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Author
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Topic: What is Kirlian Photography? The Science and the Myth Revealed
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listenstotrees
Knowflake Posts: 2124
From: Rivendell
Registered: Apr 2009
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posted April 14, 2013 07:42 PM
  
Source: http://www.lightstalking.com/what-is-kirlian-photography-the-science-and-the-myth-revealed
By Rachael Towne on 14 Nov 2012 in GuidesKirlian photography, although the study of which can be traced back to the late 1700s, was officially invented in 1939 by Semyon Davidovitch Kirlian. The Kirlian photographic process reveals visible “auras” around the objects photographed. These photographs have been the subject of much myth and controversy over the years. Interestingly, much of which was initially put forth to explain the Kirlian photography phenomena was put forth by the inventor himself, along with his wife.
The process of taking a Kirlian photo is a fairly simple one and does not even require the use of a camera. First, a sheet of photographic film is placed on top of a metal plate. Then, the object that is to be photographed is placed on top of the film. To create the initial exposure, high voltage current is applied to the metal plate. The electrical coronal discharge between the object and the metal plate is captured on the film. The Kirlian photograph, which shows a light, glowing silhouette around the photographed object, becomes visible as a result of developing the film.
Although the Kirlians invented this photographic process in 1939, they didn’t publicly release information about their experiments until 1958, and Kirlian photography wasn’t a well-known phenomenon to the general public until 1970.
The Myth of Kirlian Photography
The first mythical explanations put forth about Kirlian photography were suggested by the Kirlians themselves. They believed that these photographs were depicting the actual life-force or “aura” that many people believe surrounds all living things. New Age spiritualists attribute huge importance to the aura and believe that specially trained aura-readers can provide important insights into a person’s spiritual, emotional and physical state. The Kirlians were convinced that these photos could accurately predict emotional and physical states and could be used to diagnose illnesses.
The assertion that Kirlian photographs could depict emotional and physical states was quickly adopted by energy practitioners. While the use of Kirlian photography has largely fallen by the wayside as a diagnostic tool these days, there are still alternative practitioners who believe in it as an accurate way to help those who seek their services for healing all kinds of conditions both emotional and physical.
Kirlian photography has been a staple of paranormal research for some time as well. In the 1960s and 1970s paranormal researchers connected it to many types of unexplained phenomena, one of which was telepathy. Researchers proposed that telepathy was the result of people’s auras communicating together.
The Science of Kirlian Photography
It can be hard to separate the fact versus the fiction when it comes to Kirlian photography, since these photos are very real and do clearly show some phenomenon at work. However, the fact that these glowing auras are seen around non-living objects as well as living objects in Kirlian photos is often simply ignored by those who want to believe in the supernatural explanation.
So if the glowing auras seen in Kirlian photography aren’t really caused by something spiritual, paranormal or our “life-energy” then what are they caused by? The answer is water. The high-voltage frequency applied to the metal plate rips the electrons off of atoms. The air around the photographed object becomes ionized. If that air contains any water, the resulting image will show the glowing silhouette around the object, which scientists actually call a “corona plasma discharge”.
When a person is sweating more due to being overheated, or excited in some way, Kirlian photographs taken of their hands at that time will show a larger more intense glow due to the increased moisture. Conversely, cold dry hands will produce an image which shows a weaker glow. Despite the ready availability of this accurate scientific explanation, New Age proponents of Kirlian photography will still argue that the person whose hands showed a larger, brighter glow is a natural healer when they are really just sweaty.
Factors other than humidity which can influence the final image include the pressure and angle of your hand touching the metal plate as well as the amount of voltage. Kirlian photographs taken of the exact same person can be very different taken only minutes apart due to these variables.
A very well-known Kirlian photography experiment documents a leaf as it slowly dies. The initial photograph was taken when the leaf was freshly cut and shows a prominent glow. As the leaf gets older more photos are taken, which show that the glow is starting to weaken. This was once explained away with the life-force theory. However, we now know that the weakening of the glow is simply a result of the leaf losing water and drying up over time.
In another experiment involving a leaf, an initial photo is taken which shows the usual strong glow or aura. Then, part of the leaf is torn away. Surprisingly, a ghostly glowing trace of the missing part of the leaf showed up on the film. For years this result was considered more proof of some sort of “life-force”. In reality though, it was simply a result of some moisture residue left on the glass. If the residue is completely removed prior to photographing the leaf again, the phantom glow does not appear.
One final scientific observation to point out is that the Kirlian effect simply doesn’t happen in a vacuum since there is no water vapor, which prevents ionization.
In Conclusion
While the mystical and paranormal explanations for the glow in Kirlian photographs have been debunked, the truth may be just as interesting as fiction to the more scientifically minded. Its potential for studying certain aspects of life are being explored scientifically.
Also, there are a few artists using Kirlian photography to create beautiful images of what has been called “living art”. Like other forms of artistic expression such as traditional photography, this should and will be explored to its fullest.
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Lei_Kuei
Moderator Posts: 933
From:
Registered: Apr 2009
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posted April 16, 2013 10:05 AM
editLol... I see they did test it in a vacuum... ------------------
You can't handle my level of Tinfoil! ~ {;,;} IP: Logged |
Faith
Knowflake Posts: 4504
From:
Registered: Jul 2011
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posted April 17, 2013 06:06 AM
I wonder if it's a combination of moisture AND the electrical output of a person?  I couldn't find anything on corona plasma discharge, but corona discharge is defined as, "An unstable plasma created in air at atmospheric pressure. The plasma is created when a spark of high-voltage, high-frequency electricity passes through air between two electrodes." Water is a conductor. I wonder if it's possible that a person's "vapor" and aura are interlinked? And if the sweaty hands of a criminal will shine differently than the sweaty hands of a healer? I'm not seeing how the evidence here really dispels the New Age interpretations. The leaf is both drying and losing glow...naturally, that is what one would expect of something dying. You lose water (shrivel) and life energy. Why say it's only one or the other? Also, how does life exist in a vacuum? I would think that anything living would quickly die if put in a vacuum. Granted, I'm not very knowledgeable about these things, just wondering aloud. Thanks for posting, though, it's something to consider! IP: Logged |
Lei_Kuei
Moderator Posts: 933
From:
Registered: Apr 2009
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posted April 17, 2013 10:48 AM
quote:
However, the fact that these glowing auras are seen around non-living objects as well
What I edited out of my first post, was that I was asking that if they want clearer results. They first need to test an object void of moisture outside a vacuum. Then test that same object while inside in a vacuum. (Apparently they have done this) If you get no image from inside the vacuum then it really is just the water vapors interaction that's producing the image. However I agree, that such does not nullify interpretations people make of the images themselves -shrugs-
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Faith
Knowflake Posts: 4504
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Registered: Jul 2011
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posted April 18, 2013 04:41 PM
I looked it up and i-net says some objects are neutral and some are electrically charged...I wonder if the neutral objects produce an "aura."Now I'm really curious about how electricity behaves in a vacuum, but the links go way into physics and I'm not inclined to learn it, having mundane things to do around the house. I did find one link saying you won't see sparks in a vacuum unless the conditions are just right. If that's true, it would make sense that you wouldn't see auras, either.
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listenstotrees
Knowflake Posts: 2124
From: Rivendell
Registered: Apr 2009
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posted April 18, 2013 05:39 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Faith:
If that's true, it would make sense that you wouldn't see auras, either.
I thought that people who claim to see auras are not using their physical eyes per se, but using their spiritual, 3rd eye? So the vaccum wouldn't be relevant.....unless I am missing something?IP: Logged |
Lei_Kuei
Moderator Posts: 933
From:
Registered: Apr 2009
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posted April 18, 2013 07:06 PM
The vacuum is relevant to the Kirlian photos because the imaged captured is that of ionized water vapor, the assumption was that Kirlian photos were images of the human aura. But such is now probably false...Until bonafide aura readers can confirm the presence of human auras from inside a vacuum, there is no conclusive evidence either way.
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You can't handle my level of Tinfoil! ~ {;,;}
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listenstotrees
Knowflake Posts: 2124
From: Rivendell
Registered: Apr 2009
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posted April 19, 2013 07:07 AM
"Psychic" vision of auras and kirlian photography may not be related though.....IP: Logged |
Lei_Kuei
Moderator Posts: 933
From:
Registered: Apr 2009
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posted April 19, 2013 10:11 AM
quote:
Originally posted by listenstotrees:
"Psychic" vision of auras and kirlian photography may not be related though.....
Well that's exactly what Id like to be determined one way or the other -nods-
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Randall
Webmaster Posts: 27180
From: Saturn next to Charmainec
Registered: Apr 2009
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posted April 19, 2013 10:44 AM
I believe in auras. I don't believe in Kirlian photography.IP: Logged |
Faith
Knowflake Posts: 4504
From:
Registered: Jul 2011
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posted April 19, 2013 01:59 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Lei_Kuei:
The vacuum is relevant to the Kirlian photos because the imaged captured is that of ionized water vapor, the assumption was that Kirlian photos were images of the human aura.
quote:
One final scientific observation to point out is that the Kirlian effect simply doesn’t happen in a vacuum since there is no water vapor, which prevents ionization.
Regardless of whether or not there is water vapor, does any form of electricity (and I'm assuming auras are a form of electricity) EVER show up in a vacuum (?) that's what I'm trying to determine. Anyone know? Because if no one ever sees electricity in a vacuum, and auras are electric, of course Kirlian photography wouldn't pick anything up there, either. IP: Logged |
Lei_Kuei
Moderator Posts: 933
From:
Registered: Apr 2009
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posted April 19, 2013 06:11 PM
Plasma Electric discharge can happen in a vacuum, although depends on how much stock one puts in the Electric Universe Model.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_%28physics%29
I don't think we can say for sure what exactly aura energy is... and thats a huge problem. ------------------
You can't handle my level of Tinfoil! ~ {;,;} IP: Logged |
listenstotrees
Knowflake Posts: 2124
From: Rivendell
Registered: Apr 2009
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posted April 20, 2013 07:59 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Lei_Kuei:
I don't think we can say for sure what exactly aura energy is... and thats a huge problem.
Right on.IP: Logged |
Faith
Knowflake Posts: 4504
From:
Registered: Jul 2011
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posted April 23, 2013 08:40 AM
I thought energy and electricity were interchangeable terms?If we think of body energy as chi or prana...doesn't this equate with electricity? In the case of this healer, he could shock people (like an electric eel) with his chi, and light up a lightbulb with it. Qigong Demo While I agree we can't know for certain what the aura is, I've always thought of it as an extension/continuation of the body energy, which I regard as a form of electricity.  IP: Logged |
listenstotrees
Knowflake Posts: 2124
From: Rivendell
Registered: Apr 2009
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posted April 23, 2013 12:02 PM
The soul is energy/ electricity supposedly, and no scientist has proven its existence yet. If the aura is connected to the soul as opposed to the body, perhaps we don't possess the technology yet to detect it.IP: Logged |
BlackSeraph
Knowflake Posts: 311
From: PA, USA
Registered: Aug 2011
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posted April 23, 2013 07:31 PM
I'm thinking the lack of appropriate technology is a big factor in not having conclusively proven/disproven aura's scientifically yet. Kinda disappointing about the Kirlian photography thing, but then again what it really is, if that's the case, is still pretty cool.I wonder if the appropriate technology wouldn't be something as simple as "dialing" in to the fourth/fifth/etc dimension like a radio dial... but what materials and configurations would be needed, hard to say. ...My vote's on quartz being a component to look into though. IP: Logged |
listenstotrees
Knowflake Posts: 2124
From: Rivendell
Registered: Apr 2009
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posted April 24, 2013 03:51 AM
In a way though, I wonder whether we are meant to discover it yet or not- perhaps we aren't ready as a species. People would try to exploit spiritual energy/ matter.  Just as it is kind of a blessing that people don't manage to catch the Yeti/ Sasquatch. Yeah, I'm a little cynical about our species. We don't have wise people in power. The world is full of people who desperately need to read the book "Dispelling Wetiko" by Paul Levy. People go on about how awful English foxes are when they kill more animals than they need to on a farm (who knows why they do this), yet humans torture animals in testing laboratories, factory farms, hunt foxes for fun (who have no chance to escape, running them to exhaustion) then have the nerve to call themselves "civilised". So in a nutshell although I would love it if we could discover more intricate forms of technology, perhaps our species is too crazy right now to have it, and isn't ready. Our species needs to undergo intense therapy first to heal the madness, whatever the madness was caused by originally. We are a destructive species because we are so judmental of others, so self righteous, and so elitist and patronising against others we see as "less worthy", yet also full of self hate....a crazy self perpetuating cycle of destructiveness. IP: Logged |
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