Results of
© 2001 by
Craig R. Lang[i] CHt
You may recall
the article that appeared in the MN MUFON newsletter in the summer of 2000,
which described the results of an experiment which we conducted during the
June, 2000 meeting of Minnesota MUFON.
In this experiment we asked a group of six volunteers to view the aura
of another volunteer. Each of the
viewers filled out a standardized form describing the aura, and their ability
to see this effect. These results were
then tabulated and analyzed. The results
turned out to be quite surprising.
At the March 2001
MN MUFON meeting, we repeated this experiment, this time with 12
volunteers. This was done as a dry run
for a similar but more involved experiment to be conducted this spring with the
National Guild of Hypnotists, in which we will try to measure the ability to
see the human aura under various circumstances.
The human aura
is described in many texts, both ancient and modern[ii] - both in biophysical terms, and in
terms of metaphysics and religion. The
actual mechanism behind the human aura - and indeed, whether it actually
exists, is not clearly established.
However, there appears to be enough evidence to suggest that there is a
bona-fide phenomenon present. The goal
of this experiment was to have a group of volunteers observe the aura of a test
subject and describe it in a standardized way.
The purpose was to determine the degree of consistency between what each
volunteer observed.
The subject
being observed was seated about 10 feet away from the viewers, in a position
such that he could be clearly seen against a featureless white wall. The viewers were asked to observe his aura
(if they were able to do so) and complete a short questionnaire establishing a
standardized description of the effect.
The questionnaire contained 9 questions defining the aura's color,
shape, intensity and time variation. On
a second page was space for a sketch of the aura.
In the
literature, it is suggested that a person's aura is strongly dependent upon
his/her mental or emotional state. Thus,
it was desirable to have the subject be in a known state of mind at the time of
the experiment. I therefore asked him to
imagine a very pleasant scene, known only to himself. (Note: Since the subject being observed was
an excellent hypnotic candidate, I had earlier hypnotized him and given him a
posthypnotic suggestion to recall a pleasant memory on cue). At the start of the experiment, I gave him
the cue words, and the volunteers immediately viewed his aura and filled out
the questionnaire
All viewers
indicated that they were able to see the subject's aura. (Note: One viewer also included an extensive
description of PSI impressions which he obtained from the subject. The subject subsequently described these as
being very accurate.) The aura was
observed by all to be brighter than the neutral white background. Nearly all described it to be primarily
pale/grayish/white, with some describing a blue to blue green overtone, one
describing it as red and another as yellow.
Most observed a white (one person also described yellow/gold) inner band
of about 1 to 2 inches around the head.
Many observed a larger more diffuse outer layer, which was primarily
above the head. This area was typically
described as white/gray/pale, but also having overtone colors such as
blue/green. Another person described
pale pink/purple at the edge of this outer region.
Nearly all of
the participants found it relatively easy to see the aura. On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being easiest
to see auras) viewers reported an average of 6.38 (roughly grouped at 6 +/- 2) . However, reports of the strength/ intensity
of the aura, also observed on a scale of 1(transparent) to 10(strong/solid)
were evenly distributed across the entire range, with groupings at the lowest
and the highest intensity ends of the range.
The average was 4.5.
The
fuzziness/sharpness of the boundary was measured in a range of 1 to 10 with 1
being sharp and 10 being fuzzy: An
average of 4.15 was observed, with a wide cluster of observations between 1 and
6. Some observed two distinct layers to
the aura. Those who did, rated the
boundary sharpness of the inner band at an average of 1.875 (very sharply
defined), and the outer band at an average sharpness of 6.5 (very diffuse). Those who saw only a single band rated its
sharpness at an average of 4.125 (moderately sharp), close to the overall
average of 4.15.
Viewers reported
that the width of the aura averaged about 3.4 inches, with reports ranging from
1/2 to 5 inches. Those who observed two
bands of light, described the average widths of the inner and outer bands as
1.06 inches, and 5.0 inches, respectively.
Generally
viewers reported that the aura changed very little in intensity and
characteristic, at a very slow rate.
Typically, the inner band was observed to be nearly constant. Whereas the outer band was often reported as
slowly sweeping (3 observations), dissolving (3 observations), shifting (3
observations), or shimmering (2 observations).
Four people reported no variation.
The rate of
variation on a scale 1 (none), to 10 (rapid) was an average 3.36, with most
below 4.
Two additional
outlying points were at values 5, one at 8.5 and one at 9.5, indicating that
these four observers saw some more rapid variation. The one person describing the variation of
both layers described the inner layer as constant, and the outer layer as 8
(rapidly varying)
The degree of
variation on a scale of 1 to 10 was described as an average of 3.5, with a
large cluster of observations between 1 and 3, and another at 5 +/- 1. The one person describing variation of both
layers described the degree of inner layer variation as 1 (constant) and the
outer layer as 6 (high degree of variation).
Conclusion: In this limited sample, there was a
consistent, moderately high ability to see the aura. Many observed two layers around the head, a
strong inner layer, and a more diffuse outer layer - while others observed only one layer of
intermediate thickness. There were also
a number of distinct but consistent groups of descriptions, with respect to the
color, width, and stability of the aura, roughly corresponding to an inner and
an outer band. There was considerable
variation in the observed degree of intensity/transparency of the aura, the
width, and the boundary sharpness.
What the human
aura is, is also not known. Some suggest
that it is nothing more than an optical illusion caused by the retina's
processing of color contrast. Others
believe that it is an electromagnetic, or related field phenomenon. Still others claim that there is a more subtle
metaphysical explanation. Whatever the
aura may be, all people in our experiment were able to see something, with a
moderately high degree of consistency between them. This trial was the prototype for a number of
future experiments which we hope to conduct within the National Guild of
Hypnotists. It is hoped that these will
yield some very interesting data on a disputed, yet very fascinating area of
human perception.
Final
Notes:
This experiment
was the second in a series of preparatory runs for an experiment to be
conducted at the Minnesota Institute of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy in May of
2001. My heartfelt thanks go out to the
volunteers who participated in this experiment, both as viewers, and the
subject whose aura was being viewed.
Their help was invaluable. I hope
that they found this experiment to be as interesting as I did.
End Notes:
This article was
published in the May/June 2001 issue of the Minnesota MUFON Journal