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I have a science related question.

On another site some women claimed she could read auras. Someone else said it was silly. She was reprimanded by another women who said it was scientifically proven based on electromagnetic fields and energy that people give off. I asked said women to provide a credible link/book/something to reinforce her statement. She has yet to write back, but I was just wondering is this scientifically proven? Or is she, as I suspect, full of crap? TYIA for any insight any of you may have into this. Sorry if this seems like a dumb question, I'm truly interested.

P.S.-I'm about to google this but my google abilities are pretty shabby so responses are still welcome.

Tags: auras, science

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kelli Evans on November 19, 2012 at 9:39pm

Sorry it took me so long to respond all. I am new to this site. If anyone could kindly tell me how to get to my comments on my profile without having to go through my email, it would be greatly appreciated. I've never been one for technology and I must admit that the navigation of this baffles me.

Permalink Reply by Ruth Anthony-Gardner on November 19, 2012 at 10:19pm

Auras were scientifically tested and failed. People who claim to read auras may actually see something, but there is no objective reality behind what they see. The aura readers may be perfectly honest in what they report seeing. The visible aura may be a way their minds present information to them, such as subconsciously picked up cues from body language.

In the test, the aura readers were asked to identify the different colors of auras of people standing behind a barrier that just covered their head, but the aura presumable extends above the head. The results were random. "Readers" couldn't tell how the hidden subjects were feeling, couldn't even tell when there was a person behind the barrier or not.

I think it's kinder to look at aura readers not as charlatans but experiencing something similar to synesthesia.

Sorry I don't have the reference handy. This test was conducted quite a few years ago.

Permalink Reply by Sean Murphy on November 25, 2012 at 8:40am

I think she is thinking of studies that show that there are electromagnetic fields surrounding living things - but these fields are in frequencies that the eye can't see. And these "auras" do not provide the information that aura readers think that they do. (They are very useful to sharks, rays, and platypuses though.)

Permalink Reply by Tom Sarbeck on March 3, 2013 at 1:40am

Be advised or reminded that often in recent science, progress proved early naysayers wrong.

To say "Auras were scientifically tested and failed" might say as well that the equipment being used in the tests was insensitive to what was being measured. A common instance were electromagnetic frequencies outside the designed range of the equipment.

For cell-to-cell communication the body does use electro-chemical energy, and many non-human animals have navigating and other abilities that humans do not have.