Aura
In spiritual and esoteric teaching, the aura is the subtle field that – in this view – surrounds and permeates the human being. At the Kyborg Institute we use “aura” as an umbrella term for several such fields and vibrations. This is a personal, worldview-based view, not a medically or physically established fact. One sentence sums up our attitude: “When someone takes us in their arms and comforts us, we are sheltered in their aura.”
What is the aura?
The word comes from Greek and Latin: aura means “breath”, “breeze”. (The “halo of rays” sometimes used to explain the aura is properly called an aureole – an often confused but different family of words.)
Traditions know many names for the same field: aura, etheric body, astral body, fluidum, od; indigenous healers speak of the human being as a “luminous cocoon”. We place these descriptions side by side as equals – each tradition has found its own approach.
In D. Harald Alke’s definition, the term aura “refers broadly to the subtle and energetic field of the human being. The term aura brings together various energy fields and radiations.” He stresses that these are his own experiences – other researchers see it differently.
Which layers make up the aura in the Kyborg Institute’s view?
We describe the human being in four areas – body, soul, spirit and ego:
- Body – the densest part.
- Soul (etheric body) – subtle; the seat of feelings, a kind of “body of sensation”. In our view it arises from the sum of life’s events and our reactions to them.
- Spirit (astral body) – a still finer energy; in yogic teaching, the bearer of the chakras.
- Mental body – the thinking part of the spirit, to which the ego also belongs.
How many layers there “really” are is counted differently in different traditions – three, four, nine or more. For us this is no contradiction: “Different accounts of the aura are therefore not a contradiction, they complement each other.” And with a wink: “With considerations of this kind, though, let us please not become narrow-minded again.” More important than a catalogue is one’s own experience.
What role do the chakras and kundalini play in the aura?
According to yogic teaching, the chakras emerge like fine blossoms from the main channel in the spine and open a little way outside the body – in the aura. Their source is the kundalini. In this view, aura, chakras and life energy belong to one structure; drawings in our own work show it as an “energy cocoon” enveloping the whole body. This is an image of the tradition, not a measured finding.
What do the colours of the aura say?
In our view the aura is constantly in motion and changes its colour depending on which thoughts and feelings are occupying a person and how tense or relaxed they are. Colour interpretations – there are several systems that largely, but not exactly, agree – we understand as a picture of the mood of the moment, not as a diagnosis.
A practical tip from our own work: anyone wishing to perceive the colours of others should mind the clothing – a strong violet on the body covers up a violet shimmer, if there is one. That is why white is often worn for such exercises.
How does one learn to perceive the aura?
“Depending on the observer’s training, one arrives at different results, for every observation is an interaction between object and observer.” Aptitudes may differ, but in principle we consider it possible for everyone. It usually begins with feeling; seeing comes later, if at all. In nature, sensitivity develops more easily than in the “noise” of a big city.
What D. Harald Alke wrote about geomancy applies here: the most important instrument is “our own body and our spirit (our bioenergetic force field, which is also often called the aura)” – the same attitude as in radiesthesia: the human being is the instrument, not a device.
Exercise 1 – the energy ball (alone):
- Sit or stand calmly, breathe evenly, almost close your eyes.
- Hold your hands in front of your body as if carrying a large, light ball.
- After a while, move your hands very slightly towards each other and back again – and feel for the field.
- Some feel warmth, tingling or a gentle resistance; some see the air begin to “shimmer silvery”.
Exercise 2 – the distance between the hands (in pairs):
- Hold your hands side by side in front of your body, about twenty centimetres apart.
- Your partner slowly slides a hand in between – first on the right, then on the left.
- Both describe what they feel and compare.
Both exercises are perception exercises – they promise nothing except the experience itself. Or, as the Edelsteinbuch puts it: “Whoever learns to see the aura sees the world with new eyes.”
What do aura and Kirlian photography show – and what not?
Since 1997 the Kyborg Institute has repeatedly had aura photos taken, including at trade fairs (see Public presence). All the clearer is our own assessment:
- D. Harald Alke himself calls aura and Kirlian photography “scientifically unrecognised methods” and places personal intuition above them.
- A channelling from 1997 says of the aura photo that it is an aid to heightening sensitive perception – “It is not the aura.”
- The guiding principle: what matters is “to trust one’s own sensations instead of measuring”.
What such methods depict can be explained by physical factors such as moisture, pressure, temperature and electrical voltage. They count neither as proof of an energy field nor as evidence of any effect on health. Those interested in the experiences with them will find them in Can one photograph a person’s aura? and Energy pyramids and aura photography – a trade-fair experience.
Why do different people see the aura differently?
Because fine perception does not work “as evenly as our other perception with the five senses”. Hence the rule at the Institute: “Different clairvoyant people perceive it differently, and one has to consult, exchange views and then agree on what is common.” Comparison rather than absolutes – and no measurements: figures on how “large” an aura is diverge widely even within our own work. We therefore give none.
Our attitude to the question of proof is that of experience: “We do not have to justify and prove everything. It is enough if we experience it, observe it well and trust our feelings.” Anyone who wishes can test it for themselves. Related terms: Telepathy, Meditation, Life energy.
Note: This entry sets out a personal, worldview-based view. The aura is not a medical finding; colours or perceptions are not a diagnosis and are no substitute for medical advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the aura?
According to spiritual teaching, the subtle field that surrounds and permeates the human being. At the Kyborg Institute we use “aura” as an umbrella term for several such fields – from the soul (etheric body) to the spirit (astral body). This is a personal, worldview-based view, not a medically or physically established fact.
Can everyone see the aura?
Aptitudes differ, but in principle we consider it learnable. It usually begins with feeling – between the hands, for example –, and seeing comes later, if at all. In our experience, sensitivity develops more easily in nature than in the noise of a big city.
Does an aura photo show my aura?
In our view, no. Aura and Kirlian photography are not scientifically recognised as proof of an energy field – D. Harald Alke writes this himself. We see such photos as a prompt for one’s own perception, not as an image of the aura, and certainly not as a statement about health.
Are aura colours fixed?
No. In our view the aura is constantly in motion and changes its colour with thoughts, feelings, tension and relaxation. Colour interpretations are a way of reading the mood of the moment – not a diagnosis.
Is the etheric body the same as the aura?
The terms overlap. We distinguish the etheric body (soul, feelings, shaped by life’s events), the astral body (spirit, bearer of the chakras) and the mental body (the thinking part). More important to us than a precise catalogue is one’s own experience.
Why do people describe the aura so differently?
Because every perception is an interaction between what is observed and the observer. Those trained differently see differently. The accounts therefore do not contradict one another, they complement each other – and they are best compared with one another.
Change history · last updated on
- — Entry deepened from our own work: the aura as an umbrella term, the Institute’s layer model, the link to the chakras, colours as a picture of mood, two perception exercises, our own assessment of aura photography, and the correct origin of the word.
- — First English version.
Sources
- D. Harald Alke: Gesundheitslexikon (Health Encyclopedia). Kyborg Institute – section “Der Energiekörper des Menschen: Die verschiedenen Schwingungen der Aura” (the energy body: the different vibrations of the aura).
- D. Harald Alke: Energytraining, Vol. 1. Kyborg Institut & Verlag – section “Der Energiekörper des Menschen” (the human energy body).
- D. Harald Alke: Energytraining, Vol. 2 (Chakratraining). Kyborg Institut & Verlag – exercise 199 (energy field between the hands).
- D. Harald Alke: Botschaften aus dem Licht (Messages from the Light). Kyborg Institut & Verlag, 2004 – channelling of 7 November 1997 on aura photography.
- D. Harald Alke: Der PyramidenMann (The Pyramid Man). Kyborg Institut & Verlag, 2000 – section “Religion und Wissenschaft”.
- D. Harald Alke: Der Schlüssel zum 3. Jahrtausend (Handbook 2015). Kyborg Institut & Verlag – section “Geomantie im Wandel der Zeit” (geomancy through the ages).
- D. Harald Alke: Mahatma – Die große Seele der Natur (memoirs). Kyborg Institut & Verlag.
- D. Harald Alke: Edelsteinbuch (Esoterik, Vol. 2). Kyborg Institut & Verlag – section “Magische Kunst zum Begreifen”.
More from Kyborg Institute in Google Search — Set as preferred source