The Observation That Auras Are Phosphenes Seen With Open Eyes

Throughout history, mystics, seers, and spiritual practitioners have described auras—subtle energy fields that appear to envelop the human body. These descriptions span cultures and epochs, from ancient India’s pranic fields to Western esoteric traditions that speak of luminous halos surrounding enlightened beings. Yet, modern neurophysiology and Esotericsm offers a compelling explanation for this phenomenon: phosphenes, spontaneous light impressions generated by the visual system. This chapter explores the intersection of esoteric wisdom and scientific inquiry to reveal a deeper understanding of auras and their connection to human perception.

Understanding Phosphenes and Open-Eye Perception

Phosphenes are the spontaneous light impressions perceived in darkness or with closed eyes, often resulting from mechanical pressure on the eyes, electrical stimulation, or altered states of consciousness. However, phosphenes can also be seen with open eyes, blending into the external visual field and manifesting as shimmering colors or hazy glows around objects and people. This phenomenon occurs due to the way the brain processes and interprets visual information, particularly when stimulated by heightened states of awareness, meditation, or specific physiological conditions.

When an individual perceives an aura around a person, what they are likely experiencing is the overlay of phosphenes onto their normal visual field. This explains why aura perception is often reported under conditions of altered consciousness, fatigue, or after prolonged focus on a subject—states known to enhance phosphene activity.

Phosphenes: The Neuroscientific Explanation for Auras

Phosphenes are visual phenomena that occur without direct light stimulation. They can be induced by pressure on the eyes, electrical or magnetic stimulation, prolonged focus, meditation, or altered states of consciousness. These flickering lights, swirling colors, and glowing halos are the result of neuronal activity within the visual cortex, rather than external energy fields. Yet, many who report seeing auras may unknowingly be experiencing phosphenes projected onto their external perception.

Neurophysiologists suggest that phosphenes arise due to spontaneous activity in the retina and occipital lobe, particularly in conditions of sensory deprivation or intense focus. This explains why deep meditation, breathwork, and even fatigue can enhance the perception of auras. The aura, in this sense, is a neurophysiological reality, deeply linked to how our brain processes visual stimuli.

The Esoteric Tradition: Auras as Conscious Perception

Despite scientific explanations, the esoteric traditions view the perception of auras as an evolved faculty of spiritual awareness. In practices such as Path of Light Yoga, heightened states of presence are believed to unlock latent human capabilities, allowing individuals to sense and interpret energy fields more consciously. This concept resonates with ancient texts from the Upanishads to Tibetan Buddhism, where practitioners describe seeing luminous energies radiating from both living beings and inanimate objects.

In Western mystical traditions, aura perception has often been associated with the third eye, or Ajna chakra, symbolizing enhanced intuitive vision. From Rosicrucians to theosophists, countless esoteric schools have maintained that energy fields around the body represent various states of mind, emotion, and spiritual progression.

Kirlian Photography: A Misconception of Auras

Many proponents of aura studies reference Kirlian photography, a technique that captures corona discharges around objects using high-voltage electromagnetic fields. However, this phenomenon has no connection to biological energy fields or auras as perceived by the human eye. Instead, Kirlian photography visualizes ionized gases and moisture levels in an object, varying with environmental conditions such as humidity.

The key distinctions between Kirlian photography and aura perception include:

• Electromagnetic Discharge vs. Neural Processing – Kirlian images show an electrical phenomenon, while auras result from the brain’s interpretation of visual information.
• Environmental Influence vs. Subjective Experience – Kirlian effects change with moisture and pressure, whereas aura perception is deeply tied to consciousness and mental states.
• Lack of Replicability in Humans – Unlike phosphenes, which occur consistently across individuals, Kirlian photography does not produce stable aura-like effects under controlled conditions.

Bridging the Esoteric and Scientific Perspectives

Rather than viewing esoteric aura perception and scientific phosphenes as conflicting explanations, they can be seen as complementary understandings of human consciousness and perception. While the esoteric tradition interprets aura vision as a refined spiritual faculty, neuroscience explains it as a natural byproduct of the visual system’s processing. Together, these perspectives highlight the profound nature of human perception, suggesting that our reality is deeply shaped by both mind and sensory experience.

The emerging field of neuro-mysticism seeks to bridge these perspectives, offering a new framework for understanding perception, energy, and consciousness. Future research in cognitive neuroscience, meditation studies, and altered states of consciousness may uncover even deeper insights into the connection between phosphenes, aura perception, and the structure of human awareness.

The observation of auras has captivated spiritual seekers and mystics for centuries, yet modern science provides a fascinating physiological basis for these experiences. Whether viewed as phosphenes within the brain’s neurophysiological landscape or as luminous fields detected through heightened awareness, the phenomenon of auras offers a gateway into the mysteries of perception, consciousness, and human potential. By integrating ancient wisdom with modern insights, we step closer to understanding the hidden science of auras and their profound impact on our awareness of reality.

Shunyam Adhibhu