8/13/2019 Kirlian Photography - Electrophotography - The Skeptic's Dictionary - Skepdic

1/3

Kirlian photography (electrophotography)

In 1939, Semyon Kirlian discovered by accident that if an object on a photographic plate is

subjected to a high-voltage electric field, an image is created on the plate. The image looks like a

colored halo or coronal discharge. This image is said to be a physical manifestation of the spiritual

aura or "life force" which allegedly surrounds each living thing.

Allegedly, this special method of "photographing" objects is a gateway to the paranormal world of

auras. Actually, what is recorded is due to quite natural phenomena such as pressure, electrical

grounding, humidity and temperature. Changes in moisture (which may reflect changes in

emotions), barometric pressure, and voltage, among other things, will produce different 'auras'.

Living things...are moist. When the electricity enters the living object, it

produces an area of gas ionization around the photographed object, assuming

moisture is present on the object. This moisture is transferred from the subject

to the emulsion surface of the photographic film and causes an alternation of

the electric charge pattern on the film. If a photograph is taken in a vacuum,

where no ionized gas is present, no Kirlian image appears. If the Kirlian image

were due to some paranormal fundamental living energy field, it should not

disappear in a simple vacuum (Hines 2003).

There have even been claims of electrophotography being able to capture "phantom limbs," e.g.,

when a leaf is placed on the plate and then torn in half and "photographed," the whole leaf shows

up in the picture. This is not due to paranormal forces, however, but to fraud or to residues left

from the initial impression of the whole leaf.

Parapsychologist Thelma Mosspopularized Kirlian photography as a diagnostic medical tool with

her books The Body Electric(1979) and The Probability of the Impossible (1983). She was

convinced that the Kirlian process was an open door to the "bioenergy" of the astral body. Moss

came to UCLA in mid-life and earned a doctorate in psychology. She experimented with and

praised the effects of LSD and was in and out of therapy for a variety of psychological problems,

but managed to overcome her personal travails and become a professor at UCLAs

Neuropsychiatric Institute. Her studies focused on paranormal topics, such as auras, levitation

and ghosts. One of her favorite subjects at UCLA was Uri Geller, whom she "photographed"

several times. She even made several trips to the Soviet Union to consult with her paranormal

colleagues. Moss died in 1997 at the age of 78.

Moss paved the way for other parapsychologists to speculate that Kirlian "photography" was

parapsychology's Rosetta stone. They would now be able to understand such things as

acupuncture, chi, orgone energy,telepathy, etc., as well as diagnose and cure whatever ails us.

For example, bio-electrographyclaims to be:

...a method of investigation for biological objects, based on the interpretation

of the corona-discharge image obtained during exposure to a high-frequency,

high-voltage electromagnetic field which is recorded either on photopaper or

by modern video recording equipment. Its main use is as a fast, inexpensive

and relatively non-invasive means for the diagnostic evaluation of

physiological and psychological states. [from the now-defunct

http://www.psy.aau.dk/bioelec/]

There is even abioresonant clothing linethat has emerged from the "study" of

bio-electrography; it's allegedly based on "an astonishing new theory in bio-physics: that the

information exchange in human consciousness can be directly influenced and enhanced by

vibrations of Light [sic], that we call colors."

Another promoter of bio-electrography is Russian "scientist" Konstantin Korotkov, promoter of

a bio-electrographic camera called Gas Discharge Visualization instrument.

Mosby's Dictionary of Complementary and Alternative Medicinedefines 'gas discharge

visualization' as:

the appearance of images of the fluorescence (and, some argue, the biofield or

aura) that surrounds living tissue after it has been exposed to a high-intensity

field of electricity. The term describes both the technique and the device used.

Also called bioelectography, biological emission and optical radiation

stimulated by electromagnetic field amplified by gas discharge with

From Abracadabra to Zombies

ian photography - electrophotography - The Skeptic's Dictionary - ... http://www.skepdic.com/kirlian.html

r 3 20/01/2014 11:02

8/13/2019 Kirlian Photography - Electrophotography - The Skeptic's Dictionary - Skepdic

2/3

visualization through computer data processing, Kirlianography, orKirlian

photography. (emphasis added)

Skunkweed by any other name is still skunkweed. All these names are names for

electrophotography.

The GVC instrument uses glass electrodes to create a high-intensity pulsed electrical field into

such things as living or dead tissue, resulting in fluorescence that is photographed. The resultant

images (Kirlian photographs) are then used to stimulate the imagination to speculate about auras,

spirits, energy, biofields, etc. Scientists at the University of Arizona's program in integrative

medicinehave used GVC to try to differentiate homeopathicsolutions (water) from each otherand from controls (more water).*Korotov claims he gets different images when he uses his GVC

on people who have died calmly or violently. He claims that one who dies in a calm, natural

manner slowly loses his 'aura' after 36 hours; whereas, someone who suffers a sudden, violent

death loses his 'aura' suddenly after 72 hours. He also claims that when a person commits suicide

his 'aura' disappears after a week. In addition to an elaborate attempt at alternative physics,

Korotov has added another name to the above list of names for GDV: electrophotonics.

Korotov joins Gary Schwartzand William Tillerin promoting what many in the alternative

world consider "the next level of healing for humanity": reconnective healing,which was

invented by chiropractor Eric Pearland is just one of many forms of energy medicine now

proliferating sCAM. The GVC is a device that appears to give scientific credibility to Kirlian

photography's role in diagnosis (and who knows what else) in energy healing. Reconnective

healing supposedly involves more light and energy at better frequencies than other forms of

energy medicine, but this claim remains, shall we say, controversial. (For those seeking more

information on this new level of alternative thinking, I note that Tiller is featured in What the

Bleep Do We Know? and Pearl has a bit part inSomething Unknown is Doing We Don't Know

What.)

The reliability of diagnosing illnesses by photographing auras is not very high, however.

Bio-Electrography or GVC should not be confused with Esogetic Colorpuncture, Peter

Mandel'stherapy, which unites acupunctureand Kirlian photography "to detect energy

imbalances."

None of these Kirlian methods of diagnosis should be confused with other types of medical

photography, e.g., roentgen-ray computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, single

photon/positron emission computed tomographyand other useful types of medical imaging,

none of which have anything to do with auras.

The material for exam HP0-J51dumps and 70-685exam product can be the best career choice

you ever made, we also make sure that our 000-118solutions, 642-263vce book prep kit and

E20-329certification book dumps not only provide guarantee to pass but also make sure that no

body have to use it.

---

reader comments

further reading

books and articles

Abell, George O. and Barry Singer (eds.) Science And Paranormal(New York: Scribner,

1981).

Hines, Terence.Pseudoscience and the Paranormal, 2nd ed.(Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books,

2003).

Randi, James.Flim-Flam!(Buffalo, New York: Prometheus Books,1982),

Watkins, Arleen J. and William S. Bickel. "A Study of the Kirlean Effect," in The Hundredth

Monkey and Other Paradigms of the Paranormal,ed. Kendrick Frazier (Buffalo, N.Y.:

Prometheus Books, 1991), pp. 209-221.

websites

Energy Healing: Looking in All the Wrong Placesby Robert Todd Carroll

Aura Photography

ian photography - electrophotography - The Skeptic's Dictionary - ... http://www.skepdic.com/kirlian.html

r 3 20/01/2014 11:02

8/13/2019 Kirlian Photography - Electrophotography - The Skeptic's Dictionary - Skepdic

3/3

Human Energy Fields?by Eric Krieg

Kirlian Photography - The New England Skeptical Society

Kirlian Photography

Can Kirlian Photography Detect Diseases?by George Nava True II

Andy's (Le Magicien) Kirlian Photography Page

Last updated 19-Dec-2013

ian photography - electrophotography - The Skeptic's Dictionary - ... http://www.skepdic.com/kirlian.html

r 3 20/01/2014 11:02