The Raiment of Light by David V. Tansley

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The key takeaways are that the book discusses the human aura and traces our understanding of it from ancient times to modern science.

The book is about the human aura and traces our understanding of it from ancient times to modern science.

The author aims to explain what the aura is, how it can be seen and sensed, and how it relates to health, healing and other phenomena.

DAVID TANSLEY

ASTUDYOF THE HUMAN AURA


(IS
*
/1RKANK

IHE RAIMENT
OF LIGHT
David V. Tansley is a Doctor of Chiropractic (USA) and a leading
authority on radionics and distant healing. He has made an extensive
study of the subtle anatomy of man and its relationship to various
healing techniques, and has conducted workshops on this subject
worldwide. He has also lectured on parapsychology at the
University of Western Australia, and at Murdoch University, Perth,
Western Australia. His previous books include Radionics and the
Subtle Anatomy of Man (C.W. Daniel, 972), Omens of Awareness
1

(Neville Spearman, 1977) and Subtle Body - Essence and Shadow


(Thames and Hudson, 1976).
DAVID V. TANSLEY

THE RAIMENT
OF LIGHT
A STUDY OF THE
HUMAN AURA

FOREWORD BY MICHAEL bENTINE

/IRKANk
LONDON AND NEW YORK
First published in 1984
ARKANA edition 1987
ARKANA PAPERBACKS is an imprint of
Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE

Published in the USA by


Routledge & Kegan Paul Inc.
in association with Methuen Inc.
29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001
Printedand bound in Great Britain by
The Guernsey Press Co. Ltd, Guernsey, Channel Islands

© David V. Tansley 1984

No part of this book may be reproduced in


any form without permission from the publisher,
except for the quotation of brief passages
in criticism

ISBN 1-85063-075-5
Contents

Acknowledgments viii

Foreword by Michael Bentine ix

1 The raiment of light 1


2 The vital force revisited 21
3 Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura 42
4 Science and medicine look at the aura 65
5 Colours of the auric field 91
6 Sensing, seeing and reading the human aura 110
7 Dowsing and the human aura 132
8 Auric pollution — physical and psychic 145
9 Cleansing and healing the aura 159
10 The influence of gems 174
11 A radiance of light and love and power 184

Bibliography 192

Index 195
Illustrations

Figure 1.1 Electro photograph showing coronal


discharge around the human hand 12
Figure 1.2 Electro photograph of abdomen and lower
thorax 1
Figure 1.3 Coronal discharge around a coin and a key 14
Figure 3.1 The large ovoid field of energy around
the head and shoulders is a manifesta-
tion of psychic energy 49
Figure 3.2 The psycho-magnetic curving lines of
force which surround the human head 59
Figure 4.1 The outline of a healthy male aura
according to Kilner 66
Figure 4.2 Transverse sections of male and female
auras according to Kilner (a) and (b)
normal auras; (c) and (d) spatula te
auras; (e) and (f) auras with dorsal
bow-shaped bulge 68
Figure 5.1 A model of the ray energies in an
individual 100
Figure 6.1 Itch points and their basic significance
(a) Some of the itch points on the head
and face ;
(b) Front view of the body
showing itch points 122-3

VI
Illustrations/vii

Figure 7.1 Aura of a healthy male subject 135


Figure 8.1 Illustration by Kilner of the effect of
negatively electrifying aura, causing
the outer shell to expand 146
Figure 8.2 Pathological appearance of aura as seen
through the Kilner Screen. Granular
textures and holes appear in the auric
field 148
Figure 8.3 Loss of continuity of inner aura
following an appendectomy 151
Figure 9.1 Ritual of Light 166
Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my wife Elizabeth for her constant

encouragement during the writing of this book, in the


process of which we travelled half way round the world
and back. My thanks and deepest gratitude to Jean Meade
who kindly provided us with a haven, a twenty-mile
view across the Sussex countryside, and a close proxi-
mity to the 'aura' of H.G. Wells. There is no doubt the
peace and inspiration drawn from our surroundings
helped to keep me at the typewriter.
I am also grateful to Dr Julian Kenyon, MD, and the

Centre for the Study of Alternative Therapies for per-


mission to reproduce figures 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3.

vni
Foreword

David Tansley is an enthusiastic seeker with an open mind.


He reads avidly with a voracious appetite for unusual and
original concepts of life and nature. This book is a broad
review of many such ideas and some readers may not agree
with a number of its statements. However such a book is a
sign that our times are changing rapidly. Today's structure
of scientific thought requires revision to accommodate a
number of ideas touched upon by the author. I believe we
need such mental stimuli to break the bonds of our present
destructive, materialistic thinking, which surely is leading
us towards global self-immolation.

Michael Bentine

IX
For Daron
and
to the memory of
Adrian Boshier

who stood between two worlds,


and in the true tradition of
the shaman showed me the heart
of Africa
1

The raiment of light

The experience itself was one of an amazing bright light


in the form of an inward illumination, not of a kind detect-
able by the eye, but one was seeing things and people in
a way not previously experienced. They were seen lit up
as though in a glow.

A Sense of Presence — Timothy Beardsworth

If you havefelt an indefinable sense of discomfort whilst


in the presence of an individual, something you couldn't
quite put your fmger on that left you ill at ease, or basked
in the soft peaceful atmosphere of a forest clearing in late
summer, with the warm air and the lazy distant drone of
insects perceptibly opening a door to another dimension
of consciousness, then you have sensed the aura. To stand
in the aisle of an ancient church or cathedral and allow the
accumulated power of a thousand years of prayer to uplift
you with a force that can bring exultation and a sense of
peace, is to touch upon the aura. We have all experienced
these alterations of awareness. They are in fact so common
that we rarely give them a second thought, and in this
manner we fail to register a whole spectrum of information
that is constandy being made available to us through the
2/The raiment of light

higher aspects of our physical senses. We narrow our world


through our lack of attention. In the words of Yaqui
sorcerer Don Juan, we indulge, we are loose in our obser-
vations, scattered and vulnerable. In such a state our aura
picks up all manner of negative energies from the people
around us, from the media and from places and states of
consciousness we have wandered into through lack of
attention. To be aware of the aura is to adopt the stance of
the warrior, knowing every thought and action to be signi-
ficant, leaving little to chance and seeing the world in a
different way.
All forms, be they human, animal, plant, or even the
apparently inert mineral, radiate a surrounding field of
energy into the environment. This field or aura expresses
the quality and nature of the form which it interpenetrates
and surrounds. In other words it carries information which
can be registered by sensitives to provide knowledge with
respect to persons, places and objects. To a greater or
lesser degree we have this sensitivity, this innate capa-
all

city to register invisible energy fields. In some it is more


highly developed; these people we call psychics or clair-
voyants. For most people, however, the ability tends to
remain, as it were, below a certain level of awareness,
rarely intruding into the conscious mind of the individual,
or when it does, being suppressed in an instant reflex
action. This is true of many people today who for one
reason or another have shut down or inhibited their psy-
chic sensitivity.
We live in a society that does Httle to encourage aware-
ness of the invisible, and in fact sets out actively to dis-
courage those who exhibit such capacities. Children, for
example, are often ridiculed if they say they have seen
something that is not apparent to their elders, and in time
many learn either to keep quiet or actually to shut off
this natural gift of sensitivity. Many years ago my young
daughter was standing in the kitchen of our house when
she suddenly said 'What's that man doing there?', pointing
The raiment of light/3

to an empty area of the room. Then, looking puzzled, she


said *He walked through the wall into the garden next
door. He's gone!' She found it quite easy to accept the
simple explanation that people can function out of their
physical body at times, and that they would appear as
this man had to her. After all she had seen him in a natural

and spontaneous way; to have ridiculed her or told her not


to be silly would have begun the process of stifling her
sensitivity and teaching her not to trust her own senses.
In the preface of his book Psychic Children, Samuel
Young writes of an eight-year-old girl who could see
colours around people as a fluid, multi-hued field which
she related to people's moods. In class one day she and
some classmates were misbehaving behind the teacher's
back when she noticed a build up of red flaring patches
around the teacher's head. She took this to mean anger
and immediately resumed her work. The teacher suddenly
turned and caught the others in the act of playing about.
Many children see auras in this manner as a matter of
course and those who retain this capacity into adulthood
almost always recall that they thought everybody saw
such things, but found sooner or later that this was not
the case.
There can be little doubt that man had
prehistoric
this type of uncomplicated sensitivity and depended
heavily upon his ability to see or sense the aura. To him
it meant one dominant theme that pervaded
survival, the
his life. It was essential for him to know what was going
on, not only in his immediate envirionment but at a
distance too, through what we may describe as a form
of radiatory energy affinity which enabled him to deter-
mine the presence of game at a distance or identify the
location of predators who might be waiting to strike him
down. In his book Divining the Primary Sense, Herbert
Weaver writes:

Reflexive response to sympathetic particle- or wave-


4/The raiment of light

interchange in the chemical radiating regions of the


spectrum was the birthright of early man before he
allowed that sense to degenerate.

Prehistoric man lived in a totally unpolluted environ-


ment in which all life-forms constantly interacted in terms
of reciprocal energy exchanges. Thus any life-form, bird,
animal, or reptile, flora and minerals, from the blades of
grass underfoot to the very soil itself, formed with man a
vast symphonic field of energies. This environmental aura
was a vast mosaic of constantly changing energies, and it
served in effect as an energy data bank through and into
which each could send querying probes of energy in order
to elicit information from the field through a form of
reciprocal resonance. Roaming herds of grazing animals
might modify their auras for one moment to resonate
with the auric patterns of lush grass, and through the inter-
play be drawn to it, and in another moment to the wave-
form of predators that they might avoid them. Predators
in their turn applied the same principles to identify and
locate game. Man, through his ability to add the process of
thought to energy field identification at a distance, soon
moved into a position of domination and learned to probe
and decipher these auric fields to his own advantage.
Weaver writes of these signal patterns as radiational couriers,
stating that they inspire migratory movements of wildUfe
and prod hibernators into wakefulness.

Homing and the distant location of prey depend also


on chemical direction. However if there were no counter
to faunal searching vectors projected by every hunting
creature, most species would have become extinct long
ago, having been systematically exterminated by a suc-
cession of unrestricted predators drawn from great dis-
tances to the young shoots of a plantation or to the
eggs of bird colonies.

Weaver has some interesting things to say regarding the


The raiment of light/5

way in which energy fields in nature can be modified or


suppressed.

Nature's conservation counter to the hunting vector


lay in the evolution of certain two-dimensional signs
and three-dimensional sign -structures, of which flora
may have first produced the archetypes in the twig and
leaf. The natural suppressors of food signals throw a
protective mantle of paramagnetic force-fields over or
around each plant or resting animal, suppressing the
involuntary broadcast of untimely pollination advertise-
ment or self -betraying protein radiation.
Arboreal man employed the protective effects of
fortuitously found crossed twigs and leaf -pattern
alignments to confine his chemical emissions which
would otherwise have betrayed his presence; primitive
man was constantly exposed to distant detection by
ferocious animals, especially during unguarded times
of rest.

Through careful observation and experimentation


prehistoric man soon learned that certain archetypal
protective patterns could be re-created with pigments
and painted on the walls of caves, or on his own body,
in such a manner that they rendered him 'invisible' to
the distant monitoring of predators. In other words
he found a method of damping down the radiation of
his aura which gave him a distinct advantage over other
predators. Today we may confuse this type of 'invisibility'
with optical invisibility but it has nothing to do with
this at all. Plants were also employed to shut down the
auric field and in folk lore we read that amaranth, mistle-
toe and the seeds of fern and monkshood confer 'in-
visibility'.
Ancient man was a highly sensitive being with remark-
able cognitivepowers and intellectual capacity cover-
ing a wide range of symbolic comprehension as evidenced
in his incredibly fine art and rich aesthetic tradition.
6/The raiment of light

In his book The Silent Pulse, George Leonard writes:

For it's clear that members of surviving primitive


hunting and gathering bands possess sensing abilities
foreign to most of us, abilities to sense underground
water in desert areas, to find direction and locate
position on cloudy days, and, in some cases, to 'view'
game animals that are out of range of the conventional
senses.

Cave art clearly depicts prehistoric man's awareness of


the aura, many figures drawn on cave walls or rock faces
are surrounded by halo-like fields or radiating lines stick-
ing out at right angles to the body. Some drawings just
show the halo around the head while in others the whole
body is surrounded by bristling lines of force. Such art
can be found throughout the world, so universal was this
awareness of the aura and sensitivity to these fields. Some
of the most beautiful cave and rock art in the world is
to be found in Australia, drawn by Aborigines, and it is
interesting to note here that the true Aborigine when
he wanted to gather information from the environmental
aura, spoke of 'leaning on the wind'. This is such a beauti-
ful phrase, redolent with meaning and so expressive of the
subtlety of the whole gentle process of tuning into the
life-field of nature, and the blending of the human aura
with it in one uncompHcated simpHcity. The resultant
state of resonance gave the hunter-gatherer a unique sense
of relationship with all he surveyed both physically and
psychically. We shall later return to the Aborigine for he
has interesting things to tell us regarding the reading of
auras.
The phrase 'leaning on the wind' has a curious yet
perhaps not unexpected sympathy with the Greek word
avria,meaning breeze, from which the word aura derives.
Somehow it conjures up visions of the human form sur-

rounded by an ever moving, swirling field of energy filled


with a kaleidoscope of shifting and changing colours, and
The raiment of light/7

this indeed is how many psychics view the human aura.


One of the most famous of these, Edgar Cayce, wrote in
,

his booklet A wras:

Ever since I can remember I have seen colors in con-


nection with people. I do not remember a time when
the human beings I encountered did not register on my
retina with blues and greens and reds gendy pouring
from their heads and shoulders. It was a long time
before I realized that other people did not see these
colors; it was a long time before I heard the word aura,
and learned to apply it to this phenomenon which to
me was commonplace. I do not even think of people
except in connection with their auras; I see them change
in my friends and loved ones as time goes by — sickness,
dejection, love, fulfillment — these are all reflected in
the aura, and for me the aura is the weathervane of the
soul. It shows me the way the winds of destiny are
blowing.

We shall see in the course of this book that the various


colours appearing in the aura express information with
respect to the individual's past, present and future life.
Health is clearly depicted through the clarity and types of
colour present, as is character and spiritual aspiration.
Past accidents can be seen and future disease processes
indentified by the skilled clairvoyant, as he or she views
the human aura with inner sight.
Since time immemorial man has illustrated the aura to
express the spiritual nature of man. For example, in
Christian art the halo or nimbus around the head is a
common feature filled with meaning for those with suf-
ficient abihty to decipher what is being portrayed. If
you look carefully you will see that the nimbus around
the head of Jesus differs from those placed around the
heads of the disciples. A plain unadorned disc of colour
behind the head indicates a dormant or latent principle.
Little lines extending around the disc show an awakening
8/The raiment of light

spirituality.Straight lines radiating out from the halo


symbolize the power of the sun or soul, and curved lines
indicate the lunar forces of the lower-self. The halo of
Jesus often shows a cross within it to illustrate his direct
and completely unobstructed contact with the Logos.
The aura may also be represented by the type of head-
gear or dress worn. The North American Indian bonnet of
eagle feathers, cresting the head and flowing down the
back, is badge of rank and spiritual status,
a beautiful
factors which at one time went hand in hand. Further-
more, the wearing of eagle feathers may well have brought
added power and brilliance to the aura of the chief as he
sat in council bringing his influence to bear on tribal
matters. In many looked upon
such societies the eagle is

as a symbol of the soul, regal, alert and powerful with


the ability to soar on high. Consider the headgear worn
by the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt, conical in shape, bearing
the head of a snake or the high pointing psychic sensor
shaped like the curled proboscis of a butterfly. In the
history of the Christian church popes and bishops have
worn hats of similar shape in order to enhance their auric
fields. Kings and queens down through the ages have
adorned their heads with crowns containing precious
jewels, especially diamonds which are a symbol of high
inner states of consciousness. These surely added to the
clarity and beauty of the wearer's aura, particularly on
state occasions when they wanted to *shine out' and to be
'seen' by the populace. Today we have largely lost sight
of these concepts but still wear ornaments of precious
metals containing precious or semi-precious stones which
must in various ways influence our auric fields. Care born
of knowledge should dictate our choice in these matters
lest we introduce the wrong stones or metals into our auras
and disrupt the harmonious flow of energies therein. Man
has always believed that precious and semi-precious stones
were filled with mystic virtues which if placed in contact
with the body would enhance the health, character and
The raiment of light/9

the fortunes of those who wore them. Chinese mandarins,


for instance, wore stones to designate their rank: rubies
and red tourmaline for those of the first rank, coral or
garnet for the second, beryl or lapis for the third, rock-
crystal for the fourth and other white stones for the fifth.
The Japanese see the rock-crystal as the perfect jewel,
a symbol of purity and the infinity of space. To the
Aboriginal shaman it is a power object with many uses
in sorcery. For thousands of years it has been used for
scrying or seeing into the future, the crystal ball acting
as a window to other levels of consciousness. Today the
quartz crystal is high in popularity with many lay healers
and some health care professionals who are involved in
the more esoteric aspects of alternative healing methods,
because it can apparently be used to focus and direct the
power of thought to vitalize the aura and heal the body.
Physicians in the past have put great store on the use
of precious and semi-precious stones to bring harmony to
the invisible bodies of man, not least of these the sixteenth
century alchemist and physician Paracelsus. He spoke and
wrote about the vital force that filled man and radiated
around him like a luminous sphere, the energy of which
could be used in all manner of ways, particularly for heal-
ing. Visible forms, he said, were merely expressions of
invisible principles and powers. Paracelsus called this
invisible principle of life Archeus or Liquor Vitae, the
subtle essence which formed the invisible man who indwelt
the physical form. Elsewhere he speaks of the Aura Semin-
alis, each drop of which contained the image and likeness

of the whole man. Such a concept ties in with modern


holographic theories regarding human consciousness and
the functions of mind and brain. A holograph is a three
dimensional image that can be recorded on a plate by
passing a laser beam of light through prisms and lenses.
The remarkable thing about the image on the plate is that
if you break the plate into pieces each piece will contain

the whole image. It has been suggested that consciousness


10/The raiment of light

is rather plate, in that each of us


hke the holographic
contains of the information available, past, present
all

and future. As we are a part of the whole, in theory we


have access to all that has happened, is happening and
will happen. Thus a psychic can 'see' events happening
beyond time and space as we know it because those data
exist in his own consciousness, which is a fragment of
the whole.
The ability of Aborigines to track people is legendary,
and it would appear that they quite instinctively apply the
holographic principle. For experiment purposes a tracker
has been told to retrace the path taken by a man many
years previously, and with unerring accuracy he has been
able to do this. In the North-West area of Canarvon, it is
believed that the magician or shaman has a 'divided toe'
which enables him to 'see' through his feet and to pick up
the invisible tracks of people. The 'divided toe' or 'split
toe' as it is also called might just have the same function
as the Bealy Splitter which splits the coherent or single
beam of light in holographic photography.
So far we have looked very briefly at what is called the
vitalist view point. The vitalist theory states that some
indefinable 'life-force' or non-physical entity animates
the physical form we perceive with the physical senses
and brings it to life, or Hterally gives life to it, and that

this interaction between the life-force and form gives rise


to emanations or a radiatory field known as the aura. The
vitalist theory emerges from prehistory and may well be
as old as man himself. It is to be found in one form or
another in all cultures and societies throughout the world
and pervades most religious belief systems in one guise
or another.
In medicine we find Hippocrates and his peers speaking
of mysterious fluid-like energies which flowed through the
body, and references to the augoeides or aura of light
around the human form are frequent. Galen likewise
supported the concept of these fluid-like energies or
The raiment of light/11

humours, and attributed disease to the lack of flow and


balance of this mysterious substance. By 1600 an English
physician with a penchant for experimentation established
the differences between electricity and magnetism, and in
fact was the first to use the word electricity and set forth
the idea of magnetic fields. Despite this, the vitalist theory
still held sway, but the scene was set for its apparent

demise as various experiments with electricity and bio-


logical specimens took place. Stephen Hales, an English
clergyman of the 1700s, suggested that the nervous system
worked by conducting 'electrical powers'. It was clear that
the entity or spirit electricity was lining up to displace the
entity of the 'vital spirit' or life-force. The scientific world
of the day was divided and as much controversy as experi-
mentation was to rage throughout Europe and Britain as
such brilliant men as Luigi Galvani of Bologna, AUesandro
Volta, professor of physics at Pavia in Italy, and his
nephew Giovanni Aldini and others struggled to solve the
mysteries of the connection between electricity, magnet-
ism and biology. Despite all of their efforts, almost six
decades later in the mid 1800s the vitalist doctrine still
held pride of place. Finally towards the end of the century
it was to give way, and it was not long before the work of

such men as Julius Bernstein and von Helmholtz led the


latter to proclaim that there were only physical and
chemical forces acting in organisms, and that in effect man
was nothing but a machine. The pendulum of opinion
had swung to the opposite extreme, the vitalist theory
of a life-force was considered superstitious nonsense.
Science it seemed had the answer to the mystery of life,
and as far as science was concerned that was that.
It is a curious fact that all intrinsic truths have a way

of resurfacing and intruding themselves on the current


scene, particularly if the period in question is lacking in
breadth of vision regarding the real purpose of life. Such
an intrusion manifested in the form of the electro-dynamic
theory of life as put forward by Saxton Burr and Northrop
12/The raiment of light

Figure 1.1 Electro photograph showing coronal discharge around


the human hand

in 1935. As we shall see later it has amazing similarities to


the concepts outHned in ancient texts relative to the
etheric or vital body and the human aura. Needless to say,
despite its validity in scientific terms many scientists have
done their best to avoid it and turned away from the chal-
lenge it contains to their current beliefs, and have chosen
to disregard the implications it bears relative to the unity

of all life-forms, a most significant factor in the world of


today.
Another intrusion took the form of electro-photo-
graphy, which due to the work of Kirlians in Russia
became very popular in the 1970s, and was subsequently
hailed by those of a vitalist disposition as scientific proof
of the life-force. As far as they were concerned the human
aura had finally been captured on film and in colour, proof
at last that the aura existed. By this time more and more
scientists were beginning to feel and clearly see the need
for esoteric philosophical concepts to be linked to current
scientific ones, and a great deal of experimentation took
place towards this end.
As the initial euphoria died down Kirlian photography
3

The raiment of light/1

Figure 1.2 Electro photograph of abdomen and lower thorax

came under careful scrutiny, and many arguments were


put forward to show that it was simply a physical pheno-
menon, and that the coronal discharge was not in fact
the aura of the vitalists. I wonder if this really matters
in the long term? What seems important to me is that,
irrespective of the nature of the coronal discharge, it is
an aura of some kind or other, and that in itself will
prompt people to open their minds to consider further
possibilities that may well have remained submerged
by the sheer weight of scientific opinion. Kirlian photo-
graphy has given us the term bioplasmic body, which is
once again a concept that appears to bear a resemblance
to the vital body described in the Vedas of ancient India,
and the sidereal body found in the writings of Paracelsus.
According to all of those people who can view the
human aura, it contains a wide spectrum of energies. At
the lower end of the scale and easily measurable with
modern instrumentation is the electro-magnetic aspect.
Beyond that it rises through the infra-red range and con-
tinues up to the ultra-violet and into invisibility. Certain
aspects of the aura can be seen with the naked eye, although
14/The raiment of light

Figure 1.3 Coronal discharge around a coin and a key

this may some practice. More subtle and rarefied


take
qualities appear when the retinal rods of the eye have
been sensitized by looking through a chemical substance
known as dicyanin. Dr Walter Kilner made extensive use
of this technique in his researches into the human aura
at St Thomas's Hospital in London in the 1930s. Irrespec-
tive of how the aura is viewed, be it through dicyanin
screens or by direct clairvoyant vision, it is seen to bear
the qualities of light and hold information about the
individual that is not available to the regular senses.
Whereas the scientist who is bound by orthodox con-
cepts would say that the electro-magnetic spectrum of
energies of the body has nothing to do with the aura as
viewed by clairvoyants, I do not think that the latter
would dismiss the idea. It is a fact that a larger viewpoint
can always encompass the smaller without any real sense
of discomfort, and as we shall see there is room in this
field for a variety of beliefs and theories regarding the
The raiment of light/ 15

aura. Modern science might feel that it has layed the vita-
listtheory to rest, but the truth is that more and more
evidence is coming to the fore which suggests we shall see
a renaissance in this area. Saxton Burr and Northrop's work
and the more recent advent of Kirlian photography has made
people take another look at vitalism, and the great upsurge
of interest in acupuncture that has touched even orthodox
medicine, based as it is upon the manipulation of the life-
force or chi as it is called in China, has further breached
the walls of scientific dogma, bringing to our attention
once again the ancient theories regarding the energy fields
of man. More recently the concepts brought forward in
physics, particularly quantum mechanics, are tentatively
supplying supportive data that appear to have a direct
correlation to the teachings of the mystics regarding the
nature of hfe and the universe, teachings which orthodox
science had dismissed out of hand a long time ago.
Although you may not be able to see auras, just being
aware of them, especially your own, is a most important
aspect of becoming centred. When you are centred you are
in a state of harmony within; this creates a vital aura filled
with the right blend of energies, an aura which extends
outwards with a clarity that excludes negative impressions.
We have all met people who seem literally to sparkle with
energy and radiate vitality. Others, even if we are not
clairvoyant, look as though they are surrounded by dull
clouds. Lethargy, listlessness and a sense of heaviness
pervade their auras, and we hasten to leave their company
before we too are enveloped and affected by their drab-
ness.
As members of a modern technological society we are
subjected to many varied influences, a lot of them harmful
to our health. Some affect our physical bodies directly and
then the aura; others permeate the aura directly and have
a profound influence on our psychological and physical
health. Compare for example the auras of such cities as
London, New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo with the aura
16/The raiment of light

of the high desert in California, the African veldt, or a


remote glen in Scotland and you will begin to see what I
mean. You only have to cast your mind back twenty years
and compare the auras of London or San Francisco of
those days to their present state. It's quite frightening.
To be in a city means that your aura is subjected to a high
level of physical and psychic pollution and the sheer
pressure of stress in the atmosphere generated by human
life takes its toll. It is important to know how to deal with

this in a quietand constructive manner, and this is some-


thing I go into further on in the book.
will
The natural electro-magnetic field of the earth is not
something we pay much attention to, and I am sure very
few of us consider it in terms of pollution. The atmosphere
of course is another thing, and pollution at that level
through industrial waste, exhaust fumes, smog and the like
is to the forefront of our awareness. But what of the
electro-magnetic atmosphere? In their book Electro-
magnetism and Life, Drs Becker and Marino write:
The environment is now thoroughly polluted by man-
made sources of electromagnetic radiation with fre-
quencies and magnitudes never before present. Man's
activities have probably changed the earth's electro-
magnetic background to a greater degree than they
have changed any other natural physical attribute of
the earth — whether the land, water or atmosphere.
The evidence now indicates that the present abnormal
electromagnetic environment can constitute a health
risk.

As you sit reading these words you are surrounded and


interpenetrated by a whole range of radio waves, the
transmissions from television stations, and if you are
near an airport or military installation, you can add fre-
quencies from radar to the list. So pervasive are all of
these waves that at one time people used to pick up and
hear radio broadcasts through the fillings in their teeth.
The raiment of light/ 17

These waves of energy entering your aura are just a part


of the whole situation. Consider for a moment the fact
that your aura is an integral part of the aura of the planet
earth, and you will begin to realize that conflict and
desecration of natural resources and human life any-
where on this planet are not distant from you. Violence,
physical or psychological, to any life-form, happening
to someone or to someplace, will send reverberations
rippling against your aura, and if you are especially sensi-
tive and psychically open those patterns of violence will
flood into your aura. Nothing happens outside of you if
the holographic model of consciousness holds true, and so
you may feel an unexplainable sense of fear or moment
of panic or depression. For the most part we deal with
these impressions by instinctively detuning and desensi-
tizing our auras; we have to in order to survive the present
level of psychic pollution engendered by man's lack of
reverence for life. Just as people who live next to a railway
track can tune out the noise of trains going by, so each of
us, especially in the great cities, desensitize our auras and
reduce the quality of our consciousness and our lives in
the process. The end result is daily becoming more self-
evident, the dehumanizing of man on an unprecedented
scale and world tension the likes of which man has never
seen before.
Of course there is another side to this apparently
gloomy The sheer pressure on humanity has
situation.
caused many seek solutions for the dilemma. The
to
pollution of the earth's aura or biosphere, call it what
you will, is both physical and psychic. The ecologists
and environmentalists are attracted to the physical aspects
of planetary pollution, and make their bid through protest
and legislation to stem the tide of destruction unleashed
on our natural resources. They have gained ground with
the Clean Air Act, and reforestation projects on a world-
wide scale are helping to restore some balance to the
flora and fauna.
18/The raiment of light

In the area of health care there is an unprecedented


move towards methods of healing. While drugs
alternative
have their place in the scheme of things, the wholesale
pollution of people's bodies with medication must surely
rank as the crime of all time. People are recognizing the
destructive side-effects of medically prescribed drugs, and
the more perceptive are seeking to find health through
natural methods of balanced diets and proper exercise.
Vitamins and minerals are an important part of good
nutrition, and it does help if diet is backed up with such
nutritional substances. The growing interest in vitamins
is indicative of a deepening inner awareness of the vital

or etheric body. Vitamins as the name suggests do carry


therapeutic amounts of specific aspects of the life-force,
they help to vitaHze the etheric body and thus increase
resistance to disease.
Another indication of our attempt to balance our auric
forces is the unprecedented worldwide interest in human

consciousness and awareness. Yoga, considered the pro-


vince of cranks two decades ago, is now taught in most
local council evening classes. Everywhere people are seek-
ing to enrich their lives through the study of comparative
religion,through the practice of meditation and by follow-
ing a whole variety of spiritual disciplines and regimes
to unfold their awareness. Eastern philosophy has per-
meated the West opening whole new vistas of knowledge
to the general public. Housewives and business men who
sought relaxation through hatha yoga stay on to learn the
principles of meditation, and progress into raja yoga and
the control of the mind, seeking to make it a suitable
vehicle for spiritual impression of a higher nature. All of
these factors will serve, if properly employed and utilized,
to cleanse, purify and give resilience to the aura and by so
doing offset the effects of many of the negative and
destructive forces present in the world today.
To become aware of your aura and its qualities is to
become self-aware. To learn and apply the techniques
The raiment of light/ 19

available for the purification of your aura is to bring


light to your environment. The theme of light and trans-
figuration runs through all spiritual teachings. In the Bible
it says, 'By their light ye shall know them' (see Matthew

5.16). The Iranian Sufi masters speak of escape, ascent


and deliverance from the world of the personality with its
suffering and pain, through a kind of alchemic sublimi-
nation of the divine luminescence held prisoner in the
'darkness' of the physical form. Just as in alchemy the
precious metals rise to the surface, so the divine inner
light radiates out from the body to form the aura gloriae.
The vermilion-gold backgrounds of many old Persian
manuscripts and Byzantine icons are symbolic, perhaps
literal representations of this transforming light.
So often today people look at the world situation and
feel resigned to the idea that there is nothing they can do,
but the truth is that the power of the purified aura is
immeasurable. To transform oneself is to transform the
world — we can only begin where we are and with our-
selves. As Don Juan tells Castaneda, the warrior does not
whine, he accepts life and gets on with it, adopting a pos-
ture of alertness. There is an axiom in the world of com-
puters which can be readily applied to the human aura: it
is GI — GO which means Garbage In — Garbage Out. If

you allow your aura to be filled with garbage, you will add
your qualities to it as it circulates and then you will feed
it back into the aura of the planet. On the other hand if

you see to it that the transformative light in your aura is


cultivated it will form a natural barrier to environmental
garbage at all levels of the psyche, and you will feed that
light into your world and according to its potency it will
help others, particularly those with whom you come
into daily contact.
Jesus said that when two or more are gathered in my
name I be there (see Matthew 18.20). It is a curious
will
fact that when two or more people do pray or meditate
together there is not just a doubUng of power but a mani-
20/The raiment of light

fold increase, such is the effect of coming together with

a common purpose in prayer. It is a fact as far as science


is concerned that whenever two or more oscillators are

pulsing at nearly the same time they tend to 'lock in' and
synchronize, pulsing at exactly the same time. It has been
observed that people in groups will unconsciously syn-
chronize their breathing. Two women sharing living
accommodation may find that their menstrual cycles
will synchronize. In counselling situations the heartbeats
of the patient and therapist may also synchronize, such
is the powerful influence of the auric field. The Bible

reports that wherever the disciple Peter walked, his shadow


(aura) healed the sick. Jesus knew immediately when the
woman with an issue of blood touched the hem of his
robe (aura), and the virtue (energy) went out of him and
healed her. When the aura has such transforming power as
this, no physical action is necessary, it heals whatever it
touches, provided the aura it touches has the capacity to
respond. To a lesser degree we all have this ability, parti-
cularly if we fill our aura with the transforming power of
love. When Jesus said that others would do what he had
done, and even greater things, it was no idle statement.
He knew that when people recognized the transforming
radiance within them and applied it to the daily round of
life, that the kingdom would appear on earth, that Hfe

would take on a whole new meaning and be an experience


of joy rather than suffering. The aura as we shall see is
a subject of vital and practical importance, particularly
in the world of today and the current transitional crisis.
2
The vital force revisited

Whatever you see in the universe, whatever moves or works


or has hfe, is a manifestation of prana. The sum total of the
energy displayed in the universe is called prana.

Raja Yoga — Swami Vivekananda

Before considering more detailed descriptions of the


human aura, it is essential to have some understanding
of the vital force that permeates all physical forms, be-
cause this force is closely associated with our knovi^ledge
of the aura. Priest-physicians and philosophers down
through the ages have taken care to point out that the
auric fields arise from the interaction of the life-force with
matter. What then is the life-force and how is it related to
the aura?
Different cultures and men of different persuasions and
outlook have given it various names, but all have agreed
in principle as to its qualities and characteristics. They see
it as a universally present cosmic energy, permeating all
space and interpenetrating every form therein. To all forms
it imparts life, vitality and coherency. In the ancient Vedas

of India it is called prana and has close associations with


the sun as the giver of life. In his book The Philosophy of
The Upanishads, Paul Deussen writes:

I 21
22/The vital force revisited

Breathing, circulation of the blood, and nourishment


equally with the quickening of the body are the func-
tions of prana, which penetrates the whole body in
its varieties as prana, apana, vyana, udana and samana.

According to S'ankara, the prana causes exspiration,


the apana inspiration. The vyana sustains life when the
breath is arrested. The samana is concerned with diges-
tion. The udana effects departure of the soul from the
body at death.

Whilst this passage reflects the more mundane functions


of prana, other passages speak of the worshipper who,
through his meditation, identifies himself with prana,
and in so doing comprehends all gods and reaches a state
of indestructibility. The concept that man can reach a
state of immortality through the right control of the life-

force is to be found in many esoteric teachings. Consider-


able detail given on the subject in the Wilhelm trans-
is

lation of the Chinese text known as The Secret of the


Golden Flower, which deals with this inner alchemical
ways in
process. According to the text there are various
which the force can be brought under control, and the
adept has to learn to circulate this energy as light until
he transforms himself from a mortal to one of the im-
mortals.
Adepts, whether they are yogis, priests, sages, or shaman,
have learned through meditation and spiritual exercises
to control the life-force. It is said that the yogi who can
control prana can move an atom or a planet at will, so
awesome is its power. The ability to walk on water, to
bilocate, to become invisible and to pass unhindered
through solid objects is derived from the control of specific
aspects of prana. Tibetan and Aboriginal shaman have
the power to 'fast walk' gliding over the ground at speeds
that enable them to outdistance a galloping horse. Control
of the life-force enables people to walk through fire un-
scathed, and to perform a variety of feats we would
The vital force revisited/23

consider almost miraculous. In an article entitled 'Wurad-


jeriMagic and "Clever Men'" written by R.M. Berndt,
the author describes interviews with two older mem-
bers of the Wuradjeri tribe of New South Wales. One
of these men had been initiated in 1882 and he des-
cribed a demonstration of magic at this ceremony by
a shaman or 'clever man' whose name was Dagan. A
huge fire was built at his instruction and he told the
elders and initiates to sit around the fire and watch him.
Dagan went away from the fire to the top of a slight rise
and lay down full length. He then began to roll slowly
towards the fire; he passed through the ring of people who
made space for him and rolled right into the blaze. Once
he was engulfed in the flames he proceeded to roll about
making the sound 'fi:'fi:'fi: scattering hot coals in all
directions. Finally he got up and walked out of the fire
and stood with the others. The European clothes he wore
were unharmed. Following this he went to the butt of a
tree, lay on his back with his legs stretched apart and
his hands by his side, and in this position with his head
well back proceeded to climb forty feet or so to the top of
the tree. The climb, according to the informant, was
accomplished with the use of a magic cord which Dagan
'sang' out of his testes. He returned to the ground in the
same position using the cord which then retracted into his
body. Such exhibitions of magic were not uncommon at
initiations, and were given in order to impress the initiates
and novices. Berndt reports that one of the most popular
forms of magical demonstration was that of walking through
air, by the aid of a magic cord, from one tree to another,

then disappearing and soon afterwards reappearing in


another tree. Such demonstrations are to be found in the
writings of Castaneda, who describes how brujo Don
Genaro climbs across the face of a waterfall by means of
tentacles issuing from his solar plexus, and similarly
appearing and reappearing in different tree tops.
The Aborigine calls the life-force kumnita, and states
24/The vital force revisited

that forms contain various amounts. Adult men, they


all

say, possessmore of this essence than women or chil-


dren, and it is to be found in the rocks, water-courses,
the trees, animals, the stars and planets and in the grasses,
left there by the mythical men and women of the dream-
time known as the tjukurita. There are certain locahties
where the kuranita is highly concentrated, and it is at
these places that special ceremonies are carried out to
manipulate the Hfe -force in such a way as to increase
the local flora and fauna which serve as food in their
incredibly harsh environment. As in all tribal societies
blood is regarded as the main vehicle of the life-force,
and, as elsewhere, it plays an important role in their
ceremonies.
Such ceremonies take place at totemic centres known
as pulkarin. Usually a special rock is struck with a stone
held in the hand; the rock may well have been used for
thousands of years for increase purposes and as such is
a sanctified repository of a specific type of life-force.
It may be the Ufe-force of a particular bird, hzard, grub,

plant, or seed, and it is used to increase the supply, not


just for the tribe, but for all people. The rock is struck
with a regular beat and an invocation is chanted in order
to activate the life-force. This, according to the Abori-
gines, rises into the air Hke a fine mist whereupon it
impregnates the particular tree or animal associated with
it and brings about an increase.

Professor A.P. Elkin, in his book on the Aboriginal


shaman entitled Aboriginal Men of High Degree, writes
that they are able to diagnose disease with great accuracy
by looking through the flesh to the organs within the body
cavities. Disease may be described as colour; blackness
of the heart and liver and areas of red, grey and white
are outlined by them. When the belly cavity and the
intestines are clear then the person has no sickness. Elkin
also points out that they have a remarkable ability to
look into another person's mind.
The vital force revisited/25

He is indeed able, once he can get en rapport with,


or visualize them, to ransack their mind — a process
termed telaesthesia, and not confined to ransacking
the mind as it is at the time of enquiry, but also as
it was in the past.

Like the Aborigines the Polynesians of the Pacific


Islands were familiar with the life-force. They called
it manas, which sounds very similar to the manna of the

Bible. The Polynesians and in particular the Kuhuna


priests of Hawaii were reputed to be able to use the life-
force in anumber of ways. Max Freedom Long in his
book The Secret Science behind the Miracles, described
how they performed instant healing with manas, demon-
strated control over sharks and the weather, walked bare-
foot over slightly solidified larva, foretold the future and
where necessary altered the outcome of events to the
advantage of the tribe. It would appear that the ability to
control the life-force bestows a similarity of gifts on
people many thousands of miles apart, thus indicating
its universality.
As an old Chinese have delved deeply
civilization the
into the secrets of the vital force; they call it chi. This

energy plays a paramount role in the treatment of disease


in China, and in fact throughout the world. In the ancient
healing art of acupuncture which originated there, needles
are placed at specific points along energy pathways in the
body known as meridians. Correct placement and mani-
pulation of the needles within the flow of chi that courses
along the meridians restores balance to the flow and this
in turn promotes health and cures disease. So remarkable
is this concept to the Western mind that acupuncture was

derided by science and medicine in particular, until recent


times when it was repeatedly used to demonstrate its
capacity to anaesthetize patients for major surgery. Opera-
tions were carried out with the patient fully conscious
and feeling no pain, nor suffering from post-operative
,

26/The vital force revisited

shock often the case in Western medicine.


as is

In The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine


the sage physician Ch'i Po is speaking to the Emperor
about the Hfe-force and colour, and he says: 'The colour
of life displayed by the heart is Hke the vermilion red
lining of a white silk robe; the colour of life displayed by
the lungs is like the lucky red lining of a white silk robe.'
And elsewhere in the same text: 'When the viscera are
green like the kingfisher's wings they are full of life, when
they are red like a cock's comb they are full of life.' There
can be little doubt that the colours seen by the sages and
shaman of old are those which ultimately reflect into the
aura and surround the human form with light. Like the
Chinese sages, the seers of India psychically observed the
life-force and described it in terms of colour. In the Chan-
dogya Upanishad there is a beautiful passage which to my
mind is so descriptive that it could well serve as a seed
thought for meditation:

Orange, blue, yellow, red, are not less in a man's arteries


than in the sun. As a long highway passes between two
villages, one at either end, so the sun's rays pass between
this world and the world beyond. They flow from the
sun, enter into the arteries, flow back from the arteries,
enter into the sun.

Here the direct relationship between the life-force and


the sun is depicted. We should be aware however that
where the word artery is used in this context, it usually
refers to the nadis which are the fibres of light and energy
that make up the subtle nervous system and the etheric
body.
As we have already seen the sages divided prana into a
number of categories, which when consciously controlled
conferred various siddhis or occult powers. In broad terms
however there are three divisions. First, solar prana, which
they described as a vital magnetic force that radiates from
the sun and passes into the human etheric body by way of
The vital force revisited/27

certain vortices of energy known as chakras. The word


chakra is Sanskrit for wheel or circle, and these vortices
have a circular, whirling appearance as they draw various
forces and energies into the body. Prana is taken in and
distributed throughout the etheric body via the spleen,
in order to vitalize the physical form and maintain it in
a state of health. Secondly there is planetary prana, the
vital energy emanating from the earth itself. In effect it
is solar prana that has been drawn into the etheric body

of the earth, circulated and radiated from the surface,


carrying its own distinctive quality outwards to form a
part of earth's aura. This is sometimes spoken of as the
magnetism of Mother Earth. Thirdly there is the prana
of forms which consists of solar and planetary prana that
has been used by the vegetable, animal, mineral and human
kingdom and is then transmitted by surface radiation.
Even modern man, despite the dulling or atrophy of his
sensitivity, aware that there are areas and locations
is

where he At the beach for example there


feels better.
are high energy levels present: sand, it seems, in some
way or other can store large amounts of prana, and the
ocean itself carries a high charge of these forces. When we
are jaded and our nervous systems on edge there is nothing
like a day on some isolated sunny beach to restore the
balance. Forests too are reservoirs of the life-force, and
both pine and eucalyptus trees have a reputation for being
able to impart vitaUty to those who stay in close proximity
to them. High mountain areas also carry potent amounts
of prana, which gives that clear sparkling quality to the
atmosphere. For this reason spas and sanatoriums are
frequently located on mountain slopes and forests, because
patients will recover more rapidly under such conditions.
The prana of forms comes to us very directly through our
food, especially in the form of fruits, fresh vegetables, nuts
and honey. Absorption of prana begins in the mouth,
hence the importance of chewing food well before swallow-
ing. Clearly it is an advantage to have organically grown
28/The vital force revisited

products if at all possible, in order to avoid insecticide


and herbicide residues, and to have a product that is
chock-full of prana. People today are demanding such
foods because there is a growing recognition of their
importance to health. The same goes for the vitamins
we supplement our meals with: they should be from
natural sources. The scientist will tell you that the mole-
cular structure of synthetic vitamin C is no different

from natural vitamin C, and he is right in his terms; what


he misses however is the essential life-force that only
the natural product can contain. Science does not recog-
nize this force, so it cannot exist, much less have any
importance, as far as they are concerned. Junk foods
are of course the very antithesis of fresh unprocessed
foods, and serve only to clog the etheric and physical
bodies with devitalized material that is often harmful to
health.
As we breathe we take in prana which is absorbed at
the back of the nostrils into the etheric body. Habitual
mouth breathers are often vacuous and usually of low
intelligence, which points to the importance of keeping
the nasal passages clear and breathing properly. The yogis
of India long ago perfected the art of breathing and
developed an entire system of exercise known as prana-
yama. With care these can be employed to enhance the
vitality of the etheric body and improve health.
It is clear that the sages, seers and 'clevermen' who
were masters of the life-force accepted it a demon-
as
strable reality. Justhow far back their knowledge goes
we cannot but the
tell, Aboriginal has a history of some
forty to fifty thousand years on the Australian continent,
and the Bushmen of Africa a similar period of time during
which they have worked with this force in magical and
practical ways. Knowledge of the force has enabled them
to survive and indeed flourish for thousands of years,
in environments that would kill off a mechanistic behav-
iourist in a few days. From the continent of India and
The vital force revisite(l/29

from the civilizations of the Far East have come philo-


sophies and systems of religious thought that are, in many
of their aspects, woven around the central theme of a
life-force. This type of approach survived in the
vitalist
West until fairly recently, it declined and modern
and as
science and technology replaced it, a great change began
to manifest which has brought about a destruction and
exploitation of natural resources on an unprecedented
scale. One cannot help feeling that sooner or later there
will be a catastrophic backlash, and Nature will restore
the balance.
Our record of exploring the life-force pales into insigni-
ficance besides the efforts of ancient man. Not that there
has been much encouragement; quite the opposite in fact.
Over the past two hundred years or so, four men of out-
standing genius have trodden this rocky path. All were
persecuted in one way or another, all were ridiculed by
their peers. Two were prosecuted under law and one of
them was hauled into court on the basis that the life-
force did not exist, and subsequently died in gaol for
his efforts. The Establishment it seems does not look
kindly on those who seek to explore these energies, and
as we shall see later, the evidence suggests that there is an
active campaign against themone form or another.
in
The four brave souls who
put their reputations on the
line were a rather mixed bunch, born in a cluster over a
period of about one hundred years. Three of them in fact
were alive and researching at the same time, and were
therefore aware to a great extent of each other's work.
Their names are:

Baron Karl von Reichenbach Born 1788, died 1869


Dr Edwin Babbitt Born 1829, died 1905
John Keely Born 1837, died 1898
Dr Wilhelm Reich Born 1897, died 1957
Baron von Reichenbach was a brilliant industrialist and
chemist, the discoverer of paraffin and creosote, a metal-
30/The vital force revisited

lurgist and an expert on meteorites. Von Reichenbach's


father was the court Hbrarian in Stuttgart, and Karl was
educated in the local high school and later at the State
University of Tubingen where he studied natural science
and political economy. Despite such interruptions to his
studies as being gaoled for setting up a secret society to
establish the German Reich in the South Sea Islands, von
Reichenbach graduated with a degree of Ph.D. and a keen
interest in the philosophical aspects of Hfe. He travelled
extensively over France and Germany looking into the
construction commercial utilization of ironworks.
and
By 1825 he was something of a magnate with estates,
blast furnaces and steel works in various parts of Austria
and Germany. Despite the success of such commercial
ventures, von Reichenbach was busy experimenting in his
laboratories delving into the mysteries of electricity and
magnetism. These held his attention so firmly that he with-
drew to a great extent from business affairs and concen-
trated on the researches that eventually made his name so
famous.
Von Reichenbach became fascinated with the vital force
which he called the odylic force or Od for short. He des-
cribes how he arrived at this name in his book The Odic
Force.

I have considered myself called upon to make use of


this property of exemption from all obstructibility, in
order to form a convenient name for it, phable enough
to adapt itself to the multifarious needs of science. 'Va'
in Sanskrit means 'to move about'. 'Vado' in Latin and
Vada' in old Norse means 'I go quickly, hurry away,
stream forth'. Hence 'Wodan' in old Germanic expresses
the idea of the 'All transcending'; in the various old
idioms it appears as 'Woudan', 'Odan', and ultimately
personified as a Germanic deity. 'Od' is consequently
the word to express a dynamid of force which, with
a power that cannot be obstructed, quickly penetrates
The vital force revisited/31

and courses through everything in the universe.

While this is a rather long-winded explanation of hovi^


he came to name the life-force, it does show that he knew
something of the origins of the principle he was dealing
with, and its universal nature. In order to make observa-
tions of the odic force, von Reichenbach used the services
of many sensitives and clairvoyants. In the course of his
studies he worked with some two hundred of these people
who could clairvoyantly see the odic energies, and it
should be mentioned that over one hundred of them had
scientific backgrounds — at least fifty were physicians,
chemists, physicists, mathematicians, or philosophers.
This being the case it can be assumed that their reports
with respect to what they observed should contain a high
degree of accuracy and objectivity.
Von Reichenbach and his sensitives worked with a
variety of objects in order to observe the odic force.
Magnets, for example, were commonly used. To clair-
voyant sight they gave off a particularly bright light at
their poles, the north being surrounded by a white light
merging into layers of red, yellow, green and finally blue.
The middle of the magnet gave off a glowing green haze,
and the south pole an even brighter white than the north,
merging into red. If lengths of wire were exposed outdoors
to sunshine, the odic energy ran along the wire into the
laboratories and appeared as flame-like emanations from
the other end. This energy was also observed to surround
the human body, and flow from the finger tips of people.
Of the human aura von Reichenbach wrote:
In somewhat shaded light, say in a room where the
brilliancy of day has become enfeebled by the sky
being overcast, or in evening candlelight, let a man
hold his hand before his eyes at ordinary seeing dis-
tance. Then let him look at his finger tips, holding
them against a dark background distant a step or two.
Most men will see nothing unusual under such cir-
3 2 /The vital force revisited

cumstances. But there w^ill be a few among them every-


where who make an exception. These, on their attention
being drawn to the matter, will by looking narrowly,
make out over the tip of each finger an extremely
delicate current, colourless, non-luminous, like air,
subject to motion.

What von Reichenbach outlines for us here is a simple


exercise that anyone who wishes to begin to develop
sensitivity to auric emanations can carry out. The colour-
less energy, looking very much like warm currents of air
rising from hot surface on a summer's day, is in all
a
probability the coarser part of the aura, and thus easier
to see. With a little more perceptive ability this tenuous
haze takes on the appearance of a band of greyish-blue
light about a half to one inch wide that surrounds the
entire physical form.
In his studies, von Reichenbach was impressed that all
forms gave off a luminosity, and this clearly excited his
imagination because he was aware, as we should be, of the
philosophical and spiritual implications inherent in this
fact. He wrote: 'Everything, then, emits light; everything,
everything! We Kve in a world full of shining matter. . . .

Well, is this luminosity odic? It is because it has all the


characteristics of od.' He goes on to say very much what
the ancient sages and tribal shaman have given voice to
in the hymns and esoteric lore of their traditions.

Od, therefore, not only flows in concentrated form


from special sources, but is, in addition, a general
endowment of the whole of Nature, a variously shared
but universally distributed natural force, such as heat,
electricity, chemical affinity, gravity, etc. It inter-
penetrates and fills the structure of the universe, present

in the smallest things as well as the greatest.

At the time von Reichenbach was carrying out his


work in Europe, Dr Edwin Babbitt was involved in his own
The vital force revisited/33

investigations of the life-force in the United States. Babbitt


was aware of von Reichenbach's experiments, and had an
advantage in some respects in that he himself was clair-
voyant and could make his observations first hand. Babbitt
was in fact an odd combination of artist, mystic and
physician, with a wide and intensive education. He had a
reputation as a miracle man for his healing work with
colour, and even today his book The Principles of Light
and Color is a classic.
In his work Babbitt deliberately utilized the
healing
pranic energies to increase the efficacy of each colour.
For example he stood specially constructed coloured
glass flasks in full sunlight in order that the water they
contained could pick up a strong charge of energy. He
designed a colour therapy instrument called the Chro-
molume which consisted of a complex glass frame con-
taining various shapes and sizes of coloured glass. This
frame was hung in front of a window so that light shone
through the colours onto the patient who sat in front of
it. These Chromolume frames were all custom built to
treat the individual patient, and Babbitt enjoyed a wide
reputation due to his success with these methods.
Babbitt made many observations of the human aura and
the energies present in the environment. He describes his
viewing of subtle energies and colours in poetic language.

Sometimes fountains of light would pour towards


me from luminous centers merging into
all the irides-

cent splendours on their way. Sometimes radiations


would flow out from me and become lost to view in
the distance. More generally flashing streams of light
would move to and fro in straight lines, though some-
times fluidic emanations would sweep around in the
curves of a parabola as in a fountain. What was more
marvellous than almost anything else was the infinite
millions of radiations, emanations and luminous cur-
rents which at times I would see streaming from and
34/The vital force revisited

into and through all and filling all the surround-


things,
ing space with coruscations and lightning activities.

Both von Reichenbach and Babbitt made substantial


contributions to our knowledge of the life-force through
experimentation, observation and practical apphcation.
Both were derided by their peer groups, but neither seemed
to suffer anything more than a sense of frustration from
these attacks. John Keely and Wilhelm Reich on the other
hand fared very badly at the hands of the law, because
of the adverse publicity given to their investigations. Both
seemed more vulnerable to attack, and curiously enough
both penetrated into the mysterious powers of the life-
force to discover a motor force. Keely attempted to
exploit his discovery, while Reich, cognizant of the un-
limited destructive power it contained, never committed
anything to paper, and his secrets died with him.
John Keely, bom in 1837, was a contemporary of Bab-
bitt. His work was based on a theory that the atmosphere
contained countless units of energy, which he called
cosmic corpuscles. Using his own complex theory of
harmonics he demonstrated that these corpuscles could
be divided by vibrations to produce a motor force out
of thin air. This power became known as the Dynaspheric
Force. In fact Keely coined all manner of strange names
for this force, among them Vibro-Molecular, Vibro-
Atomic and Sympathetic Vibro-Etheric Forces.
Keely eventually demonstrated this force to a group of
business men who were sufficiently impressed to raise
S5 million in five years to back his work. In those days
it was a massive sum of money, but Keely was clearly

onto something unusual and the business men were quick


to recognize the potential of his discoveries, and the
commercial possibilities. Under the auspices of the Keely
Motor Company, Keely intensified his research and sought
to produce for his backers a commercial motor that would
run on the Dynaspheric Force.
The vital force revisited/ 3 5

Keely's work documented in a book entitled Keely


is

and his Discoveries,by Clara Bloomfield Moore, who for


many years encouraged him in his research and supported
him financially. He produced some remarkable inventions
with even more remarkable names that had a science
fiction ring to them, for example there was the Compound
Disintegrator, the Provisional Motor, the Musical Ball, the
Globe Engine, a Vibratory Accumulator and a Pneumatic
Rocket Gun. Strange as these names may seem, Keely did
in fact give some outstanding demonstrations of the
Dynaspheric Force. With a note played on a violin he
could set this energy in motion and fly a model Zeppelin
weighing eight pounds around the room, moving it where
he wanted it to go and making it hover. Even more impres-
sive was the fact that he could start and run a twenty-five
horsepower electric motor in the same manner, until it
reached such a speed that it almost shook from its moor-
ings. The motor needless to say was not attached to any
electrical source. Enough of the Dynaspheric Force could
be harnessed to turn a seventy-two pound pulley wheel,
and to float a soUd iron ball on water. It is little wonder
that his backers were impressed, because Keely was on to
something, something even he did not fully comprehend.
Keely worked day and night in his efforts to produce
a commercial motor. On more than one occasion the
forces that he unleashed nearly blew him and his labora-
tories to pieces. Mounting problems dogged his efforts and
Keely was frustrated again and again — he knew beyond
any shadow of a doubt that his discovery was one of the
most remarkable ever made, he knew that success was
right there waiting for him, but always some intangible
and indefinable influence blocked the way. His backers
became more and more demanding but finally their
patience and money ran out. Keely tried to explain that
he was right on the verge of a breakthrough but they had
heard all this before. Demands were made that he hand
over the work he had accomplished, and make available
36/The vital force revisited

his experimental and research notes. Eventually he was


gaoled for contempt of court for refusing to hand over
his secrets to a committee that had been set up to judge
the validity of his work.
Even if the committee had gone through his material,
it is doubtful if they would have understood what lay

before them. Keely himself was the X factor in the un-


leashing of the Dynaspheric Force. Without him it would
not have worked, unless he finally succeeded in external-
izing that principle within him, in the form of a mechanical
device. The motor of course was never produced, and
Keely died a disillusioned and a very puzzled man in
1898.
There is an interesting sequel to Keely 's story, which
takes the form of rumours and occasionally articles. These
rumours and articles state that there are individuals who
have followed up Keely 's work and rediscovered the
principles he worked with, and where he failed they have
succeeded. One article described an Itahan gentleman who
no longer has to pay power bills because he has discovered
how to pull energy out of the atmosphere and uses it to
heat and light his home. In these days of soaring gas and
electricity bills this is a story to catch the imagination.
On the other hand it may
simply be an urban myth.
Irrespective of this the fact that once man has unlocked
is

the secrets of the ethers, as Keely had begun to, it will be


possible to gain access to unlimited energy for heating,
lighting and for transportation purposes. Of course free
energy on that scale may be seen as something of a threat
to those with vested interests, and might be met by con-
siderable resistance.
Wilhelm Reich met resistance. He was born in Austria
in 1897, studied at the University of Vienna and graduated
in 1922. Later he did postgraduate work in neuro-psy-
chiatry. An outspoken man with perceptive if unusual
ideas, a man who did not suffer fools gladly, Reich found
himself being harassed by certain professional and political
The vital force revisited/ 3 7

factions inEurope during the 1930s. Eventually he moved


to the United Stateswhere he felt he would have a better
opportunity and more freedom to work as he pleased.
In the course of his work in the psychiatric field Reich
discovered what he called orgone energy, which he claimed
vitalized every living thing, and which was in fact a uni-
versal life-force. Reich observed that this energy surrounded
plants, minerals, animals, birds, people and in fact all Hfe
forms. He called this surround an 'orgone envelope' and
developed a simple telescope-like instrument called an
Orgonescope to observe this energy. Reich's description
of the orgone energy and its properties differ little, if at
all, from the descriptions given by the Vedic seers of India

thousands of years ago, or by Reichenbach, Babbitt and


Keely. Orgone by any other name is chi, prana, od or
dynaspheric force, they are all one and the same energy.
Reich never acknowledged this fact, although he must
have been well aware of it; rather he tended to sneer at
mysticism whenever the opportunity arose.
Through observation and experimentation Reich found
that orgone energy could be concentrated in large amounts
in boxes made up of alternating layers of organic and
inorganic materials. When such a box was stood outdoors
in sub-zero temperatures, the temperature inside the box
was significantly higher than the external one. If you built
such a box large enough to sit in, you could acquire a sun
tan without going out in the sun. Reich found that if the
energy from the accumulators was directed onto cuts,
burns or other injuries with a tube known as a 'shooter',
rapid healing was initiated with sometimes instantaneous
reduction of pain. Reich observed that in general when
people were dis-eased, their tensions set themselves into
various muscle groups — he called this character armour.
This armour reflected a stasis of the orgone energy field
of the patient, and brought about a certain rigidity of
mind and body. He found this to be particularly true of
cancer patients and sought to help them through coun-
38/The vital force revisited

sellingand the use of the orgone accumulator. It was this


and his penchant for attacking the orthodoxy of the day
that finally led to his prosecution.
Reich's experiments were not confined to medicine
entirely, and his wide ranging ideas brought him into other
areas of exploration. He was interested in the connection
between weather patterns and orgone energy, and this
interest led to the development of an instrument consisting
of a battery of long tubes called a Cloudbuster. With the
Cloudbuster, Reich began to experiment in the Arizona
desert. By setting up the device near a source of water
and pointing the tubes at a sky devoid of clouds, Reich
actually succeeded in forming sufficient clouds in the
area to precipitate rainfall. He called this work cosmic
orgone engineering.
Research was also carried out in order to observe the
interactions between orgone energy and radioactive
material. The upshot of this work proved almost dis-
astrous: the normal background level of radioactivity
rose sharply in an area of many square miles around the
laboratory, and proved to be so persistent that Reich
stopped his experiments, and eventually had to dismantle
the entire building that the work had been carried out in.
In the process of this dismantling an assistant who poked
her head into a cabinet was rendered senseless and had
great difficulty in breathing.
Reich discovered many things about orgone energy. A
lot of his information is common knowledge today. What
he did not reveal to anyone was information in respect
to the motor force. Like Keely he had found the key to
unlimited power, but so frightening were the implications
that he never committed any of this knowledge to paper,
nor shared it with any of his fellow workers. Reich said
that if this secret was to fall into the hands of any govern-
ment agency it could well spell death for the human race.
When we once again consider the Vedic statement, that
a yogi who has full control of prana can move an atom
The vital force revisited/39

or a planet at will, it may


well be that Reich was correct
with him.
in letting his secrets die
With all of the controversy that surrounded his work,
Reich finally fell foul of the law. He was summoned to
court on a charge so insignificant that he did not bother
to turn up to answer it. The outcome of this was a further
summons and a charge of contempt of court, and he was
given a gaol sentence of two years for the contempt. Reich
was forced to close down his laboratories and stand by and
watch as the local sheriff with an axe proceeded to smash
his equipment and destroy a lifetime's work. Subsequently
Reich's research papers and books were burned and his
writings banned from publication. Determined to humili-
ate him to the full, prison authorities even denied him
pencil and paper Reich was convinced that the
in his cell.
authorities would not allow him to survive, and although
it was reported that he died of natural causes in gaol, one
cannot help but wonder if Reich's premonition became
a fact.
I find it curious and wonder just why it was that these

four pioneers ran into so much resistance. Baron von


Reichenbach and Dr Edwin Babbitt did not fare badly,
but then their work hardly skimmed the surface of this
vast subject. For von Reichenbach it was a subject that
excited his fertile imagination and curiosity, and Babbitt
hardly made an issue of this energy but went about his
practice of colour heahng. Keely and Reich on the other
hand had penetrated deeply into the mystery, they were
visibly manipulating the life-force in quite remarkable
ways, and had their researches continued they may well
have threatened vested interests and radically upset the
current beliefs of science. No doubt the Establishment
saw them as dangerous men and acted accordingly, but
there may have been another angle to this; they were
after all experimenting with a force of unlimited poten-
tial. We jokingly speak of higher intervention as though

it is nothing more than a myth, but I wonder.


40/The vital force revisited

The theosophist, Madame Blavatsky, certainly was of


the opinion that Keely was frustrated and thwarted in
his work by Higher Powers, and for the reason that man
was not as yet ready for the deeper secrets of the life-
force, and incapable of handling the power in a con-
structive manner. She did in fact write something on the
subject which confirms that Keely unwittingly got in
too deep for the safety of humanity, and had to be gently
prevented from succeeding. No wonder he died a puzzled
man — he knew that he had the answer, but some invisible
hand held him back, blocking the outcome of years of
unique and outstanding work. It must be a peculiar feehng
to hold the key to a universal secret of that magnitude,
and every time you go to put it in the lock, the keyhole
seems to dissolve. Blavatsky's opinion was recorded in
the following words:

If the question is asked why


Mr. Keely was not allowed
to pass a certain limit, the answer is easy; it was because

what he had discovered was the terrible sidereal Force


known to, and named by, the Atlanteans Mash-Mak
and by the Aryan Rishis in their Astra Vidya by a name
we do not care to give. It is the Vril of Bulwer Lytton's
Coming Race and of the coming races of our mankind.
The name Vril may be a fiction; the Force itself is a
fact, since it is mentioned in all the secret books. . .

once in the hands of a modern Attilla, [it] would in a


few days reduce Europe to its primitive chaotic state,
with no man alive to tell the tale — is it this Force which
is to become the common property of all men alike?

Clearly the answer to Madame Blavatsky's question is

no! Man not ready to handle the secrets of such a Force


is

creatively. In the present climate of political and social


unrest, it would be turned immediately towards destruc-
tive purposes.
Our Hmited knowledge, then, is in effect a blessing,
and despite the fact that we have lost our ability to mani-
The vital force revisited/41

pulate the life-force with the skill of a tribal shaman, we


can still put our knowledge to use. How? Well, by first
of all recognizing the existence of this energy, by becom-
ing conscious of it and making sure that our Hfe styles
enhance its qualities. This is done quite simply by eating
fresh vital foods, getting plenty of fresh water, fresh air,
sunshine and exercise. These in turn will help to cleanse
and enhance the aura, thus providing a basis for physical
and inner harmony.

t
Subtle bodies, chakras
and the aura

The pilgrim rising from one degree to another discovers


on each higher level a subtler state, a more entrancing
beauty, a more intense spirituality, a more overflowing
delight.

Spiritual Body and Celestial Earth — Henry Corbin

All esoteric spiritual teachings refer to a hierarchy of


substance and consciousness, in fact no distinction is
made between the two. Blavatsky in her writings declared
that matter was spirit in its lowest expression, and that
spirit was matter in its highest. In common with many
other schools of thought, theosophy teaches that there
are seven planes or levels of consciousness, each of which
are divided into seven sub-planes. The Sufi teachers refer
to these levels as heavens, and Corbin writes of the seven
'handfuls of Heaven' and the seven 'handfuls of Earth'
which have their mutual correspondences in man. Psychic
constructs or maps of consciousness have emerged down
the ages from various spiritual disciplines, and their pur-
pose is to guide the seeker on his explorations of inner
space. The mystics make frequent references to a spiritual
geography, and describe in detail countries, cities, land-
scapes, houses, palaces, deserts, rivers and mountains.

42
Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura/43

Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress is one such map that


many of us are famiHar with, and Hke the rest it provides
signposts and descriptions of places and experiences,
which seekers will recognize as they come to them along
their own spiritual path. It is important to keep in mind
that the map is not the terrain itself, and that the deserts
and rivers are metaphors for states of consciousness and
conditions to be confronted on the inner way.
The Sufi shayks speak of the subtle organism of man
as being buried beneath a mountain, and they provide a
detailed description for the traveller on his upward journey
into the Hght of spiritual awareness. Colours, they tell him,
will appear as indications of progress. Greens, yellows and
blues are seen — green being the colour of the life of the
heart, the sign of vitality and spiritual energy, signifying
the power to actuahze. Any dimness of colours will
indicate fatigue and affliction arising from the battle with
the lower-self, whose colour is blue. A Sufi text says:
'Without interruption you will see lights rising and light
descending. The flames of the fire are all around you —
very pure, very ardent, and very strong.' Sufi mystics
are frequently portrayed with an aura of flames pouring
from their bodies and pointing upwards, thus revealing
the purity and clarity of their consciousness. In his book.
The Man of Light in Iranian Sufism, Henry Corbin writes:
*And then all the spiritual Heavens, the inner Heavens of
the soul, the seven planes of being which have their coun-
terparts in the man of light shine multicoloured in the rain-
bow of the visio smaragdina.'
Wherever we look in spiritual literature we will find
references to light and colour with respect to the inner
nature of man. The Bibhcal story of Joseph with his coat
of many colours is one such example. Joseph's coat is a
metaphor for his aura, and the colours are the radiant
energies he has brought out into his aura. So outstanding
was his 'coat' that it led to jealousy and he was sold into
bondage, no doubt another metaphor for the beginning
44/Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura

of a new aspect of his inner journey.


As Edgar Cayce says, an aura is an effect, not a cause.
What then lies behind the aura, from where or what does
it radiate? Logically if auras are seen to surround forms,

then there must be some kind of subtle form or body


that gives rise to the various components of the aura. The
levels of consciousness we spoke of earlier give us a clue
to these forms, and the fact that the aura reflects physical,
emotional and mental phenomena in terms of light and
colour indicates that we have bodies from which these
activities arise. It is said that man does in fact have a
vehicle or body of manifestation on each of the seven
major levels of consciousness, but for purposes of aura
study we do not have to go too deeply into this at the
initial stages. It suffices to say that in broad terms man
is spirit, soul and body, or high-, middle- and low-self.

Our primary concern is the low-self with its various divi-


sions, for it is from these divisions or bodies that the aura
arises.
Various teachings differ as to these divisions, but the
consensus of opinion is that the lower-self, or personality
as it is often called, has four aspects to it. They are first,
the dense physical body, secondly the etheric or vital
bioplasmic body, thirdly the emotional body which is
often referred to as the astral body, and finally the mental
body or vehicle of the mind. It will help I think to give
brief details of this 'city which stands foursquare' under a
series of headings beginning from the bottom and working
upwards.

THE PHYSICAL BODY

The dense physical body is the lowest aspect of our


form life. In its divisions we see a reflection of the inner
levels of consciousness. In some texts it is called the
body temple and we see that it does indeed have three
Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura/45

divisions of a temple of worship. First the abdominal


cavity, theouter court of the temple containing the
organs of assimilation and procreation, reflecting func-
tions of the more mundane world. Above this is the
great dividing barrier of the diaphragm, representing a
veil between higher and lower levels of consciousness.
The chest cavity symbolizes the inner court of the temple,
containing the organs of the heart and lungs whose func-
tion it is to bring the life-force into circulation. While
the abdominal cavity symbolizes the body, the chest
cavity symbolizes the soul. Across the narrow bridge of
the neck lies the head, or the holy of hoHes in the temple,
the dwelling place of the spirit. Here we find the organs
of spiritual perception, the pituitary and pineal glands.
So we are, as Paul states, a temple of the living God.
Every organ and every function is a symbol or metaphor
for deep and complex spiritual truths. Little wonder that
the Delphic oracle said: Man know thyself and thou
wilt know God and the Universe.

THE ETHERIC BODY

Between and body Hes the soul, and between the


spirit
physical body and its world, and the subtler emotional

and mental bodies and their worlds, lies the etheric body.
Symbol of the soul and a body of light, it is like the soul
a mediating, vitalizing body. The Bible calls it 'The Golden
Bowl' and in the fullness of time it does indeed radiate a
golden hued stream of light into the darkness of the
physical realm. The etheric body is the framework upon
which the physical form is built, it is a transmitter of
energies to the physical body which it vitalizes with
prana. There are seven major spinal chakras within the
etheric body; through these the interplay of various
energies build and sustain our endocrine glands and the
nervous system, and galvanize our organ systems into
46/Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura

activity. I with these chakras or centres in more


will deal
detail a little on. One other chakra of major
further
importance in the etheric body is the spleen. It is through
this centre that the etheric body receives and distributes
prana, and this in turn energizes the physical form. The
five senses work through the etheric body enabling the
individual to function in time and space at the physical
level. The etheric body is in reality the field where spiritual
and physical worlds meet. It gives rise to what is commonly
called the health aura, that rather narrow band of energy
that hugs the physical form.

THE EMOTIONAL BODY

The emotional body as the term implies is that subtle


form in which the interplay of emotional energies takes
place. The alchemistscalled it the astral body because to
inner sight has a sparkling appearance if not clouded
it

by negative emotions. In this body we experience the


pull of opposites, happiness and depression, calmness
and anger. It is our own personal heaven or hell in which
we fight out the battle between the pulls of this world
and those of the spiritual. Selfish desire and fear, excessive
temper and irritation throw the astral body into feverish
activity, with consequent effects upon the etheric body
which result in fatigue and eventually organic lesions in
the physical form. The symbol of the astral body is water,
and were we able to calm the astral body like a lake on
a windless day, then its surface would reflect deeper inner
truths and a sense of tranquillity. We have two metaphors
here which are of interest: water for the astral body and
air for the mental. The mental and astral bodies interact
as readily as wind upon water, one feeding the other. The
Biblical story of Jesus walking on the water and rebuking
the storm is nothing less than a demonstration to us of
his control over the mental and astral aspects of his nature.
Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura/47

The Bible is full of such metaphors which unfortunately


have been taken all too literally. It is comforting how-
ever to have been reassured that we shall do these things,
and greater ones. Today the bulk of humanity are
focused in their astral bodies and subject to all of the
emotional ups and downs this brings with it. The dis-
cipHnes of meditation and prayer are designed to over-
come the forces of the astral plane and extract the seeker
from the storms that sweep through this area of con-
sciousness.
The astral aura tends to be ovoid in shape and stands
out from the physical form for a distance of twelve to
eighteen inches. It presents itself to clairvoyant sight
as a of interweaving colours. If the person con-
field
cerned has conflicting emotional feelings then these
colours will be harsh, chaotic and possibly muddy in
appearance. The astral body from which this aura eman-
ates is frequently referred to as the astral double. This
is the body through which out of the body experiences,

better known as OOBEs, take place. In moments of great


physical stress, or under anaesthetic, and even in the
dream state whilst sleeping or the moment of death, a
person may appear in what looks Hke their physical
form, and stand before a friend or relative, signifying their
need for help or to inform someone of their death. Carl
Jung recalls an experience like this in his autobiography.
Memories, Dreams, Reflections, in which his old friend
Wilhelm suddenly appeared one night at the foot of his
bed, clad in a blue silk robe. As he faded from sight, Jung
knew that his friend was dead. Many people have had the
experience of passing out and suddenly finding themselves
viewing their physical body from above. In such instances
involving hospital emergencies, they can repeat verbatim
what the doctors and nurses said, and describe their
actions in detail. Return to the body is often sudden
and results in an unconscious state until they recover
once again.
48/Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura

THE MENTAL BODY

Theosophists posit a number of divisions to the mind or


mental body. First the lower concrete mind, which is
the reasoning principle that appHes logic and common
sense. It is the repository of acquired knowledge and
the ability to discriminate. If it gets too active it throws
the astral body into a state of activity. Too many negative
and habitual thought patterns in the lower mind can
pollute the astral body. It has separative tendencies, and
in some ancient texts is referred to as the 'Slayer of the
Real'; in other words it lords it over the emotional and
etheric bodies to such an extent that little, if any, light
or truth can enter from the intuitive mind.
Another aspect of the mental body is the higher abstract
mind, the conveyor of spiritual truths and a reflector of
divine love. Here repose the intuitive faculties and the
capacity for pure reason.
The mental aura is seen as an ovoid form. In his book
Man — Grand Symbol of the Mysteries, Manly Palmer Hall
describes the relationship between this ovoid and the
Cosmic Egg.
From the Greek accounts we learn that the Cosmic
Egg was also called in the language of the Mysteries,
'brilliant chiton' or 'the cloud.' The Macrocosmic Egg
with its hypothetical boundaries, and the Microcosmic
Egg is the human aura, the briUiant cloud in which man
lives and moves and has his being.

When viewed by a clairvoyant the mental aura appears


as a cloud of rapidly moving particles. Thought processes
throw this field into activity, and manifest as patterns
known as thought-forms. These circulate within the ovoid,
expressing themselves in a variety of colours. Negative
thoughts, hatred, prejudice, selfishness and greed create
forms that by their very nature tend to accumulate in the
lower part of the aura, and display themselves in coarse,
Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura/49

Figure 3.1 The large ovoid field of efiergy around the head and
shoulders is a manifestation of psychic energy
50/Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura

dull colours. Higher thoughts on the other hand move


to the upper part of the aura and are seen as bright, clear
colours that are radiant and alive.
Muddled and unclear thinking can give rise to a sluggish
aura, and the person whose thoughts are predominantly
coarse will create an ovoid field with the larger part at the
bottom, looking rather like a pear-shape. On the other
hand a refined, intellectually clear -minded individual, who
thinks with precision, will of course reverse this picture
and have the larger circumference at the top of the aura.
Thoughts, as they flash into colours and geometric forms,
can be picked up by the skilled clairvoyant, and can be
interpreted in such a way as to reveal the character of the
person. Curiously enough, even without clairvoyance it
is possible to register these colours and patterns in a
general sense. It is something we do quite unconsciously
allof the time. It is from these signals that we form our
impressions of other people, and even of places. When you
rapidly size someone up as being as 'dull as ditchwater'
you have made that assessment on the colours of their
mental aura, which no doubt fit the description. Dull
people have dull auras, with muddy colours and indistinct
thought-forms circulating around them. Another person
will impress you, even across a room, as being sharp and
vital; often just to physical sight they radiate clarity and
a sense of purpose. When this is the impression you have
of that person then you can be sure that their aura is filled
with clear colours and precise, vital thought-forms.
Blue in the mental aura is equated with high spirituality,
religious feeling and devotion to high ideals. Clear yellows
and oranges indicate the highest forms of intellect. When-
ever these colours are dull or mixed in with other dark
shades, then this is an indication that clarity of thought
and purpose has been lost. Good thoughts produce a fine
mental aura; this simple truth lies at the heart of all
spiritual disciplines. Through meditation and prayer we
can learn to still the mind, to quieten the constant mental
1

Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura/5

babble that goes on in our heads — the 'roof brain chatter'


as Chilton Pearce calls it in his book, The Crack in the
Cosmic Egg. This 'roof brain chatter' churns the mental
aura into a confused mass of mixed colours and indistinct
thought-forms. As we have to view the world through our
own auras, these frantic patterns are going to distort our
perception, and we may find that we are projecting these
thoughts on to people and events, and possibly the world
at large, thus adding to our problems. In view of this, it is
easy to appreciate the Buddhist practice of right thought.
To clarify our thinking processes is one of the first steps
along the path to achieving liberation from the activities
of our lower mind. We live in an age of left brain hemi-
sphere dominance, where rational processes, logic and the
intellect are gods. These tend to crush out the intuitive,
transcendent and holistic functions of the right brain
hemisphere. I cannot help feeling that there is a parallel
between the left brain hemisphere and the carnal mind
that St. Paul speaks of in the Bible and the lower-mind of
theosophy. If this is the case then the right brain hemi-
sphere may well equate with the abstract or higher-mind,
which Paul referred to as the 'mind in Christ', which
reflects the divine nature through love, understanding
and inclusiveness.
Scientific research into hemisphere function,
brain
whilst becoming more past few years,
holistic over the
particularly through the work of American Roger Sperry,
who shared the 1981 Nobel Prize in medicine and physio-
logy, still categorically denies any connection between
the current wider view of brain hemisphere function and
mysticism or animism. Yet it is a curious fact that many
scientists, whilst denying the mystical elements emerging
from their work, are sounding more and more like Eastern
sages in their proclamations.
In 1905 Annie Besant and C.W. Leadbeater wrote a
book called Thought-Forms which describes and illus-
trates the variety of colours and patterns to be seen in
52/Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura

the aura. They give a rather lovely description of the


mental aura which bears repeating.

It isan object of great beauty, the delicacy and rapid


motion of its particles giving it an aspect of living

iridescent light, and this beauty becomes an extra-


ordinary radiant and entrancing loveliness as the intel-
lect becomes more highly evolved and is employed
chiefly on pure and subhme topics. As we shall see
in detail later, every thought gives rise to vibrations
in the mental body, accompanied by a play of colour
described as like that of the spray of a waterfall as
the sunlight strikes it, raised many degrees in colour
and vivid dehcacy.

Thefour-fold lower-self of man, then, has a four-fold


aura, each aspect of which reflects the processes and
qualities present in that body. These bodies manifest
upon the various levels of consciousness or attenuated
matter that form the personality or low-self, with the
exception of course of the physical body which is made
up of dense matter. There are other bodies on still higher
levels, the buddhic and the atmic for example, and these
also radiate auras, but it would take a highly superior
form of clairvoyance to observe them. Despite the claims
of some physics, I doubt it anyone with the capacity to
see at those levels would discuss, much less write about
what they could perceive. There is a point where the
axiom 'he who knows, does not speak' begins to operate,
so you may draw your own conclusions.
The chakras are an integral part of the subtle bodies
of man. Various schools of thought list different numbers
of them, and place them in different locations with respect
to the physical body. The consensus once again, however,
is that there are seven major chakras and these lie along
the cerebro-spinal axis. The brow chakra lies upon the
forehead, the crown chakra upon the vertex, the throat
chakra near the first dorsal vertebra of the spine, the
Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura/5 3

heart chakra between the shoulder blades. Beneath this


stretches the diaphragm, symbol of the veil between
the higher and lower worlds. Just below the diaphragm
Hes the solar plexus chakra, next the sacral chakra in
proximity to the fifth lumbar vertebra, and finally the
base chakra near to the coccyx.
These centres of force, or gateways of consciousness,
are an important aspect of our study of the human aura,
because they represent the seven levels of consciousness,
and serve as points of entry to the inner worlds or heavens.
At the physical and etheric levels they are bio-psychic
resonators which activate our vitally important endocrine
gland system, and maintain the health and integrity of
our organ systems. As previously mentioned, the mystics
and sages of old drew up maps of consciousness to guide
us along the inner path to Self-realization, and the chakras
are an integral part of this spiritual geography.
There are many meanings to the word chakra: a circular
form, a potter's wheel, an astonomical circle. In Layayoga
author Shyam Sundar Goswami writes:

A chakra is a circular form, having a specific centre.


It is situated within the body, not as a part of the gross
body, but as a supra -material power form. It is im-
printed undetectably in the body. Because of its subtle
character a chakra is not seen by the eyes, even with the
help of supersensitive instruments.

Goswami continues to write about the dense physical


body, and to outline its relationship to pranic forces.
His comment with regard to the chakras being beyond
instrumented detection, in view of the work of Dr Hiroshi
Motoyama, is interesting. Motoyama claims to have built
a scanner that will pick up the chakras, but upon reading
his material one cannot help feeling that in reality it
detects the electrical fields of the nerve plexuses usually
associated with each chakra rather than the vortice of
energy itself.
54/Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura

Of the gross body and the primary energy of prana,


Goswami has several vital points to make that are directly
relevant to the point of view or interior posture we have to
adopt in order to grasp the whole subject of these subtle
worlds. Our focus of awareness is essentially physical,
we are conditioned by current belief systems to think
and be aware of the physical world. This form of percep-
tion isforced upon us in such a way that we forget that
there are other ways of 'seeing' which are a natural func-
tion. The mechanistic belief that our mind arises from the
chemical and physiological reactions in our physical brain
is typical of science, but the sage and seer view the matter

from an entirely different point. Goswami illustrates this


quite clearly when he says:

The material body is the effect of the metamorphosis


of the basic energy which is made to operate on the
surface stratum due to the influence of the prana-force.
That basic energy is entirely matter -free and active in
the substratum, but is endowed with a specific quahty
which, under certain conditions, gives it an inertial
character. This basic energy exhibits a circular wave
motion which is reducible to a subtle infinitesimal
point.

The infinitesimal point in Tantric teaching is the bindu


point. This point through concentration becomes a state
of tremendous mental power, and is an indispensable part
of the power expressed by the shaman or yogi in his prac-
tices. Through the bindu point in a chakra we can gain
access to vastnew areas of consciousness; they are literally
points of power that lead the adept into other worlds,
other universes. The Sufi shayks look upon the constel-
lation of the Bear, as indeed the Gnostics appeared to,
as seven cosmic chakras. Ruzbehan of Shiraz, an eleventh
century mystic, penetrated into these points of power.

Then, I concentrated my attention on the constellation


Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura/55

of the Bear and I observed that it formed seven aper-

tures through which God was showing himself to


me. . . .

Every continued afterwards to observe


night, I

these apertures in Heaven, asmy love and ardent desire


impelled me to do. And lo! one night, I saw that they
were open, and I saw the divine Being Manifesting to
me through these apertures. He said to me, 'I mani-
fest to you through these openings; they form seven
thousand thresholds (corresponding to the seven prin-
cipal stars of the constellation) leading to the threshold
of the angelic pleroma. And behold I show myself to
you through all of them at once.'

To penetrate the bindu point is to enter a dimension of


awesome power, and it takes a great deal of preparation
and spiritual refinement. To enter unprepared, if indeed
that is at all possible, would in all probability prove fatal

to both physical and psychological health. Chakras are an


aspect of our subtle forms which need to be handled with
care. Pop occult literature which urges you towards
enlightenment and a better sex Hfe through chakra stimu-
lating exercises is a sort of pseudo-spiritual pornography,
which should be studiously avoided by the serious student.
The reason for this is simple: over-stimulation of any
chakra activates the pranic forces of that centre and begins
to open doorways to other areas of consciousness. The
problem is, once the stimulation has had effect, what
does the individual do with the energy he has contacted
and, more to the point, does he have the capacity and
perceptiveness to do anything with it? Chakras will unfold
in their own time and sequence, with of course the im-
balances we bring about through our habits of thought,
emotions and physical living. To stimulate them hap-
hazardly through intense visualization and breathing
exercises may provide a weekend of fun at a workshop,
but if continued can lead to disaster. The participant may
56/Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura

find that the exercises have opened the faculty of clair-

audience and that he subjected to a non-stop babble


is

of voices and communications in his head. He may experi-


ence a loud snap in his head, like a bone breaking. This is
the rupturing of the etheric webs that protect and form
insulation against unwarranted data flooding into con-
sciousness from many different areas. When it breaks the
result can be catastrophic to the individual, rendering him
quite ineffective in daily life. A shift in energy from the
sacral or sexual centre to the throat chakra may give him
the illusion of a kundalini experience, which are all the
rage at the moment. Such glamour only defers inner
progress.
The bindu point has been known to the Vedic and
Tantric adepts for many thousands of years. The bindu
point and the chakra form a gateway, as Jung called it,
to other levels of consciousness, other universes. It is a
boundary point, which in time we will cross to a true
understanding of the nature of reality. I am struck by the
similarity between the bindu point of the ancient Vedic
hymns and the singularity of modern science. I am con-
vinced in fact that they are the same thing. In God and the
New Physics, Paul Davies writes:
The essential feature of a singularity is that it is rather
Hke an edge or boundary to spacetime and hence, one
supposes, to the physical universe.

and:

In a fundmental sense a singularity represents, according


to this view, the outer Hmits of the natural universe. At
a singularity, matter may enter or leave the physical
world, and influences may emanate therefrom that are
totally beyond the power of physical science to predict,
even in principle. A singularity
the nearest thing that
is

science has found to a supernatural agent.

The similarities between a bindu point and the singu-


Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura/57

larity are quiteremarkable. It is thought that black holes


in space form with a singularity, and that these huge
vortices (chakras?) may lead to other universes on the
exit side of the hole. The sages have always used the
human body as a metaphor for the universe, ascribing
various planets to various organs. If we are indeed a uni-
verse in miniature, then our chakras are the 'black holes'
out of which the energies flow from the inner worlds to
form our bodies. If this is so then the soul or transpersonal
self is a type of bindu point, as must be the monad or
spirit beyond that. The monad or One is often depicted
as a point, and surely the journey of the prodigal son
symbolizes for each of us the journey that will lead us
through the bindu points of the chakras to those of the
soul and ultimately the monad or Father's House. It is
beyond our comprehension at that point to conceive of
our form nature, if any, or the worlds we will enter to
carry on the task allotted to man. An unknown saint of
the Christian Church is recorded as having said: 'As birds
fly together to summer realms, so souls unite in flight.
Passing through the gate [bindu point] they thus alight
before the throne of God.'
The chakras, as already mentioned, are described as a
circular vortex form of energy. Each of them is depicted
in a variety of ways, using deities, colours, symbols and
letters to represent various qualities and energies. The
most common form of expression is the use of a flower,
which is appropriate in that the chakras should unfold
naturally like flowers. The Rosi crucians used the Rosy
Cross to depict man and his chakras; each rose on the
cross identified a chakra in the subtle body. In India the
lotus has been used as a symbol of the chakras, and they
are often referred to as lotuses. The lotus is a flower that
has its roots in the mud its stem
(the material world),
grows up through the water (the astral or emotional
world), and the bloom rising above the water into the
air (the realm of the mind) provides an excellent metaphor
58/Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura

for the chakra.


The chakras are 'seen' through a deep form of clair-

voyance arising out of concentration. The most popular


map of the chakras, which is frequently adopted by
authors whohave perhaps not researched this area as
much as they might have done, is that outlined by the
theosophist C.W. Leadbeater. His monograph on the
chakras has a number of fundamental inaccuracies in it
which should perhaps be identified. The Bishop C.W.
Leadbeater, for all of his fine work, was an astral psychic,
and as such worked with certain involutionary energies
when viewing things on the inner levels. For this reason
he places the chakras along the front of the body, instead
of along the cerebro -spinal axis. He also, for reasons
of his own, removes the sacral chakra and replaces it with
the spleen chakra. The seven major chakras, of which the
spleen is not one, deal with various aspects and levels of
consciousness. The spleen chakra does not. Its function is
to energize the etheric body by way of the nadis; in other
words it handles solar prana. Why he made the switch I
do not know, but it is a gross error which has been promul-
gated ever since by non-psychics and psychics alike. Sir
John Woodruffe, in his monumental work on kundalini,
The Serpent Power, states quite openly that Leadbeater
was of the opinion that he knew more about the chakras
and kundaUni than the yogis of India, and as a result
inserted a few of his own ideas, despite the fact that they
contradicted the models put forward by seers.
It will help us then to properly locate the chakras,

beginning at the base of the spine and working upwards


to the forehead. At the base of the spine, at the level of
the coccygeal segments, lies the base or muladhara chakra.
It has four petals, the colours of which vary according to

different schools of thought. They are: a shining red and


gold, yellow or golden, or red like the jawa flower. This
chakra externalizes as the adrenal glands and governs the
spine and kidneys. It also influences all cells of the body
Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura/59

and is closely with the chrommafine tissue


associated
to be found in the adrenals, along the
para-sympathetic
nerve chains and in fact in every cell in our body. These
provide the channel through which the physical will-to-
be expresses itself, our fight or flight mechanism being
the most obvious aspect of this force.

M' I

\.^ y''^:y-"-r'y/:"/X\w^\ ^--o

Figure 3.2 The psycho-magnetic curving lines offeree which, accord-


ing to Dr Edwin Babbitt, surround the human head. These lines of
force can be mentally projected towards other people in order to
tap their aura and make them turn around

Above the base chakra lies the sacral or swadhisthana


chakra at the midpoint of the sacrum or sacred bone.
This chakra externalizes as the gonads and governs the
reproductive system. It has six petals of vermilion-red
and diamond-white. Through this chakra flows the sexual
60/Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura

energies that guarantee the continuation of the human


race in physical form.
Next is the solar plexus or manipura chakra just around
the level of the navel. It externalizes as the pancreas and
governs the stomach, liver, gall bladder, digestive tract
and the sympathetic nervous system. Here is the seat of
the emotional and instinctual life. Its overactivity today
in many people leads to digestive trouble, over-sensitivity
of the nervous system, fatigue and tension. The colours
of black, dark blue, dark green, golden, red and smoke-
grey are ascribed to its ten petals.
The first chakra above the diaphragm is the heart or
anahata chakra, located behind the heart in the dorsal
spine. It externalizes as the thymus and governs the
heart, the circulatory system and the blood. Its sixteen
petals are said to be deep red, vermilion, white, dark blue
and yellow. This is a most important vortex of power
because ultimately when in full flower it expresses love
and wisdom as expressed for us by Christ and Buddha,
each being the leading exponent of those two qualities.
While the solar plexus chakra deals with personal and
self-interest, the heart, as it opens, makes the individual
more group conscious, not so much on the physical level,
but on higher planes of consciousness.
At the level of the lower cervical spine lies the throat
or visudda chakra. This chakra externalizes as the thyroid
and para-thyroids, and governs the vocal and bronchial
apparatus, the lungs and digestive tract. The ancients saw
the throat centre as the vortex through which the intel-
ligence of God worked. It has sixteen petals — white,
yellow and red going to a shining smokey -colour.
Next in order of importance is the brow or ajna chakra,
which is located over the forehead. It externalizes as the
pituitary gland and governs the eyes, ears, teeth, sinuses
and lower brain, including the stem. This is the centre of
the personality or low-self. When active in a balanced way
you get the type of individual who sparkles with energy;
Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura/61

such females are vivacious, while males have the charisma


that makes them popular with others. If too active it
indicates the over-striver, the perfectionist who will sooner
or later reach a state of nervous debility or breakdown
due to the excess of energy flowing through this centre.
Underactivity brings about a state in which the individual
represses the energies of the personality, inclines to intro-
version and fails to fully express himself. The brow chakra
has two main petals leading from a central circular area,
which symboHze the anterior and posterior pituitary
bodies, and ultimately the horizontal arms of the cross of
matter upon which the personality is finally crucified.
These petals are an intense white, like the moon, a symbol
of the low-self. The ajna is considered by some schools to
be the seat of mind, which has the power to reach any-
where into the source of all knowledge. Through this
chakra the gift of higher mental clairvoyance is utilised.
Finally on the vertex of the head Hes the crown or
sahasra chakra. It externalizes as the pineal gland and
governs the brain along with the rest of the central nervous
system. It traditionally has a thousand petals the colours
of white, red and yellow, black and green. This is the
point of ultimate power, the Godhead in man. This chakra
and the heart chakra are the last to unfold if a proper
sequence has been followed. This unfoldment represents
the balanced function of the will and the love and the
wisdom of God. The esoteric meaning of the name David
is 'he who has linked his head and his heart'. Daud in

Celtic means 'beloved of God', and the Psalmist David


who took thirty-three years to reach this point of initia-
tion provides us with an insight into the healing power
and wisdom that can be expressed through the uninter-
rupted interplay between the head and the heart chakras.
In the writings of the Tibetan Master Djwal Khul, there
are two passages which reflect this quality: 'When the
heart is full of love and the head full of wisdom, nothing
then is ever done that can cause distress to others in the
62/Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura

long run.' And: 'Joy settles as a bird within the heart but
has winged its way from the secret place within the head.
I am that bird of joy. Therefore with joy I serve.' A further

passage indicates the qualities of energy and the links


that exist between the crown, heart and throat chakras,
which symbolize the three primary aspects of Deity:
will, love-wisdom and active intelligence; or, if you prefer,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Out of the lotus in the head springs the flower of bhss.
Its earhest form is joy.
Out of the lotus in the heart springs the flower of
love. Its earhest indication, wisdom is.

Out of the lotus in the throat emerges the flower of


living forms. The earliest sign is understanding of
The Plan.

The Plan of course refers to the grand design and intent


of God, and not the short- or long-term plans of the
personal self. Our chakras reflect our consciousness and
according to their unfoldment so will be the quality of
the auric field of the individual.
Various authors list varying colours for the chakras,
for example red for the base chakra or green for the heart.
The next thing you know someone else has listed orange
and gold. Even the ancient schools of thought differed in
the colours that they ascribed to the centres. There is good
reason for this, and it lies in the fact that as the adept
penetrates deeper and deeper into the chakra he 'sees'
different colours. The Indian seers claimed that deep con-
centration on a chakra, particularly its colour-form,
resulted in a resonance being set up with unknown regions
of consciousness, which would eventually emerge as
colours to the inner sight of the yogi. The colours change
from one to another as specific pranas are activated in
the chakra. This explanation is not confined to the Bud-
dhist and Tantric systems but can be found among the
Sufi mystics and their writings.
Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura/63

The Sufis call the chakras Latifa, the subtle organs of


the mystical physiology. As you progress through the
latifa you in effect progressthrough the seven prophets
of your being. Of this process Corbin writes:

The mystic is aware of this growth thanks to the apper-

ception of coloured lights which characterize each


of the supersensory organs or centers to which Semnani
gave so much attention. These lights are the tenuous
veils enveloping each of the latifa; their colouring
reveals to the mystic which stage of his growth or
journey he has reached.

Corbin goes on to Hst the colours. You will see just how
closely they relate to those listed in Tan trie texts, which
suggests that the chakras are not just the figment of wild
imagination, as some writers have more recently sug-
gested.

The stage of the subtle body at the level of its birth,


stillvery close to the physical organism (the 'Adam
of your being'), is simply darkness, a blackness some-
times turning to smoke-grey the stage of the vital
;

soul (Noah) is blue colour; that of the heart (Abraham)


is red; that of the superconscious (Moses) is white;

that of the Spirit (David) is yellow; that of the arcanum


(Jesus) is luminous black (aswad nurani); this is the
'black light,' the luminous Night about which were
informed by Najm RazTas well as by the Rose Garden
of Mystery and its commentator; lastly the stage of the
divine center (Mohammad) is briUiant green.

Obviously one must keep an open mind about the colours


representing each chakra, because they can differ accord-
ing to various schools of thought, they differ according to
the viewing point of the adept and they differ again when
discussed in relation to other factors in the physiology
of light.
While I have concentrated on the Tantric and Sufi
64/Subtle bodies, chakras and the aura

explanations of the chakras, these force centres are men-


tioned in virtually all teachings. There are Taoist maps
of consciousness that identify the chakras, and you can
find them in the mystical alchelmical teachings of such
Christians as Boehme and his disciple Gicthel. The former
wrote: 'Now wheel hath seven wheels one in another,
this
and one nave, which fitteth itself to all seven wheels, and
all seven wheels turn on that one nave.' Such a description

tallies with the Tantric physiology of light, with the seven


wheels or chakras upon the nave or vertical cerebro-spinal
axis. Tribal societies seem less inclined to make public
knowledge of these chakras, but the Aborigine of Austraha
sees all creation as arising from the great mystical vortex

or Turinga, and they speak of the third eye on the fore-


head in conjunction with the rai spirits which give the
shaman his inner sight.
The chakras, supersensory organs of light, the subde
bodies and the aura are aspects of man which are to be
found in the teachings of all civilizations and societies
throughout the world. For this reason alone they should
provide a fruitful area of research today.
Science and medicine
look at the aura

There cannot be the least doubt of the reality of the exist-


ence of an aura enveloping a human being, and this in a
short time will be an universally accepted fact.

The Human Aura - Dr Walter Kilner

Man it cannot resist attempting to render the


seems
normal sight, by a mechanical appara-
invisible visible to
tus of one type or another. In times gone by the aspirant
to the Mysteries would discipline himself in order to
develop clairvoyance, but we seem less inclined to make
the requisite effort and take on the arduous training
towards such ends. Being able to see the aura, particularly
in the medical field, obviously has great advantages if
you are able to interpret what you see in diagnostic
terms. Dr Walter Kilner was a man determined to explore
this field to the Hmits of his ability. Unfortunately this
did not include clairvoyance so he was forced to discover
an means by which to make the aura visible.
artificial
In 1908, whilst practising as a physician at St Thomas'
Hospital in London, Kilner discovered and developed a
process for making the human aura visible to those with-
out the supersensory faculty of clairvoyance. He was
well aware of Reichenbach's work with the odic force

65
66/Science and medicine look at the aura

and sensitives, but Kilner wanted to see the aura for


himself,and this forced him to seek a more physical
approach which would be useful to others. In his book
which was originally published under the title The Human
Atmosphere Kilner wrote:
,

From first moment of seeing the human atmos-


the
phere, determined to investigate the subject apart
I

from all occultism; and to remain unbiased, did not


read any accounts of the aura until a large number
of patients had been inspected.

Figure 4.1 The outline of a healthy male aura according to Kilner

It was same year, 1908, that he came up with the


in the
idea of using some form of chemical to make the aura
Science and medicine look at the aura/67

visible, and he began working with a coal tar dye called


dicyanin. This choice of substance arose from a flash
of inspiration triggered by his study of Professor Blondot's
work on N-Rays at Nancy University in France, and in
particular the effect N-Rays had upon phospherent sulphide
of calcium. Kilner began by coating glass screen with
gelatin and staining this coating with the dye. These
proved to be quite useless due to the rapid decomposition
of the gelatin. Eventually he settled on flat glass containers
filled with an alcohol solution of the dye. Even these
deteriorated if left in the light for any length of time, and
had to be stored in darkness when not in use.
For general observations of the aura, Kilner used a
dark screen in which the dye was less diluted, and a
light screen which contained more alcohol. On com-
pleting the first screen Kilner was able to observe the aura
of a friend through it. One can imagine his excitement as
the greyish mist of the aura became apparent to his gaze.
By experimenting Kilner found that by gazing through a
dark screen at a light, and then looking directly at the
person under observation, it was possible to see the aura
without the screen. However, by far the most practical
approach was to look at the subject directly through a
light screen.
Having discovered a way to see the aura, Kilner not
unnaturally spent every spare moment of his time gazing
through the screens and noting his observations of the
auric fields, which he began to plot. It was not long before
he discovered that the screens had a deleterious effect
upon his eyes, making them so painful and irritated that he
would have to cease using them for several days at a time,
allowing his eyes to return to normal. Kilner found that
the aura was best observed when the light was not too
bright, and the body of the subject just visible in the
dimness against a dead black background.
According to his observations, Kilner divided the aura
into three layers which he called the inner aura, the outer
look at the aura
68/Science and medicine

Females
Males

O))
(b)
(a)

i :
I

\ I

(d)
(0

(f)

(e)

f ^nlp and female auras according


sectwns
Figure 4.2 Transverse
'>f

toKilner (a) and (b)


normal auras; M
^f^^'ilZd)
ana (a; spatulate
p
auras;

bo^-shaped bulge
M and (f) auras v.th dorsal
Science and medicine look at the aura/69

aura, and the ultra-outer aura. To these he added a fourth


layer which he called the etheric double. This extended
no more than one sixteenth to one eighth of an inch from
the physical body, although in some pathological states
it did appear to expand, particularly in neurotic patients.

Kilner, it seemed, was not going to be able to ignore the


occult, as he called it, and was soon using theosophical
terminology, and confirming the descriptions of the
etheric body given by clairvoyants. He writes:

When the etheric double is examined against a white


background through a deep carmine screen with the
light properly arranged, it may become a rose colour,
quite different to the carmine tint the white back-
ground has assumed. When carefully looked at this
will appear lineated, and a fine striae [sic] to be the
source of the colour.

The inner aura lies outside and around the etheric double.
Kilner described it as having a finer texture to it. This was
best observed through special screens containing carmine
or methylene blue dye. With these the inner aura could be
seen quite clearly and its outer border defined. In the
process of his experiments Kilner developed a system for
observing the aura with a series of screens, in order to
make its various layers visible. He began his viewing with a
general scan through the dicyanin screen, then switched to
a pale blue one in order to see the differentiation between
the inner and outer auras. The blue screen enabled him to
map out the distal margins of the inner and outer auras but
tended to obscure details of the former. Then, in order to
heighten and clarify the appearance of the inner aura, he
used another screen of light carmine dye. This tended
somewhat to blur out details of the outer aura, but with
various arrangements of Hghting, a balance could be
reached in which details from both auras were more or less
visible. Kilner described what he could see through the
screens in the following words:
70/Science and medicine look at the aura

In health the boundaries of the inner aura are deter-


mined by the distance the striae reach, when examined
through the dark carmine screen. As a rule the breadth
is uniform all over the head and trunk, and generally,

but not always, slightly narrower down the limbs.


Occasionally both in males and females it will become
wider and coarser locally, but as striation can be dis-
cerned though perhaps with difficulty, there can be
no uncertainty about limits. This is quite different to
what takes place in local bodily derangements. The
commonest position for enlargement is at the sides of
the waist in women, and the next is the small of the
back in a man, but a granular appearance in this latter
situation is generally pathological, and will be described
later on. Females show enlargements of the aura in front
of the breasts and abdomen, and these will be alluded
to in the chapter on pregnancy.
As a rule the inner aura follows the contour of the
body, its proximal border being in juxtaposition to the
etheric double, or in the majority of cases apparently to
the body itself. The outer margin is free, irregularly
crenated with large curves. The structure consists of
excessively fine grains, so arranged as to present a striated
appearance. The striae, too, are fine beyond description,
parallel to each other, and running at right angles to the
body. They show no intrinsic colour. They seem to be
collected into bundles, with the longest lines in the
centre, and the shortest outside. These bundles are
massed together, and their shapes cause the outlines
of the inner aura. In most people during health, stria-
tion is manifest, without the slightest difficulty, while
inothers of a delicate constitution or ill health, it can
only be detected, if at all, by the most careful arrange-
ment of the light, and the selection of a suitable screen.

Kilner's description of the inner aura is remarkably


similar to those obtained through clairvoyant observation.
Science and medicine look at the aura/71

The lines of energy at right angles to the body, the coarse


granulations which appear in ill health, all tally. Phoebe
Payne, the theosophical clairvoyant who did such excellent
work in the medical field with her husband, Dr Laurence
Bendit, once Hkened the aura in health to a well strung
tennis racquet, and an unhealthy aura looking for all the
world like an unstrung one. Kilner goes on to describe the
outer aura:

The outer aura commences where the inner leaves off,


and spreads round the body to a variable distance.
It has no absolutely sharp outline but gradually vanishes

into space, although in the majority of instances its

outer border is sufficiently obvious for measurement.

Beyond this outer aura Kilner could distinguish, at times,


a fine mist which extended outwards until it disappeared.
This phenomenon he termed the ultra-outer aura. During
observations, spontaneous fluctations appeared throughout
the aura in the form of rays. Some of these proceeded
from one part of the body to another, while others streamed
outwards and disappeared into space. Frequently, glowing
patches appeared and faded out again. The rays were
usually bluish in colour but some were red and yellow.
Such rays, when emanating from the area of the shoulders,
appeared broad, while those from the fingers were narrow
and appeared to be continuous with the physical form.
Some of Kilner's subjects could voluntarily change the
coloursin their auras through mental concentration.
Women of an excitable nature showed the greatest facility
for this gift.
Kilner experimented with various forces upon the aura,
and found that if he held a magnet near the body, the aura
became more brilliant in that area, and as the force grew
the brilHance gathered into a single ray of light. If the
magnet was moved the ray moved with it. Kilner noted
that the mutual attraction of two human auras was far
greater than that between an aura and a magnet. This is
72/Science and medicine look at the aura

a point we should bear mind, and one which I will deal


in
with in detail The use of static elec-
in a later chapter.
tricity to stimulate the aura provided Kilner with some
interesting observations. Exposure to static electricity
from a Wimshurst Machine caused the outer aura to
contract within a fraction of a minute, and grow more
dense, while at the same time the inner aura lost its dis-
tinctness. Then both auras lost their briUiance, and the
inner one vanished altogether, while the outer aura con-
tracted almost to the previous limit of the inner aura.
Continued charging of the aura with static electricity
caused the entire auric field to vanish. As this change
began to dissipate, the auras began to reappear, and the
after effect was an enlargement of the size of the aura,
in some instances, by almost fifty per cent.
Kilner also applied various chemicals to the aura.
Bromine vapour, for example, changed a previously
blue-grey aura to a pure blue with areas of green. Iodine
produced a red-brown colour in the aura as did ozone.
He made various other experiments along these Hnes,
and his observations suggest that medicines painted or
rubbed onto the body alter the auric field and their
therapeutic qualities are absorbed in this manner.
As a medical doctor Kilner was eager to explore the
diagnostic potential of his methods of auric observation,
which in themselves were quite unique. He found that
the aura in pathological cases changed in shape and size,
and in cases of nervous diseases, epilepsy, hysteria and
hemiplegia it stayed distorted. If the disease process
was a transient one, as it would be during infections
or injury, then the aura returned to normal as the infec-
tion cleared or the injury healed. Impairment of mental
faculties clearly created a lessening of the size and dis-
tinctness of the aura.A similar appearance occurred in
people who were about to faint. Kilner was also able
to observe that patients with limited intelligence had
auras that were coarse-grained, grey and dull. In part
Science and medicine look at the aura/73

this led him to believe that the aura had an intimate


connection with the central nervous system.
Whilst doing remarkable work, Kilner still recognized
that his methods of observation left much to be desired.
His feelings about this are reflected in the following
passage from his book:

The alteration in the aura occasionally does not seem


nearly commensurate with the severity of the illness,
as many of the modifications are far too subtle to be
detected by the crude methods of observation at the
present time available, but it must be postulated that
future and more delicate processes of investigation
will disclose a greater number and variety of defects.
The changes most likely to be discovered at the present
time are differences in size and shape of the aura accom-
panied by alterations of the colour and texture.

Despite his limitations Kilner made many useful obser-


vations which will perhaps one day form the basis of
fresh research. He established that the aura of a healthy
person presented a symmetrical appearance through the
screens, while a spatulate aura was most commonly seen
in adult women of an hysterical nature. Traumatic hysteria
revealed a bulging spatulate aura with large areas of yellow
over the legs, chest and back. The epileptic aura on the
other hand generally appeared narrow on one side, with
an outer aura that was not much larger than the restricted
inner aura. One of Kilner's patients, a woman with Ray-
naud's disease, displayed large areas of granulated redness
around the chest, neck and back.
When comparisons are made between Kilner's work and
clairvoyant descriptions of the aura, there are many
similarities. But it is clear that although his method was
revolutionary it did not provide such a detailed picture
as could be derived from clairvoyant observation. He
was well aware of these limitations but was convinced
that physical methods would evolve until they became
74/Science and medicine look at the aura

an aid to medical diagnosis.


It is a matter of record that many people who have

tried to observe the aura with Kilner screens do not


succeed in doing so. This led in time to the suggestion
that Kilner himself was closer to being clairvoyant than
he realized. Quite naturally his researches attracted the
obligatory torrent of abuse from medical colleagues,
and the British Medical Journal added its scorn, dismiss-
ing his work in the January issue of 1912, by writing:
'Dr. Kilner has failed to convince us that his aura is more
real than Macbeth 's visionary dagger.' Kilner did not let
this scepticism deter him from his work and continued to
experiment with the screens and record his observations.
The First World War put a stop to the experiments, as
supplies of dicyanin from Germany were cut off. Kilner
retired from practice and returned to Bury St. Edmunds
to assist his brother in practice there. He died on 23 June
1920 at the age of 73. In that year a completely revised
edition of his book had gone to press, and this was sym-
pathetically and enthusiastically reviewed in the Medical
Times, February 1921, and in March 1922 by the usually
cautious Scientific American.
Kilner's work set other people along the path of aura
exploration. One of these was Cambridge biologist, Oscar
Bagnall. His book entitledThe Origin and Properties of
the Human Aura was pubhshed in 1937, and outlines
Bagnall's efforts to duplicate and if possible extend Kilner's
work. In the initial stages of his work Bagnall used the
dicyanin screen, but soon sought a better alternative
which he found in a more stable form of coal tar dye
called pinacyanol. This was made into screens, and, being
cheaper, was available to a greater number of investigators.
Bagnall's findings were very similar to Kilner's, in that
he saw an inner and an outer aura. The inner aura, he
wrote, varied in brightness with health and extended
around the body by some three inches, but was discernible
for a further distance of eight inches, beyond which he
Science and medicine look at the aura/75

refers to as an outer haze. This haze he described as


it

being pale blue to pale grey in colour. Bagnall did not


see the red, yellows, golds or browns that Kilner reported,
and this led him to comment:
I feel, however, that few of us can hope to see what
Kilner saw, for he was undoubtedly singularly gifted
— clairvoyant. I have tested most of his
in this respect
claims and can vouch for the majority of them from
I

my personal experience. Others I do not for one moment


presume to doubt, though I have never been able to
confirm them, because my eyes can see no further
beyond the violet than most people's except of course
artificially.

BagAall found that a screen containing a solution of


blue pinacyanol made the distal margin of the outer haze
more obvious, and made the inner aura brighter and more
clearly defined. Like Kilner he was to observe the rays of
light extending from the outer edge of the inner aura,
through the outer haze and into the environment. This as
we shall see is an observation common to most descrip-
tions of the aura by various investigators. Bagnall's work
served to confirm Kilner 's original experiments, but his
main contribution was the improved pinacyanol screens
for viewing.
In more recent years one or two medical doctors and
health care professionals have made public their ability
to see the aura, while others have been inclined not to
reveal their abilities. Some have reported being able to
know at a glance what was wrong with the patient, but to
satisfy clinical and practice protocol they have run lab
tests and made physical examinations
in order to make
it appear they reached their conclusions in the standard
manner. Dr John C. Pierrakos, scientist and psychiatrist,
has studied the energy fields of animals, crystals, plants
and human beings clairvoyantly for a number of years,
and has endeavoured to apply these observations in his
76/Science and medicine look at the aura

practice located in New York.


Pierrakos describes what he refers to as a field pheno-
menon, which is related to body metabolism, with its

production of heat, activity, breathing rates and emotional


states. This field is also affected by humidity, ionization of
the air and atmospheric conditions. We float and swim in
this sea of energies filled with shimmering pulsating colours,
which constantly change. Pierrakos gives a somewhat
complex and more poetic description of the human aura
which is best described in his own words.
When a person stands against a homogeneous back-
ground, either very light (sky blue) or very dark (mid-
night blue), and with certain arrangements so that
there is a softness and uniformity in the light, one can
clearly see, with the aid of colored filters (cobalt blue)
or with the unaided eye, a most thrilling phenomenon.
From the periphery of the body arises a cloudlike, blue-
gray envelope which extends for 2 to 4 feet where it
loses its distinctness and merges with the surrounding
atmosphere. This envelope is brilliant and illuminates
the periphery of the body in the same way as the rays
of the rising sun light up the fringes of dark mountains.
It swells slowly for 1 to 2 seconds, away from the body
until it forms a nearly perfect oval shape with fringed
edges. It remains in full development for approximately
1/4 of a second and then, abruptly, it disappears com-
pletely. It takes about 1/5 to 1/8 of a second to vanish.
Then there is a pause of 1 to 3 seconds until it reappears
again to repeat the process. This process is repeated 15
to 25 times a minute in the average resting person.
(Quoted in Regush, 1974)

Pierrakos describes the 'envelope' as being divided into


three layers. First a dark blue-black layer near the body
about one eighth of an inch wide. Then a blue-grey layer
of three to four inches in width, and a third or outer layer
Science and medicine look at the aura/77

which sky-blue and approximately six to eight inches


is

wide. The
first layer Pierrakos describes as being more
like a dark space around the body. The second or inter-
mediate layer is made up of multiple shapes and forms,
and is particularly around the head. There are
bright
wave-like movements and corpuscular movements
in it

which appear similar to the Brownian movements seen


under high magnification. Then there are linear move-
ments of yellow and white rays similar to those seen by
Kilner, which travel to the edge of the aura and out into
space. The intermediate layer has the appearance of a
blue shimmering Hquid of outstanding briUiance. Pier-
rakos's impression of the aura is that it springs from a
longitudinal core of energy within the physical body,
which radiates outwards, passing through the skin to
activate and excite the surrounding atmosphere, and thus
form the three layers of the aura. This observation, in
essence, agrees with Kilner's belief that the aura was
intimately connected with the central nervous system.
While Kilner and Bagnall used the screens, Pierrakos
was able to employ his supersensible faculties to obtain
information about the aura. Both techniques are of course
valid, and the observations of each of these men tend to
confirm the structure and variations in the activities of
the field. None of them makes mention of the chakras,
which suggests that they are seen in a different manner,
and requiring a capacity to penetrate into more subtle
realms of matter.
In the tradition of von Reich enbach, neuropsychiatrist
Shafica Karagulla worked with sensitives who could see
the aura, and she had the advantage that at least two of
the most gifted could also see the chakras. This work
is outlined in her book Breakthrough to Creativity. Kara-

gulla, being a physician, was interested in the diagnostic


appHcations of clairvoyance with respect to the aura,
and using a fellowship from the Pratt Foundation she set
up a long-range programme of aura diagnosis research.
78/Science and medicine look at the aura

Karagulla was fortunate in that three of the sensitives


she worked with had excellent gifts of what she referred
to as HSP, or Higher Sense Perception. One of these
sensitives, Diane by name, was a housewife and also the
president of a business corporation. She was extremely
gifted, and more important perhaps, her observations were
both reliable and consistent. Karagulla describes her ability
in the following passages:

In order to make clear the experiments in medical


diagnosis which follow, I must explain in general what
Diane She can see the physical organs of the
'sees.'

body and any pathology or disturbance in function.


She has not studied medicine or physiology and often
her descriptions are those one would expect of a lay-
man. These descriptions are accurate and clear and
easily translate into medical terms. Medical diagnosis
has proved that Diane is correct and accurate in what
she sees.

Diane describes the etheric body which serves as the


energy matrix for the physical form, seeing it as a web
of light frequencies, penetrating the body like a sparkling
web of light beams. She is adamant that any imbalances
in the physical body always show up first in the etheric
body before they move through into a state where they
become clinically identifiable. Diane had the extra capacity
to see the chakras, which is something that not all psychics
have.

Within this energy body or pattern of frequencies she


observes eight major vortices of force and many smaller
vortices. As she describes it, energy moves in and out
of these vortices, which look like spiral cones. Seven of
these major vortices are directly related to different
glands in the body. She describes them as also being
related to any pathology in the physical body in their
general area. The spiral cones of energy that make up
Science and medicine look at the aura/79

may be fast or slow, rhythmical or jerky.


these vortices
She sometimes sees breaks in the energy pattern.

In this outline she includes the spleen chakra, and then


adds the alta major chakra which is located at the back
of the skull in the area of the medulla oblongata. This
chakra governs the spine, and in time links with the
brow and crown chakras to form a field of energy which
gives rise to the nimbus or halo around the head. Obser-
vation of the functional integrity of the chakras reveals
their connection and relationship to pathological states in
the physical body. It is here that Karagulla widens the
whole context of aura research, because by bringing the
chakras to the attention of researchers in the scientific
field, she is begining to fill in the details of the subtle
anatomy of man that have been overlooked by previous
investigators. It is a most vital and important step, parti-
cularly in our understanding of disease, and the inner
levels where it originates. Karagulla describes what Diane
sees when looking at the chakras:

According to her description it [the base chakra] is

made up of four smaller spiral cones of whirling energy


with the sharp points of the cones fitting into a center
point. If there is any disturbance in this central point
or core, then she looks for some pathology in the area.
Breaks or disturbances in the spiral cone have to do with
some function of the physical body in that area. If any
of these major vortices show a dullness or irregularity
or 'leak' in this central point or core, she looks for
some serious pathology in the physical body in the area.

Diane was able to describe all of the textural details


of the etheric body, as bright or dull, fine or coarse,
tightly or loosely woven. Some etheric bodies displayed
gaps and holes, others fragmented areas and textures that
looked like scar tissue. She worked in various clinics with
Karagulla, where they would sit at the back of the waiting
80/Science and medicine look at the aura

room while Karagulla would pick out patients at random


and have Diane describe what she saw with her inner
sight. Subsequent perusal of the medical records of each
randomly selected patient showed without any doubt
that Diane could identify and describe pathological states
with great accuracy. It is worth citing an example of her
clairvoyance under these conditions where neither she
nor Karagulla knew what was wrong with the patient
until the records were pulled from the file, following her
reading of the aura and chakras.

A few days later we selected another patient at ran-


dom in the waiting room
at the Endocrine Clinic. The
patient discovered later had Graves' disease. Diane
I

described the energy vortex at the throat as being too


active. She saw red color in this vortex along with a
dull gray color. All this meant poor and erratic function
of the thyroid as far as Diane was concerned. She also
described an erratic rhythm in the energy flow.
When she looked at the thyroid itself she saw it as
spongy and soft in texture. It did not look normal or
healthy and was larger than it should be. The right
side was not functioning as well as the left. The para-
thyroids appeared normal. Diane said that the patient
had a tendency to become dizzy and had periods of
great exhaustion.
The medical diagnosis showed Graves' disease with
an enlarged thyroid, the right lobe being larger. The
patient suffered from rapid pulse, weakness, exhaustion
and nervous tremors.
What had taken medical science weeks of laboratory test-
ing and physical examination to determine, Diane had 'seen'
and described in a few moments. Clearly there are advant-
ages to being clairvoyant and being able to interpret what
is with such accuracy. Imagine the progress medicine
'seen'
would make if many physicians had such gifts, and the
opportunity to utihze them for the benefit of their patients.
Science and medicine look at the aura/81

More recently, in the early 1970s, Los Angeles physician


Brugh Joy went through a sudden and far-reaching trans-
formation, which led him from the comfortable world
of the orthodox practitioner into wider realms of healing
work. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of
Southern California and the University of Southern
California School of Medicine, he interned at Johns
Hopkins Hospital, was resident in internal medicine at
the Mayo Clinic, a staff member of the Good Samaritan
Medical Center in Los Angeles, and Assistant Clinical
Professor of Medicine at the University of Southern
California. every respect this
In constituted a highly
respectable medical background. The sudden illumina-
tion which transformed him also instantly healed him
of a potentially terminal disease, and led to his rapid
departure from a very promising professional career in
medicine.
In his book Joy's Way, Joy describes what he calls
dialogues with the Inner Teacher. From the dialogues
have come a number of unique discoveries. One of them
was the concept and processes of a self-healing technique
which he called Command Therapy. This involved the
principle of mental imagery and visualization for the
purpose of combating disease. The technique has subse-
quently been taken up by hundreds of medical doctors
and health care professionals, not least of these Dr Carl
and Stephanie Simonton, who have appHed it in the field
of cancer treatment. Today, just over a decade later,
the technique is used throughout the world by many
thousands of people who seek to bring about self-healing.
Joy was also soon involved in trying to scan the energy
fields of the body, and he describes how this came about:

My discovery of energy fields radiating from the body


surface,Hke my discovery of the principles of Com-
mand Therapy, occurred in 1973 — and quite by acci-
dent. Since Eunice's death, late in 1972, my only
82/Science and medicine look at the aura

teacher was the Inner Teacher, with whom I was in


daily contact in morning meditation.
One day in my office I was examining a healthy
male in his early twenties. He was lying quietly on
the examining table. I finished listening to his heart
and lungs and was approaching the examination of
the abdomen. As I was feeling for the edge of the
liver, justunder the right lower rib cage, I felt a strange
impulse to see whether I could detect energy radiating
from the liver. It is a large organ and metabolically
very active, with high internal temperatures.

Moving his hand at a distance from the body Brugh Joy


found that the liver did not give off any detectable energy,
but as his hand went over the solar plexus area it con-
nected with what felt like a 'warm cloud' — further investi-
gation showed that the cloud radiated three to four feet
from the body and was cylindrical in shape. Astonished
and mystified, he determined to bring this matter up
with the Inner Teacher the next morning. The reply to
his enquiry was simply to look further: 'There are other
areas of the body that radiate similar fields. Map them.'
For several months he followed this injunction and map-
ped out a whole series of these tube-like energ}^ structures,
having no idea what they were or what their function was,
if any. Then one day, browsing in a Los Angeles bookshop

he happened to take a book on Tantra Yoga from the


shelf and open it to an ancient drawing that depicted these
circular energy structures in much the same positions as
he had located them through hand scanning. His astonish-
ment was so great that he broke the calm silence of the
bookshop, exclaiming out loud, 'My God! I have dis-
covered the chakras.'
This discovery led to extensive work and investigation,
and later Brugh Joy attempted in the hallowed halls of
the British Museum to scan mummies to see if they still
gave off such energy fields. Fortunately the British are
Science and medicine look at the aura/83

used to all manner of when Brugh opened


eccentrics, but
his eyes after concentrating on the hand scanning of one
mummy, he found that he had an amused audience of at
least twenty -five people. While his conclusions about the
quality and nature of the energy fields of mummies had to
wait, he was quite clear as to the importance of the human
life-field.

I believe the energy fields reflect and influence the


structure of the body and its organization into organ
systems. I also suspect that the chakra system is a
mechanism that interrelates the gross physical body
and the subtle or etheric bodies. I further believe that
the chakra system, the physical body and the etheric
body are in some sort of relationship with the meridians
of the acupuncture system. The energy that emanates
from the chakras and the energy that flows through the
acupuncture meridian system are one and the same
thing; the energy is either qualified by the chakra
system or somehow refined by an individual chakra. I
believe there is but one basic energy operating in these
interrelated systems and that the chakra system modu-
lates and transduces that basic energy. The body splays
this one primary energy into its component frequencies
just as a prism splays light.

Those words sum up for us most clearly the interrelated-


ness of these systems and the basic energy of prana.
For anyone who wants to make a serious study of the
techniques of hand scanning the aura, Joy 5 YJay provides
a great of information regarding techniques. His
deal
contribution to this field has a breadth and depth born
of inner knowledge, thus his suggestions as to the practical
applications of this work can be taken to heart by the
sincere aspirant to healing.
There can be Httle doubt that orthodox science and
medicine will have little or no time for the human aura,
much less the chakras, until such time as someone devises
84/Science and medicine look at the aura

an electronic scanner to replace the psychic. It was the


same story with acupuncture. As far as orthodox medicine
was concerned acupuncture was some form of Chinese
medicine that made no sense, and certainly had no basis
in fact. Meridians and acupuncture points, and talk of
the life-force chi, were so much superstition and rubbish
as far as science was concerned. Then a rather embarrassing
event took place, viewed by millions of people in Britain.
A group of British doctors were shown, during a trip to
China, watching major surgery on the lung of a Chinese
patient, while he was fully conscious. The only anaesthetic
he had was a needle placed in his right forearm, and this
was manipulated from time to time in order to maintain
the effect. As the surgeons opened up the chest cavity,
the patient smiled,chatted with onlookers, drank tea
and ate biscuits. Astonished doctors later sprang a surprise
visit on the patient following the surgery and found him
sitting on his bed chatting with relatives and clearly in
no way suffering from post-operative shock as may have
been expected with orthodox methods. This scenario
opened the door for acupuncture to become respectable.
Orthodoxy is of course now busy trying to fit this embar-
rassing anomaly into a mechanistic framework — rigid
attitudes die hard when it comes to dealing with vitalist
concepts, and people who hold them will go to any lengths
to find a 'respectable' scientific explanation for something
that clearly lies outside of their narrow domain.
The advent of Kirlian photography caused quite a
flurry of excitement in the 1970s when investigators in
the field of parapsychology were of the opinion that
this form of electro-photography had succeeded in captur-
ing the human aura on film. Electro-photography had been
around a long while, since the end of the last century in
fact, but it took Ostrander and Schroeder's book. Psychic
Discoveries behind the Iron Curtain, to popularize Kirlian
photography and virtually make it a household name.
An enormous amount of work was done, some of it
Science and medicine look at the aura/85

carefully carried out, but a great deal of it rather hap-


hazard. A and extravagant claims were made.
lot of wild
The process involves an arrangement of electrodes coupled
to a high voltage source. To photograph the discharge
of energy around a finger tip, a metal electrode with a
dielectric plate above it is connected to a source of elec-
tricity. The film, emulsion side up, is placed on the dielec-
tric, and the subject then places his or her finger tip on the
film while an electrical voltage is punched through the
plate. This whole procedure is carried out in darkness, so
no light touches the film. The results are sometimes
spectacularly beautiful, especially when the subject is
highly charged with the life-force. The coronal discharge
that appears on film is often an electric-blue, with areas
of brilliant white and red, and investigators can be forgiven
for claiming they had photographed the aura.
The Russians who spearheaded this work claimed that
they 'could derive relevant information regarding the
mental, emotional and physical states of a person from the
intensity and quaHty of the flares that appeared on film.
There is still a degree of controversy about this,and in
some sectors of the scientific community this has been
dismissed as highly unHkely. If the colours surrounding
objects photographed in this manner are not auric, then
what are they? In an article entitled 'Are psychoenergetic
pictures possible?' in New Scientist, Professor William
Tiller of Stanford University, California, writes:

Is it rational to hope to observe a nonphysical mani-


festation directly, using only instruments fashioned
I think not. We can only
after the five physical senses?
expect to detect information at the physical level.
By nonphysical energies is meant energies of a non-
electromagnetic, nonsonic and nongravitational variety.

There is a scientific explanation for the beautiful coronal


discharges that appear in Kirlian photographs, involving
electrons and ionization and photons of light; so, alas.
86/Science and medicine look at the aura

it appears that the aura has not been photographed after


all, at least not according to science. Professor Tiller
has said that the energy discharge seen on the film is
physical in nature, taken with instruments geared to the
five senses, but before we dismiss Kirlian photography
we should remember that from an esoteric point of view
the etheric body is physical, and does involve the atomic
levels of matter in its make-up, so perhaps after all we
are seeing the lowest aspect of the aura revealed by electro-
photography. As I have mentioned earlier in the book,
the important thing is that whatever the pictures reveal,
whether it is the aura or not, they should serve to open
the door and to inspire further studies along these lines.
In recent years another form of energy photography
has emerged which may have some correlation to the aura.
This technique is known as the SchHeren system. Ori-
ginally it was developed to detect flaws in glass, but when
used to photograph the convection currents created by
heat given off by the human body, these appear as a
shimmering, rainbow-coloured aura, according to David
Heiserman of Science Digest. Scientists studying the
heat convection currents of the body report that these
currents are laden with microscopic bits of skin, bacteria
and particles of inorganic matter. The heat envelope or
halo contains four hundred per cent more micro-organisms
than the immediate environment, and may in fact be in
some way responsible for persistent infections that are
from the body. The
difficult to clear bacteria simply live
and possibly breed in the heat aura, and move into the
body when resistance drops. Observations of the warm
airflow clearly reveal that it moves up the body and is
drawn into the nose, thus probably enhancing the infective
process.
Convection currents, like those seen shimmering over
a desert landscape, can break up light into the colours
of the spectrum in much the same way as a prism does.
Because of this phenomenon the warm air envelope
Science and medicine look at the aura/87

around the human body, when photographed by the


Schlieren method, appears as a field of colour patterns.
These colours change dramatically when there is heavy
infection in the body, or areas of inflammation are pre-
sent. Could it be that these colour patterns which change
with disease are in some way connected with what psy-
chics see? There are many similarities. For example the
flow of convection currents as seen through the Schlieren
optical system is virtually identical to the movements of
the aura as described by Dr Pierrakos. He sees a basic
flow pattern moving up from the feet to the head and
back again, with alternate upward and downward move-
ments of the aura on opposite sides of the body. Another
interesting flow of the aura appears to form a figure eight
over the body, with its central point in the area of the
solar plexus. In chiropractic treatment, there is a method
by which this 'eight can be demonstrated. The
flow'
patient is muscle tested, that is a muscle is tested by
pressure from the doctor's hand, against his resistance.
A strong muscle will remain firm — once a muscle tests
strong it can be weakened by passing a hand close to
the patient's back in a figure of eight movement. If the
direction of the movement is right for the patient, the
muscle will remain strong; if it is not, the muscle will
immediately go weak. Having induced the weak reaction,
this can be eliminated by moving the hand through the
figure of eight in the right direction. The patient's body
is not touched during this movement, which flows through

the auric field. The fact that there is an immediate and


physically demonstrable reaction in the neuro-muscular
system of the patient brings further evidence to bear that
Kilner was right when he surmised that the aura had a
direct connection with the central nervous system.
The similarities between psychic and Schlieren descrip-
tions of the aura, and the changes that take place in it
due to disease processes, are marked. Whether the scien-
tist and the psychic are seeing the same things is open to
88/Science and medicine look at the aura

debate, but doctors working with the Schheren system


claim that they can diagnose from the patterns it makes
visible. Gradually these similarities may well prove to be
an open sesame, providing the much needed link between
science and the esoteric teachings regarding the human
aura.
One of the most substantial and outstanding contri-
butions to our knowledge of man as an energy being made
its appearance in 1935, when embryologist Dr Harold
Saxton Burr and his colleague Dr F. Northrop pubUshed
their work under the title The electro-dynamic theory of
life'. In collaboration with Drs C. Lane and L. Nims, Burr

spent three years perfecting an ultra-sensitive vacuum


tube microvoltmeter which could measure currents as
weak as a millionth of a volt between two points within
or on a living organism. The voltmeter revealed that all
living organisms have an electro-dynamic field which in
effect acts like a 'jelly mould' of energy into which the
physical form is built. To understand this better it helps
to visuaHze a piece of paper with a scattering of iron filings
over it. When a magnet is placed underneath and in proxi-

mity to the paper, the iron filings rush to form a pattern.


In other words the electro-magnetic forces draw the inert
iron filings into alignment along an axis, from which pat-
terns of force splay out to give us a picture of the field.
The sense of life that the magnet gives to the iron filings
can be quite fascinating. Every life-form has such a field,
and in our case this field guarantees more or less that with
the renewal of new material to form our body, we will
remain recognizable to our friends. If the electro-dynamic
mould were to constantly change its shape our features
would follow suit. Trauma to the physical body also
traumatises the field; thus a scar will remain unless sur-
gically removed, or the phantom leg will itch or irritate
the amputee. Electro-magnetic fields then are the organiz-
ing 'mechanisms' that keep the physical life-form in shape
and carry out maintenance and repair through the con-
Science and medicine look at the aura/89

stant inflow of new material.


Burr and his colleagues spent well over thirty years
carrying out painstaking experiments with the vacuum
tube voltmeter. They found that voltage gradients rose
and fell in trees that were monitored, and these perturb-
ations fell into patterns that related not only to the
seasons, but to phases of the moon and sunspot activity.
Ovulation in women was directly related to a sharp rise
of energy in the electro-magnetic field, which can be
measured as a voltage-rise occurring in the middle of the
menstrual cycle during a period of twenty-four hours.
Changes in the life-field, or L-field as it was later called,
could determine the presence of malignancy with a high
rate of accuracy. A great deal of work was done along
these lines by a Dr Langman of New York's Bellvue
Hospital, using a voltmeter. With the aid of an assistant
he examined one thousand female patients, placing elec-
trodes on the cervix and ventral abdominal wall. Of these,
102 cases showed abnormal voltage-gradients, which sug-
gested the presence of malignancy. Exploratory surgery
confirmed that ninety-five of the 102 had cancer.
On 24 April 1948, Dr Leonard J. Ravitz, a star pupil
of Burr's, demonstrated to the amazement of colleagues
that subjects under hypnosis showed marked changes in
their voltage-gradients. For the first time man had demon-
strated a method of actually measuring the depth of
hypnosis, and, more important, that the mind produces
measurable effects upon the life-field. In his outstanding
research Ravitz found that mentally instable people
display varied and erratic patterns in the voltage potential
of their L-fields, and that it would be possible to predict
accurately the forthcoming reactions of seriously disturbed
mental patients to magnetic storms in space. There are
innumerable potential uses for the vacuum tube voltmeter
which have yet to be thoroughly investigated. Burr's work,
although of monumental importance, has had a very low
key reception in scientific circles. This is perhaps due to
90/Science and medicine look at the aura

the fact that during his Hfetime Saxton Burr was a very
low key person, who knew the wisdom of this posture.
In any event his attitude has perhaps contributed to the
absence of any real vilification of his work by his peer
group. Better perhaps this way, in that later it can emerge
as perhaps one of the most important discoveries of this
century. The day will come, I am sure, when men of
science will go back to Burr's work and use it as the basis
upon which to build a whole new model of the physical
and subtle anatomy of man.
The similarities between Burr's L-field and the forma-
tive etheric matrix of the Vedic teachings are total and
unassailable. Too much so, in fact; one of the reasons
why many scientists shied away from the electro-dynamic
theory of life is because it had too many mystical impH-
cations for comfort. However, the similarities between
the L-field of science and the etheric body of the ancient
teachings run parallel to each other, and this is a fact
that will bide its time until the more perceptive men of
science admit the connection, and plan their research on
that basis.
The evidence suggests that through the work of Kilner
and Bagnall, and through the researches and experimenta-
tion of physicians like KaraguUa, Brugh Joy and Saxton
Burr, a body of material is gathering. If we add the visual
displays of Kirlian and Schlieren photography with their
similarities to clairvoyant explanations regarding the aura,
then the body of material that is gathering will in the not
too distant future become a critical mass, and we shall
then be witness to a whole change of attitude. The word
aura will move into everyday use, and people will say 'Well,
why didn't I think of that?' and 'Yes, well, it was pretty
obvious, wasn't it?' Thus a vital concept that has been held
at bay by the barriers of the conditioned mind fills the
vacuum of our ignorance and we move forward in our
understanding to a more holistic picture of man and his
inextricable relationship to all Hfe-forms.
5
Colours of the auric field

Colour is, therefore, a Divine Force — nothing less!

The Seven Keys to Colour Healing — Roland Hunt

To clairvoyant sight the human aura is alive with glowing


ethereal emanations and coruscations of colour, far more
radiant and beautiful than those seen through the Kilner
screens, or captured on film by Kirlian or Schlieren photo-
graphy. These flares and flickerings of colour reflect our
emotions and give form to our thoughts, their, dehcacy
and intensity express our spirituaHty and compassion, our
fears and prejudices. Colour, as we know, is a form of
vibratory energy. Its frequencies can be measured scienti-
fically in millimicrons, or m/n, ranging from red at 625-
750 mju through to violet at 400-450 m/i. To the spiritual
sciences however, these colours have a far deeper meaning
and a whole symbology of their own. According to the
Mystery Teachings a vast hidden central sun irradiates
the whole of creation with seven creative energies known
as the rays; to each ray is designated one of the colours
of the spectrum and these form the seven primary qualities
which manifest in the temperaments of man, and govern
all life-forms from a planet to an ant.
92/Colours of the auric field

When the Sufi deep meditation, penetrates


sage, in
the essence of the seven major stars of the constellation
of the Bear, he sees seven apertures in the Throne of God,
which are the gateways to the inner realms. The Christian
mystic Jacob Boehme speaks of the seven rays as the
Seven Fountain Spirits, and in the Bible they are referred
to as the Seven Spirits before the Throne of God. From
these flow the energies which activate our chakras and
set up the flow of light and colour through our auras.
Each ray confers certain physical and psychological
characteristics upon the individual, and determines his
emotional and mental responses to life. Each predisposes
us to certain weaknesses and gives us certain strengths.
Our limitations, specific talents and capacities arise from
the ray energies, and they govern how we handle our
relationships with others. They colour, qualify and sound
the note of our lives, and even mould our physical appear-
ances. When we know which combination of the seven
colour rays goes into our make-up, we can more readily
gauge our capacities, opportunities and limitations, grasp
the broad sweep of history, and learn how to relate in a
warm and loving manner.
Alice Bailey wrote extensively on the rays, some five
volumes in fact, so it is not a subject that reveals its
secrets to cursory study. The basics however are simple
and provide us with important material with respect to
understanding the energies which flow throughout the
aura. In Esoteric Psychology, vol. 1, Bailey writes:

Every individual vibrates to some particular measure.


Those who know and who work clairvoyantly and
all matter sounds, all matter
clairaudiently find that
pulsates, and matter has its own colour. Each human
all

being can therefore be made to give forth some specific


sound; in making that sound he flashes forth into
colour, and the combination of the two is indicative of
some measure which is peculiarly his own.
Colours of the auric field/93

And:
The which entails
clue lies in the similarity of colour,
a resemblance in note and rhythm. When, therefore,
a man is on the red and yellow rays, with red as his
primary ray, and meets another human being who is
on the blue and yellow rays, with a secondary resemb-
lance to yellow, there may be recognition. But when a
man on the yellow and blue rays, with yellow as his
primary colour, meets a brother on the yellow and red
rays, the recognition is immediate and mutual, for the
primary colour is the same.

We have all, I amhad the experience of meeting a


sure,
total stranger with whom we
feel an immediate rapport.
In esoteric circles it is fashionable to put this down to
having met in a previous incarnation, and while this may
be so, the fact is that the recognition most likely sprang
spontaneously from a similarity of ray patterns.
What then are the rays, their colours and characteristics?
Bailey lists the rays in the following manner, giving a
colour from the visible spectrum to each.

1st ray Power, will and purpose Red


2nd ray Love-wisdom Blue
3rd ray Active, creative intelligence Yellow
4th ray Harmony through conflict Orange
5th ray Concrete science or knowledge Green
6th ray Idealism or devotion Violet
7th ray Order or ceremonial magic Indigo

The above is a very useful and basic guide to the rays

and their colours, but once again we must not get confused
when we read, for example, that the rays have both
exoteric and esoteric colours. Having told us that the first
ray is red, Bailey lists the exoteric colour as orange and
the esoteric colour as red, which tallies; but then you look
at the third ray and find that, having said its colour is
yellow, she then throws us a curve by stating that the
94/Colours of the auric field

exoteric colour is black and the esoteric, green. Again


and again you will find apparently contradictory state-
ments about colours and relationships of energies. The
reason for this is two-fold: in the first place blinds are
introduced into writings on esoteric matters in order to
keep the neophyte from certain areas of knowledge —
Blavatsky was apparently a dab hand at this form of
expression; secondly, as we have already seen, colours
alter with the depth of penetration into the area or energies
under consideration. So the conflicting Hsts of colours
do not in reality conflict at all. As a matter of interest I
will include here the colours and jewels that theosophic
writer Geoffrey Hodson attributes to the rays.

1st ray White-fire, electric-blue, vermilion Diamond


2nd ray Golden yellow, azure blue Sapphire
3rd ray Emerald Green Emerald
4th ray Tawny bronze Jasper
5th ray Lemon yellow Topaz
6th ray Roseate-Fire Ruby
7th ray Purple Amethyst
Every human being is essentially an expression of five
ray forces. There are others, for example the ray of the
Monad or Spirit, but this lies outside the purposes of our
study. We have then:

The ray of the soul or transpersonal self


The ray of the mental body
The ray of the emotional body
The ray of the physical/etheric body
The ray of the personality

Let us return to the characteristics of the rays, for


they are expressions of the colours flowing through the
aura. Bailey and another writer, Michal Eastcott, outline
these characteristics. While Bailey is perhaps more tech-
nical in her writings, Eastcott simplifies without losing
any of the essence. Her books, 7' The Story of the Self a.nd
Colours of the auric field/95

The Seven Rays of Energy, are excellent aids in the study


of the ray qualities.

PED — 1st ray of Will and Purpose


Purposefulness
Natural leadership
Positivity and drive
Strength of will
Directness
Ability to initiate, lead and govern
Fearlessness

On a more negative level it can express itself as:

Ambition and arrogance


A love of power
Impatience and irritabiHty
A domineering attitude
A conviction of being right
Tyranny
Pride
Contempt
Rigidity

Geoffrey Hodson states that this is the ray of the soldier,


explorer, ruler, statesman and leader. The first ray man
approaches life by sheer force of will. Napoleon was first
and fourth ray, red and orange. Kitchener was first and
seventh, the latter giving him a powerful ability to organize.
Kitchener's colours, then, would be red and indigo.

BLUE — 2nd ray of Love-Wisdom


Understanding
Compassion
Patience
Persistence
Serenity
Faithfulness
Love of truth
96 /Colours of the auric field

Intuition
Serene temper
Clear intelligence

Some of the vices of this ray express themselves as:

Negativity
Over-sensitivity
Self-pity
Fear
Poor self-image
Introspection
Over absorption in study
Contempt of mental limitations in others
Indifference to others
Coldness
This is the ray of the healer and teacher, sage and re-
former, working through co-operation and persuasiveness,
usually with excellent tact and foresight.

YELLOW — 3rd ray of Creative, Active intelligence


Creative ideation
A clear intellect
Business acumen
Practical efficiency
Adaptability
Sincerity of purpose

The third ray may also confer the following characteristics:


Excessive activity and restlessness
A tendency to talk and move rapidly
Absent mindedness
Intellectual pride
Self-centredness
Deviousness

This is the ray of the philosopher, scholar, business man,


strategist, banker and economist. He makes an excellent
historian who will dig out and verify facts with great
Colours of the auric field/97

patience, when his third ray is complemented by the


fifth.

ORANGE - 4th ray of Harmony through Conflict


Scrong affections
Sympathy
Physical courage
Artistic creativity
Appreciation of the relationships between colour
Spontaneity and joy
Quickness of intellect

On the negative side the fourth ray can express itself


as:

Ambivalence, vacillation and instability


Inaccuracy
Lack of moral courage
Impulsiveness
Moodiness
Self-centredness
Worry
Extravagance

This is the ray of the person of artistic temperament.

Often the fourth ray person is torn by innner conflict as


the higher and lower forces of their nature battle for
supremacy. They may be wild speculators or gamblers
when carried away by the fiery side (rajas) of their natures,
or indolent and a moral coward when the tamasic (inertia)
aspect of their nature dominates.

GREEN — 5th ray of Concrete Science or Knowledge


Careful analysis and examination
Discrimation
Justice without mercy
Perseverance
Common sense
Uprightness
1
98/Colours of the auric field

Independence
Clear and concise mental concepts
Analytical and logical mentality

Some of the vices of the fifth ray are:


Narrowness
Harsh criticism
Unforgiving temper
Lack of sympathy
Prejudice
An intense materialism
Constant analysis
Divisiveness

The fifth ray person is usually impersonal and indepen-


dent. You may have noticed this energy in expression
when you last consulted a medical specialist on the National
Health. They make excellent heads of technical depart-
ments, good engineers and chemists.
VIOLET - 6th ray of Idealism or Devotion
Altruism
Dedication
Single-mindedness
Love
Tenderness
Loyalty
Reverence
Its more negative aspects are very apparent in the world
today, taking the form of:
Nationalism
Blind devotion
Narrowness and rigidity
Messianic convictions
Militant fanaticism
Strong emotions
Over -leaning and dependence upon others
Guru-worship carried to extremes
Colours of the auric field/99

The person on this ray is full of religious impulses and


intense and dislikes. They will burn you at the
likes
stake to save your soul, and march on crusades. They
never make good statesmen or businessmen. At best
they are saints, at worst a martyr or bigot.

INDIGO — 7th ray of Order or Ceremonial Magic


Strength
Perseverance
Extreme care in details
Self-reliance
DiscipHne
Orderliness
Great ability to plan and organize
Dignity, noble bearing

The vices of the seventh ray are:

Self-opinion over-indulged
Formalism
Pride
Bigotry
Narrowness

This is the ray of the priest-healer, the court official,


the shaman who can invoke the elemental forces through
ritual. It is the ray of form, ideal for the sculptor to have
in his make-up. A person on this ray may be superstitious,
with a deep interest in omens and dreams, occult practices
and spiritualist beliefs. Often they are a great social suc-
cess, saying the right thing at the right time.
As far as our sLudy of the aura is concerned these rays
are powerful streams Oi colour which bring qualities to
life within our energy fields. Their characteristics will
bring their appropriate colours into the aura, thus pro-
viding a guide to interpretation of what is seen — and
correct interpretation is the nub of any aura reading.
From this model of the ray energies in nature, we can
set up a construct of how they would appear in an indivi-
100/Colours of the auric field

dual. The layoutin Figure 5.1 is one I devised for my own

use in healing work. To this diagram we can add a set of


ray energies, and then outline a brief interpretation.

Transpersonal
self

BLUE

Mental body
GREEN

Emotional body Personality ray

VIOLET RED

Physical body
YELLOW

Figure 5.1 A model of the ray energies in an individual

The ray of the personality arises when the lower-self


consisting of the mental, emotional and physical bodies
are reasonably active and functioning in unison. Even-
tually the conflict between the ray of the soul and the
ray of the personality reaches a pitch of intensity where
it becomes known as the Arjuna experience. This battle

and its attendant details are all clearly outlined for us


in the Bhagavad Gita. From life to life the rays of each
body tend to change, so that we gain experience in the
balance and right control of all the forces that can enter
into our make-up. However let us return to our hypo-
thetical individual as illustrated by the chart.
This individual has blue and red as his primary colours.
The blue (second) ray places him on the path of the
teacher/healer. As we have read, it confers calmness,
Colours of the auric field/101

strength, patience and endurance, with a strong intuitive


ability and clear intelligence. The negative side may
express itself in towards others, indifference
coldness
and possibly contempt. Introversion, poor self-image,
fear, negativity and anxiety are also part and parcel of
this ray.
Th'! green ray (fifth) of the mental body gives common
sense, independence, a keen and quite often a
intellect,
behef in justice according to the letter of the law. It can
and a lack
give rise to a critical nature, arrogance, prejudice
of sympathy. This kind of mind needs measurable proof
of things, and is the ideal ray for the scientist, engineer,
or researcher.
The violet ray (sixth) of the emotional body is devo-
tional and idealistic by nature, loving and single-minded,
with a strong sense of loyalty. On the negative side it can
confer selfishness, partiality, prejudice and a fiery anger.
It is the ray of fanaticism, narrow-mindedness and rigidity.

There may be too much intensity of feeling and a reluc-


tance to change.
The yellow ray (third) of the physical body will give
sincerity of purpose, a capacity for concentration on
philosophic subjects and a rather cautious nature charac-
terized by patience. Equally it can bring absent minded-
ness, intellectual pride, obstinacy and a tendency to iso-
lation. The yellow ray person tends to make much of
being busy, and preoccupation with too many details
can result in paralysis of action, and critical appraisals
of others and their work.
The red ray (first) of the personality gives him strength,
courage, the power to organize and direct. Along with this
may come a measure of pride, arrogance and wilfulness,
and certainly a desire to control others, a love of power
and authority.
There are of course many other qualities and charac-
teristics to these rays, and our subject would have some
of them more dominant than others. This person would
102/Colours of the auric field

make better teacher or instructor than he would a


a
healer, because he carries a preponderance of the will
aspect in his make-up as opposed to the love aspect.
He has only the second and sixth rays to soften his nature.
His fifth ray mental body might well lead him into science,
engineering or possibly he may become a surgeon of
high technical capacity. His sixth ray emotional body
would give him a rather idealistic attitude, a narrow
point of view and a tendency to be intolerant. These
qualities would be magnified by his first ray personality
and his third ray physical. The latter confers the ability
to handle money and do well in business, and coupled
to his fifth ray mind would most likely make him pierc-
ingly of others, and given to a fast manner of
critical
speech and physical action. In a classroom or work situ-
ation his first ray personality would almost certainly
make him quite arrogant and dictatorial. He would come
across as a loner, enjoying solitude. Certainly he is a
person who would have to make a real effort to love
others and show warmth and consideration. His aura
would carry a sense of aloofness, not easily approached.
He carries his own space with him rather like an encircling
shield, which is hard enough to give a real sensitive a
psychic bruising.
The colours seen in the aura are not necessarily those
of the rays, because thoughts and emotions produce
various flares and pulsations of colour in the aura. These
may come and go in rapid sequence, or remain as a fairly
constant pattern if there is a particular Hne of thought
or emotion that is dwelt upon. Persistent obsessive thought
patterns can create cleavages in the aura through which
entities may find access, or elemental beings take pos-
session. Physical and emotional trauma can scar the
substance of the aura, leaving discolourations in the
subtle matrix. The ray colours are of a deeper and more
fundamental nature than the welter of other reflections
in the aura, and can only be discerned by the highest
Colours of the auric field/103

form of inner sight. Having said this, in very practical


terms they can be identified through plain common sense
and observation of people's interests, actions and every-
day behaviour.
Different authors and clairvoyants ascribe different
meanings to the colours seen in the auric fields. Some
agree with each other as to meaning, and quite naturally
Others do not. Obviously each clairvoyant who views the
aura of another person does so through his own energy
field, and for this reason he colours what he sees and
this in turn influences his interpretation. However despite
the differences there are many factors relative to auric
colours about which most psychics agree. These make
up and who
a useful guide to those exploring this field,
are learning to 'see' the aura for themselves. I will list
some of these colours and
meanings to serve as
their
a basis to build upon, but it must be kept in mind that
certain colours will have certain meanings for you that
may not be so useful to others. What follows is a
broad consensus of opinion, a commonality of colour
meanings.

RED
This a predominantly physical colour, the symbol of
is

life. denotes strength, force, vigour, passion and cap-


It

ability. Light red in the aura may indicate a nervous,


impulsive almost hyperactive person, whereas dark red
can denote a fiery temper or sensuality. Red almost always
means nervous trouble and over-concern about self. Pride,
avarice and selfish affection show up as red; the last may
have black intermixed with it. Individuals with a lot of
red in their aura are often physically strong and wilful,
with a rather materialistic outlook on life in general.
Inflammatory states like arthritis show up as red in the
auric field.
104/Co lours of the auric field

ORANGE
Bright orange indicates vitality and health. This colour
when played upon the aura will help to step up the vital
forces of the etheric body, thus imparting a sense of
increased vitality. It often indicates a strong, vital person-
ality, though tfulness, consideration, intel-
self-control,
lectual development, pride, ambition and selfish goals.
Orange is often looked upon as a symbol of wholesomeness.

YELLOW
This colour indicates intellectual ability, well-being,
friendliness and optimism. In some people the paler
yellows can denote timidity, weakness of will-power and
indecisiveness. Edgar Cayce said that people with yellow
in their aura usually took good care of themselves, were
happy, helpful and friendly, and not inclined to worry.
Yellow is symbolic of clear mental processes, and a golden
yellow can be an indication of developing spirituality.
Yellow is a tonic for the nervous system, vitalizing not
only the physical body but the mind and emotions too,
imparting a sense of optimism.

GREEN
Green is the colour of nature and of healing, especially
if allied It is beneficial to have a good clear green
to blue.
in the aura, but darker tones can be related to deceit,
cunning and falsehood. A lemony -yellow is said to be a
clear sign of deceitfulness. People with green in their auras
are usually lively, thoughtful, versatile and adaptable.
Green governs the mental levels of consciousness and
indicates a plethora of ideas. It is the colour of regenera-
tion, new life springing up, prosperity and success. Cayce
Colours of the auric field/105

says that doctors, nurses and health care professionals


invariably have a lot of green in their auras. People can
become green with envy, and when this is tinged with
reddish-brown or murky red it denotes jealousy. Sym-
pathy and adaptability, according to Leadbeater, show
up as green in the aura.

BLUE

This is the colour of high-mindedness and great thoughts,


according to Cayce. It denotes idealism, devotion, spiritual
feelings, self-reliance and confidence. A bright blue in the
aura shows loyalty, sincerity and integrity. Dark blue is
associated with wisdom and saintliness. It is the symbol
of prayer, contemplation and meditation. Pale blue may
indicate superficial talents and is connected with the
struggle to become established; as the blue deepens it
denotes a flowering of ability. Blue is associated with
moodiness, gloom and sadness. Black mottling on blue
arises from selfish religious feelings, whereas aqua-blue
reflects pure religious feeling.

VIOLET

This is the high spiritual colour of the adept and initiate.


It wisdom, soul power and true greatness.
indicates love,
Some psychics claim that this colour is seldom seen in the
aura of the average person.

INDIGO

This colour in the aura is an indication of high spirituality


and persistence in seeking after deep spiritual truths.
It can indicate a change in relationships and may in some
106/Colours of the auric field

instances represent internal poisons. Indigo is the colour of


synthesis and psychic faculties, benevolence, coolness and
calmness.

BLACK
Black indicates malice and hatred, and when linked to
anger appears as coils of heavy poisonous looking smoke
in the aura, according to Leadbeater. It is associated with
bad deeds, discord and evil thoughts. Ouseley says that in
the most devilish and depraved souls the aura is sometimes
seen to glow with crimson-red shot through with black —
the most vicious combination of evil known.

GREY
Grey is related to depression, gloom and sadness. A livid
grey indicates fear. Grey people are plodders and often
unimaginative. Grey -green indicates deceit and cunning.

BROWN
Dull red-brown like the colour of rust denotes avarice, and
this may appear in the form of bars across the substance
of the emotional body. Little more is said of brown, but
its purer shades appear throughout nature in combination

with green, giving a sense of stability.

ROSE PINK

This colour denotes refinement, modesty and a retiring


nature. It is the colour of the emotional body and thus
devotional attitudes, friendship and physical love. Rose
Colours of the auric field/ 107

pink acts upon the nervous system and helps to vitalize


the etheric body by way of the emotional body, and dis-
perse symptoms of debility. It increases the will to live.

These then are the basic colours which are seen in the
aura; the interpretations are a guideline. Over the years
a few people have made public what they could see in
the aura; many, however, who cannot see, have taken the
writings and utterances of those who could, and presented
them again and again as accurate and factual. While in
some instances the material may be correct, in others
it may be completely erroneous. Colour interpretation
requires great skill bom of high sensitivity on all planes,
and above all an inner knowledge based on fundamental
principles and truth.
For the moment I would like to dwell on the subject
of colour, and try to put the matter into perspective by
looking very briefly at one or two deeper aspects which
will help us to adopt a mental point of view of the subject
rather than an emotional or astral one. Many people are
familiar with the books that make the human aura sound
like Piccadilly Circus or Times Square at night — a sea of
flashing neon signs carrying subUminal messages - replete
with passages that tell you if you have a dull throat chakra,
and an even duller personality, then making love to a
person with a nice bright blue throat will probably brighten
your throat too and also do wonders by greening up your
forehead, whatever that may mean. I'd like to emphasize
that in order to really begin to understand colour in
relationship to the esoteric constitution of man, his subtle
bodies, the chakras and the planes of energy wherein he
lives, it is essential to treat the subject seriously and make
every effort to approach it from the higher mind.
Let us then return to the matter of blinds, the deliberate
presentation of inaccurate information used by wise men
through the ages to guard sacred and secret information.
In her book Letters on Occult Meditation, Alice Bailey is
108/Colours of the auric field

quite open about the use of blinds, and she explains why
they are used:

I would here seek to put your mind at rest on the

point as to whether the colours enumerated by me


conflict with those enumerated by H.P.B. (Madame
Blavatsky). You will not find they do, but both of
us use bhnds, and both of us use the same blinds as
those who have eyes can see. A blind is not a blind
when recognised, and I offer not the key. One or two
hints I may give: —
Complementary colours may be spoken of in occult
books in terms of each other. Red may be called green
and orange may be called blue. The key to the accurate
interpretation of the term employed lies in the point
of attainment of the unit under discussion. If speaking
of the Ego (soul) one term may be used; if of the
personality, another; whilst the Monad (spirit) or
higher auric sphere may be described synthetically or
in terms of the monadic ray.
The colours of the higher or lower mind are at times
spoken of in terms of the plane and not in terms of the
ray involved.
Blue-indigo, being cosmically related, and not simply
analogous, may be used interchangeably for purposes of
blinding.

Bailey then goes on to illustrate that indigo, blue, orange


and yellow form a very complex relationship and are all
used to describe a whole variety of aspects of one factor.
She also points out that blinds are of great^complexity,
but for those with the seeing eye the choice of blinds is
not arbitrary, but subject to rule and law. The true mean-
ings of colour are not accessible to the emotional approach
to knowledge, nor do they reveal themselves to the lower
mind. The approach to the mystery of colour can only be
made through the abstract or higher mind.
The colours we see as they manifest on the physical
Colours of the auric field/ 109

plane reveal at this level their harshest qualities. On the


emotional plane they take on a delicacy and beauty
which is most captivating but in a deeper sense illusory.
The colours of the astral plane are those so easily seen
by the low-grade psychic. The interpretations we may
receive from such sources are often very informative and
interesting, but the question is, do they provide us with
any real knowledge regarding the ultimate reality of
our higher nature? I think not. Bailey states that:

The very use of the word 'Colour' shews the intention,


for, as you know, the definition of the word conveys
the idea of concealment. Colour is therefore 'that
which does conceal.' It is simply the objective medium
by means of which the inner force transmits itself; it
is the reflection upon matter of the type of influence

that is emanating from the Logos, and which has pene-


trated to the densest part of His solar system. We recog-
nize it as colour. The adept knows it as differentiated
force, and the initiate of the higher degrees knows it
as ultimate light, undifferentiated and undivided.

If we are serious in our study of colour and the aura,


then our task must surely be to acknowledge the colours
seen upon the lower planes and their reflections through
the aura, but in so doing keep in mind that they are there
to lead us beyond their beauty to the transformative and
transmutative power of the Pure Light.
6
Sensing, seeing and
reading the human aura

A person's aura tells a great deal about him.

Auras — Edgar Cayce

With few exceptions, most people would like to be able


to see the human aura, and be gifted with the capacity
to read and accurately interpret what they see. Few
perhaps would consider just how much responsibility
this capacity can carry with it, and just how much of a
burden extended sight can bring. Of course it must have
advantages when properly used, but consider for example
what it must be like to have to cope with foreknowledge
of death or disease among one's associates, friends or
family. In his book, A Door Marked Summer, Michael
Bentine relates how the faces of airmen who were shortly
destined to die on bombing raids over Germany, during
World War II, would take on the appearance of skulls to
his inner sight; and more poignantly, the dramatic and
frightening prevision of his son's coming death. It takes a
particular quality of inner strength and a special philo-
sophy of life to cope with such information in a balanced
manner. Not too many people have such inner reserves,
and the danger of precipitating anxiety states or being

110
1

Sensing, seeing and reading the human aura/1 1

overwhelmed by extraneous data flooding in from pre-


maturely opened psychic senses is a very real one.
We live in an era of high spiritual opportunity, a period
perhaps unique in the long history of man. It is clearly a
crisis point wherein a rapid expansion of consciousness
on a mass scale is taking place. This period of high energy
stimulation brings with it the potential for real growth,
but it carries too the glamorous and illusory aspects to
the forefront of awareness, which can deflect the indivi-
dual temporarily from the straight and narrow path. Pop
metaphysics offer enHghtenment in ten easy lessons,
or cosmic consciousness on a weekend workshop where
half of the participants will be under the illusion that
they have had a kundalini experience, after greening,
blueing and brightening their chakras. Fortunately for
most people the whole process turns out to be a ten
minute wonder and they seldom succeed in raising, brighten-
ing, opening, or seeing anything.
At the risk of sounding rather sober, I think it is worth-
while sounding a note of caution with respect to exercises
designed to make a spiritual superman out of you over-
night. I have known personally two intelligent people,
with a fair degree of knowledge in spiritual and religious
matters, who experimented at length with rectal elec-
trodes in order to raise kundalini. Fortunately they failed,
and eventually one was found dead at the foot of a cHff,
while the other learned to fly in a more orthodox manner
and earned his pilot's licence.
Out of the few people who do persevere with certain
types of mind-expanding and consciousness-enhancing
exercises, a tiny minority may find that their developed
gifts can be employed to serve others; but not a few
become casualties of popularization, sometimes severely
damaging their own psyches and most likely delaying their
own spiritual evolvement. There is a popular misconcep-
tion that to have extended vision is a mark of advanced
spirituality. While this may be true in some instances, it
112/Sensing, seeing and reading the human aura

is an erroneous assumption in the majority of cases.


Aart Jurriaanse, who has done such a remarkable work
of service by compiling extracts from Bailey's writings
into speciaUzed volumes, writes of the higher and lower
psychism in his book, Bridges — Basic Studies in Esoteric
Philosophy. Jurriaanse says of these:

Psychic powers may either be related to egoic levels,


and are then associated with soul quaHties, or they may
refer to the astral plane, in which case they will be
characterised by illusion, glamour and distorting. For
the sake of convenience these two aspects of psychism
are referred to as 'higher' and 'lower' psychic powers.
There is a tendency among esoteric students to
condemn all sensitive response to psychic phenomena
as retrogressive. In many instances this is true and may
well lead to termination of the individual's spiritual
development for that particular life span. On the other
hand it may well be an indication of awakening spiritual
sensitivity, first expression of such develop-
and the
ment. only when the psychic life is uncontrolled
It is

or over emphasised that it becomes undesirable, immers-


ing the man in illusion and glamour. What is of impor-
tance is that the investigator of psychic phenomena
should be focussed at least on the mental plane, but
preferably he should work from the soul level.

Before embarking seriously on any exercises designed


to enhance or develop the abihty to see the aura, the first
consideration is motive. Ask yourself why you want the
ability. Is it for self-serving ends, or curiosity, or as a tool
to be used in service to others? If it is the last then the
chances of success are far greater in the long term, but
discrimination should be employed in the choice of
exercises. Be aware, too, that it takes time to enhance
or develop sensitivity, and exercises have to be carried
out regularly and systematically, possibly over long periods
of time.
3

Sensing, seeing and reading the human aura/1 1

One of the most difficult barriers to overcome is the


superficial and habitual use of our physical senses. They
grip our awareness in a narrow vice-like grip, conditioning
what we see or hear, dictating in many subtle ways just
what we shall or shall not perceive. The very society we
live in forms a conditioning of the senses, it tells us what
we shall see, and how. If we are to learn to see the aura,
then Don Juan's advice to Castaneda to look at the spaces
between the leaves and foliage, not the form of the tree
itself, becomes important. Our tendency is to look at the

tree; to learn to see the aura you have to look at the


spaces through and around objects. It really is a 180
degree turn with respect to the use of our physical sense
of sight. We must look past the form to the essence.
All of us sense the aura. The terms good vibes and bad
vibes, which have come into common usage, are indicative
of this growing awareness and sensitivity. We know immedi-
ately when we feel uncomfortable in a certain place, or
in the company of certain people. Terrifying events
loaded with negative astral energies will imprint them-
selves into the physical fabric or space in the immediate
area. One visit to the dungeons at the Tower of London
will convince you of the reality of this. On the other
hand we can be lifted into higher states of consciousness
in some ancient churches or cathedrals, or at megalithic
sites, where at certain times of the year the life-force
pulsates in peculiar rhythm. The aura is revealed to us
in these moments, but our tendency is to allow our physi-
cal senses to override the impressions flowing into our
auras, and the intellect to supplant the intuition, by
seeking rational and logical reasons for our feelings. The
feeling aspect of the experience should be registered, but
it is precisely here that we shut down the level of our

perception, by exclaiming or thinking 'How beautiful!'


or 'How lovely!' This is a sensory trap; we begin to add
words, emotional words to an event in time and space
that is in unceasing motion. We try to capture and hold
114/Sensmg, seeing and reading the human aura

with our senses, when we should be letting go and 'look-


ing' at the spaces between the leaves and letting the event
just happen. This is not a passive, open state in the astral
sense, because this can be a dangerous inner posture to
adopt, but a state of dynamic attention. Don Juan tells
Castaneda that being a hunter means to see the world
in a different way, and that the mood of the warrior
calls for control over himself, and at the same time it
calls for abandoning himself. It is a paradox, but when
we set out to see the aura, we must be prepared to con-
front many such paradoxes.
Edgar Cayce felt that the majority of people do see
the aura, but just do not reahze it. Further, he believed
that anyone can figure out what a person's aura looks
like in a general way, by taking note of the colours that
they employ and use in their homes and dress. You can
follow changes in people's auras by observing how they
change the colour combinations of their clothes from
day to day. He writes:

How many times have you said of a woman, 'Why


does she wear that color? It does not suit her at all.'
How many times have you said 'How beautiful she
looks in that dress. The color is just right for her.
She was made to wear it.' In both cases you have been
reading an aura. The first woman was wearing a color
that clashed with her aura. The second woman was
wearing a color which harmonized with her aura.
All of you know what colors are helpful to your friends,
and bring out the best in them. They are the colors
that beat with the same vibration as the aura, and
thus strengthen and heighten it.

This passage illustrates perfectly what I have just said


about paying attention to the essence behind the object.
Everyone has experienced making such judgments about
people's suitability of dress, but few if any would realize
that such a conclusion is reached by unconsciously com-
Sensing, seeing and reading the human aura/1 15

paring the auric colours with the person's clothing. But


this is what has happened. We see the dress,
precisely
and our perception at a conscious level stops right there.
Logic and rationally conditioned processes of perception
stop you dead in your tracks in an instant. If you want
to read auras you will have to let your awareness flow
past the form or objective aspect of the observation,
and seek out the 'invisible' one that complements it
and provides the real data from which your conclusion
as to suitability of colour is really drawn. This is a basic
exercise which will enable you to develop auric sight. It
may be a little prosaic and lacking in glamour, but it is a
practical exercise that can be initiated anytime and any-
where without any exotic preparations. You have a fertile
world to draw experience from. Consider the conflicting
colours worn by punks, extending even to greens and
blues and reds in their hair. Tatty and deliberately torn
clothing reflects a state, present in their auras, the matrix
of which has been distorted by over-amphfied rock music.
Metal studded collars and jackets confer a state of hard-
ness to the aura, a lack of phability and a shutting down
of sensitivity, which in some way might just be a reaction
to the vast amount of sensory input that many young
people seek today through Space Invader games, video
films and discordant music. The skinhead is another
example of our times who makes an interesting subject
for aura study. He is often dressed in a plain shirt, open
necked, sleeves rolled up to display the 'power symbols'
of various tattoos on his arms and chest — birds of prey,
dragons and daggers piercing hollow-eyed skulls. His
jeans or trousers, with braces displayed, look as though
they have had a row with his Dr Martin boots (the more
lace holes the better). The bristling short haircut rounds
out an auric picture of pure aggression and hardness.
In his little booklet on the aura, entitled The Science
of the Aura, S.G. Ouseley has a chapter on developing
auric sight in which he outlines a few basic exercises.
116/Sensing, seeing and reading the human aura

We will take a look at these because they are basic and


they are simple. All of the exercises must be preceded
by a period of relaxation in which we recollect that it is
the 'spaces' we are to focus on and not the form.
The first exercise Ouseley recommends is that we seek
to look at a magnet in as dark a room as possible. In fact
he suggests that upon retiring you take a magnet to bed
with you, and having placed yourself in a passive state,
gaze at it as steadily as you can under the cover of the
bedclothes. Within a short time you should see a faint
glow shimmering around the two poles of the magnet. As
you become more sensitive the faint glow will intensify
into a bright white light with greens and blues merging
into it. Sometimes ray-like projections of light become
visible. The same process employing a quartz crystal will
prove to be an interesting variation of this exercise. Von
Reichenbach's sensitives reported beautiful streamers of
colours issuing from the points of quartz crystals; verit-
able rainbows in fact appeared to flow around the crystals.
As crystals can take up thought energies, and as pranic
energies can be directed through them there must be many
interesting variations on this exercise which can be devised
to enhance auric sight.
The next exercise is best done with the hands held at
a distance of about a foot from your eyes, fingers spread
and tips touching. You may find it helpful if you first
'charge up' your hands by rubbing them briskly together.
With your finger tips touching and against a background
of dark material or a white wall in shadow, hold them
together for a minute and concentrate on visuaHzing the
energy flowing into your fingers. Then draw the fingers
slowly apart keeping your eyes focused on the gradually
widening gap. You will see radiations of energy issuing
from your finger tips, spanning the gap between your
two hands. Another way to build up a high charge of
energy in the hands before looking at the finger tips is
to hold them palms close to each other, and imagine the
Sensing, seeing and reading the human aura/1 17

gap between them filling with energy, then move them


slowly apart and together again in a gentle pulsing move-
ment. As the energy charge builds you may feel tingling
sensations in the palms of your hands, and eventually
the charge can be so strong that it feels as though you
are squeezing an invisible sponge. Then put the fmger
tips together and look for the auric radiations as you
draw them apart.
Another exercise that Ouseley suggests is to work with
a friend with whom you feel in harmony. A dark curtain
or material should be hung on a wall opposite to a win-
dow. The subject then sits or stands before the dark
material. If this work is being done during daylight hours,
you should gaze at the sky for a half a minute or so. If
the work is done at night then look at a lamp. Then sit
down, close your eyes and relax and, if you are able,
slip as quickly as possible into an alpha state. Concentrate
your thoughts on seeing the aura in a gentle, unforced
manner. Open your eyes and gaze at your subject and
make a mental note of any field-like formations or lights
around the body. You may not actually see anything,
but the impression may come to you through feeling or
sensing. For those who wish to work with this method
on a regular basis, Roland Hunt, in his book The Seven
Keys to Colour Healing, illustrates a muslin cabinet, with
all the specifications. The advantages of such a cabinet

is that it provides an area of softened light and promotes,

as Hunt terms it, 'better diagnostic vision.'


It is useful to include a colour exercise. This can be
carried out by placing slips of coloured paper in envelopes.
Relax and enter into the alpha state; take several deep full
yoga breaths. With each breath visualize one of the ray
colours, taking each in turn. It is best to follow through
the colours in a regular order. Ouseley suggests that the
best way to do this is to visualize a globe of light, then
'see' each ray colour, begining with red and following
through with blue, yellow, orange, green, violet and indigo.
118/Sensing, seeing and reading the human aura

After working through these colours for a while, pick up


an envelope and place it against your forehead and try
to receive the impression of the colour within.
These then are a few simple exercises which will help
to unfold auric vision. Do not be discouraged if at first
you do not have much success with them; the unfolding
process takes time. In his booklet Ouseley sums this up
very succinctly:

With most people auric vision does not come in a few


days or a few months. It is a life-time study and one's
life and habits must be on a high plane to get good

results. The finer forces are not discernible to the eyes


of the gross materialist or the seekers after wonders
and sensations. It is not to be considered that 'having
eyes they see not.' The study and practice of seeing the
aura is not to be lightly entered upon. It is a serious and
priceless power and should be utilized for the uplift-
ment and betterment of humanity.
While the exercises are useful, particularly the one that
involves the direct observation of people and the colour
and quality of their clothes, there are a number of other
physical guides we can use which are a common everyday
occurrence. For example, if you pause for a moment and
consider how often you stop to scratch your face or body,
you will realize that it is far more frequent than you had
at first assumed. In fact you are probably scratching an
itch right now, because your subconscious mind is trying
to convey some data to you. These itches, when you know
the significance of their varied locations, will prove to be
a great aid in reading the aura. I call this the 'Itch-n-
Scratch' aura reading technique. The past master of this
technique is a man called Fred Kimball who lives in
California. Kimball is a famous West Coast clairvoyant
who came into prominence in the 1960s because of his
ability to read the auras of animals. When doing readings
for people he uses the itch-n-scratch method to aid him
Sensing, seeing and reading the human aura/1 19

in pinpointing certain areas where help is needed, and as a


guide to when certain events happened in the life of the
person having a reading.
Kimball, an ex -merchant seaman who has travelled the
world, and an ex -wrestler, was raised on a farm, and even
as a young man he had an extraordinary rapport with
animals. He has developed this gift into an uncanny ability
to tune into an animal and in some manner elicit all kinds
of information about its health, its homelife, what it gets
to eat, if it likes its food, where it is allowed to go in the
house and the areas that are taboo, what it thinks of its
master or mistress and a whole variety of other bits and
pieces about its life. To an onlooker these readings can
become quite hilarious, as Kimball keeps up a constant
two-way conversation while he works with the animal.
The incongruous sight of Kimball sitting and having what
appears to be a conversation with a dog is almost too much
for some people, but the sobering thing is that what he
relates in respect to the dog and all that goes on in its life,
right down to the tiniest detail, is correct. Following a
personal reading for a medical doctor friend of mine,
Kimball offered to demonstrate his ability to read an
animal's mind by tuning into the doctor's cat, six thousand
miles away in England. He proceeded without any hesi-
tation to outline where and when the cat was fed, what
rooms it was allowed into and those that it wasn't, and
what chairs it could sleep on. In passing he mentioned
pictures on the walls and other various details. I had heard
Kimball do this many times but my friend found it a
staggering demonstration of clairvoyance. As we left he
said, 'Well if I hadn't heard that with my own ears I
wouldn't have believed it possible!'
Kimball's ability to read the minds and auras of human
subjects is no less dramatic, and it is very practical in so
far as he uses it to help people in such a way as to enable
them to grasp the nature of their problems and then to
do something about them. He teaches his method of aura
120/Sensing, seeing and reading the human aura

reading in small classes and can rightly claim a high rate


of success in helping people to develop their psychic
abilities. Kimball has written a book on his methods
called The Language of ESP in Action, some 206 pages
long and filled with a lot of practical techniques. I will
draw on some of this material in order to give some
idea of his approach. Kimball v^ites:

The of this system of inner communica-


'First Principle'
tions is that the subconscious perceives data psychically
and brings them to our attention as 'itches' in different
parts of the body. When data are perceived psychically
the sympathetic nervous system picks up the signals and
carries them into the higher levels of conscious awareness.

The use of itches is not new of course; the Aboriginal


uses a similar method of perception. Itches or pulsations
in specific muscles indicate to him that a relative or friend
is thinking of him and trying to get in touch. They may
be many miles away, but the Aboriginal will go and sit

quietly, or, with a group, unobtrusively isolate himself


if

until he has tuned into the source from where the impres-
sion is coming. The daily pressures of life that we are
subjected to seldom allow such a procedure to be fol-
lowed, even if we are alert enough to register such subtle
impressions in the first place.
The next principle of Kimball's system is to divide
the body in half. Any sensations or itches that occur
on the left side refer to maleness and those on the right
to femaleness. Kimball recognizes that there is a neural
cross-over at the level of the neck and that the left side
of the brain controls the right side of the body and vice
versa; but for simpHcity he just makes a straight division
of it, while pointing out that now and then there are a
few people who are left-handed and might cause you
errors. Most left-handed people can be read as right-
handed but it is important to determine this before the
reading really gets under way. It is essential too that,
Sensing, seeing and reading the human aura/121

when you read a person, you find out if you are picking
up the other person in a straight or mirrored reaction. If
you are a male reading a male, you check to see which side
of the subject expresses authority; if it is the right side
you will know that you are picking up impressions in
the right side of your body from the right side of his.
If it reverses, then the reverse is true.
Kimball points out that it is essential to do this work
with a sense of fun, be enthusiastic and work in a state
of calm and intense concentration. Sitting cold and re-
served does not encourage the ESP function at all. When
you have done some work congratulate yourself, give
yourself a pat on the back, and ask your subconscious
what to do to improve your performance next time.
This will encourage growth and sensitivity. But if you
clamp down and begin to get discouraged or critical
then the subconscious will retreat. As Kimball says,
validate your subconscious and be pleased with what it
presents to you, and don't get discouraged at first, be-
cause it takes time to develop and control sensitivity.
Kimball states that Edgar Cayce taught that you can
increase your ability to see auras by stimulating the
nerves of your fingers by running the fingers of one
hand over those of the other. Kimball does not seem
too sure about the efficacy of this exercise and points
out that we all have our own way of looking at auras
if we will take the time to develop it. He instructs his

students in the following manner:

To see an aura, look just past the person's head if


you don't know how. As you look, you see out of the
side of Hke a distortion. Auras are just
your eyes, it is

on the side of the head. You


a distortion or an illusion
may imagine you saw something, 'My eyes are playing
tricks; they are just out of focus.' You look, see an aura
and gone; this is the way they show up at the begin-
it is

ing. Then I put my own color into this person's aura


122/Sensing, seeing and reading the human aura

to brighten it up.
Normally I have the person sit down to see auras.
Your eyes will seem as if they are playing tricks when
you start. Look just past the person's head, not exactly.
After you learn you can look at it directly. Look past
the subject and you see a little distortion on the side.
Check yourself over before starting to read an aura.
Become totally aware of your body — infections, injuries,
pain, cool or hot, center heart, upper heart. Become
totally aware. Start in usually with physical things and
have the physical communications system, set up the
communication. Then move into the mental things and
soon you are in emotional and spiritual communication.

Approximate age
1 20yrs 13 Third eye area

2 30yrs 14 Spiritual activity

3 40yrs J 15 Mental activity

4 50yrs 16 Physical activity

5 60yrs
17 Helplessness
6 70yrs
18 Partial
helplessness,
adolescent
7 Congestion conflicts
(sickness)

8 External interest
19Trouble that can
be handled
9 Expressional nature
20 Trouble in the
10 Childish problems near future

11 Blow from source not 21 Knockout point


seen or expected (serious defeat)

12 Button, knock-down blow


(a)

Figure 6.1 Kimball presents, in The Language of ESP in Action


a series of ten diagrams of the body showing itch points and their
basic significance. The text elaborates on each of these in detail
Sensing, seeing and reading the human aura/123

Q 63 Thyroid gland (health)


62 Burden one bears
(continuing in future)
61 Bursitis or arthritis
39 Possible heart problem
(physical) 60 Memories of present

40 Repressed heartache 59 Memories of middle years


(secret) 58 Memories of childhood
41 Nervousness
57 Spiritual guidance
(solar plexus)
56 'Crazy bone' mental
42 Direct responses
distress, severe
from organs
emotional upset
(corresponding parts)

43 Reproductive glands
(female)

T?
55 Strength and endurance
AA Reproductive glands
54 Weak in the knees
(male)
morale or character
53 Knee cap, leg damage
• 52 Religious person
Poisons in body
51 Head and neck
50 Neck to waist

49 Below waist

45 Serious 48 Being tied


emotional problem (ball and chain)
46 Being stepped on • 47 Break down, past or
(top of foot) present (arch)

and makes an excellent guide for reading the aura (a) Some of the
itch points on the head and face (b) Front view of the body show-
ing itch points
124/Sensing, seeing and reading the human aura

Kimball says when looking at a person to see his aura, talk


to yourself; say 'Let me see this person's aura and let
me feel with him.' You may get pains and itches as your
subconscious directs you where to look. Constantly ask
questions and make requests to the subconscious: 'Let
me know this person, let me sense him — let me feel
the way person feels.' Step into his body, feel it
this
with your own, but do not get too strongly identified
or you may pick up a pain or two that will stick with
you for days after if you are not careful. When doing a
reading Kimball keeps up a constant two- or three-way
conversation, bringing all the subconscious transactions
out into a verbal form and adding his interpretations as
he goes. He asks questions out loud, but to your sub-
conscious; he then relates your subconscious mind's
reply and gives his comment. It can become quite mind
boggling when he reels off technical phrases that you
have just thought, and which he has never heard of before.
I recall one incident in which we were discussing, by way

of the subconscious, a worm infestation on a farm where


I had lived in Somerset around 1941. The year was 1963
and I was taking parasitology as one of my classes in
chiropractic college. Fred was giving his running com-
mentary when the words ascaris lumbricoides came into
my mind. Ascaris is a large parasitic worm, and hardly a
word in daily use in California. Fred looked sharply at
me, shook his head, and said 'No it's not ascaris lumbri-
coides', and went straight on with the reading. That sort
of incident highlights the measure of his skill in psychic
reading. At times it bordered on the uncanny.
To students who feel that they are not picking up
anything, he says that it is impossible for the mind not
to work; it has to be picking up something, so pay atten-
tion, speak to it, verbalize, get the energy flowing. Look
at a person, look for the colours that are a part of that
person, see the haze around the body, ask your mind what
is emerging from that haze, what colours are showing up.
Sensing, seeing and reading the human aura/125

Gradually, as you work in this manner and learn to look


past the form to the essence, images and impressions
will begin to register with more clarity. You may not
see colours around the person, but in your mind's eye.
Acknowledge them, say thank you to your subconscious
and let the flow of data bearing energy run its course.
Above allwork in a state of relaxed attention and with
enthusiasm.
Seeing the aura clairvoyantly is just one way of work-
ing. There are other approaches open which may prove
more suitable to some individuals. If your sense of touch
is sensitive then you may find that you can scan the aura

by hand and pick up information in this manner. Brugh


Joy has taught many people how to use this technique
to great advantage and in his book Joy's Way he gives
detailed instructions and exercises for developing this
gift. Body-energy fields can stimulate a variety of sensory

systems in the hands: pressure receptors, heat receptors


and receptors for cold, light touch, pain and vibratory
energies. All of these come into play at one time or another
when scanning body-energy fields. Joy outlines the follow-
ing requisites for successful hand scanning:

1Be totally receptive with consciousness focused in


your hands.
2 Don't project what you think should be there into
the space between you and the subject.
3 The detector hand must be held relaxed, fingers bent

and slightly apart. A rigid hand is not a good detector.


4 Have your sleeves rolled up, as the forearm can
pick up energy fields as well.
5 Explore to see if you are more sensitive scanning
with your right or left hand.
6 Scan slowly so that energy impressions can be regis-
tered by the mind, there is a lag between the receptor
registering the energy in the field and the stimulus
reaching the brain.
1

126/Sensing, seeing and reading the human aura

7 If the hand becomes 'overcharged' during scanning,


then rest it or flick the charge from the hands.
8 Don't try to feel the fields, simply allow them to
enter into your awareness.
9 Scan eight to twelve inches from the body. Jewelry
and heavy belt buckles should be removed from
the subject.
10 Subject must be in a relaxed state, resting, feet
approximately twelve inches apart. Silence should
be observed during scanning.
1 Feel the subject's pulse using the three finger method.
This facilitates tuning into them.
12 Begin by scanning the large chest and abdominal
areas. Keep the hands moving slowly as it is through
the contrast of moving through various aspects of the
field that you register the differences.

As with other methods of 'reading' the aura, hand


all

scanning takes time to develop. Don't overdo the early


sessions or you will fatigue your subtie sense of touch
and quite likely deplete your own energy -fields. By way
of encouragement, Joy points out that less than one per
cent of people are totally unable to detect body energy-
fields by hand scanning, so don't give up or be discouraged
in your first phase of exploratory work.
Heat and cold are probably the easiest sensations to
pick up, and you have to be careful that these are not
actually physical in origin. So when scanning the face,
for example, you should ask your subject to hold his
breath for a moment or two. Sensations registered through
hand scanning will take many forms: heat and cold, as
previously mentioned, tinghng, clamminess, lightness
and vitality. Some people have an energy-field that feels
tacky and your hands seem to stick to it; sometimes
such a field can impart the most unpleasant sensations
to your hands. When this happens quickly shake them and
flick any effluvia from them. Following any hand scanning
Sensing, seeing and reading the human aura/127

session it is advisable to wash your hands and forearms


with cold running water. To clear your aura entirely you
should let the tap run and, cupping your washed hands
around and about three inches from the flow, step back-
wards and with each step move your hands further apart,
but keeping them cupped as if around the water. Move
back until your arms are outstretched sideways, then
advance towards the water reversing the whole procedure.
Just as the observation of people's clothes can give us
practical information regarding their aura, there is another
common everyday experience which may in some indirect
manner help us to come to a wider understanding of the
aura, and enhance our inner sensitivity. If you look at a
dew drop in the early morning sunlight and then half
close your eyes, so that your eyelashes partly cover your
field of vision, you will see hundreds of tiny lines of
brilliant light emerging from the dew drop. The more
you close the space you are looking out through, the
longer the lines of light get. As you open your eyes, they
shorten and withdraw into the dew drop again. It can be
quite entertaining and absorbing to keep on lengthening
and shortening these lines of light. If there is no dew drop
handy then look at a candle flame in a darkened room
and you will get a similar effect. 'So what?' you might say,
everyone knows this phenomenon and has at some time or
another tried it. It is curious how we dismiss such an
experience as a purely physical event. We seldom stop
and question such things nor do we follow them through
with concentrated attention. I have certainly done what
most people would do, squinted a few times at the source
of light, played with the lines for a moment or two and
then dismissed the matter.
This phenomenon which we dismiss so lightly has been
observed and commented upon by certain Sufi mystics,
who seem to feel it has significance of some spiritual
import. We will return to them in a moment, after we
look at the observations recorded by Jurij Moskvitin in
128/Sensing, seeing and reading the human aura

his book Essay on the Origin of Thought, pubUshed by


Ohio University Press in 1974. Moskvitin records that
he watched the colours of the spectrum through half-
closed eyes, just like most of us have, when suddenly
he became aware of a mosaic-like background that was
constantly changing and moving. Sometimes it looked
like layers of screens, one behind another. On these
screens various patterns appeared, taking the form of
swastikas and triangles and various other shapes. Many
of them he recognized as symbols from religious art,
some stylized like Mexican masks. Amongst these forms
danced brilliant sparks of light with tiny tails attached
to them. He writes: 'The forms came floating out of any-
thing I looked at, lying like cobwebs around all objects,
and from these stretching into my eyes, as if the objects
emanated from me.' The dots that Moskvitin observes
sound very much Hke the orgone dots of Reich, or the
vitality globules of theosophical literature. These, as we
have seen, are an aspect of the pranic forces wherein all
forms have their origins, according to the Vedas. The
cobweb-like fields he sees around objects sound like a
poetic description of the aura. Perhaps Moskvitin was
psychic and did not recognize the fact, or perhaps he
just took a little more time to observe what he saw,
and through concentration actually began to penetrate
deeper into the spectrum of colours reflected in the lines
of light. If the latter is true then we can all benefit from
such an exercise if we wish to enhance our sensitivity.
The great Sufi philosopher and mystic Muhyiddin Ibn
'Arabi writes in the Sufi texts of the Earth of True Reality,
mentioning the strange and wondrous marvels it contains.
A multitude of things exist on that Earth which are
rationally impossible, and which logic has shown are not
compatible with reality as we know it. However, many
visionary mystics confirm the existence of this Earth
and all it holds. In all the universes of this Earth it is said
that there is one especially created in our image where our
:

Sensing, seeing and reading the human aura/129

homologue hves. The palm tree is the leitmotiv of the


celestial Earth, having been fashioned from a speck of
clay left over after God had moulded the forms of Adam
and the subtle form of the subtle Earth or mystic Eve.
That speck of clay is symboHc of the point of conscious-
ness where one gains access to the celestial Earth. The
limitless expanse of the celestial Earth begins at the point
where the directions of sensory space end. It is at this
point where we step into the separate reality of Don
Juan; it is here in this peculiar balance point of awareness
that we 'see' the aura, where the sensory world meets the
subtle world. Here is the 'space between the leaves' that
reveals another world.
In Spiritual Body and Celestial Earth Henry Corbin
writes

In that Earth there are gardens, paradises, animals,


minerals — God alone can know how many. Now,
everything that is to be found on that Earth, absolutely
everything, is alive and speaks, has a life analogous to
thr,t of every living being endowed with thought and
speech. Endowed with thought and speech, the beings
there correspond to what they are here below, with
the difference that in that celestial Earth things are
permanent, imperishable, unchangeable; their universe
does not die.

Corbin goes on to say that our physical bodies do not


have access to this world, and so it is that the mystics
in their subtle bodies travel there and report on the won-
ders they see. There are dwellers in this paradise who
watch for us to approach the gates, and whenever one of
us seeks the way of access to that Earth, one of them
hastens towards us — an ally of immeasurable benevolence.
We ourselves are a part of the celestial Earth and our
homologue there is a body of light fibres with subtle
tenuous prolongations that extend to the borders of
the Earth. Corbin suggests how we can visualize the
130/Sensing, seeing and reading the human aura

point of entry into the separate reality of the celestial


Earth, and you will see just what Jurij Moskvitin came
upon as he lay on his back in the sun and began to gaze
through half-closed eyes. Whether he was aware of the
writings of the Sufi mystics I do not know; it is not
important. What matters is that we have an exercise
enfolded in this process that is of real import, not only
in helping us to 'see' the aura, but in having the potential
to shift the whole focus of how we see. It brings us to
the 'Point of Power' that Seth in the writings of Jane
Roberts speaks about — the moment in time which is
a gate that leads you out of time. Let us see what Corbin
has to say.

To give a picture which will help you to grasp how it


is that that Earth can extend as far as our world, I sug-
gest the following comparison. Suppose a man fixes
his gaze on a lamp, or on the sun, or the moon, and then
half shuts his eyes so that his eyelashes veil the luminous
body from his gaze; then he will see something like a
multitude of lines of light stretching from the luminous
body to his eyes — a whole network starting from the
lamp, for example, and reaching right to his own eyes.
When the eyelids are slowly and gradually raised, the
observer sees the network of lines of light draw back
little by little and gather into the luminous body.

And so the luminous body is analogous here to the


location especially reserved in that Earth for such and
such a form of apparition (a subtle body clothing a
spiritual entity). The observer in this case represents
our own world. As for the expansion of the lines of
light, this corresponds to the forms of the subde bodies
in which our souls are transported to the threshold of
Paradise during sleep and after death.

Corbin continues to expand on this theme by saying that


your effort to see the lines of light is analogous to the
capacity for visionary apperception. As you look through
1

Sensing, seeing and reading the human aura/1 3

lowered eyelashes the emission of the lines of light from


the dew drop or lamp corresponds to the emissions of the
subtle bodies when you have attained the ability to 'see'
the other reality. And, finally, the retraction of the lines
of light, as you open your eyes slowly, represents the
return of the subtle forms withdrawing into the celestial
Earth when your capacity to perceive them ceases. Corbin
ends by saying 'There is no explanation beyond this
explanation.' In other words do not pursue these ideas
with your intellect and logic, but let the right brain mode
of perception take over. Put aside your conditioned
response to the forms of the physical world and look
beyond them. In time you will develop the capacity to
see.
7
Dowsing and the
human aura

In recent times, the principles of dowsing have been used to


seek out the invisible and unknown in other fields, particularly

in medicine.

The Divination of Disease — Dr H. Tomlinson

Dowsing as a means of divination has been employed by


man for manycenturies for detecting various hidden
things. Mostly it has been used to locate sources of water
for human and animal consumption, but it is by no means
limited to such a use. Today dowsers look for oil, minerals,
missing persons and lost objects. Lay people use it to
determine what foods suit them best, doctors employ
pendulum diagnosis to help them in their practices, and
to select remedies. Archeologists dowse out hidden burial
sites and explore the web of ley lines that criss-cross the
British countryside. As Tom Graves says in his excellent
hook Dowsing:
Dowsing is more than a subject, it's a skill, a tool —
one which I suppose can be used to tackle any problem
you care to name. In another sense it's not so much a
subject as a specific state of mind: it's a mental tool,
in that it appears to be an analytical tool which uses

132
Dowsing and the human aura/1 33

intuition, an intuitive tool based on analysis, and both


of these put together — a paradoxical mental tool!

Certainly dowsing is a first class way to explore the subtle


anatomy of man, his chakras and the aura. It is a tool with
a potential limited only by the sensitivity and knowledge
of the dowser, and it provides us with yet another way
we can develop our skills in the field of aura exploration.
The tools are simple enough, a couple of angle rods made
out of old wire coat hangers or a simple pendulum bob on
a thread.
As dowsing is nothing more nor less than the detection
of energy fields, it can readily be employed to map out
the human aura. We will get on with the practical aspects
of this in a moment, but first it is well worthwhile taking
a look at the work of one or two pioneers in this field,
and observe their different approaches. In 1925 the
Reverend Verne Cameron, who then owned some land
near Escondido in Southern Cahfornia, was faced with the
problem of finding a source of water. He had sunk a shaft
on the site of an existing spring but unfortunately this did
not increase his water supply. A neighbour offered to help
Cameron and brought a dowsing device made up of coil
springs attached to a wire loop. They found water and
the incident set the good Reverend to exploring the
dowsing phenomenon. He made a whole series of detection
instruments, some quite complex with rotating dials and
quartz jewel bearings, and others so bulky as to be imprac-
tical. One of Cameron's simpler dowsing devices was the

Aurameter, which is a horizontal pendulum consisting of


a metal tubular handle with a wire extending from it that
has a weight at the end and a cylindrical spring near the
handle. The purpose of the spring, according to Cameron,
is to select and amplify the periodic oscillations of the

dowser's muscles in response to the energies being sought


with the pendulum. The instrument is held firmly but not
too tightly with the weighted point directed at the person
134/Dowsmg and the human aura

whose aura is to be mapped. As the tip touches upon the

field itbegins to move in a series of circular or elliptical


movements, indicating the presence of the aura. similar A
and far less sophisticated device is the ampHfying pendu-
lum of Pasquini, which will serve any beginner in this
method of aura mapping just as well as the Aurameter,
and it is much cheaper to purchase.
Cameron has some good advice to give regarding the
use of the Aurameter. He says to be sure to visuaUze the
instrument as an extension of your own body, complete
with nerves from which its messages can be sent to your
consciousness. He uses the analogy of the relationship
between a good driver and his car: they become one, each
an extension of the other. An accomplished radiesthetist
(dowser), he points out, should be able to feel the instru-
ment and its reactions amidst the various energy fields,
and likewise to be with it. Then he gives the most impor-
tant piece of advice it is possible to give to any neophyte
dowser.

Cultivate an impartial, non-interested outlook; be a


'disinterested onlooker' cataloguing but not reacting
to the messages the instrument gives. If you use the
instrument with too-strong a desire to find or to gain
data then you will create the data desired but with the
usual errors of the human consciousness when it is

restricted by bias and prejudice.

Having noted the Reverend Verne Cameron's advice


about not letting your own concepts and beliefs interfere
with what you are searching out, or indeed literally creat-
ing thoughtforms by anticipation, a quick look at his
mapped outline of the human aura will suggest that he
appears not to have taken his own advice. He agrees that
there are three bands to the aura, but cuts them off short
at the neck, which differs from the findings of other
investigators and indeed clairvoyants. Then lo and behold!
in the Christian tradition his male figure sprouts wings
Dowsing and the human aura/135

and a halo in his aura, and what looks Hke navigational


devices for use when passing through subtle terrain — a
head fin for stabilization and a concentration beam as a
contour sensor, no less! The diagram illustrates the great
differences between Cameron's findings, which I firmly
believe are heavily influenced by his subconscious, and
those of Kilner who was far more objective in his approach.
There is a lesson here, and it is that you will find what you
expect to find, if you expect it hard enough. When dows-
ing the aura, be centred, be calm, be enthusiastic, but
above all be open and free from expectation and do not
project images onto your subject or you will read them
back to yourself and learn little or nothing about the aura.
'Halo'

Head 'fin Concentration beam

Inner aura


J Outer \ \

>.
J^v^aura \ »

Outer aura
(Aurameter) ',
,' Sex \ \ Va
Various aura bands
'sphere/ \
'
/

/
/
/

As detected by the Reverend Verne Cameron with the


Aurameter horizontal pendulum

As seen through Kilner Screens

Figure 7.1 Aura of a healthy male subject


136/Dowsing and the human aura

During the 1920s a brilliant English physician by the


name of Guyon Richards incorporated dowsing into his
practice to diagnose disease and to select more accurately
the appropriate medicines for his patients. He soon moved
away from the simple pendulum to a fairly complex
electrical apparatus based on an American device devel-
oped in the early 1900s called an Osciloclast. The purpose
of this instrument was to detect the same energies picked
up by the dowser, but to render these energies measurable
in electrical terms (ohms) and to be able to quantify the
findings. Guyon Richards felt that the patient's body was
a transmitting station; the wires attaching the patient to
the instrument, the aerial; the valve sets, an amplifier;
and the healthy subject who was placed in the circuit along
with the patient was the loudspeaker whose muscular
reflexes announced what was wrong with the patient.
Richards was so sensitive that he placed his apparatus
in a large cage of perforated zinc sitting on glass piano
supports. He found this necessary to screen out the emana-
tions from other people in the room, and from drugs and
other objects which might interfere with his findings.
In his researches Richards explored the human aura
with interesting results. In the winter of 1929-30 he
records having discovered what he felt to be a new form
of matter. His discoveries puzzled him a little, and one
evening after dinner with a friend, one Col. H.P. Lefroy,
he broached the subject. Lefroy had been of great help
to Richards in his work through advice and criticism.
On this occasion Lefroy suggested that there was a unit
of life-force which he called the 'bion', just as there was
an electron and proton, and that Richards should find
it.

Greatly encouraged Richards went to work devising


an experiment in which he wrapped a gold nugget in
lead, this again he wrapped in copper and placed in a
tin box. This package was connected to his detecting
device but no reaction could be obtained to gold. He then
Dowsing and the human aura/137

tried to get reactions to leadand copper in turn and failed.


He then tuned instrument to tin and got a good reac-
his
tion. Leaving the dial tuning for tin on the first rheostat,
Richards tuned the next one to copper and got a reaction.
He then repeated this process for lead and gold on suc-
cessive rheostats and got clear reactions. This gave him the
clue to the energy structures he called biomorphs: they
were formed of successive shells of energy. He found every
life-form had these biomorph shells which seemed to
increase on an ascending evolutionary scale, for example:
Minerals: one-ring biomorphs
Vegetables: two-ring biomorphs
Insects and reptiles: three-ring biomorphs
Mammals and birds: three- and four-ring biomorphs
Man: four- and five-ring biomorphs
Richards found that when he came to study the aura,
similar bands of frequencies were found to surround the
body. This suggested to him that Darwin's general idea
of evolution was true. He found that over the pregnant
uterus in the early months he was able to detect the
reptilian form of the biomorph and later the mammalian
before the human form arrived with its four or five rings.
In his book, The Chain of Life, Richards wrote:

You can, if you form arrived by


please, think that each
a special act of creation. In a sense this must of neces-
sity be so, for if the universe is the thought of God, the
Great Architect, the added form of life arrived by His
thought when the time was ripe for its arrival. It was
doubtless in His thought when from the beginning of
time predetermined for our planet, and the question
whether things grew by themselves from a primordial
stimulus, or by an ever-present thought and care, is a
matter of temperament of the thinker.
In the eternal I conceive there can be no beginning
or end, but constant being, so with His creation of
thought.
138/Dowsing and the human aura

Creative power goes on all the time. The question


of growth versus creation seems really futil^.

Richards apphed the biomorphic principle to his aura


research and found that it consisted of five layers and

a narrow circlet which lay between the first two rings.


By applying various colours to the aura he discovered
that it intensified the field. This is interesting particularly
in view of one of the techniques used by Fred Kimball in
reading the aura. Kimball projects colour mentally onto
the aura of the sitter in order to intensify their colours
and thus facilitate the reading.
Richards found that the fifth ring of the human aura
gave rise to a variety of phenomena. In health the indivi-
dual had a personal colour, and in disease a colour cor-
responding to the imbalance. By detecting these colours
and then using the services of a friend who was clairvoyant,
Richards confirmed his findings again and again. The aura
changes in disease in two ways: there is an alteration in
the widths of the bands and the frequency changes. In
cancer, Richards reported that the third layer is reduced
from four inches to as little as half an inch, and the inten-
sity from 111,111 ohms to as low as 11 ohms. During
sleep, in trance, or under anaesthetic, the aura loses its
three outer layers.
In his practice Richards used auric frequencies for
the final test as to suitabiHty of drugs, vaccines, colours,
or glandular extracts. Testing various homoeopathic
potencies and colour he got the following alterations to
the aura of his subject. The greatest expansions of the
field occurred when endocrine gland potencies were
taken, which is perhaps not surprising in view of their
relationship to the chakras. This mode of testing involved
a shielded neon lamp held to the subject's aura. The
observer holding the light backs away until the lamp
goes out; this point indicates the outer edge of the aura.
The subject stands, for the purposes of this test, upon
:

Dowsing and the human aura/139

a grounded metal plate that is charged to a high voltage;

this provides the energy to illuminate the neon light by


exciting the auric field of the subject, but, according to
Richards, not expanding it. The results from these tests
were as given in Table 7.1

Table 7.1
Distance before Dose given Distance afterwards
dose (inches) (inches)

1 38 Orchitic 100c 45
2 50 Colour red 56
3 43 Orchitic 100c 59
4 38 Aluminium 30c 42
5 32 Strep, vaccine 41
6 35 Coli vaccine 38

Tests indicated too that there were life-force centres


connected to the aura. These are similar in concept to
the chakras, and one of these centres near the episternal
notch has a close connection to the disease cancer, al-
though is not confined to it. Deep emotional problems
involve a centre over the sternum and this often involves
the spleen and sex centres, according to Richards.
In his work he was meticulous and took no one else's
word for anything, and the result is a unique body of
evidence and research material. Colour and the effects
it had on the aura did not slip his attention, and, not

content with researching this area in relationship to man


alone, he dealt with the other kingdoms in nature as
well. Worms, minerals, plants and even a bull terrier
came under his scrutiny. Richards found layers of colour
in the human aura going out as far as ten feet. Table
7.2 outlines his findings and may be useful as a guide
to further exploration. Richards points out that to clair-
voyant sight his own aura extended through the visible
spectrum from red to green, and a clairvoyant associate's
from violet to yellow. This being the case, he demures
140/Dowsing and the human aura

Table 7.2
Dowsing and the human aura/141

what you no matter how unusual it may seem, and


find,
to keep on pihng up data. Thus will your sensitivity be
enhanced and your expertise sharpened.
Let us return now to the tools used in aura dowsing,
the angle rods made from old wire coat hangers and the
pendulum. The angle rod should have about a five inch
handle, and the rest of the wire cut off at the curve of
the hanger serves as the detecting probe. The handle
should be placed in a metal tube or hollow wooden dowel
so that it can swing freely. To read or detect the aura
stand in a relaxed state of body and mind with your hands
at your sides, rods pointing to the ground. As you raise
them up to waist level with your elbows loosely at your
sides, look directly at your subject. Be sure that you are a
suitable distance from him, say eight to ten feet. Then
holding the mental concept of the outer edge of the aura
clearly in thought, walk slowly towards him. As the rods
pick up the distal edge of his aura they will cross over each
other. You can then step backwards and the rods will
resume their former position of a body-width apart. Move
forward again and register the outer edge of the aura again,
and now instead of stepping back, think of the second
layer of the aura and the rods will swing apart. Now hold-
ing that thought move forward again and as you reach
the second layer the rods will cross. In this manner each
layer of the aura can be detected and measured before
you record your findings in a notebook kept especially
for the purpose.
This simple process can be applied to all aura mapping,
but it is essential to have clear, precise thought patterns
if you want clear answers. The same applies when looking

for the predominant colour in each layer of the aura.


You can hold the colour in mind or put a sample of it in
one of your hands; the latter is known as a 'witness' and
can in fact be anything you may be searching for. Pro-
viding you are careful to select the right colour for a
person, you can experiment by mentally projecting that

i
142/Dowsing and the human aura

colour into his aura, and then measuring the layers to see
ifthey have expanded. Once again note your results. You
may find it a good idea to note the conditions under which
the aura mapping is taking place: indoors or outdoors, the
weather conditions, the state of your subject's health, and
so on. One of the most famous dowsers of all times was
the Abbe Mermet, a Catholic priest. Using a detailed scale
map of an area in South America, he sat in his study in
Switzerland and dowsed the precise location to put down
a bore hole for water. He then added that the drillers
would have to contend with certain geological strata, the
depths of each of which he gave details about. He pre-
dicted the flow in gallons per minute, its potability and
temperature. He was correct in every detail. For amuse-
ment sometimes he would count the number of cars
crossing a certain bridge in Paris from the comfort of his
study. On a more serious note he found missing persons
or located bodies of murder victims for the poHce. On one
occasion he went out with a group of school children to
demonstrate the wonders of dowsing, and try as he might
he could get no reaction at all with his pendulum. He
apologized and told the children that this sort of experi-
ence was most unusual and that there must be some sort
of calamity in the world. It turned out that a tidal wave
had just hit Japan killing many people. This illustrates,
I believe, the need to make brief notes about conditions

and locations when mapping the aura, because we are all


connected at the higher levels and we must be aware of
the implications and effect of this fact.
Just as the Abb6 Mermet and, in fact, thousands of
other dowsers have done distant detection with a pen-
dulum, you can map the aura of a person from his photo-
graph. For this purpose you need a fine pointed pendulum
and a twelve inch ruler. Place the subject's photo at the
left-hand end of the ruler, and, using a scale of one inch
to a foot, you can begin by tuning in the pendulum over
the photograph. It will usually swing in a clockwise direc-
3

Dowsing and the human aura/ 14

tion.Having tuned in, you then mentally ask for the point
on the rule which represents the outer edge of the aura,
and as you hold this thought move your pendulum away
from the photo along the rule. When it detects this point
you should feel a drag on the pendulum as you pass it
and it will begin to swing back towards the point. By
moving the pendulum carefully up and down the rule
in this area you will pin-point the exact position of the
outer edges of the aura. When initially moving your
pendulum from the photo and along the rule it is best
to let beat across the rule at right angles to it, rather
it

than allowing it to continue the circular movement from


tuning. With some ingenuity you can dowse out the auric
fields, their dominant colours, the states of the chakras,
and the general health pattern of your subject.
When working directly with your subject, it is important
to learn to become sensitive to the various gradients or
qualities of energy you encounter with the rods or pen-
dulum. The same thing, you may recall, applied to hand
scanning. Dowsing the aura is the same as hand scanning
in a sense, but you have the added benefit of a responsive
detector in the form of rods or a pendulum. These will
react where you may not actually register any energies
through hand scanning. The same rules of appHcation
suit each approach: be relaxed and attentive and do not
feed expectation into the field of operation.
You may wonder if there are any dangers in this form
of energy field exploration. The answer, in short, has to
be yes! Whenever two life-fields interact there is a poten-
tial danger that data in the form of imbalances will find
their way from one the other, and this is especially
field to
true if one of the people involved
is highly neurotic. Often

people with highly sensitive natures are drawn almost


irresistibly into dowsing, and they find that they are as a
rule quite adept at it. If these people have a volatile
emotional nature, they will in all probability end up in
an acute state of anxiety if they do too much of this
144/Dowsing and the human aura

kind of work. The time to quit in such cases is before


God starts giving instructions through the pendulum,
and I have known people who have believed this to be
true in their cases. A common sense attitude, with an
open mind and your feet firmly planted on the ground,
is the best posture to adopt and maintain in this work.

For the practical ins and outs of dowsing, there are


no better books than Dowsing by Tom Graves, and Divin-
ing the Primary Sense by Herbert Weaver. These will give
you a thorough grounding upon which to base your own
researches.
In closing this chapter I would dowsing
like to say that
offers one of the simplest and approaches to
easiest
'seeing' the aura. As I said earher, the only limitations
are your own depth of sensitivity and the knowledge
you have of the subject. Divination by these means has
been used by shamans down the ages. Perhaps we can add
to our self-knowledge through dowsing, and, when com-
petent, employ it to help others.
8
Auric pollution —
physical and psychic

The aura is a combination of radiations, energies and arranged

forces, which can either attract or repel the good or the bad,
and it is through contacts thus effected that the whole trend
of a man's life will be determined.

Bridges — Aart Jurriaanse

The human aura has a magnetic quaHty about it, attract-


ing and repelling various energies. It soaks up a continual
flow of impressions from the physical, emotional and
mental worlds, much of it Httle more than psychic static.
This attraction is qualified and conditioned by our state
of mind, the general trend of our emotions and the way
we nourish and look after our physical body. The continual
chatter of the mind keeps the aura filled with incomplete
and hazy thoughtforms, and to these are added emotional
currents of energy which tend to reinforce half-formed
thoughts. In this fluctuating undertow of dissonant ener-
gies, resentments flare up as harsh colours. Imagined
slights become the focus of mental -emotional scenarios,
and we construct a world around us in this manner that
can become filled with menace, anxiety and stress. The
aura then reflects a confused chaos of agitated colours,
swirling here and there, pulled by one emotion or uncon-

145
146/Auric pollution — physical and psychic

trolled thought after another. In this state, which is the


lot of many people today, the aura becomes devitaUzed
and thus open to invasive influences that are far from
beneficial. If unchecked, these inimical influences can
lead to depressive states and neurotic patterns of behaviour
which render the individual ineffective, and generally
destroy the joy and wonder that life should bring.

Inner aura

Outer aura
Outer aura, after electrifying negatively

Figure 8.1 Illustration by Kilner of the effect of negatively electrify-


ing aura, causing the outer shell to expand

The were very aware of the human condi-


sages of old
tion of semi-blindness, but one doubts if even they could
have foreseen the pressures and stresses that modern man
Auric pollution — physical and psychic/ 147

has to contend with. Centuries ago stresses were local; now


they impinge on a global scale and everyone is subjected
to them through the media, which continually emphasize
the negative aspects of what is going on in the world. What
amounts to a continuous bombardment of socially and
economically threatening events flows from newspapers,
radios and television twenty-four hours a day into the
aura of the individual and humanity at large. Few escape
this conditioning, which moulds the thinking processes and
emotional responses of miUions of people. The media set
one nation against another, and political broadcasts mani-
pulate the emotional bodies of countless people, creating
fear and divisive attitudes.
The media are used to create desire for material things,
and subliminal techniques are employed on television and
in advertisements in the glossy magazines. Just to look at
a television screen induces a form of light hypnotic trance
because the fine flickering lines of the picture on the tube
entrain the mind, leaving it passive and wide open to
suggestion. The advertising world is of course well aware
of this phenomenon and how to exploit it and you into
the bargain. Basically all advertising is aimed at the astral
or emotional body, its function being to stir up desire.
To this may be added a sHck presentation that will appeal
to the lower-mind and touch upon the mental aura. To
add power to these images music is added, and in order
to punch the message past any discriminating faculty you
may have, points of light will flash or scintillate, images
will flicker at a certain speed or scenes will be rapidly
shifted back and forth from one view to another. These
devices are subliminal and designed to overcome your
resistance, if indeed you have any, to certain ideas, certain
products and indeed certain politicians. The next time
you see a flashing point of light on a television advertise-
ment, or a point of light that scintillates accompanied
by a single pinging note of music, please remember that
the advertiser has just implanted what amounts to a
148/Auric pollution — physical and psychic

your subconscious mind; he has polluted your


directive in
aura with junk energ\^ Junk foods we are very aware of
today; junk energy implants are a more recent concept
and far more insidious in their influence upon your aura
and subsequently your life.

Inner aura

— Outer aura

Figure 8.2 Pathological appearance of aura as seen through the


Kilner Screen. Granular textures and holes appear in the auric
field

Let us have a closer look at the influence of television


upon the aura, bearing in mind that it now has the added
power of colour which increases its attraction potential
a hundredfold. In her book The Plug-In Drug, Marie Winn
carefully documents the insidious effects that prolonged
viewing of television can have, not only on children but on
Auric pollution — physical and psychic/ 149

adults also. First of has a hypnotic effect, so much so


all it

that children who watch up to thirty hours a week some-


times reach such a state of trance that their attention can-
not be claimed, even when shouted out. The only way
they snap out of it is when the set is switched off. lot of A
energy, apart from harmful radiations, comes out of the
TV screen, and is passively soaked up. This destroys initia-
tive and creates irritability in many children, who often
become quite violent when the set is switched off,
in an
unconscious attempt to discharge the energy. The passivity
induced by television viewing is used by advertisers to
plant their messages and feed desires deep in the subcon-
scious. Addiction to television is a recognized syndrome,
and people in foreign countries who are vacationing or
passing through will quite cheerfully watch programmes
in languages they cannot understand a word of, so obses-
sive is the power of 'the box'. It has been suggested that
the fast shifting of the visual frames in television is related
to the hyperkinetic syndrome in children which is rapidly
increasing in the modern world. Winn's book is a frighten-
ing document, and when we consider the way that the
subconscious can be manipulated by this aspect of the
media, you may begin to wonder just which thoughts and
opinions are your own, and what effects the negative
news and violence have upon your mind and auric fields.
Right in the same league with television are the slick
advertisements in the glussy magazines. Many of those
advertisements of products used by most people contain
subliminal messages. These are developed by the juxta-
position of various components of the picture or by
drawing and air-brushing in words and symbols. Dr Wilson
Bryan Key, author of a best selling hook, Media Sexploita-
tion, and an article 'Subliminal Seduction', states that we are
inundated by subliminals every time we read a magazine,
watch television, take in a movie or look at a political
poster. The mind perceives faster than the eye, picking
up the message that the advertiser wants to implant in
150/Auric pollution — physical and psychic

your subconscious. The frightening thing is that it may


be impossible to resist instructions given in this manner.
Dr Key is a psychologist with a great deal of experience
in communications and advertising research. Others may
have discovered subliminal manipulation before Key, but
his books have served to bring the matter before the
public.
His books show quite graphically that phallic symbols
are builtinto advertisements, and he says the pictures
of politicians have the word sex written all over them in
order to make the candidate more attractive. One such
portrait of President placed under ultra violet
Carter,
light, was seen to be covered with the word. Ice cubes
in drink ads are filled with ghoulish images which carry
subhminal messages. A particular cigarette advertisement
actually has the word cancer air-brushed into it, on the
basis that if you smoke you are trying to kill yourself
anyway. Key points out that even currency does not
escape this subliminal treatment. Look at President Lin-
coln's beard on a S5 bill and you will see the word SEX
tucked away in the strands of hair. Key says that:

The United States may well be one of the most repres-


sed societies on earth —
purposefully educated in vast
areas of reality avoidance. This is an extremely danger-
ous condition that could threaten both individual and
national, if not world survival.

Dr Key's most recent book, The Clam-Plate Orgy, is


another best seller in which he shows that American
school children are hypnotized by the media to eat junk
foods rather than a wholesome diet. Reviewers quite
rightly say that his books are 'chilling' in their impli-
cations. Once you have read them you will see very clearly
just how easy it is to place instructions subliminally with
images, colours and juxtaposed forms, into the lower-mind
body and the substance of the desire or emotional body.
The daily implantation of these images reinforces their
Auric pollution — physical and psychic/151

effect until they begin to circulate in the auraand take on


a lifeof their own. When Fred Kimball reads an aura
he places his own colour into the aura of the subject
to enhance what is there — imagine if you will how the
television is able to do this day in and day out through
advertisements which subliminally play upon your passive
and entranced energy fields. It is a matter worth looking
into when considering the nature of auric pollution.

Void in
inside aura

Figure 8.3 Loss of continuity of inner aura following an appen-


dectomy (from Bagnall, The Origin and Properties of the Human
Aura)

Drugs, whether used for recreational or medical pur-


poses, fill the body and psyche with all manner of pol-

lution and distorting patterns, none of which clarify our


view of the world.
Osier wrote that the desire to take medicine is perhaps
the greatest feature which distinguishes man from animals.
In Britain alone this year the National Health Service will
152/Auric pollution — physical and psychic

issue something like 28,000,000 prescriptions for mood


changing drugs, which says something about the mental
and emotional auras of a great many people. They do not
like life as they see it through confused and clouded auras,
and they have been conditioned by the media to believe
that their confusion can be eliminated by chemical means.
These chemical relaxants and anti-depressants are addictive
and create dependence. There are more drug addicted
housewives in Britain today than there are addicts on the
hard drugs. The public will spend somewhere in the
region of £62 million on pain killers for headaches and
the relief of colds and minor aches and pains. If you
consider for a moment that this level of drug ingestion
is going on all over the world, even in the less developed

countries where obsolete and discarded drugs are sold to


the populace willy-nilly irrespective of what is wrong with
them, then you have a picture of mass pollution of the
human body and psyche which is unparalleled in the
history of mankind. This has all happened in the last few
decades since the advent of 'wonder drugs' and no one
knows what the long-term effects will be. The short-term
side effects are very apparent; deaths from anti-inflam-
matory drugs, birth defects of a horrifying magnitude.
Estrogen from the Pill is now polluting public water
supplies and in Puerto Rico, where many of these con-
traceptive pills are manufactured, the rise in cancer is
high, children are being grossly deformed with young
boys developing single female-shaped breasts on one
side of their chests. Female children are menstruating at
four years of age, and loosing their ovaries at only twelve
months old due to cysts and suspected cancer. Iatrogenic,
that is doctor-caused disease, is now rampant throughout
the world and this is due, for the most part, to drugs.
Drugs if used properly are a blessing to mankind; used
indiscriminately they pollute the gross and subtle anatomy
of man to the point of physical and spiritual insensibility.
At the level of the etheric body and the health aura.
Auric pollution — physical and psychic/153

there is a growing awareness of what pollutants can do.


The outcry against devitalized food, white flour and white
sugar increasing. The public are aware that food addi-
is

tives, colourings and preservatives can inflict damage on


health. Allergies are an expression of people's resistance to
the Hfe-force tainted by pollution. The resistance to mass
medication through fluoridation of the public water
supply is indicative of a shift in beHefs. Fluoride, inci-
dentally, from an esoteric point of view, dulls the thinking
processes and takes the sharp edge from the mind and
intellect. We may wonder why such strong efforts are
made by local councils to legislate it into the water supply.
While we can choose our food with care and view the
media with discrimination, it is often very difficult to
avoid the 'Sapper'. Sappers are people who have a unique
facility for plugging into your aura and siphoning off
energy, often at an alarming rate. We have all met people
who leave us exhausted after being in their company for
a while, and as they leave we let go of a sigh of relief. That
sigh, with its drawing in and sharp expulsion of breath,
actually helps to sever the link they have set up between
their aura and your own. Sappers are usually people with
a fairly heavy neurosis, but often it is not in evidence.
They may be bordering on the morose, but more often
than not they are people who move nervously and quickly.
They talk fast and fix you with their eyes in order to draw
energy from your aura. Inevitably they work through their
solar plexus and astral body, instinctively seeking out your
weak point, which is almost always your own solar plexus.
Emotive subjects as a topic of conversation are the stan-
dard ploy to get you into resonance with them. The
moment you empathize you are hooked, or rather they
are hooked into you.
Shafica KaraguUa describes in Breakthrough to Creativity
how sappers work to draw energy from people. One
technique involves the projection of a group of subtle
tentacle-like streams of energy which emerge from the
154/Auric pollution — physical and psychic

solar plexus of the sapper. These sUp into the aura of the
Victim' and draw out energy, leaving the individual feeling
drained. References to tentacle-like structures and the
solar plexus are to be found elsewhere, for example
Castaneda in A Separate Reality describes how brujo
Don Genaro makes a physically impossible climb across
the face of a waterfall with the aid of tentacles that
emerged from the middle of his body. Not all sappers
use this method, however; some use their voice and eyes,
speaking quickly and closely scanning your face seeking
eye to eye contact. Their eyes are often slightly bulging
and held in a fixed stare. Others just sit quietly and look
intently at people. Karagulla describes one such lady at
a party. While everyone arrived in high spirits she was
subdued. Then, taking up a comfortable position, she
proceeded during the evening to stare at one party goer
after another. As their energy levels dropped hers rose
until she was vital and lively and they were all wondering
why they felt so depleted.
Sappers are very difficult to deal with unless you
immediately register their psychic approach to your
aura. For the most part they are unconsciously trying to
draw on your energies, but unconscious or not they are
usually very persistent in their attempt. The moment
they meet resistance and cannot set up the link to begin
their siphoning operation, they will become agitated and
use various ploys to distract your guard. A favourite one
for the lady sapper is handbag
to initiate a search in her
for the car keys which will absolutely refuse to come to
light. She clucks and complains that she can never find
anything in her handbag, and may even tip the entire
contents out on a suitable surface in order to distract
you long enough to gain a hold on your aura. I find this
a very symbolic scenario because these people rarely have
the key to their own energies and feelings, and they need
to feed on others. Another ploy is to make a veiled but
barbed remark about you that sets your astral body into
Auric pollution — physical and psychic/155

heightened activity, and in that moment you may just


drop your shield long enough to get hooked. If that does
not work they will activate your astral body by trying
to get your sympathetic response to a situation. They
play games like 'poor little me', Victim', or 'kick me',
anything to get your guard down.
The only way to deal with sappers, provided of course
you are sensitive enough to register their approach, is to
shut down your astral aura. You do this by holding a
completely detached attitude to what they are saying;
don't be sympathetic, and remain non-committal in your
response. If necessary bring down an invisible shield
between yourself and the sapper and mentally see it act-
ing as a barrier to his probe. If necessary silently tell
them that they cannot have your energy; if you are in their
company for any length of time you may have to repeat
this refusal again and again, particularly if they keep on
chattering. Almost everyone knows someone who saps
energy in the ways described here, and it is as well to
know how to protect yourself because this kind of contact
is frequently unpleasant and besides which it constitutes

a form of auric pollution.


Engaging in idle gossip is a sure way to pollute your
aura, particularly if the discussion is critical of others
who are not present, and more especially if disease is the
topic of conversation. Let us take a hypothetical case.
Two ladies meet whilst out shopping, they get into con-
versation and the talk veers towards a neighbour they
do not especially like who is presently very ill. At the
physical level their sick neighbour may be several miles
away however, as the two ladies, whose auras have bonded
;

through mutual agreement, stand and discuss some of the


more unpleasant aspects of their neighbour's disease and
character, an intense signal is generated in their astral
and mental aura. This signal will automatically link them
to the aura of the distant sick neighbour whom they are
slating in no uncertain terms. At this point she will join
156/Auric pollution — physical and psychic

them in a passive hstening state, not physically of course,


but psychically and out of linear time and space. Now
we have three auras blended and linked together, each
one feeding the other a blend of very potent and patho-
logical energies. The sickness of the neighbour enters the
fields of the gossiping ladies, and, while they will not
contract the illness, they may wonder for days afterwards
why they feel off colour. It is surprising at times how
accurate our descriptions are — they are certainly going
to feel off colour because their auras have picked up
a potent charge of the colours of disease circulating in
the neighbour's aura. When someone at a distance is
talking about us, we may register the impact of that con-
versation especially if it is loaded with astral or emotional
energy. We may say to ourselves or a companion 'Someone
is talking about me, my ears are burning.' Normally this

phrase is because we are too sophisticated to


said in jest
believe such nonsense. The Aboriginal would not be so
blind, he would go aside, sit quietly and 'listen' to the
distant conversation. There is an old saying that chickens
come home to roost — the 'chickens' of critical and mali-
cious gossip make a point of doing so, and they roost in
the aura of the originator, distorting it and colouring it
with unpleasant muddy hues of green and yellov^ -browns.
It becomes evident as we study the human aura that

it plays a most important role in our lives, and that we

communicate and express ourselves through the aura


in many ways. The colours and thought-forms circulating
in it reflect out into our environment and literally colour
it. We look at the world through our auras, so it is impor-

tant to have an aura that is as free and clear of conflicting


currents of energy and colours as possible. It is essential
to allow thought-forms of bias, anger, greed, fear and
resentment to die from attrition; do not resist or fight
them, just let them die out by replacing them with the
power of harmlessness. To be harmless in thought, word
and deed throughout each day not only clears the aura
Auric pollution — physical and psychic/157

more effectively than any other technique, it speeds


up your inner growth as nothing else can. At the physical
level we can see to it that we
eat the right foods, and
get the right and recreation. We should
amount of rest
avoid polluting our systems with smoking and excesses
of alcohol; the former constricts the aura whilst the
latter can expand it to the point where it loses its resil-
ience altogether and allows obsessive entities to gain
control. Possession is a very real danger when alcohol
or drugs are used in excess because they open up barriers
and protective layers in the aura which serve to maintain
the integrity of the field. The effects of cocaine and
other hard drugs are well documented; they literally
unravel the energy fields of the etheric body and health
aura to the point where they can no longer act as a car-
rier of the life-force. The effect upon the astral and mental
auras is even more devastating. The term 'spaced out'
as used indrug taking circles has an ominous ring to it,
and in terms is literally true. The junkie does
subtle
become spaced out in that the natural insulation in his
aura that separates it from the planetary field breaks
down. When this happens his field is open to all that
takes place in the planetary aura at the astral level: ter-
rifying visions, monstrous beings and all manner of psychic
violence flow into his aura and he has no control over
these forces. If he keys into the higher levels of the astral
plane then the input may take the form of visions of a
religious and spiritual nature. Those who 'trip out' on
hallucinogenic drugs may set the scene by meditating,
burning incense and reading from spiritual and philo-
sophical texts. By doing this the auras of those who are
going to take the drug are programmed to resonate with
the higher astral levels. If a drug is taken under poor
conditions of stress and without due care then the trip
is most likely to turn out to be a 'bummer' with unplea-

sant and frightening overtones. Irrespective of whether


a drug trip turns out to be a so-called good one or a
158/Auric pollution — physical and psychic

disaster,it can only serve to bring destructive and involu-

tionary forces into the aura, thus delaying progress to-


wards real spiritual awareness.
Cleansing and healing
the aura

Each of us is encased in an armour which we soon, out of


famiharity, cease to notice. There are only moments which
penetrate it and stir the soul to sensibility.

The Way of Response — Martin Ruber

Having read of the ways in which the aura can become


polluted and distorted by all manner of everyday happen-
ings, it is not surprising that we instinctively and auto-
matically harden our aura against the environment and the
various influences that fill it. At the emotional and mental
levels this hardening constitutes the 'character armour'
that Wilhelm Reich illustrated so clearly in his work and
writings. On the physical level we are all like people
living next to the railway Hnes: we detune ourselves to
a host of impressions, and become selective in what we
want to receive. Carried to extremes this shuts out impres-
sions that are vitally important to our physical and psycho-
logical well-being, and if we are not careful this can create
a narrow world that encases us like a vice. In a Rosicrucian
text, The Brittle Aura' (in Regush, 1974), it says:

Man in his ignorance, believes he has control of him-


self by placing a hard exterior, first to his body, then

159
160/Cleansing and healing the aura

to his mind, by appearing immovable, and third, to his


soul by seeming and appearing to be unemotional and
protected by a brittle aura. He then feels pride; he
is in full command of himself. Nothing can reach him!

Nothing can touch him! Yes — he is right, — nothing


can touch him, nothing can reach him. He is a slave to
himself. He is imprisoned within himself and knows it
not. He is a sad spectacle and is ignorant of the fact.

The text goes on to say that the aura is like a protective


skin or outer covering, and to a large extent it is the key
to the human soul, because through the aura one reaches
the soul of another. The protective instinct, largely fuelled
by fears of known and unknown things, causes the aura
to become brittle, rather like a silk lampshade does when
it is too close to a hot bulb. In this condition it easily
left
breaks or tears, leaving openings through which influences
can penetrate, or vital energies can leak out. Treatments
with radium and X-rays burn the fluid-like forces out of
the tenuous matter of the aura and similarly leave it in a
brittle state, and the patient nauseous and enervated.
The Rosicrucians say that the brittle aura is one of the
greatest obstacles to spiritual growth, and Hke a dry,
cracked and brittle skin condition it needs treatment
from within and from without. The cure comes from
within but help from outside can be applied in the form
of baths with the herb ^osemary added. Rudolph Steiner
strongly advocates the use of rosemary to balance out the
etheric strands of the health aura. Moschus or musk is
another remedy which is most helpful, and the wild oat
avena sativa in mother tincture form boosts the radiance
of the aura and raises resistance and vitality.

The human aura not only indicates the vitality of the


body, but the vitaHty of the soul as well. It is an emana-
tion of a radio-active nature and envelopes all of man's
vehicles. The human aura, therefore, can be called man's
spiritual skin, for it is sensitive to both inner and outer
Cleansing and healing the aura/161

impacts. can be translucent, opaque, thick, heavy,


It

light, radiant, thin as tissueand impenetrable as the


strongest steel at the same time. It can be porous as
a sponge, brittle as glass, and soggy as mud. ('The Brittle
Aura')

The aura is a receiver and a deflector of energies and


impressions, from the most gross to those which are barely
discernible. Receptivity depends on the state of the aura,
which ideally should be radiant and filled with light. It
is a fact that many sensitive people have difficulty in
mixing in crowds or feeling comfortable at a party or
meeting because they soak up so many conflicting impres-
sions from those around them. This leaves them in a state
of fatigue or feeling 'strung out' — this term may well be a
clue to the quality of their aura which is too open, and far
too receptive. These sensitives are often introverted by
nature and many tend to pride themselves on the fact that
they can only mix with other 'sensitive souls' on the same
wavelength, and take it as a sign of spiritual status. In truth
a person with a properly harmonized and balanced aura
can mix with anyone and anywhere without coming away
feeling any the worse for the encounter. The introverted
sensitive is often a fearful person who suffers from anxiety
and doubt, and these produce an unhealthy, uncontrolled
form of auric sensitivity. Fear and anxiety open the indivi-
dual up to obsessive powers, fear actually providing the
door through which they can enter. The sages point out
that fear and love cannot coexist in one person; where
love is truly present its radiance projects an aura through
which no negative or enervating forces can enter. Hence
the emphasis placed upon love throughout the Mystery
Teachings.
Love is the pivotal energy around which life revolves
and evolves. It is not readily contacted nor easily expressed
— consideration, caring, though tfulness, patience and
understanding are keys to love, but not love itself. Love
162/Cleansing and healing the aura

is paradoxically immediately available but highly elusive


and until we learn to recognize its quality and have the
ability to flood our auras with it, the need for interim
techniques to cleanse and heal the aura will remain.
There are many books on psychic self-defense that
outline any number of protective exercises. It is a subject
that carries a large measure of glamour with it. Rather
than search within for the reasons that he at the root of
their problems, people often prefer to think that they
are under psychic attack, or that the forces of cosmic
evil are out to deflect them from some great service to
humanity that they have been guided from the inner
planes to carry out. Tell someone in psychic circles that
you are feeling drained of energy, and almost invariably
they will tell you to put a circle of light around yourself.
Now while this is a useful thing to do at times, it is fraught
with dangers if carried on as an exercise, day in and day
out. To put a circle around oneself in the form of visual-
ized light is to encircle the aura with an impenetrable
line of energy which in the fullness of time will let nothing
in or out. This type of exercise has too many negative
connotations to it. Firstly it is separative, the circle cutting
the individual off from the rest of the world which con-
tains some threatening element to their well-being. More
subtly it impHes that the person who is trying to protect
themselves is somewhat special to have been singled out
for attack. It is worth remembering that no negative forces
can penetrate the aura unless it already contains the image
of that negative force within it. More often than not it is
the presence of some peculiarity, some bias or thought of
greed that invites attack and enables the disruptive force
to enter the aura.
Psychic attack is of course a reality; it can and does
happen. What can be done, then, that will be constructive
and provide protection that is not at the same time a
prison? We can learn, I think, from the example of the
magicians who drew a circle around themselves for the
Cleansing and healing the aura/163

purpose of protection during magical work, filling it


with all manner of symbols. The circle is an archetypal
pattern that protects the one who stands within it. It
is also a symbol of power. Once again it becomes neces-

sary to look beyond the form of the circle and not take
the process of drawing a circle around ourselves hterally.
The deepest form of protection comes from the ability
to step in consciousness into the mandala of the soul.
This of course presupposes a great deal of Self-knowledge
and the ability to recognize and register the quality of
energies that comprise the soul. Clearly this is not an
easy task and certainly it is one that takes a long time
to master. In the meantime there are a number of pro-
cedures that can be followed that will cleanse and enhance
the sensitivity of the aura without creating a rigid barrier
that can only distort reality, and hinder the progress of
the pilgrim on his way.
One of the most interesting series of exercises to cleanse
the auric fields is to be found in two books entitled The
Armour of Light written by Olive Pixley, both of which
contain a wealth of information. It is impossible to go into
all of the exercises and details here, but sufficient can be

given to provide a background for further study and appli-


cation of these methods.
Olive Pixley began her work in 1917 when her brother
passed over. A communication began between his world
and hers which led in time to such a state of sensitivity
on her part that she received direct visions of the rituals
employed by the priests and neophytes of the Egyptian,
Mithraic and Hermetic Mystery schools in their worship
of the true Light. Finally she was shown the Christian
Initiations and made aware that humanity had down
through the ages polluted its bloodstream with fear,
greed, cruelty and anxiety. It was made clear to her that
the only way that the blood of humanity could be cleansed
was through the sacrifice of some great entity^ who through
complete selflessness, fearlessness and love would purify it.
164/Cleansing and healing the aura

Jesus of course fulfilled that role and Pixley's work revolves


around the transmuting and transforming pov^er of Light
and Love. At first she kept her work very much to herself,
feeling that it was a sacred and rather personal trust, but
before long it became obvious that she had to share and
teach what she had learned. A conflict arose within her
regarding the abandonment of the exercises so that she
could get back to the life of a normal young lady, but
she found that she could not break away from the tech-
nique, and as soon as she decided to share what she had
learned everything fell into place in her life.
Pixley emphasizes that we must be normal, practical
people, with our feet on the ground but able to function
efficiently both the physical and the inner worlds,
in
avoiding self-indulgence in either of them.

Self-indulgence and self-pity are corroding conditions,


and insulate one's receptivity. One must never be a
'duty martyr', making the recipient of a service con-
scious of the effort. LxDve is serving of need. When
these daily lessons in Light become part of our physical
substance, we shall find we can discern between need
and demand. When it is a need, our heart will satisfy
it; when merely a demand, our minds can receive
the inspiration to refuse without hurt.

The text often speaks of seeing the Light, but it has


to be pointed out that this 'seeing' may not be a literal
fact, and those that practise the exercise and do not
actually feel that they have seen anything should not be
discouraged.

Whether you actually see the Light that you will draw
daily into your flesh and blood is immaterial. When you
think of it, it is there, whether you register it consciously
or not, and you are bound to feel different. Feeling and
seeing in Light seem often identical. The feehng is so
vivid, it corresponds to sight.
Cleansing and healing the aura/165

The general purpose of the exercises, Pixley points out,


is the complete reconstruction of the self, including the
actual substance of the physical body. Although this may
sound like a rather extravagant claim it is well within
the realms of possibility. The transformative power of
the inner Light can be remarkable — witness for example
the instantaneous cure of Brugh Joy's potentially terminal
which was accompanied by a brilliant flash of
illness
and the inspired writing of Mary Fullerson in her
light,
two books. By a New and Living Way and The Form of
the Fourth. The procedures she followed transformed her
blood picture to the point where it showed clearly in
clinical tests that the whole cell structure had changed
for the better.
In of the exercises outlined by Olive Pixley she
all

stresses that the breath is the carrier of sound and light

forces. The light is visualized as a force and not merely

seen as a symbol. The technique starts off by using the


visualized conscious breathing to create a track between
God the Father, Christ the mediating principle between
Spirit and matter, and the human being who is to receive
the transforming power of the Light. Pixley insists that
each exercise must be followed in a particular order,
beginning with what she calls the Ritual of Light, and
that it is important to master each exercise in turn before
even reading about the next one. This being the case I
propose only to give the first exercise for those who wish
;

to go into these techniques further, her books must be


studied.

When you wake in the morning lie relaxed in every


joint,and especially in the head. Then think a radiant
Figure of Light at your feet, with the soles of your
feet touching the soles of this Figure. This contact
with the feet is the necessary earth for Divine power
to spark through the body. Once you have earthed your
Figure of Light, it is there as a Light to your path for
166/Cleansing and healing the aura

Figure 9.1 Ritual of Light

the rest of the day. The next second, send your vision
soaring upwards until you see above you an Infinite
Point of Light, which is God. That point is the station

from which inspiration and revelation can be flashed


into your mind throughout the day, whenever you
choose to re-focus your mind upon it. Having now
your earth and your mental focussing point, instan-
taneously think a flashing circle from the right of your
head round the Head of the Figure of Light back to
your own head, thus completing the circle. The radiant
image of Christ sanctifies your feet for the day's acti-
vity, and your mind is made capable of receiving inspira-
tion. Whether it does so or not depends on you.
This ritual must be a daily renewal of strength, our
Cleansing and healing the aura/ 167

daily Bread of Life. Don't let the mind wander, or


dwell Hngeringly; let it flash and then finish. This
trains our minds to spark, for one cannot meditate
on or contemplate a flash of lightening. One must
not hnger on any part of the Technique in Light: it
is a quickening process in every sense of the word,

and should be done so quickly that even the busiest


people can spare a flashing moment every morning
for the reception of their daily Bread.

Having done this exercise, lie completely relaxed, the


palms of your hands upward by your sides and the soles
of your feet in contact with the Figure of Light. See the
Infinite Point of Radiance above you, and as you do so,
inhale gently and deeply and visualize the breath going
down the outside of the body from the level of the solar
plexus to your feet. As you exhale visualize the breath
going from the solar plexus straight to the Infinite Point
above you. Repeat this process at least six times follow-
ing the Ritual of Light. The exercise should always be
done first thing in the morning, but it can be repeated
during the day if you are stressed, in order to re-estabhsh
equilibrium.
Another very potent exercise for cleansing the various
layers of the aura and connecting with the inner Light
is one that I devised for use in healing workshops, which

I call Curtains of Light. In a workshop situation the


process of guided imagery is employed but it is a simple
matter to take oneself through the various phases of the
exercise.
Assume a relaxed and comfortable position, close your
eyes and regulate your breathing. Visualize three circular
curtains of light flowing downwards and disappearing into
the floor. The outer curtain is a sparkling golden-yellow,
the next curtain inwards is a beautiful rose pink, and the
third a clear electric-blue. In the centre of these three
curtains of light is a vibrant orb of radiant white, hovering
168/Cleansing and healing the aura

above the floor.


See yourself in profile standing in front of the curtain
of golden-yellow light, visualize its flowing downward
movement. Silently sound the aum and step forward
through the curtain. Visualize the light flowing right
through your etheric and physical body, and see the
solidity of your form give way to a body of golden light,
and the dross and toxins that were in the etheric drop-
ping away on the outside of the curtain and dissolving.
Now you are facing the curtain of rose pink energies
which symbolize your astral or emotional body. Once
again silently sound the aum and step forward through
the curtain. Its energies will sweep through your emo-
tional body like water, cleansing the fears, anxieties
and stresses from it. See them drop away as you pass
through the curtain and dissolve into nothing.
You now face the electric-blue curtain of the mental
body. Silently repeat the aum and step forward, seeing
any negative thought patterns and beUefs drop away
behind you. As you carry out each phase of this visual-
ization you can actually feel the weight of acquired
negative patterns drop away.
Before you now is the floating orb of radiant white
light — the transpersonal self or the Christ within. It
brings with it a aeep sense of reverence, of enfolding
peace and love. Your cares have vanished, for in this
area of consciousness stress and pain are unknown. Jesus
said, 'Come unto me, all of you who are heavy laden
and I will give you rest.' You can now touch upon the
energy of his words.
Stand before the Light with your head bowed, or if
you feel moved to kneel in reverence then do so. Absorb
the Light into your cleansed aura, see it expand into a
beautiful radiance of colours, filled with Love. Nothing
negative can penetrate it now. In your own time turn
and face outwards towards the world of form, and step
through each curtain of light in turn adding an extra
Cleansing and healing the aura/169

radiance to them, until you step beyond the golden-yellow


curtain of the etheric level. Stand for a moment, recall
the orb of Light at the centre of your being and raise
your arms up and spread them outwards. As you do so,
sound the aum silently and breathe out a blessing upon
your immediate environment and then on and outwards
to the world and humanity at large. Always give of the
Light you have contacted, because in this giving you
receive.
This exercise when carried out regularly has a remark-
able effect upon the aura. The sounding of the holy
word aum, vibrating between the palate and the pineal
gland, thrills through the attenuated substance of the
etheric, astral and mental bodies, shaking out the coarse
atoms and discharging them from the aura. Visualizing
the appropriate colour of each body enhances this effect
and the result is a heightening of consciousness and a
deep and thorough cleansing of the auric layers asso-
ciated with each body. It has the advantage that no defen-
sive barriers are constructed against inimical forces, nor
are they given any attention. The power of Light and
Love is utilized to produce a vital field which simply
does not attract negative energies. Through the heart,
the Love of God is shed abroad. There is no greater pro-
tection.
Colour has always been considered one of the most
effective modalities for treating the aura and enjoyed
great popularity in the earlier decades of this century,
both here and abroad. Dr Edwin Babbitt earned fame
as a colour therapist, and in the 1930s Dinshah P. Ghadi-
ah, also practising colour therapy in the United States,
made a deep study of the subject. Unfortunately he had
a weakness for attacking the Establishment, and they
finally turned nasty and put all of his equipment to the
sledge hammer and banned him from practising. On this
side of the Atlantic,Dr E.C. Iredell, who was surgeon-
emeritus of the actino-therapeutic department of Gu^^'s
170/Cleansing and healing the aura

Hospital, London, was busily treating cancer patients


with a colour instrument he called a Focal Machine.
Despite the fact that every patient he dealt with had
been operated on and exposed to heavy doses of X-rays
and the like, he got remarkably encouraging results.
Patients were relieved of pain, their nausea disappeared
and they felt better in themselves.
Iredellwrote a book on his work, entitled Colour and
Cancer, which has long been out of print. He reports at
length on the sensations occurring in patients' bodies
during exposure to colour treatments. He writes:

It maybe of interest here to give some rough idea of


the effects of the colours used as described by some
patients who were sufficiently sensitive to feel them.
The colour most generally used was bright green. The
sensation it produced was generally described as cool

and pleasant, but not very smooth. It was soothing


when the patient was restless. It was also the colour
with which it was found advisable to begin and end all
treatments, as the effects of the other colours were
intensified if an application of green was given after
they had been used.
A deep royal blue generally followed the use of
green, but it was liable to produce depression if given
for more than a short time.

Iredell reports that too much yellow increased pain.


Violet,which he used after yellow, produced a smoother
and fmer feeling then green, but it had to be used in
conjunction with other colours when its effects then
became quite Reds and oranges were seldom
striking.
used, but orange proved to be useful as a stimulant and
was helpful in cases of indigestion. One of the most
interesting experiences that many of Iredell's patients
consistently reported was that they felt as though water
was running down their bodies during colour treatment.
This feeling was so strong that they would reach for a
Cleansing and healing the aura/171

handkerchief to wipe the wet away only to find them-


selves quite dry. It seems evident that these patients
were experiencing the loosening up to the flow of energies
through their auras as the colours applied to the body
began to have a healing effect. Iredell experimented with
all manner of ideas, pulsing the colour to synchronize

with breathing and pulse rates, and placing patients in


circular enclosures of dull black material to enhance
the effects of the colour.
While Iredell's approach required expensive equipment,
it is possible to employ colour for therapeutic purposes

in other ways. Colour breathing, for example, is one


method which anyone can learn to use in order to heal
or simply refresh themselves. S.G. Ouseley wrote a booklet
on the subject of colour healing under the title The Power
of the Rays, in which he describes a variety of ways to
use colour, amongst them colour breathing and the colour
pass.
To carry out colour breathing exercises
comfortably
sit

in a chair, relax and close your eyes. Determine which


colour you require, remembering that yellow is a tonic
for the nervous system, reds and oranges increase vitality,
blues induce calmness and greens soothe and energize. You
can use several colours during one treatment if you wish.
Having determined the correct colour, breathe deeply and
steadily in for the count of six and visualize yourself
gathering the colour you want on the breath. Hold for a
count of three and then breathe out to the count of six. As
you do so, see the colour you have selected flood through-
out your aura. Just as the colours can be changed so can
the count: 6-3-6 is a useful pattern but 8-4-8 can be used
to good effect, or in fact any particular combination you
find best as you experiment with this method of self-
healing.
The colour is used by the healer to treat a patient,
pass
who shouldcomfortably in a chair, relaxed and eyes
sit

closed. The healer stands in front of the patient and brings


172/Cleansing and healing the aura

to mind the colour he wishes to transmit to the patient,


and through concentration he builds up a charge of this
colour in his aura. At the same time an affirmation of
intent can be made silently by the healer, such as: *I will
restore the vitaHty of this patient through the use of the
colour orange.' Hands clenched, the healer raises them
above the head of the patient and then brings them down
in a sweeping movement past the forehead, face, throat,
chest and on downwards until the whole body has been
traversed. The colour pass should take about thirty
seconds to complete and should be repeated for five
minutes or so. At the end of each pass the hands should
be flicked to get rid of any effluvia picked up from the
patient's aura. This procedure can be applied to patients
at a distance, and all the healer has to do is visualize
the patient sitting on a chair and himself going through
the same movements. This can prove to be a remarkably
effective method of distant treatment, provided you keep
in mind that at the level that mental treatment is carried
out, there is no time or space. Patient and healer are
together just as if they were together at the physical
level.
In 1979 Dolores Krieger's book The Therapeutic Touch
was published. She outlined a whole series of hand to
body contact movements which were designed to bring
harmony to the energy fields of the body, reheve pain
and restore health. Krieger, a Ph.D., an R.N. and professor
of nursing at New York University, took the techniques
used by healers for centuries and gave them an aura of
respectabiHty by calling them therapeutic touch. She
says that the book developed out of nine years of research
on healing, six years of clinical appHcation of the tech-
niques, and five years of teaching this ancient method
of healing in its modern guise. By 1979 she had taught
the techniques of therapeutic touch to 350 professional
nurses and over 4,000 health care professionals in uni-
versities throughout Canada and the United States.
Cleansing and healing the aura/173

The techniques are varied and simple and highly effec-


tiveonce you have grasped the principles of applying
them. It is not my intention to go into details here, but
simply to outline one particular technique which has an
immediate and clearly registered effect upon the aura.
This technique is called 'unruffling' and is carried out
with the patient lying in a prone position with his hands
at his sides. The healer then places both his hands over
the top of the patient's head, just lightly touching the
hair. Spreading the hands apart they should run lightly
down the length of the body to the feet. This move should
be repeated several times, then switched from the head to
the finger tips of the patient. These same moves can be
carried out with the patient lying supine so that the front
of the body is also treated. This form of treatment seems
to take out all of the kinks and distortions from the aura,
and the beneficial effects can be felt immediately. By
adding colour visualization to the movements the depth
of healing can be enhanced.
These then are some of the visualization exercises
and healing techniques which will help to restore harmony
and integrity to the aura. Applied with care and common
sense they can only prove beneficial. There are obviously
many other approaches equally valid, but it is best to
select those which appeal to you most and practise them
until you reach a level of proficiency and sensitivity
wherein you are able to effectively cleanse your aura and
maintain the integrity of each layer on a daily basis, thus
keeping at bay those forces and influences that are dele-
terious to health.
10
The influence of gems

The well-formed image of a lion, if engraved on a garnet,


will protect and preserve honors and health, cures the wearer
of all diseases, brings him honors, and guards him from all
perils in travelling.

Book of Wings — Ragiel

Precious and semi-precious stones have long been recog-


nized as potent carriers of healing and protective influ-
ences. This recognition spans the centuries and is found
in all societies, from the most primitive tribal groups to
the civilizations of Ancient Egypt and Greece. Man has
an innate love of gem stones that arises from their reson-
ance with the mineral strata of his own being. They are
a part of his being — we are made from the substance of
the stars and connected with the universe through the
energy frequencies of the mineral world. Little wonder
that, when these minerals organize themselves into specific
groupings to produce precious stones, we set great store
by their influences upon our health and well-being.
Gems were used by prehistoric man, no doubt to give
him protection and make him 'invisible' to the inner
eye of predators. Crystals have been held in high esteem
for well over forty thousand years, and used as power

174
The influence of gems/1 75

objects or for purposes of divination. During his initiation


the Aboriginal shaman has many crystals placed inside his
body by magical means, and one is 'rubbed' into his fore-
head to give him the powder of far-seeing through the third
eye. The Pharaohs, the Aztecs and the Incas, the mandarins
of China and the seers and sages of India knew the esoteric
lore of gems as power objects. The ancient astrologers
believed that gems possessed specific planetary influences,
and the natal gems were used to ward off evil and malefic
planetary energies. In the 1600s physicians beheved that
benefic influences were placed in precious stones by the
grace of God, to guard men from danger and to attract
wealth and position. Many were the powers ascribed to
gems in those days: apart from making you rich they were
said to preserve men from thunder and lightning, plagues
and diseases of all kinds, to divine the future, ward off
insomnia, hinder laziness and witchcraft, keep men chaste
and make them invisible.
There may be grounds to question such powers ascribed
to gems by physicians three hundred years ago, but there
is interesting evidence from the early 1800s when experi-

ments were run with a sensitive, one Frederike Hauffe


(b.1801), known as the 'Seeress of Prevorst' and said to
have extraordinary powers of clairvoyance. To determine
the effects of various stones and gems upon her, a whole
range were laid out and she touched them each in turn
with unusual results, many of them quite dramatic. Granite
or flint had no effect, whereas fluorspar produced a sour
taste in her mouth, relaxed muscles and gave her diar-
rhoea. Sapphire and Iceland spar produced a somnam-
bulant state, while sulphate of barium did quite the
opposite creating a warmth in her body and muscular
stimulation. The sulphate of barium had an added bonus
in that it made her laugh and feel as though she could
fly through the air. Rock crystal had the power to bring
her out of trance, but if left on her stomach it stiffened
all of her muscles and threw her into an epileptic state.
176/The influence of gems

her muscles becoming so rigid that they resisted all efforts


to bring about movements in her joints. Oxide of iron
literally paralysed her on the spot and produced a sensa-
tion of inner chill. Unfortunately for the seeress diamonds
had a similar effect, so did not turn out, as popularly
supposed, to be her best friend. Magnetite caused sensa-
tions of heaviness and convulsions of the Hmbs. Ruby
produced a sensation of coldness in the tongue and virtually
paralysed her vocal chords, and caused violent shivers
to run through her body.
This illustration of the effects certain stones and minerals
can have on a sensitive points out that we should take care
in our selection of stones or gems for personal adornment.
Many years ago a friend of mine decided to wear an
authentic Maori tiki made from green soapstone. He wore
it around his neck and against his body. Within a few days

he began to experience uncomfortable chest pains, but


did not connect them with the tiki. Finally he made an
appointment with his doctor about the persistent pains.
Not wishing to appear rather odd or unconventional in
front of his surburban doctor, he removed the tiki, and
as he lifted it over his head the pain immediately cleared
from Having lived in New Zealand and known
his chest.
was an amulet to be worn by pregnant women,
that the tiki
he realized what a mistake he had made. It went back in
a drawer where it had lain for years, and he has not worn
it since.
Just as the colour of the clothes we wear can be seen
as a reflection of auric colours, sogems and semi-precious
stones are a similar indication of the colours and patterns
of the aura. In some instances they may be used to enhance
colours already present, or, if there is a lack, the stone
will add colour and lustre to the aura, provided of course
it is suitable for the individual concerned. GiacintoGimma,
who lived in during the 1700s, wrote several
Naples
volumes on the significance of the colours of precious
stones, gathering together a great deal of information on
The influence of gems/177

the subject, linking colours, stones, animals and a whole


host of other related factors from astrology to the days
of the week.
Gimma wrote that yellow worn by a man denoted
secrecy, by a woman, generosity. It was the symbol of the
sun and Sunday, the zodiacal sign of Leo, and naturally
the animal connected with yellow was the lion. The
precious stone was yellow jacinth or chrysolite. Garments
of yellow were a sign of grandeur and nobility.
Green indicated the decline of friendship, transitory
hope and joyousness in men, and unfounded ambition,
change and childish delight in women. Mercury and
Wednesday were its planet and day, while the sly fox
was the associated animal. The emerald represented youth
and five was the magic number expressing it.
Red garments worn by a man indicated nobility, lord-
ship, command and vengeance; on a woman, obstinacy,
haughtiness and pride. It was the colour of Mars and
Tuesday, its animal the lynx and precious stone the ruby.
Blue worn by a man symboHzed the height of wisdom;
on a woman, vigilance, love, politeness and jealousy. Blue
was the colour ascribed to Venus and Friday. The goat and
the sapphire were the designated animal and precious
stone, six the magical number.
Violet worn by a man was said to denote industry,
seriousness, gravity and sober judgement; on a woman,
high thoughts and religious love. Like blue, the sapphire
represented violet. Its planet and day were Jupiter and
Thursday, its animal the bull and magic number three.
White signified for men religion, integrity and friend-
ship. Ermine was the animal, the magic number seven.
White was associated with the moon and Monday, and
represented by the pearl.
So widespread was the use of precious and semi-precious
stones in even the greatest of our civilizations, it is hard
to dismiss the many claims for them. Much of what the
ancients had to say about the healing and protective
178/The influence of gems

qualities of stones is readily discounted by modern man

as superstition based on ignorance and fear. And yet


many persist in wearing stones, gems and even metals to
ward off illness. Witness the common copper bangle seen
on men and women alike today, worn to ward off arth-
ritis and rheumatism. In a moment we will consider the

effects attributed to various gem stones, but before doing


this I want to go back to the work on the aura done by
Dr Guyon Richards and mentioned in chapter 7.
Richards, as you may recall, in the course of his medical
research on the aura found that it consisted of various
layers, or shells as he called them. This of course was
common knowledge to clairvoyants; but Richards went
further in that he discovered that minerals were what he
termed one-ring biomorphs, vegetables were two-ring
biomorphs, insects and reptiles were three-ring biomorphs,
mammals and birds were three- and four-ring biomorphs,
and man was a four- and five-ring biomorph.
It struck me as more than common coincidence that
the Chinese mandarins used a five-tiered hierarchy of rank
determined by religious or ceremonial considerations, and
that each rank was designated by certain stones. Rank
in a mandarin can only mean his level of spiritual unfold-
ment, and I cannot help wondering if the five ranks sym-
bolize the perfection of each of the five layers or bio-
morphic rings of the aura. In The Curious Lore of Precious
Stones, author George Kunz lists the stones symbohzing
each rank and notes that red stones are given preference.
Red stones as we have seen indicate nobihty and lordship,
the natural status of a mandarin. Red is also the symbolic
colour of hfe, denoting strength, vigour and capability.
Kunz lists the ranks of the mandarins and their stones
as follows:

Red or pink tourmaline, ruby (and rubellite) 1st rank


Coral or an inferior red stone (garnet) 2nd rank
Blue stone (beryl or lapis lazuU) 3rd rank
The influence of gems/179

Rock crystal 4th rank


Other white stones 5th rank

Each colour and type of stone symbolizes each band or


ring of the aura, the red indicating the highest inner
unfoldment, the colour of the Father or Will aspect of
deity, the blue the Son aspect, and the cr^'stal and white
stones the Mother aspect. Whatever their meaning it
would seem that there is quite possibly a connection
between the five bands of the aura and the ranks of the
mandarins.
Stones have been used for therapeutic purposes for
many thousands of years. Speculation says that Indian
shamans and physicians made such extensive use of gems
that the sheer volume of their work moved it westwards
toward Europe to become a therapeutic modalit}^ here.
Kunz points out however that the Ebers Papyrus from
Egypt recommends the use of lapis lazuU as an ingredient
for eye salve and hematite for checking haemorrhages,
so in reality the origins of gems as medicine are shrouded
in the mists of time, and no one can be sure when their
use was initiated.
Gems are employed therapeutically in a number of
ways. They may be worn for the direct influence they
have upon the energ)' fields of the wearer, and this is or
was one of the most common methods employed. In
India the ayurvedic physicians burned and ground them
into powder in order to make medicines. More recently
they have been immersed in phials of alcohol and stored
in complete darkness until the fluid absorbed the vibra-
tory frequencies of the gems; the liquid is then given in
drop form for various diseases. On the subject of pulver-
izing gems there is an interesting account written by
Olaus Borrichius around 1757 and now in the Collection
Academique, Paris. It reads:

When precious stones are to be used in medicine, they


must be pulverized until they are reduced to a powder
180/The influence of gems

so flne that it will not grate under the teeth, or, in

the words of Galen, this powder must be as impalp-


able 'as that which is blown into the eyes.' Since this
trituration is not usually operated with sufficient care
by the apothecaries, I begged a medical student, who
was lodging with me, to pass an entire month in grind-

ing some of these stones. gave him emeralds,


I

jacinths, sapphires, rubies, and pearls, an ounce of


each kind. As these stones were rough and whole, he
first crushed them a little in a well-polished iron mortar,
using a pestle of the same metal; afterwards he em-
ployed a pestle and mortar of glass, devoting several
hours each day to this work. At the end of about
three weeks, his room, which was rather large, became
redolent with a perfume, agreeable both from its variety
and sweetness. This odor, which much resembled that
of March violets, lingered in the room for more than
three days. There was nothing in the room to produce
it, so that it certainly proceeded from the powder

of precious stones. (Kunz, The Curious Law of Precious


Stones)

Let us look then at some of the more commonly u^ed


precious and semi-precious stones, and list their uses
according to the authorities of centuries gone by.

EMERALD

This gem has been employed as an antidote for poisons,


poisoned wounds and demoniacal possession. It is said to
rest and relieve the eye. An emerald worn against the
abdomen was used as a cure for dysentery. It checked
haemorrhages, diminished the secretion of bile and was
considered a good laxative. It conferred inner-sight and
revealed truth.
The influence of gems/181

RUBY
Indian physicians found it a useful remedy for flatulency
and bilious attacks. It shielded the wearer from adverse
fortune in the midst of his enemies, and gave protection
in battle.

DIAMOND
Like the emerald its special virtue was its capacity to act as
an antidote to poisons. It was said to afford protection
from pestilence and the plague, and cured insanity. By
wearing a diamond in contact with the skin nightmares
and terrible dreams can be warded off. The diamond brings
victory, strength, fortitude and courage. It wards off the
evil eye and contributes to personal safety.

SAPPHIRE

The sapphire was used to clear impurities from the eyes,


and treat plague boils. It preserved the wearer from envy
and was thought to attract divine favour. Some physicians
ranked it with the emerald as an antidote to poison.

JADE

A favourite of the Chinese although not found in that


country, was used to treat stony formations such as
it

calculi the kidneys. When reduced to the size of rice


in
grains it strengthened the lungs, the heart and the vocal
organs. If gold and silver were added to jade powder
it was thought to prolong life. A mixture of jade, dew

and rice boiled in a copper pot and filtered produced the


'divine liquor of jade' which hardened bones, calmed the
182/The influence of gems

mind, purified the blood and made muscles strong and


supple. Even the great physician Galen wrote of its effi-
cacy as a treatment for stomach ailments when held
against the body.
There are many other stones, of course, and each has
its curative and protective properties. It is impossible
within the context of this book to consider them all,
but if we become aware that the wearing of stones and
gems brings influences into our aura, and in many instances
enhances its power and colour, then we should take care
to select gems and stones that are appropriate to the
needs of our own fields. Indiscriminate selection may
well lead to the introduction of imbalances into our
auras, something we can ill afford in this hectic modern
world.
While the seers and physicians of the past were aware
of the importance of the aura, and the protection afforded
by gems and various amulets and tahsmanic forms, we,
for the most part, have lost this awareness and knowledge.
However there is evidence to suggest that the ancient
practices are re-emerging in modern form, and it is predict-
able that there will be a resurgence of awareness regarding
the importance of the aura and its protection from debili-
tating influences.
In California, chemical engineer Dr George Yao has
developed a device called Pulsor. This is described as a
modern solid state electronic microcrystal composite
transceiver with ultra-wide wavebands which corrects and
amplifies the body's natural aura and polarity. These
microcrystal transceivers are set in attractive pendants
of agate, amethyst, jasper, jade and a variety of other
stones and abalone mother-of-pearl to be worn on the
body. They also come in the form of rings and belt buckles.
Dr Yao claims that the Pulsor creates a protective force-
field around the body which removes the charge from
electrons and converts them into nutrinos which have no
further effect on the biophysical energy systems of the
The influence of gems/183

body. He points out, as radiesthetists (dowsers) have been


pointing out for decades now, that telephone wiring, water
and gas pipes, television radiation and electrical circuits in
the home can upset the natural polarity of our energy
fields, resulting in physiological imbalances that give rise
to tension, anxiety and apprehension. They also lay us
open to invasive forces, bacterial infections and quite
probably psychic influences not compatible with health.
The Pulsor device is said to offset these disturbing influ-
ences by inducing positive currents of energy into the aura,
thus producing a protective shield around the wearer.
While it is obvious that the best way to maintain a
healthy aura is to be focused on the higher levels of con-
sciousness, and to balance this vertical focus with the
practical horizontal expression of physical plane aware-
ness, man has always sought to augment his strength and
harmony with some form of exterior device, whether
it be a necklace or bracelet of semi-precious stones, a

talismanic pattern, a ring of precious metal, or the modern


Pulsor. Provided we do not lose sight of the fact that our
real power lies within, then these devices can be seen as
useful adjuncts in the maintenance of balance in our
auric fields.
11
A radiance of light and
love and power

The mystic has the sensory perception of this irradiation


of lights proceeding from the whole of his person.

Najm Kobra

The themes of light and love and power are to be found


flowing throughout the mystical and spiritual writings
of the East and West. Their capacity to transform a mere
human being into a superhuman state of consciousness
is a fundamental tenet of all true teachings. It is said that

when the Buddha reached enlightenment under the bodhi


tree, his aura flared out in a spontaneous gesture of bless-
ing, encompassing the earth and every living creature with
the light of his understanding. In that instant he became
the light of the world.
In the Bible we read that as Jesus underwent the initia-
tion of Transfiguration, he became so radiant with light
that Peter, James and John, who symbolize the physical,
astral and mental bodies (the low-self), could not gaze
upon him. He took them to the mountain or place of the
high-self, and there, Matthew relates, 'Was transfigured
before them: and his face did shine as the sun [soul],
and his raiment [aura] was white as the light.' The Sufi
mystic Najm Kobra describes this outpouring of celestial

184
A radiance of light and love and power/185

love and union in similar words but with far more detail:

When the circle of the face has become pure, it effuses


pours forth its water, so that the
lights as a spring
mystic has a sensory perception that these lights are
gushing forth to irradiate his face. This outpouring
takes place between the two eyes and between the
eyebrows. Finally it spreads to cover the whole face.
At that moment, before you, before your face, there
is another Face also of light, irradiating lights; while

behind its diaphanous veil 2i sun becomes visible, seem-


ingly animated by a movement to and fro. In reality
this Face your own face and this sun is the sun of
is

the Spirit that goes to and fro in your body. Next


the whole of your person is immersed in purity, and
suddenly you arc gazing at a person of light who is
also irradiating lights.

KobraTgoes on to describe how the light of transformation,


having emerged from the eyes, then suffuses the face,
chest and then the entire body in a blinding radiance.
This radiance fills the aura with miraculous powers that
heal and en -lighten. In The Acts of the Apostles we read:
'Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the
streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the
least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow
3ome of them.' When Peter passed by, his shadow or
aura healed the sick. This state of radiance emerges from
anyone who has made the transition from a state of
darkness or spiritual ignorance to the realms of conscious-
ness that are described by the term light. The 91st Psalm
begins: 'He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most
High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.'
The realm of Light is the place of the most High, and
to penetrate this high-energy frontier we have to be
able to vibrate in synchronicity with Its frequency. Our
mental, emotional and physical bodies must be free and
clear of fear, anxiety, prejudices, anger, pride and greed,
186/A radiance of light and love and power

for these act like points of friction when the high fre-
quency energies of the soul strikes them. The resultant
irritation and inflammation that is set up fills the aura
with darkness that gives rise to physical and psychological
patholog}^ The oldest known prayer in the world reflects
clearly the two fundamental divisions of consciousness.
It goes: 'Lord, lead us from darkness to light, from the

unreal to the real, from death to immortality.' This is a


remarkable statement when you consider its implications.
First it tells us that we live in an unreal world of darkness
and death — the valley of the shadow (aura) of death.
But beyond this dark world lies a world that is real, and
this world is a world of light that bestows immortality.
The Sufis speak of the Earth of Light, the Terra Lucida,
and all mystical teachings there are detailed descrip-
in
tions of the geography of these higher realms of con-
sciousness. Jesus said: T am from above, you are from
below', thus clarifying our position. We are admonished:
*Be in the world but not of it', which carries a clear enough
meaning and message to those who have ears to listen.
Jesus says: 'In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be
of good cheer; I have overcome the world.' It becomes
eventually a matter of focus: our everyday world reaches
out greedily for our attention, we take in and experience
all it has to offer — riches, happiness, poverty, pain, sorrow
and suffering — we have had a surfeit of them all;
until
then like the Prodigal Son we begin our journey back to
the world from which we emerged aeons ago to experience
life on the lower planes of darkness and death. The mystics
down through the ages have illustrated the way out of
illusion and how to over-come death. They have taught
power over the flesh and insisted on the reality of eternal
life. We
have been too busy to pay much attention until
the going gets rougher and rougher; then we turn for
home, driven by the urge to reunite with our Source.
Fortunately the promise has been given that we too can
overcome the world. As our focus of awareness moves to
A radiance of light and love and power/187
spiritual matters, haltingly at firstand then with reassured
persistence, it manifests as the vertical aspect of the cross.
In some experiences we concentrate on the vertical to
the exclusion of the horizontal bar of physical plane life;
in other experiences we reverse this focus until we event-
ually become centred where the vertical and horizontal
lines of energy cross each other. To be able to stand at
this point of consciousness presupposes that we have
cleansed our auras of deleterious and coarse matter so
that the inner light can shine forth. The inner alchemy
has transformed the sand of the lower-self first into glass,
then crystal. The crystal is then shaped into a lense with
the power to burn out all the dross from the bodies of
the lower-self. This lense is the third eye through which
the light of the soul pours its cleansing energies, and on
a higher turn of the spiral the soul itself becomes the
'third eye' of the Spirit who brings the process of puri-
fication to its climax at the Crucifixion.
Najm Kobra~ wrote of the light pouring out of the space
between the eyebrows (traditionally the location of the
third eye), and we find the same theme in St. Luke: The
light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is
single, thy whole body is also full of light; but when
thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.' Luke
makes an important distinction here between the single
or third eye, and thine eye, the eye of the lower-self. The
former when fully active distributes the light of the soul,
the latter can only perceive darkness or the world of the
unreal.
The thirdeye forms when the energy fields of the
pituitary and pineal glands in the head expand to the
point where they overlap. The overlapping of these two
circles of energy creates the lense through which the
soul can finally view the lower worlds without distortion.
The inner man no longer 'sees through a glass darkly' but
through a finely ground and polished lense. The metaphors
of glass, crystal and diamond are highly accurate in their
:

188/A radiance of light and love and power

descriptions of these aspects of the subtle anatomy. In


Islamic teachings as in Vajrayana Buddhism the 'Diamond
Body' is a reality produced by spiritualalchemy when the
earth of our being is transformed by the Spirit: 'And
diamond, freed from cry^stal, freed from glass, freed from
stone, correspond to the behever's bodies in this absolute
Paradise.' (Corbin, The Man of Light in Iranian Sufism)
Puritv and harmlessness in thought, word and deed
produce clarit}', and clarity enables the inner light to
express itself through the aura. In 1967 a book entitled
The Shining Stranger was published in the United States.
The author used a pen name, Preston Harold. No one
knows who or what the author was, only that he is deceased
and that he held a firm belief that truth, when published,
made its own way into people's hearts and minds. The
sub-title of the book reads: 'An unorthodox interpretation
of Jesus and his Mission.' It is certainly that, because
throughout its pages Preston Harold calls upon the then
recent discoveries of science to serve as a basis from which
to explore the life and works of Jesus. There are many
references to light both with respect to Jesus and to
science. Harold writes

But as important second law of thermodynamics


as the
is to scientists, the study of energy, of light,
is of first

importance. Jesus appears to have seen that the secret


of the universe must rest in light, primordial energy, and
that in the creation of light rests the secret of creation
itself. If He it, He must tell its
realized ^he nature of
stor\' in large drama because prime energy, or ele-
mentary particle, cannot be identified and is not an
individual. In making Himself a symbol of light in order
to reveal its nature, and in being a symbol of saving
grace in man. He took care to insure that someday men
would reaHze His revelation was of universal truth. This
is to say. He did not forget to enfold in the being of

all humankind the primordial energy of God that He


A radiance of light and love and power/189

represented, and also to enfold in all humankind what


appears to be the saving grace of life, for to the multi-
tudes before Him, Jesus said: 'Ye are the light of the
world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid', and:
'Let your light so shine before men, that they may
see your good works, and glorify your Father which
is in heaven.'

The city in most spiritual texts refers to the lower-self or


personaHty of man. Filled with light as it would be, placed
on the hill or mountain top of the soul, it cannot be hid,
and is there for all to see. The good works do not refer to
outer physical activities, no matter how beneficial they
may be, but to the inner works of alchemy that have trans-
formed the darkness of the stone to diamond-like clarity.
Bearing in mind the metaphor of the city and our
subtle bodies, cast your eyes upon the state that our
modern cities are in, the urban decay, the dirt and the
constant interplay of destructive forces that takes place
in them daily, and you will begin to see their auras. Look
into the atmosphere over any major city and see the
pollution that hangs like a pall of death over them and
you will begin to observe the aura man is creating in his
greed and ignorance of natural laws. In Earth's Aura,
Louise Young writes:

Every form has an aura characteristic of its person-


life

ality; a breath, a scent,and a flow of energy emanate


from it. This luminous cloud may be fragrant and
radiant, or sour and dull, depending upon the inner
life of the organism. A little perfume or deodorant
does not improve an aura for long. Something funda-
mental must happen before it takes on a more vibrant
and pleasing aspect.
She concludes:

Man's aura is becoming darker and more bitter year by


year.
190/A radiance of light and love and power

When Louise Young writes of man's aura she is referring


to the aura of pollution he has thrown up around the
planet earth. Her book is timely in that man is becoming
aware of the aura in its many forms. He is slowly learning
too that the earth is a living being whose aura we live
within, and could not survive without. If it becomes too
polluted it may convulse in one last ditch effort to cleanse
itself, possibly in such a conflagration the human aura

would receive a healing as well.


As Louise Young says, *A little perfume or deodorant
does not improve the aura for long.' Cosmetic games like
'greening' or 'blueing' up your aura on weekend workshops
pale into insignificance when one realizes the seriousness
and profound importance of a clear, clean aura. To purify,
and to bring lasting clarity to the aura, means nothing less
than total self -transformation, and that is a task that can-
not be ignored, nor undertaken lightly. But it is a funda-
mental one that faces each of us at an individual level,
and in the context of humanity as a whole.
It is said that, to those great souls who watch over

humanity from the higher realms of consciousness, each


human being appears as a tiny unit of light. These lights,
some bright, some barely flickering, are spread over the
face of this globe. In some areas there are concentrations
of them, and their effect is to thin out the fogs and mias-
mas of fear and illusion that swirl around the subtle
aura of earth. If this is so, then it is clearly an act of
service to humanity if you begin the daily process of
methodically filling your aura with light, and gently
radiating it out upon the world in a silent blessing —
seeking nothing in return and receiving everything.

THE GREAT INVOCATION


From the point of Light within the Mind of God
Let light stream forth into the minds of men.
Let Light descend on Earth.
A radiance of light and love and power/191

From the point of Love within the Heart of God


Let love stream forth into the hearts of men.
May Christ return to Earth.

From the centre where the Will of God is known


Let purpose guide the little wills of men —
The purpose which the Masters know and serve.
From the centre which we call the race of Men
Let the Plan of Love and Light work out
And may it seal the door where evil dwells.
Let Light and Love and Power restore the
Plan on Earth.
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Secret of the Golden Flower, The, tr. E.C.F. Baynes, London,
Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1962.
Tomlinson, H. The Divination of Disease, Saffron Walden, Health
Science Press, 1954.
Veith, I., The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, Berke-

ley and Los Angeles, University of California Press, 1966.


Vivekananda, S., Raja Yoga, New York, RV Centre, 1955.

Weaver, H., Divining the Primary Sense, London, Routledge & Kegan
Paul, 1978.
Winn, M., The Plug-In Drug, New York, Bantam, 1977.
Woodruffe, J., The Serpent Power, Madras, Gonesh & Co (Madras)
Private Ltd, 1958.
Young, L., Earth's Aura, New York, Avon, 1977.
Young, S., Psychic Children, New York, Pocket Books, 1977.
Index

Abbe Mermet, 142 Besant, Annie, 51


Aborigine, 6, 10, 23, 25, 64 bindu point, 54-7
acupuncture, 15, 25, 84 biomorphic rings, 178
addiction, 149 biomorphs, 137, 138
advertising, 147 black, 60,61, 106
allergies,153 Blavatsky, Madame, 40, 42, 94, 108
amaranth, 5 blue, 26, 43, 47, 50, 93, 95, 100
amethyst, 94, 182 Boehme, Jacob, 64,92
angle rods, 13 3, 141 brittle aura, 159
armour, 159 brown, 106
Armour of Light, 163 Buber, Martin, 159
astral body, 44, 46, 153 buddhic, 52
astral double, 47 Burr, Saxton, 11, 15, 88-90
atmic, 52
Atlanteans, 40 Cameron, Verne, 13 3-5
atrophy, 27 cancer, 81, 89, 139, 150, 152
aum, 168 Cayce, Edgar, 44, 105, 110, 114
aura, 1, 2, 4, 6-10, 12-20, 32, 41-4, chakras, 27, 53, 55-64, 77, 79
47, 48, 50, 52, 65-77, 84-7, 91, chakras: base, 64; brow, 52, 60, 61,
99, 102, 103, 107, 109, 110, 115, 79; crown, 52,61, 79; heart, 53,
117-19, 121-5, 127, 128, 130, 60; sacral, 53, 56, 58, 59; solar
133-5, 138-42, 144-6, 148, 151, plexus, 5 3, 60; spleen, 58, 79;
152, 156-63, 167-9, 171-3, 178, throat, 52, 56, 60
182-6, 189, 190 chi, 25, 37
aura layers, 67,69, 138 children, 2, 3
aura mapping, 141 chiropractic, 87
Aurameter, 133, 134 Chromolume, 3 3
auras bonding, 155 chrysolite, 177
cities, 15, 17, 189
Babbitt, Dr E., 29, 32, 33, 39, 59 clairvoyance, 48, 65, 175
Bagnall, Oscar, 74, 75, 77 clairvoyant(s), 2, 7, 14, 31, 33, 47,
Bailey, Alice, 92, 94, 107-9 48, 50. 58,65, 71, 73,75,91,
Bentine, Michael, 110 139

195
196/Index

clever-men, 23 garnet, 174


cloudbuster, 38 gems, 175, 178-80
coccyx, 53 glass, 86, 187, 188
colour(s), 7, 24, 26, 43, 44, 91-4, 99. gold, 58,62,75
102-9, 140, 121, 124, 169, 171-3 golden, 58, 169
177 gossip, 155
colour breathing, 171 Graves, Tom, 132, 144
colour pass, 171 Great Invocation, 190
Command therapy, 81 green, 31, 43, 60-2, 93, 94, 97, 101,
consciousness, 1, 9, 17, 43, 45, 47, 104, 156
53 grey, 75,90, 106
copper bangle, 178
Corbin, Henry, 42, 43, 63, 129 Halo, 6, 7, 79
coronal discharge, 13, 85 hand scanning, 83, 125, 143
crystals, 9. 75, 116, 174, 175, 179, harmlessness, 156, 188
187 harmony, 9, 15
Harold, Preston, 188
Daud, 61 headgear, 8
David, 61, 63 healed, 20
Davies, Paul, 56 healers, 9
diamond, 8, 94, 181, 187 healing, 9, 174
Diane, 78-80 health, 7, 25, 74, 174
diaphragm, 45 holograph, 9, 10
dicyanin,67,69, 74 holographic, 10, 17
Don Juan, 2, 19, 113, 114 Hunt, Roland, 91, 117
dowsing, 132, 133, 140, 142, 144 hyperkinetic syndrome, 149
dreams, 99 hypnotic, 147
drugs, 18, 152, 157
dynaspheric force, 34, 35, 37 immortality, 186
impressions, 145, 159, 161
Eastcott, Michal, 94 indigo, 93, 99, 105
32
electricity, 11, invisible, 2, 5,9,22, 115, 174
electromagnetic, 16 Iredell, Dr 170
E.G., 169,
emanations, 31 irritability, 149

emerald, 94, 180, 181 irritation, 46, 186


emotional body, 46, 94 itches, 118, 120
energy, 4, 27, 36,85 itch points, 122-4
energy fields, 5, 15, 81, 83, 99, 187
etheric body, 26, 27, 45, 46, 69, 78, jacinth, 177, 180
86,94 jade, 181, 182
jasper, 94, 182
fatigue, 43 Jesus, 7, 19,46,63, 164, 168,
fear, 46 184, 186, 188
fire, 22,23,43, 53 Joy, Brugh, 81-3, 90, 125,
flames, 43 126
flares, 91 Jung, Carl, 47, 56
fluoridation, 153 junk energy, 148
food additives, 153 junk food, 34, 148, 150
force-field, 182 Jupiter, 177
Index/197

Karagulla, Shafica, 77-80, 90, 153 nadis, 26,58


Kecly, John, 29, 34-40 nervous system, 11, 26, 27, 87
Key, Wilson Bryan, 149 Northrop', F., 11, 15, 88
Kilner, Walter, 65-7, 70-5, 77, 87,
135 od, 30, 32
Kimball, Fred, 118-24, 151, 138 odic, 30, 31
kirlian, 12, 13,84, 85,90 omens, 99
Kreiger, Dolores, 172 orange, 26, 50, 93, 97, 104, 172
kundalini, 56, 58, 111 orgone, 37, 38
kuranita, 23 Ouseley, S.G., 115-17
ovoid, 47, 49
lapis lazuli, 9, 178
latifa, 63 parasympathetics, 59
Leadbeater, C.W., 51, 58 parathyroids, 59
Leo, 177 peace, 1
Leonard, George, 6 180
pearl, 177,
life-field, 6,89,90, 143 pendulum, 141-3
life-force, 10, 11, 18, 21, 23, 25, 27, Pierrakos, John, 75-7
29, 31, 34, 39,40,45, 113, 153, pineal, 45,61, 169, 187
157 pituitary, 45, 60, 187
life-form, 4, 19 Pixley, Olive, 163-5
light, 1, 14, 19,22,26, 31, 33,43, pollution, 16, 17, 145, 151, 189, 190
63, 147, 163-9, 184-91 possession, 157
light, lines of, 127 power, 1, 184, 191
lotus, 57, 62 prana, 21, 26-8, 37
love, 20, 161, 169 pranayama, 28
lower-self, 44, 52, 61, 184 prayer,1, 47, 50
luminosity, 32 predators, 3

priests, 21
magic, 23 prodigal son, 57
magnet, 31, 116 protective circle, 162
magnetism, 11 psychic, 8, 58
manas, 25 psychic attack, 162
mandarins, 9, 178 psychics, 2, 7, 66
Mars, 177 Pulsors, 182, 183
media, 147, 149, 153 punks, 115
meditation, 18, 26, 47, 50 purification, 19
medulla oblongata, 79 purify, 18
mental body, 45, 48, 94
Mercury, 177 radiance, 184, 185
meridians, 25, 83, 84 radiated, 27
mineral, 2, 37 radiation(s), 27, 149
mistletoe, 5 radiational couriers, 4
monkshood, 5 radiatory field, 10
motor-force, 34 Ravitz, Leonard, 89
Motoyama, Dr H., 53 rays, 71, 75,91-102, 171
muscle test, 87 red, 58, 60, 61, 75, 85, 93, 95, 100,
musk, 160 177
mystic, 33,42,63, 184 Reich, Wilhelm, 29, 36, 37, 39
3

198/Index

R^ichenberg, Karl von, 29-34, 39, 65 thought-forms, 48, 50, 51, 145
Richards, Guyon, 136-9 thyroid, 80
Ritual of Light, 165-7 tiki, 176
Roberts, Jane, 130 85
Tiller, William,

rosemary, 160 Tomlinson, Dr H., 132


rose-pink, 106, 167 topaz, 94
Rosicrucians, 57, 159, 160 totemic, 24
ruby, 9, 94, 177, 178, 180, transfiguration, 184
181 transformation, 185
transformative, 19
sappers, 153-5 transforming, 19, 20
sapphire, 94, 181 turinga, 64
Schlieren, 86-8
screen(s),67,69,74, 75, 77 unruffling aura, 173
sensitives, 2, 31, 77, 161 Upanishads, 21, 26
sensitivity, 2, 3, 107
Seth, 130 vaccines, 138, 139

sex,150 Vedas, 1
shadow, 20, 186 Venus, 177
shaman, 9, 22, 32, 41, 64, 99, 144, vibrations, 34
175 violet, 75,93,101,177
shimmering, 76, 86 vitalist, 11, 29
singularity, 56 vitality, 15, 27, 160
solar plexus, 23, 60, 153, 167 vitamins, 21, 28
soul, 45, 57, 94, 112, 160, 163, 184, voltmeter, 88
187 vortices, 78, 79
spiritual, 7, 32,46
spleen, 46, 58 warrior, 19
subconscious, 149 Weaver, Herbert, 3, 144
subliminal, 107, 149, 150 white, 26,60, 85, 177
subtle bodies, 52, 64 Winn, Marie, 150
Sufi, 43, 54,92, 184, 186
Yao, George, Dr, 182
tantric, 54, 56, 63 yellow, 43, 50, 58, 60, 93, 96, 101
television, 148, 149 104, 177
temper, 46 yoga, 18
theosophy, 42, 51 yogi, 22, 54
third-eve, 64, 175, 187 Young, Louise, 189
:A. /IRKANk

SS WISDOM ,

ARKANA is the paperback imprint devoted to books that contribute


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f THE
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