How to See Auras

Last Updated: December 2, 2022 References Approved

The possibilities of what you might see by looking at someone's aura are endless. And learning to read and protect your own aura can be important to your physical, emotional and spiritual health. You don't have to be a mystic to read an aura. In fact, it's widely believed we all have auric-sight (the ability to read auras) and could see them easily when we were children. Read through the steps below to reawaken your ability to see auras.

Things You Should Know

Auras are oval-shaped fields of energy surrounding the body. The color(s) you see convey messages about a person’s thoughts and feelings.
Look at a partner standing in front of a white wall with your peripheral vision. Tune into any colors near them, keeping your eyes steady and relaxed.
To perceive your own aura, rub your index fingers together and then pull them 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) apart. Look for colors in the space between them.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Understanding Auras

1
Be clear on the definition. While, in general, auras are thought of as distinctive atmospheres that surround a person, you must realize that auras are more specific than that. They are considered by some to be made up of vibrations--electro-photonic vibrations that are generated in response to some sort of external excitation. What's key about an aura is that it contains information about the essence of the person or object that it surrounds.
2
Understand the science. Auras around humans are composed in part from electromagnetic (EM) radiation that spans from microwave and infrared (IR)radiation on the low-frequency end to UV light on the high-frequency end. The UV light is more related to our conscious activity (thinking, creativity, intentions, sense of humor and emotions) and is the part that can be seen with the naked eye. ^{[1]
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- The electro-magnetic energies of the aura surrounds the body in an oval-shaped field. This "auric egg" emits out from the body approximately 2–3 feet (0.6–0.9 m) on all sides. It extends above the head and below the feet into the ground. ^{[2]
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3
Learn the levels. The aura consists of seven levels (also called layers or auric bodies), and these correspond to the seven chakras in the body. Each level has its own unique frequency but also relates to and affects the other levels around it. Consequently, if one level is unbalanced, it can lead to unbalance in the other levels as well. ^{[3]
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- Physical level. On this level, you require simple physical comfort, pleasure, and health.
- Etheric level. On this level, you need self-acceptance and self-love.
- Vital level. On this level, you want to understand situations in a clear, linear, rational way.
- Astral level. On this level, you seek a loving interaction with friends and family.
- Lower mental level. On this level, you require alignment with your divine will and a commitment to speak and follow the truth.
- Higher mental level. On this level, you must have divine love and spiritual ecstasy.
- Spiritual (intuitive) level. On this level, you require a connection to the divine mind and to understanding the greater universal pattern.
4
Appreciate the benefits of seeing auras. Learning to see someone's aura can tell you a great deal about that person and his or her character. Learning to see your own aura can inspire you to make changes that will improve the signals that you radiate.
- Spot a liar. Auras can't be faked. If someone is being dishonest with you, you'll be able to spot it as you "listen" to their thoughts via their aura.
- Get clues into someone's nature. A bright, clean aura indicates that a person is good and spiritually advanced. A gray or dark aura reveals someone to have unclear intention. Someone who presents himself to be a spiritual teacher, master, guru or other spiritual leader or guide should have a clearly defined yellow-golden halo around the head.
- Diagnose diseases. Reading auras can allow you to detect a problem in the body before any physical symptoms present themselves.
- Enhance personal growth. Reading auras can raise your consciousness, aid in spiritual development and strengthen your awareness of the natural world.
5
Learn the colors of auras and their meanings. Auras exist in a wide range of colors, which convey a message about the person or object they surround. While there are a number of variations, each with a specific message, these are the basic colors.
- Red. Red pertains to the heart, circulation and the physical body. Viewed in a positive light, it can indicate a healthy ego; on the negative side it may speak to anger, anxiety or an unforgiving nature.
- Orange. Orange pertains to reproductive organs and emotions. Looked at positively, an orange aura indicates energy and stamina, creativity, productivity, adventurousness, courage or an outgoing social nature. Looked at negatively, it can speak to current stress related to appetites and addictions
- Yellow. Yellow relates to the spleen and life energy. It is the color of awakening, inspiration, intelligence and action shared, creativity, playfulness, optimism and an easy-going nature. However, a bright yellow can indicate fear of losing control, prestige, respect or power.
- Green. Green relates to heart and lungs. When seen in the aura, this usually represents growth and balance, and most of all, something that leads to change. It speaks to a love of people, animals and nature. A dark or muddy forest green aura indicates jealousy, resentment, feeling like a victim, insecurity and low self-esteem.
- Blue. Blue auras are related to the throat and thyroid. Its positive associations are a caring, loving nature, intuition and sensitivity. Dark shades of blue indicate fear of the future, of self-expression or of facing or speaking the truth.
- Violet. Violet relates to crown, pineal gland and nervous system. It is considered to be the most sensitive and wisest of colors. This is the intuitive color in the aura and reveals psychic power of self-attunement.
- Silver. Silver is the color of spiritual and physical abundance.
- Gold. Gold indicates enlightenment and divine protection. An individual with a gold aura is being guided by his or her highest good.
- Black. Black draws or pulls energy to it and transforms it. It typically indicates a long-term inability to forgive or unreleased grief and can lead to health problems.
- White. White is a pure state of light and represents purity and truth. It can mean that angels are nearby or that a woman is or soon will be pregnant.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Cleansing Your Aura

1
Know when it's time to cleanse. We pick up other people's energies without even being aware of it. When those energies are negative, they affect our aura negatively. You may have had an experience like this: you're in a good mood and looking forward to spending time with a friend. You're enjoying your evening but at some point realize that you're feeling irritable and anxious. When you get home, you're in a full-blown bad mood, and you're not sure how you got there. A situation like this indicates that you should cleanse your aura. Even if your aura doesn't seem out of balance, it's a good idea to cleanse it periodically to release any negative energies.
2
Cleanse your aura. Focus on your root chakra located at the base of your spine and associated with the color red. Envision it anchored to the earth by a red light that extends beneath it. Then envision yourself engulfed in a shower of brilliant gold light radiating down from the sun. Let the light penetrate your body and your aura. Hold this image for some time. Then envision a violet light extending from the soles of your feet to the top of your head. See and feel it as a warm, protective blanket and believe that it has the ability to heal and protect any gaps in your aura. At this point, the cleansing and healing process is underway, and you should feel yourself becoming stronger, releasing negative energy and feeling more at peace. Meditate on this feeling for a while. When you feel comfortable, imagine a white light surrounding your cleansed aura for additional protection. ^{[4]
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3
Protect your aura. You can take other steps to protect and strengthen your aura; these include massage, shielding, cord cutting, and heavenly intervention.
- Try Reiki energy healing. This light touch therapy increases the flow of energy by helping to remove stagnant or blocked chi. A Reiki practitioner acts as a medium to receive divine energy and channel it into your energy field where it pushes through blocked chi to prevent further mental, emotional, physical or spiritual dysfunction.
- Create a shield. Visualize a bubble or pod of white, loving light enveloping you. This shield of protection can repel any negative thoughts, feelings or other psychic attacks directed at you and prevent energy vampires from draining you.
- Cut the cord. Invisible energy cords can emanate from you and attach to another person, place, object or situation. While positive cords of love can never be severed, etheric cords based on fear can be cut in order to prevent further drains of energy. Call upon Archangel Michael to use his sword to cut the negative cords or envision a laser beam from a favored crystal slicing through them.
- Ask for angelic assistance. Call on angels for help; they're always available to assist you but must be invited before they're allowed to intervene. Ask Archangel Michael for negative cord cutting, Archangel Raphael to fill energy voids with green, healing light and Archangel Metatron to clear chakras.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Seeing Auras

1
Start by sensing. A good way to begin seeing auras is to practice sensing them. That means paying attention to how you feel in someone's presence. Take a deep breath, exhale and then focus on the physical sensations in your body and your gut reaction. Ask yourself how being around the person makes you feel--serene? jumpy? agitated? Think about what color you would attach to this person. As your abilities are enhanced, sensing and seeing auras will become easier. ^{[5]
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2
Develop your peripheral vision. Our peripheral vision is less damaged than the central part of our retina and has healthier photosensitive cells. Also, since we've trained our central vision to be used in certain ways over the years, it can be difficult to call on it now to see in this new way of viewing auras. One simple exercise you can do is to practice concentrating on one spot for 30-60 seconds. This will increase your sensitivity to light. ^{[6]
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3
Tune in to colors. Doing some training with bright, primary colors can help you develop the ability to see auras. Cover a book in blue or red paper and stand it upright on a table several feet away from you. Be sure the wall behind the book is white or neutral and the light in the room is soft but not dim. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, relax and then open your eyes and look at the book. Don't focus on the book, instead look a little to the side and past it. After a while, you'll see a pale narrow aura coming from the book that will change to a bright yellow or green as you hold your soft focus. ^{[7]
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- When you get comfortable with looking at one book, try covering several books with different color paper and looking at them. As you get better at seeing colors, work your way up using plants, animals and then people.
- It's okay to blink normally and quickly while doing this exercise. The aura may disappear for a second when you do, but it will reappear quickly if you stay relaxed and hold your focus.
- Keep practicing to get used to the way your eyes must maintain that steady, un-focus. Don't strain your eyes or tense your eyes or forehead.
4
Learn how to see. Have a partner stand 18" in front of a blank, white wall in a room that's not too brightly lit. Look at the wall behind the person and a couple of inches away from his or her body. Do not look at the person, or you'll lose the aura's image. Instead, look beyond where he or she is standing and try to notice an area around the person where the background wall may look lighter than the rest. Try to see the color; ask yourself what color you would use to describe this area.
- Once you've identified the color, you can ask the person to sway from side to side. Their energy field should move with them.
- If you saw different colors in different areas of the person's aura, your eyes weren't necessarily deceiving you; an aura can definitely be different colors depending on what's happening in different areas of a person's body. ^{[8]
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- Practice for only a few minutes eye and avoid straining yourself. Each individual develops this skill at a different pace.
- The brightness of a person's aura has a lot to do with how they feel. If they feel happy and full of life their aura is stronger, larger and brighter. Try playing your partner's favorite music to help energize his or her aura and make it easier to see.
5
Practice on yourself. Sit in a dimly lit room and relax. Take a couple of deep breaths. Set in your mind the goal of seeing your own aura and focus on that goal. It's important that you believe this is something you can do. Touch your index fingers together, rubbing them and pushing them against each other. Aura is “sticky”, and once one finger sticks with another one, the energy will “hang” between fingers. Now, focus on the area between fingers as you continue to rub them together. After a bit, move your fingers apart leaving about a ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) of space between them. Focus on the space between them and see if you can make out a colored mist, or fog or smoke between your fingers.
- With continued training, the aura will get more clear and easier to see. When it does, repeat the exercise with your hands, rubbing them together and moving them apart to see the aura between them.

Community Q&A
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Question

Can I see an aura in a photograph?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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Some spiritualists believe that you can see auras in photographs. There is also a photographic technique called Kirlian photography that can capture electrical discharges from objects in contact with a photographic plate. Some people believe that the resulting images depict auras.
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What does it mean if you can see auras?

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Some people believe that there is a spiritual explanation—that if you see auras, this means you are attuned to the spiritual energies of other beings. It’s also possible that there’s a neurological reason for seeing auras in some cases. For example, some people may see auras due to a cross-wiring of their senses known as synesthesia, which causes people to “see” sounds or “taste” colors, for instance. Certain medical conditions, like migraines, can also cause visual auras.
Question

How can I tell if I see an aura?

Community Answer

When you see a matching outline surrounding a person or an object. It usually looks clear at first, but you may see color.