A woman in a dimly lit consulting room in London, 1903, held her hands a few inches from her client’s head. She described colors shifting with each breath: a soft blue around the throat, a muddy gray near the stomach. She was not guessing. She was reading the aura. Aura scanning is the practice of perceiving or measuring the subtle energy field that surrounds living beings, either through trained clairvoyance or technological devices. The concept of a visible human energy field entered Western esotericism through the Theosophical Society in the 1880s, and it has been practiced, photographed, and debated ever since.
What Is Aura Scanning, Exactly?
Aura scanning refers to any technique used to detect, interpret, or visualize the aura: a luminous, multi-layered field of energy said to emanate from all living things. The scanning can be done by a trained practitioner who sees colors and patterns with the mind’s eye, or by a device that captures electrical or thermal emissions. The belief underlying both methods is that the aura reflects a person’s physical health, emotional state, and spiritual development. The term “aura” in this specific context was popularized by the Theosophist Charles Webster Leadbeater in his 1902 book Man Visible and Invisible, where he published paintings of the aura’s layers and colors.
Where Did the Idea of Aura Scanning Come From?
The roots are older than Theosophy. Descriptions of a luminous body appear in Hindu texts as the sukshma sharira (subtle body) and in Tibetan Buddhism as the thigle. In the West, Renaissance occultists such as Paracelsus (1493–1541) wrote of an “astral body” that could be seen by the initiated. But the modern practice of actively scanning the aura as a diagnostic tool began in the late 19th century.
The Theosophical Society, founded in 1875 by Helena Blavatsky, Henry Steel Olcott, and others, systematized the study of the human energy field. Leadbeater, an Anglican priest turned clairvoyant, claimed to see the aura in detail. He described seven layers, each corresponding to a plane of existence and a set of colors. His book Man Visible and Invisible included color plates that showed how the aura changed with emotion: a spike of red for anger, a sickly brown for selfishness. These illustrations became the reference for later aura readers.
The first technological breakthrough came in 1939 when Semyon Kirlian, a Russian inventor, accidentally discovered that an object placed on a photographic plate connected to a high-voltage source would produce a corona discharge. The resulting “Kirlian photograph” appeared to show the aura. Kirlian and his wife Valentina spent years refining the technique. The Soviet government funded research, hoping to use it for medical diagnosis. The human consequence: for decades, Kirlian photography was offered as proof of the aura’s existence, though the effect is now understood to be a combination of moisture, pressure, and electrostatic discharge.
In the 1990s, Russian physicist Konstantin Korotkov developed Gas Discharge Visualization (GDV), a digital version of Kirlian photography that claims to measure the biofield. GDV equipment is still used in some alternative medicine clinics today.
What Do Aura Colors Mean?
The symbolism of aura colors is one of the most consistent elements across traditions, though sources disagree on details. The seven major colors are usually mapped to the chakras:
- Red at the base of the spine: vitality, energy, also anger or stress.
- Orange below the navel: creativity, emotion, sexuality.
- Yellow at the solar plexus: personal power, intellect, confidence.
- Green at the heart: healing, love, growth.
- Blue at the throat: communication, truth, calm.
- Indigo at the third eye: intuition, wisdom.
- Violet at the crown: spirituality, connection to higher realms.
Leadbeater’s system added more: black for hatred, pink for affection, gold for high spiritual attainment. Later practitioners, such as Barbara Brennan in her 1987 book Hands of Light, expanded the layers to seven “auric bodies” with specific functions. Brennan’s work is still widely used in energy healing schools.
The practical consequence: aura readers often use color as a starting point for conversation. They do not declare a diagnosis; they describe what they see and ask the client what it resonates with.
How Is Aura Scanning Done in Practice?
Aura scanning takes two main forms: clairvoyant and technological.
Clairvoyant scanning is the older method. The practitioner sits with the client in a dim, quiet room. They soften their gaze, often looking slightly to the side of the client’s body, and wait for colors or shapes to appear. Some use their hands to feel the aura: a tingling or warmth at a few inches’ distance. The practice requires training. Most teachers recommend starting with trees or plants, whose auras are easier to see, then moving to animals and humans.
Technological scanning uses devices. The most common is the Kirlian camera, available in various forms at alternative health expos. The client places a hand on a glass plate, a low-voltage current is applied, and a digital image appears showing a colored corona. GDV devices go further, measuring the glow around each fingertip and mapping it to organs according to the meridian system. Some practitioners use biofeedback sensors that measure skin conductance and heart rate variability, claiming these correlate with the aura.
One concrete detail: when we scan auras in the library’s practice room, we light a single candle and seat the client on a dark background. The eyes need at least five minutes to adjust. We do not speak during the scan. The first impression is often a general color, then a secondary color, then shapes or textures.
Aura Scanning Compared to Related Practices
Aura scanning is sometimes confused with aura photography, which is a specific product line (the AuraCam 6000, developed by Guy Coggins in the 1990s). That device uses hand sensors and a Polaroid camera, and the output is color-coded based on the client’s biofeedback. Aura photography is a commercial adaptation, not a direct visualization of the aura.
Aura scanning also overlaps with biofield therapies such as Reiki and Therapeutic Touch. In those practices, the practitioner scans the aura with their hands to locate areas of stagnation or imbalance, then uses energy to clear them. The scanning is a diagnostic step, not the therapy itself.
Notable academic research includes the work of Dr. Valerie Hunt at UCLA, who in the 1970s used electrodes to measure the body’s electromagnetic field while a clairvoyant described the aura. She found that the clairvoyant’s descriptions matched the instrument readings approximately 80% of the time. Hunt’s results were published in Infinite Mind: The Science of Human Vibrations (1996). While not widely accepted in mainstream science, her work remains a key reference for aura researchers.
What People Get Wrong About Aura Scanning
The most common misconception is that aura scanning is a magic trick. It is not. It is a learned perceptual skill, like reading body language or listening to a musical chord. Not everyone can see auras immediately, and those who claim to see them on demand are often exaggerating.
Another error: that aura colors are fixed. An aura changes constantly, reflecting mood, health, environment, and time of day. A single reading is a snapshot, not a diagnosis.
Some believe that aura scanning is a substitute for medical examination. It is not. Even the most experienced practitioners emphasize that aura reading is a complementary tool, not a clinical test.
Finally, there is the confusion between the aura and the chakras. The two are related but distinct. The chakras are energy centers; the aura is the field that surrounds them. You can scan the aura without accessing the chakras, and vice versa.
FAQ
Can anyone learn to scan auras?
Yes, with practice. Many people begin by seeing a faint outline around the hands or head, then develop the ability to see colors. It helps to train with a teacher or a structured program.
Is aura scanning the same as aura photography?
No. Aura photography uses biofeedback sensors to assign colors based on sweat, temperature, and heart rate. It is a technological interpretation, not a direct visual of the aura.
Do aura scanners use any special equipment?
Clairvoyant scanning requires no equipment, only a quiet space and a relaxed gaze. Technological scanners use Kirlian cameras, GDV devices, or biofeedback sensors. The choice depends on the practitioner’s tradition.
What do the colors mean?
Colors are interpreted based on their location, intensity, and combination. Generally, bright, clear colors indicate health and balance; muddy or dark colors suggest stress or blockage. No single color is good or bad.
The aura is not a party trick. It is a framework for understanding how energy, emotion, and health interact. For those who want to explore further, we recommend starting with our guide to the chakra system and its relationship to the aura, or reading the glossary entry for “aura” for the precise definitions used in the library. The full collection of guides on auras and energy fields is the best place to continue.