern New Age community, claim to see and to be able to document. Many psychics, for example, claim to be able to see this emanation, completely invisible to the average person, and derive information from it, especially relative to the health of the person. Contemporary advocates of the existence of auras relate them historically to the lights said to shine around biblical and other holy figures, often pictured in Western art as halos. The aura is often said to be part of the invisible anatomy of the individual, which includes, among other invisible elements, the gchakras.

Of particular interest have been the various attempts throughout the twentieth century to scientifically document the existence of the aura and create instruments that will make it visible to everyone. Such efforts began in earnest with the work of Walter J. Kilner (1847–1920), a British physician who in 1911 published an account of his research in The Human Atmosphere. He created a dicynin screen consisting of a layer of coal-tar dye sealed between two pieces of glass. He suggested that the aura became visible after looking through the screen in bright daylight and then immediately turning to look at a person in a dimly lit room. This process made three layers of emanation. The first, a dark layer, surrounded the body for about a half an inch. The next two layers extended from the body for about three inches and a foot, respectively. He related these layers to the invisible body doubles described in Esoteric literature. Kilner’s research built upon some nineteenth-century speculations and led some colleagues to attempt to substantiate his conclusions.

Kilner’s research was largely dismissed by later researchers on light and perception, and the results he reported were seen as artifacts of the observer’s own optic process rather than reflective of any emanation being produced by the subject being observed. These findings did not prevent the marketing of Kilner goggles, advertisements for which appeared in Esoteric periodicals as late as the 1970s.

Interest in the aura was revived in the last decades of the twentieth century by the development of a new photographic technique, kirlian photography. Discovered in the 1950s by two Russian scientists, Valentina and Semyon Davidovich Kirlian, this form of photography claimed to produce photographs of an energy field around and emanating from living objects. Kirlian photographs were made by placing the object directly on a photographic plate and using a small amount of electricity rather than light to imprint the image. Kirlian pictures produced on color film proved to be both intriguing and beautiful, and for a few decades a spectrum of scientists sought to find meaning in the pictures.

Kirlian photography ultimately proved a dead end. The most intriguing pictures, reputedly the very distinct images of people produced while they claimed to be in various altered states of consciousness, were determined to be artifacts of a badly controlled process. When the pressure placed on the film was controlled, the earlier produced differences disappeared. By the end of the 1980s, interest in the process had also disappeared.

Belief in auras continues within the Esoteric community, and many psychics still claim to be able to see them. No controlled experiments that would offer support to the meaningfulness of the aura as seen by psychics exist. Among recent claims largely based upon auras as seen by psychics are those related to the existence of indigo children, special children born in the last generation whose aura has a prominent indigo component.

Sources:

Bagnall, Oscar. The Origin and Properties of the Human Aura. 1937. Reprint, New Hyde Park, NY: University Books, 1970.Kilner, Walter J. The Human Atmosphere. London, 1911. Reprinted as The Human Aura. New Hyde Park, NY: University Books, 1965.Krippner, Stanley, and Daniel Rubin. Galaxies of Life: The Human Aura in Acupuncture and Kirlian Photography. London: Gordon & Beach, 1973.

Aura

(religion, spiritualism, and occult)

For centuries it has been believed that certain persons, perhaps through their deep spirituality, emanate colored lights from the head ("nimbus") or even the entire body ("aureole"). In early Christian and other religious art, these lights are depicted as "halos," or "glorias," but they are more generally known as the aura. Crowns and the headdresses of priests symbolize this aura emanating from the head.

Auras are not restricted to especially holy people but can be seen by sensitives, under the right circumstances, around all living things, animate and inanimate. In the sixteenth century, Paracelsus described the aura as "The vital force (which) is not enclosed in man but radiates round him like a luminous sphere." Nandor Fodor says it is a "permanent radiation around the human body," and goes on to say that "mystics distinguish four different types of aura; the Nimbus, the Halo, the Aureola and the Glory. The first two stream from the head, the aureola from the whole body, the glory is a combination of the two. Theosophists speak of five divisions: the health aura, the vital aura, the Karmic aura, the aura of character and the aura of spiritual nature."

Although immediately obvious to sensitives, almost anyone can be trained to see and even to feel the aura. Many Witches are able to see and feel it and use the knowledge obtained in different ways. It is believed that the aura may reflect the general health of the person from whom it emanates. It can therefore be used to diagnose illness, by viewing the colors present and their relative brilliance. It is also said that colors change dependent upon mood: red for anger, lilac or purple for spirituality, pink for love, or green for deceit. Much about a person can be determined just from looking at their emanations. By projecting—either by light or simply by thought—appropriate therapeutic colors, healings can occur.

In 1858, industrial chemist Baron Karl von Reichanbach discovered radiation emanating from crystals, magnets, plants and animals. In 1911, Dr. Walter Kilner of St. Thomas' Hospital, London, devised screens through which this radiation could be seen.

Aura

(religion, spiritualism, and occult)see also odic force

According to metaphysics, the human body is composed of seven distinct elements. The first three—solid, liquid, and gas—form the physical body. The fourth is the etheric body and interpenetrates the physical body. Then there is the astral body, the mental body, and finally the spiritual body. The last two are virtually impossible to see because they vibrate at rates too high for normal detection by the physical eye, but the others can be seen by sensitives. These energy patterns are termed the aura.

The etheric body, or inner aura, extends slightly beyond the physical, appearing to the adept as a thin, dark line no more than an inch thick. Beyond it extends the astral body, which may be several inches in thickness. The aura extends around the whole body, but is most easily seen around the head, where it is termed the nimbus. The aura around the whole body is the aureola. The nimbus is what is shown in Christian art—especially from the fifth to the sixteenth centuries—as “halos” or “glorias.” In paintings of Moslem prophets, the aura is often shown as a ring of flames. Crowns and priests’ headdresses symbolize the aura. Some art of Ceylon, Mexico, Peru, and of Japanese Buddhism show light extending around the whole body of a holy person. Paracelsus, in the sixteenth century, said “The vital force is not enclosed in Man, but radiates round him like a luminous sphere.”

The aura changes color with the person’s health, mood, etc., and so can be used by the sensitive as an instrument of divination. A person with a blue or lavender aura, for example, will be in a deeply spiritual state. Love shows as a pink aura, and anger as a vibrant red. Vortexes and holes in the aura or the aureola may indicate health problems and a need for attention. Seeing a change of color, for example from dark pink to vibrant red, would indicate that the person’s anger was increasing and could explode in the near future.

Sources:

Buckland, Raymond: Color Magic—Unleash Your Inner Powers. St. Paul: Llewellyn, 2002Butler, William E.: How to Read the Aura. New York: Samuel Weiser, 1971Cayce, Edgar: Auras. Virginia Beach: ARE Press, 1973Spence, Lewis: An Encyclopedia of the Occult. London: George Routledge & Sons, 1920Autography see Writing, SlateAutomatic Art see Art, AutomaticAutomatic Writing see Writing, Automatic

aura

[′ȯr·ə] (medicine) An unusual sensation preceding the appearance of more definite symptoms; in epilepsy, auras frequently precede the convulsive seizure.

Aura

goddess of breezes. [Gk. Myth.: Kravitz, 42]See: Wind

aura

1. Pathol strange sensations, such as noises in the ears or flashes of light, that immediately precede an attack, esp of epilepsy 2. (in parapsychology) an invisible emanation produced by and surrounding a person or object: alleged to be discernible by individuals of supernormal sensibility

aura

[aw´rah] (pl. auras, au´rae) a peculiar sensation preceding the appearance of more definite symptoms. An epileptic aura precedes an epileptic seizure and may involve visual disturbances, dizziness, numbness, or any of a number of sensations which the patient may find difficult to describe exactly. In epilepsy the aura serves a useful purpose in that it warns of an impending attack and gives the patient time to seek privacy and a safe place to lie down before the seizure actually begins.
A migraine aura precedes about 15 per cent of migraine headaches, warning the patient that an attack is imminent. When it occurs the patient should rest in a quiet, darkened room.

au·ra

, pl.

au·rae

(aw'ră, -rē), 1. Epileptic ictal phenomenon perceived only by the patient. 2. Subjective symptom at the onset of a migraine headache. [L. breeze, odor, gleam of light]

aura

(ôr′ə)n. pl. auras or aurae (ôr′ē) Medicine A sensation, as of a cold breeze or a bright light, that precedes the onset of certain disorders, such as an epileptic seizure or an attack of migraine.

aura

Alternative–paranormal
A subtle energy field which is believed to envelop the human body and correspond to the soul. Some believe the aura can be analysed by various techniques, and the information obtained provide the basis for diagnosing and monitoring disease. Many names have been given to the aura, including: astral body, auric field, bioenergy field, biofield, bioplasmic body, bioplasmic force field, doppelgänger, dream body, etheric body, etheric double, hakra, human atmosphere, human energy field, sidereal body, spiritual body, spiritual skin, star body, subtle body, subtle organizing energy field, vital body.

Neurology
A subjective (illusionary or hallucinatory—e.g., flashing lights, blurred vision, odours, sensation of a breeze, numbness, weakness, difficulty speaking) or objective (motor) event marking the onset of an epileptic attack, gran mal seizure or a migraine.

aura

Neurology A subjective—illusionary or hallucinatory. or objective–motor event marking the onset of an epileptic attack, grand mal seizure, or a migraine. See Migraine, Seizure Paranormal An energy field said to envelop the human body, and correspond to the soulSee Chakra, Cf Vital force.

au·ra

, pl. aurae (awr'ă) 1. Subjective symptoms occurring at the onset of a partial epileptic seizure; often characteristic for the brain region involved in the seizure, e.g., visual aura, occipital lobe auditory aura, temporal lobe. 2. Subjective symptoms at the onset of a migraine headache. [L. breeze, odor, gleam of light]

aura

The symptoms providing a warning of an impending attack of some kind, such as an epileptic seizure or a migraine episode. These may take the form, respectively, of a feeling of coldness and the perception of sparkling lights.

Aura

A subjective sensation or motor phenomenon that precedes and indicates the onset of a neurological episode, such as a migraine or an epileptic seizure.Mentioned in: Antimigraine Drugs, Hallucinations, Migraine Headache

au·ra

, pl. aurae (awr'ă) 1. Epileptic ictal phenomenon perceived only by the patient. 2. Subjective symptom at onset of migraine headache. [L. breeze, odor, gleam of light]

Patient discussion about aura

Q. Can visual aura alone be migraine? I'm 21 years old girl, and for the last six years, about once a week, when I wake up from night sleep all I see in my left eye is a very bright light. After some time my vision returns. In the last few weeks it became more frequent and also starts to happen in the other eye.I consulted my doctor and she told me it's not an important thing, and that it's probably a specific type of migraine. However, I don't have any pain at all. Does anyone else have this? Is it possible for migraine to occur only with aura, without any pain? A. Hi,
I'm sorry to hear about your problem. Whatever your doctor told you, you should know that if it bothers you, it IS an "important thing". I also suffer from similiar thing (only visual disturbances after I wake up, without any pain), and when my doctor prescribed me meds they went away. You should consult your doctor again and ask him for a solution for this thing.

Q. My 21 year son has chronic sinus issues, I think, due to many high school sports injuries. Help! His ENT has recommended a "nose job" but our insurance will not cover it. Do you know of any holostic, nutritional or homeopathic solutions to keep this under control? When he gets a headache, it shuts him down and normally goes into a migraine.A. One of the best, most inexpensive, ways to prevent, treat, and generally care for any sinus related problem is with a saline (salt water) sinus rinse. The one I use is called "Neil Med" and can be purchased at Walgreen's for about $15. It has a plastic bottle with pre-measured, pre-packaged salt that is should be mixed with cooled off sterilized (boiled) water. If I get an infection, using 2 or 3 packets to concentrate the solution gives the lavage a bacteriostatic (stuns/partially kills bacteria), not bacteriocidal (kills bacteria) quality. I do not own Neil Med although I wish I did!! The lavage method also washes out any dust, old mucous, you name it. It should be used prior to the use of any nasal steroid like Flonase if treating allergic rhinitis. Good luck!!

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Patient discussion about aura

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Synonyms for aura

noun air

Synonyms

Synonyms for aura

noun a general impression produced by a predominant quality or characteristic

Synonyms

Synonyms for aura

noun a sensation (as of a cold breeze or bright light) that precedes the onset of certain disorders such as a migraine attack or epileptic seizure

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noun an indication of radiant light drawn around the head of a saint

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noun a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing

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