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Chakras, Auras & Healing
Written by Christine Breese, D.D., Ph.D.

Introduction

Chakras and the auric layers of the human energy field are fast becoming a major area of metaphysical study. There are massive amounts of written material in the world today on the subject of chakras and auras, from ancient Sanskrit texts to Western interpretations, written by people who are naturals at seeing the subtle energies of the human body (auras) to people who are Ph.Ds. Many metaphysical healers and practitioners base their whole practice on observing, diagnosing and adjusting the chakra and the aura system, thus affecting physical, mental, and emotional changes for the better.

We will look at the chakra system extensively and the auric layers that are related to them. We will also look at some scientific research that has been done on the auric fields of humans and other living beings.

The study and knowledge of chakras and the human aura is common to almost everyone who studies metaphysics, for it is nearly impossible to not run across this information in metaphysical arenas. First to consider in this material is the gathering of collective knowledge about chakras and their functions, as well as the auric connections to the chakras. Next to consider are the direct experiences of the spiritual aspirants who observe their own auras or the auras of others.

Although there are literally hundreds of chakras all over the human body (for each acupuncture point is a "little chakra") we will only look at the seven major chakras along the spine in order to simplify this material. One could easily write an entire book on the many chakras in the body. Acupuncture addresses the individual purpose and adjustments possible for each of these "little chakras."

Chakras are considered vortexes in which etheric energy can enter or leave the human energy body, which in turn affects the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of the human. They are energy centers that govern the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of the human form, whether or not the human is aware of them. These vortexes are metabolizing centers in the human energy body. Their healthy functioning is vital to having a healthy human body, mind and emotional life. They are also vital to experiences of divinity, or altered states of consciousness.

Chakras and auras can most easily be seen with the inner eye, psychic perception, during meditations or healing sessions. They can also be seen by the physical eye after much meditation, concentration, training and study of the human energy field. Some people who can see them do so without formal training. Sometimes the ordinary person will see auras spontaneously and unexpectedly. Others work for years to achieve the spiritual power (siddhi) of aura viewing.

It is a common belief that children see chakras and the auric layers around humans until they shut down these extra-sensory perceptions. This happens because of the need to connect more fully with physical existence or because they are in environments not supportive to such endeavors. Often, a child is told that he or she is seeing something that isn't there. Eventually the child lets go of this experience and ability, considering it "not real" in human life.

Not everyone is a believer. Bob Larson says in his book Straight Answers On The New Age (1989), "Because New Agers often concentrate on the healing aspects of occult indulgences, the use of auras for relieving problems is stressed." There are many who feel this way about metaphysical types of healing practices, that they are indulgences, or fantasies. This attitude is part of what is holding back the discoveries mankind can make about the laws governing the auric energies. The healing possibilities that can happen, once those laws of the aura are discovered and studied, are immense. There seems to be great resistance to these ideas from circles who believe playing with chakras and auras is the "work of the devil."

Being able to see chakras and auras would be a very useful skill to have. One could, "see people as they really are, and not what they pretend to be," as said in The Third Eye (1986), a book by T. Lobsang Rampa. Rampa describes spying on visiting Chinese dignitaries at the lamasery. This exercise happened after he was able to see auras for a while, so that he could learn how it is that people's true motives and feelings could be deciphered simply by observing their auras, rather than listening to their words. "As I looked at them from my place of concealment I observed the shimmering of their auras, the opalescent sheen, shot with murky red, the turgid swirling of hate-filled thoughts. Bands and striations of color, unpleasant colors, not the clear, pure shades of higher thought, but the unwholesome, contaminated hues of those whose life forces are devoted to materialism and evil-doing. Their speech was fair but their thoughts were foul."

The Dalai Lama used the services of these gifted Tibetan people who could see auras. Rampa goes on to describe a time when the Dalai Lama called for him and his teacher; "...We have to analyze the colors of some foreigner from the Western world. You must hurry to get ready..." It is astounding to think of the possibilities in this world if everyone was able to see a person's true motives and feelings. Lying would be impossible if this were the case. People's thoughts and feelings would no longer be private.

The reason why this subject should be written about in terms of professional practice for metaphysicians is because this is necessary study for the metaphysician. This is an attainable skill if practiced. It is through understanding these processes of energy systems that physical, emotional and mental healing can be better facilitated, no matter what healing methods are being used in treating patients and clients.

This subject should also be studied by western medical sciences, for western medicine is missing the easiest forms of healing that exist. It is easier to heal a negative thought pattern than it is to heal the physical illness that is a result of the negative thought pattern, as some of the scientific research we will look at can support.

Review Of Literature
(Exam questions are not drawn from the following material in this section, Review Of Literature)

Amrut Laya (The Stateless State) (1998) was written by Shri Sadguru Siddharameshwar Maharaj. This book is rather heady and difficult to read, but he has a very interesting and unique take on the auric layers, calling them the four bodies. He gives detailed accounts of common experiences that are usually had when the aspirant is living in the different states of awareness that each of the four layers contain. The "four bodies" are directly related to four of the seven auric layers described by others.

The Nature Of Personal Reality (1974) is one of many books in a series by Jane Roberts, a favorite in metaphysical circles in the category of metaphysical authors. Jane Roberts channeled an intellectual spirit named Seth in the 1970's. It is a vast amount of material. For simplicity's sake I have chosen only one of her books to use, even though there are many references, throughout her material, made to the auric layers, in differing terms, and how they are underneath physical experiences.

Magic Eye (1993) by N.E. Thing Enterprises is a picture book. It is not full of pictures of auras, but is instead a book of 3D illusions that look like scrambled pictures of static or chaos, at first glance. As the observer continues to look at the picture, finds a special focus with the eyesight, a 3D image that is immersed in the chaos suddenly emerges with great clarity. This is the type of vision that is needed for the beginner to be able to see auras and charkas. I used it as a teaching aid in my live classes on the subject of Aura Viewing.

Meditation, The Art Of Ecstasy (1976) is a book by Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, a well-known and well-respected spiritual teacher from India, even though his leaving the USA and his death were controversial. His comments about kundalini, chakras, and the seven layers of the auric field are quite fascinating. He expounds on some original ideas about these topics, for instance, the kundalini is a passage, rather than the life-force itself, which so many books call it. He also speaks of the seven layers of the aura as being each a different combined set of polarities, mentioned in the "Findings" chapter of this essay. Rajneesh has many books, and this is only one of many in which he addresses this topic.

Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain (1973) by Sheila Ostrander and Lynn Schroeder is a wonderful wealth of information about scientific discoveries about the human aura and its particular dynamics as observed by researchers. I found this to be an excellent source of information (among others) about Kirlian photography, a particular type of photography that detects at least the first layer of the human aura.

Your local library contains a reference section with an encyclopedia-style set of volumes called Man, Myth & Magic (1985). The editor in chief is Richard Cavendish, although there is an extensive list of editorial board members, consultants, and assistant editors. This set of reference material had some good information on the topics of auras (Vol. 2), chakras (Vol. 3) and kundalini (Vol. 6). Even the astral body is addressed (Vol. 1).

The Encyclopedia of Psychic Science (1966) by Nandor Fodor has a useful and informative section on auras and also the astral body, which is one of the layers of the auric field. It is not as precise a guide to how the aura works or its functions as most of the other books I have used for this study, but it did have a few noteworthy things to say on the subject, especially about scientific research on auras.

Thomas S. Kuhn wrote a brilliant and original analysis called The Structure Of Scientific Revolutions (1962). He delves into the idea that paradigms resist change, which is a point I use in the discussion area of this course when I ask the question: Why have medical sciences largely ignored the factual research on the human aura and its functions?

Chakra Breathing (1994) by Helmut G. Sieczka is a small book with information about the chakras and the auric layers. He also has comprehensive and thorough exercises for the chakras using sound, colors, and other techniques for opening and clearing the chakras. He gives a structured presentation of the chakras, the blockages in each, and how to remove them. His focus is how the "breath is the vital bridge between body and soul” and he gives specific breathing techniques to "clean and charge each chakra and experience a new harmony..."

How To See And Read The Aura (2000) by Ted Andrews is another wonderful little book with precise and useful information on the auric fields, only touching briefly on chakras. He explains what the observer is seeing when he or she begins to develop the talent for "seeing" auras. Many exercises are given. He teaches the reader how to send and feel energy patterns, detect auric intrusions, measure your auric field using dowsing rods, learn the meanings of colors in the aura, saturate your body and aura with quick energy, see and interpret the health of an aura, and cleanse the aura of energy debris.

.......(Course material continues with a review of the literature used in researching this course, over 25 books are listed and described in brief; skip to next section.)

An Overview Of the Auric System

A. Kundalini Energy & How It Works
B. Chakras & Their Functions
C. Auric Layers & How They Relate to The Chakras
D. Scientific Research

A. KUNDALINI ENERGY & HOW IT WORKS

First let's talk about kundalini, for it is a powerful force that moves through the chakras, and affects the chakras greatly. It could be thought of as the blood or the chi of the energetic bodies that the chakras represent and are connected to. It is considered by many texts to be the circulatory system of the etheric body, the same way that the blood is the circulatory system of the physical body.

The root chakra, located at the bottom of the spine, is where the kundalini energy resides, according to most teachings. Kundalini is a Sanskrit word meaning "circular power." Other sources say that the word kundalini means "coiled." It is also referred to as shakti (divine spark of life-force). It is an individual's basic evolutionary force.

In each person, kundalini energy is present in some proportion or another. Its natural flow is up the spine and out the top of the head. As the kundalini rises, it passes through each of the chakras, awakening the dormant energies of each. It brings new awareness, abilities and divine states. Genevieve Lewis Paulson, in her book Kundalini And The Chakras (1991), says, "Much as a plant reaches toward light, the Kundalini pushes us to reach for enlightenment; it removes any energy blocks in its way... A fully developed person will have exceptional paranormal gifts, great spiritual awareness and truly be considered genius or God-like." C.W. Leadbeater in his book The Chakras (1990) says that kundalini movement "quickens these chakras and makes them more fully available as gates of connection between the physical and astral bodies."

The release of kundalini from the root chakra could be felt as waves, flames, pulsations or an uncoiling feeling. Sometimes the movement of the wave is so subtle that people are not aware of the activity. For other people, the kundalini will be felt as extreme heat, or sometimes jolting lightning-like flashes. As the kundalini rises out the top of the head, it blends with the spiritual energy available in the universe, which aids in refining and cleansing the human system.

Kundalini experiences are often defined as divine states of consciousness that can last hours, days, weeks, or even months. Some have referred to this as samadhi, or nirvana, or Christ-consciousness. This usually happens when a person has released a number of blockages in the chakras all at once.

As the kundalini is released, a cleansing on all levels begins to become evident. There will be cleansing not only of the physical, but the emotional and mental levels of consciousness as well. Sometimes physical ailments or clearing of ailments occurs, emotional upsets or clearing of upsets occurs, and mental changes in the way a person thinks may occur, including the healing (or the flaring up) of depression, mental illnesses, and other such mental ways of being. The kundalini will most likely also bring up flashes of past events, which can be cleared from the emotional-memory banks, especially if they are traumatic in nature. All who experience kundalini cleansing will change the ways in which they think, feel and act.

Most Eastern literature covering the topic of kundalini speak of three channels that are part of the kundalini system. There are three nerve channels, called nadis, that are of particular importance in understanding kundalini: the sushumna, the ida, and the pingala. The shushuma is the central channel that runs through and connects the seven third dimensional chakras. The ida is the feminine channel which starts at the base of the spine and ends in the left nasal passage. It travels in a curving criss-cross pathway through the seven chakras, but resides primarily along the left side of the spinal column. The pingala is the masculine nerve channel, extending upward from the base of the spine and ending in the right nasal passage. It criss-crosses through the chakras, but primarily is located along the right side of the spine. The ida and pingala represent the opposite poles of the same energy. The ideal is to balance the energy in the ida and pingala, thus activating the central channel.

The nadis of one layer of the aura are connected to the other layers of the aura through the chakras. Ancient Tibetan texts, and some Eastern Indian texts, mention 72,000 nadis, while others proclaim 350,000. In Chinese and Japanese literature, these same channels are called meridians.

There are very few people with completely awakened kundalini energy on the Earth. One who has completely awakened the kundalini would be very vibrant physically, emotionally harmonious, and mentally clear. This would be a person who is functioning with all levels of his or her etheric and physical bodies at once, and would live as near a perfect life as possible on the Earth.

The following are comments about kundalini made by various authors:

About Kundalini energy, Vera Stanley Alder says in her book The Finding Of The Third Eye (1976), "The magnetism of the soul dominates the body and draws up reserve force from the base of the spine, where it was used for the animal nature..."

In Man, Myth & Magic, Vol. 6 (1985), edited by Richard Cavendish, warnings are given to beginning yogis about raising the kundalini energy without conscious understanding of it. It is considered dangerous to an ordinary man without spiritual aspirations, for the kundalini becomes a destructive force and "begins to move about in a disorganized manner, raging unrestrained through the lower chakras and causing an abnormal excitation of the baser instincts and passions." It is said that the safest way to raise kundalini is with years of arduous training. Raising the kundalini is usually the climax of a long discipline.

This warning is also addressed in C.W. Leadbeater's book The Chakras (1990). He says, "It will probably flash out through the head and escape into the surrounding atmosphere, and it is likely that no harm will result beyond a slight weakening." He goes on to say that the real danger is not with the kundalini's upward rush. The true danger of premature kundalini powers happens with the possibility of it turning downwards and inwards.

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh has a very interesting twist on the concepts around kundalini in his book Meditation: The Art Of Ecstasy (1976). He says that kundalini is not the life-force energy itself that many people commonly think, but rather a passageway for the life-force to move. He says that kundalini is misunderstood. He also says that it is "not necessary that you will feel kundalini before enlightenment... you feel it when there is something that resists the flow... so the person who feels more kundalini is really blocked... when there is resistance, then the kundalini is felt..." He even goes on to say, "If the passage is clear, no chakra is needed [either]. If kundalini moves and there are no blocks, then you will never feel any chakras..."

Kundalini is associated with sexual energy by many. Several texts say that sexual energy is kundalini that is being used for creating a new life form, a child, or is being wasted if sexuality is not being used to create a new life. If it is not wasted, spent, or misused, and is sent upward instead, it can be used for vitality in the human body. Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh says, "The feeling of emptiness that is overtaking the whole Western mind is just because of sexual wastage... conservation of energy is always blissful. Wastage of energy is only a relief... if you do not allow it to be released sexually—it will become so intense that the upward movement will begin."

Many yogis have cautioned students about wasting sexual energy, that it can be used for attaining enlightenment instead. Sexual energy is a downward movement of the kundalini energy, downward into physical existence. Not acting on sexual impulses causes an upward movement of kundalini, resulting in enlightenment. According to Rajneesh, people who are indulgent in sexual energy are wasting this opportunity to use the life-force for an impetus toward enlightenment.

B. THE SEVEN CHAKRAS & THEIR FUNCTIONS

Each of the seven chakras has a front and back aspect to it, one side of the chakra reaching out the front of the body, from points in front of the spine, the other reaching out the back of the body from points at the back of the spine. Some texts say the front aspect of the chakra is what is given outward from the person, and the back aspect of the chakra is what is being received by the person. However, the back aspects are considered the will centers by Barbara Brennan.

The function of the seven chakras are, according to Barbara Brennan's book Hands Of Light (1988): "1) To vitalize each auric body, and thus, the physical body. 2) To bring about the development of different aspects of self-consciousness. Each chakra is related to a specific psychological function. 3) To transmit energy between the auric levels. Each auric layer has its own set of seven major chakras, each located in the same place on the physical body... These chakras appear to be nested within each other like nesting glasses. Each chakra on each higher layer extends out farther in the auric field (to the edge of each auric layer) and is slightly broader than the one below it. Energy is transmitted from one layer to the next through passageways in the tips of the chakras. In most people these passageways are sealed. They open as a result of spiritual purification work..."

......(Course material continues with more general information about the chakras; skip forward to next section.)

1. ROOT CHAKRA

The root chakra is located at the bottom of the spine reaching downward, precisely at the coccyx.
Sanskrit name: Mudlahara.
Associated with the color red, or a dark orange.
The root chakra has four petals or spokes. (The petals of the chakras have been determined by exploration in the meditations of sages in ancient India.)
The adrenals are the related glands.
Areas of the body governed by this chakra are the spinal column, anus, colon, prostate, blood and the kidneys.
Planet: Mars.
Astrological signs and planets for the root chakra are: Aries/Mars (new beginnings, primordial life force, aggressiveness), Taurus (stability, closeness to the Earth), Capricorn/Saturn (structure and stability), Sun (primordial source of life).
Associated sense: smell.
Associated element: Earth.
Musical note: Do.
Hindu mantra: Lam.

The root chakra is associated with primal force, survival level issues and is the beginning point of entry into the physical world and attachment to the physical body. It is also closely associated with one's self image of oneself, be that positive or negative. It can be used to ground oneself to the earth, or physical life itself. A power that might appear when the chakra is healthy and awakened fully is entry into the world of pure and primal intelligence.

Author Comments:

Man Myth & Magic, Vol. 3 (1985) editor in chief, Richard Cavendish writes that this chakra gives one "complete self-control over the passions, envy, lust, greed and so on."

In The Chakra Handbook (1999), Shalila Sharamon and Bodo J. Baginski say, “The root chakra connects us with the physical world. It transfers cosmic energies to the physical and earthly level and let's earthly energy stream into our subtle system… building up in existence, finding material security, and securing the survival of the species by founding of family belong to the sphere of this first chakra, along with sexuality as a physical function and a means of begetting children.”

In Chakra Breathing (1994), Helmut G. Sieczka says that open energy flow in the root chakra brings alertness and clarity in daily life, strong motivation and perseverance, firm rootedness in life, strong physical and mental resilience, high levels of physical confidence and self-assurance, firm connection with the earth and with nature, and love of life. He says that blocked energy flow in the root chakra results in lack of self-assertiveness and confidence in life, difficulty in finding a sense of direction, insecurity, anxiety, worry and existential fears around survival.

In Healing With The Energy Of The Chakras (1998), Ambika Wauters says, "Success and failure in our physical survival become embodied in the root chakra and are handed down from generation to generation... Depending on how past generations of your family saw life, whether as a struggle or as a worthwhile experience to be lived and enjoyed, this in turn will determine the unconscious patterns you carry in your root chakra." She also says that when the root chakra is open and functional it will "support one in manifesting all creative desires."

2. SACRAL CHAKRA

The sacral chakra is located three inches below the belly button, above the first lumbar. (It is also sometimes called the spleen chakra and thought to be over the spleen in certain systems).
Sanskrit name: Svadhighthana. The Chinese call it the Dan Tien and in Japanese culture it is called the Hara.
Typically associated with the color orange.
The sacral chakra has 6 petals or spokes.
The gonads are the endocrine gland it is connected to.
The ovaries or testicles are the related organs. This chakra governs the reproductive system.
Planet: Sun.
Astrological signs and planets for the sacral chakra are: Cancer/Moon (receptivity, fertility), Libra/Venus (sensuality, pleasure, care of the self), Scorpio/Pluto (giving up of one's ego in sexual encounters).
Associated sense: taste.
Associated element: water.
Musical note: Re.
Hindu mantra: Yam.

The sacral chakra is often associated with vitality, emotional states, and sexuality. It is the lower emotional aspect of the auric field, emotions pertaining to human existence in particular. A power that might appear when this chakra is fully awakened is a clear understanding of the cycles of creation and destruction, birth and death.

Author Comments:

Man Myth & Magic, Vol. 3 (1985) editor in chief, Richard Cavendish writes that vivification of this chakra "means coming to terms with those feminine aspects of the psyche which Jung named the anima."

In The Chakra Handbook (1999), Shalila Sharamon and Bodo J. Baginski say, “The second chakra is the center of unfiltered primordial emotions, sexual energies and creativity. It is assigned to the elements of water, the source of all biological life, and corresponds to the emotional sphere on the astrological plane. Water fertilizes continuously produces the life. Through the sacral chakra we participate in the fertilizing and receiving of energies which permeate the whole of nature.”

In Chakra Breathing (1994), Helmut G. Sieczka says that open energy flow in the second chakra invites vitality and sexual energy, a harmonious sex life, well-balanced physical constitution, feelings of connection and security toward oneself and others, a rich emotional life and a developed sense of empathy. Blockages in this chakra result in doubt, lack of interest, indecisiveness and lethargy in daily life, depression, low energy, clinging to the past, and physical and sexual inhibitions.

In her book Healing With The Energy Of The Chakras (1998), Ambika Wauters says, "Depression is literally a closing down of this chakra's energy." She also notes that when there is a blockage in this chakra, it is often related to childhood abuse at an early stage of development. The tendency after abuse is to block of the flow of love and pleasure into our lives and continue the self abusive pattern into adult relationships, work situations and relationships in general. She also notes that sexual dysfunction is a direct result when this chakra is impaired.

3. SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA

The solar plexus chakra is located over the solar plexus, above the seventh thoracic vertebrae.
Sanskrit name: Manipura.
Associated with the color yellow
The solar plexus has 10 petals or spokes.
The Pancreas is the endocrine gland associated with the third chakra.
The areas of the body the solar plexus chakra governs are stomach, liver, gall bladder and
nervous system.
Planet: Mercury.
Astrological signs and planets for the solar plexus chakra are: Leo/Sun (warmth, strength, recognition, power), Sagittarius/Jupiter (growth, expansion, wisdom, synthesis), Virgo/Mercury (analysis, classification, organizing), Mars (self-assertion, activity, energy, personal power).
Associated sense: sight.
Associated element: fire.
Musical note: Mi.
Hindu mantra: Ram.

This chakra is sometimes referred to as the power center, or personal will center. It is thought to have much to do with the manifestation process on the physical plane. It is also associated with the mental body and its functions. A fully functioning solar plexus chakra can bring the power of being sensitive to coming changes and their appropriateness, enhancement of one's personal power, and directing the personal will appropriately.

.......(Course material continues with information on four more chakras; skip forward to next section.)

C. AURIC LAYERS & THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE CHAKRAS

Everything in existence has an aura. Even inanimate objects have an aura, for those inanimate objects contain atoms, which are live and sentient beings, and their combined auras make the aura of the inanimate object. The human aura is composed of seven fields, each relating to the corresponding chakra. Each of these layers has a different function. For an ordinary person, it is possible to see the first three layers. The rest of the layers will most likely only be seen by an experienced meditator. However, the physical eye is not the only instrument for viewing the aura. The mind’s eye, or the third eye, can perceive the aura quite accurately. All it takes his practice and perseverance to develop this skill.

When I speak of auric layers, I am talking about the different layers in the human aura. In the Encyclopedia Of Psychic Science, (1966) Nandor Fodor writes that the aura is a "permanent radiation around the human body." Ted Andrews in his book How To See & Read The Aura (2000) describes the aura as follows: "The aura surrounds the physical body in all directions. It is 3D, and in a healthy person is elliptical in shape. The shape, the size, the colors and the clarity of colors all indicate specific things about your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being."

......(Course material continues with general information on the auric layers; skip forward to next section.)

THE LAYERS OF THE AURIC FIELD

1. ETHERIC BODY (FIRST LAYER OF AURA) ROOT CHAKRA

The root chakra is associated with the first layer of the auric field, or the etheric body, ether being the state between energy and matter. According to Barbara Brennan's book Hands Of Light (1988), the etheric body is a "structure of lines of force on which the physical matter of the body tissues is shaped and anchored." This field is prior to, and not a result of, the physical body. In The Nature Of Personal Reality (1974), Jane Roberts writes, "The body... has 'invisible' counterparts composed of the electromagnetic properties and the interior sound and light qualities. These invisible structures precede the emergence of the physical body. They also exist after the body's death... The data is impressed upon them [genes and chromosomes] from within. The identity exists before the form."

The etheric body is in motion with flashes of energy or light that move through the lines or webs in the structure of the template for the physical body. It is located about one quarter to two inches beyond the physical body and according to Barbara Brennan, pulsates about 15-20 cycles per minute and varies from light blue to gray colors. If one could see the pulsations as they travel around the lines, one might look at the shoulder of a person, see a flash as it goes from the shoulder to the wrist, but as soon as one sees it, it is gone until the next pulsation comes through. Brennan claims the chakras of this layer of the aura are net-like, like the etheric body, and only have grayish or bluish colors, not the typical rainbow progression that is often seen in pictures of the chakra system.

Author Comments:

Genevieve Lewis Paulson, Kundalini And The Chakras (1991), says that when this layer is in balance, the physical body will appear youthful and very energetic. It will seldom be ill and have great power. She simply calls this layer "emanations of the physical body."

According also to Ted Andrews in his book How To See & Read The Aura (2000), this first layer is simply related to the physical body, a template, and nothing more.

In Vera Stanley Alder's book The Finding Of The Third Eye (1976), she says the first layer is a body of “ether, higher and finer vibrations, and acting as an intermediary between it and the outer ether, a channel through which all the magnetic life-forces are fed to it." Vera Stanley Alder also notes that the ancient Egyptians called this layer the KA, symbolizing the vehicle or holder of the body.

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, in his book Meditation: The Art Of Ecstasy (1976), says that the first layer of the aura has polar opposites of breathing like the physical body does. On the incoming breath, something is rejuvenated, and on the outgoing breath, something is dormant.

In The Chakra Handbook (1999), Shalila Sharamon and Bodo J. Baginski say, “The ethereal body resembles the physical body in shape and dimension, and is therefore sometimes called the ‘ethereal twin’ or ‘inner physical body’… the ethereal body is formed anew with each reincarnation and dissolves within three to five days after physical death. The astral, mental and spiritual bodies continue to exist after death and reunite with the newly formed physical body in every reincarnation.”

Joshua David Stone, Ph.D., says in his book Soul Psychology: Keys To Ascension (1994), “The etheric body, or the etheric double, is an exact replica of the physical body. It is the archetype upon which the physical form is built. There is nothing in the manifest universe…that does not possess an etheric body. This etheric body governs and conditions the physical body. The function of the etheric body is to store the rays of radiant light and heat from the sun and to transmit them via the spleen chakra [solar plexus chakra] to all parts of the physical body.”

2. THE EMOTIONAL BODY (SECOND LAYER OF AURA) SACRAL CHAKRA

The second layer is called the emotional body and is all about emotional states. It is also called the astral body, by some. It outlines the physical body, but is more fluid and in motion than the first layer. It appears like colored clouds or wisps about three inches out around the physical body. Its colors change constantly depending on the emotional state of the person, and its movement varies as well.

This layer of the auric field has all the colors of the rainbow and more. The chakras in this layer reflect the typical rainbow progression up the chakras as seen in common pictures of the chakras. The colors in the emotional body can also fly off and go in different directions, especially if strong emotions are felt toward someone or something. This is the auric layer which is most often seen by beginners who see clouds of color around a subject.

Author Comments:
Helmut G. Sieczka says in Chakra Breathing (2000) that this is the etheric body. Even though he connects it to the root chakra, he describes it as clouds of color a few inches out from the body, a typical description of the emotional body, and he says that its function is to keep out toxins and bacteria.

Genevieve Lewis Paulson, Kundalini And The Chakras (1991) says the, "Emotions and feelings are just vibratory rates... After refining this layer of the aura, it is possible to have feelings without getting caught in them, experience life without causing more karma and blocks, and to love without attachment."

According to Ted Andrews in his book How To See & Read The Aura (2000) this layer is the astral body. As we go on, you will see that there is some disagreement among various texts as to which layer of the auric field is actually the astral body, the causal body, etc.

In Vera Stanley Alder's book The Finding Of The Third Eye (1976), this layer is also called the astral body, or ghost body, and "having the same high speed of movement as electricity..." She also states that the ancient Egyptians called this layer the BA, or astral body, the "traveler through space."

Richard Cavendish, editor in chief of Man Myth & Magic, Vol 2 (1985), writes that this "etheric double is probably physical matter of a refined character." As I have stated, there is some disagreement as to whether or not this is really the location of the etheric double, or astral body.

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, in his book Meditation: The Art Of Ecstasy (1976), says the polar opposites of this layer is that of love and hate, polar opposites of the primal level of emotion.

In The Chakra Handbook (1999), Shalila Sharamon and Bodo J. Baginski say, “The astral body, also known as the emotional body, is the carrier of feelings, emotions and character traits… Every change in emotions is radiated out into the aura by the astral body... The emotional aura is constantly in motion… an indescribable play of constantly changing colors, shining and all imaginable hues.”

Joshua David Stone, Ph.D., says in Soul Psychology: Keys To Ascension (1994), “If you are run by your astral body—by your feelings and desires—your astral body ends up running your conscious mind instead of your conscious mind having mastery of your emotions. You travel in this body when you practice astral projection… The limitation of this is that you are limited to traveling only on the astral plane.

3. THE MENTAL BODY (THIRD LAYER OF AURA) SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA

This layer extends beyond the second layer (emotional body) and is associated with mental activity. It is similar to the first layer of the aura, the etheric body, in the way that it is web-like in structure, with lines creating a net-like effect. However, the web is golden in color, or yellow, rather than the bluish-grayish tones of the etheric body. According to Barbara Brennan in her book Hands Of Light (1988), thoughts appear as blobs of golden or yellow light emerging from the web. Well formed thoughts and ideas are well formed and intricately detailed blobs of yellow light. Unformed thoughts or ideas, still in the gestation period, will be less detailed and formed.

The third layer is connected to the solar plexus chakra, thus having to do with power balancing and power struggles. The third layer can be worked with for correcting personal power imbalances or mental distortions. The third layer is also a great place for working with "stopping the mind" or calming the minds of others.

Author Comments:

Genevieve Lewis Paulson in Kundalini And The Chakras (1991) says, "The mental body contains matter which can vibrate at a rate similar to that of the creative force in our cosmos... the more rigid the matter in our mental body becomes, the more difficult it is to flow with life..." She goes on to say that when this layer of the auric field is in balanced operation, "manifestation and other mental powers will be considered normal."

Ted Andrews, How To See & Read The Aura (2000), agrees with others that this is the mental layer of the auric field.

Vera Stanley Alder agrees in The Finding Of The Third Eye (1976), that this is the mental body layer of the aura, "and well known instances of thought telepathy traveling right across the world in the space of a few seconds prove to us the speed at which we can function while in this body." Alder did not know the name of this layer according to the ancient Egyptians, but she did know that the spirit body was represented by a lotus, "which is able to rise out of the darkness and mud to reach the light." It is interesting to me how this same symbol emerged in Eastern spirituality...

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, in his book Meditation: The Art Of Ecstasy (1976), says this layer is an incoming and outgoing of power. "One moment you are powerful and the next moment you are powerless; one moment you are hopeful and the next moment you are hopeless; one moment you are confident and the next moment you lose all your confidence. It is a coming in of magnetism to you and a going out of magnetism from you... This coming in and going out of the magnetic force corresponds to your breathing." He goes on to use the example of judo: "Breath corresponds to what is happening in the third body. So when the breath is going out (unless the person has been trained to fool you), that is the moment when his magnetic force is going out. That is the moment to attack! And this is the secret of judo."

In The Chakra Handbook (1999), Shalila Sharamon and Bodo J. Baginski say, “The mental body possesses both the higher and a lower octave. It's lower frequencies are expressed by the linear thinking of the rational mind, the approach adopted by most people to truth. This kind of mental activity is based on perceptions of the physical level… The astral body translates the information into feelings and passes them on to the mental body, which in turn reacts by formulating corresponding verbal thoughts. Through the influence of the astral body and its unresolved emotional patterns, the information is frequently distorted and thinking becomes biased... This means that the rational mind can practically never be unbiased and neutral, although it claims this of itself.”

Joshua David Stone, Ph.D. says in Soul Psychology: Keys To Ascension (1994), “The refinement and development of this body are the result of hard work and discrimination... The mental body remains clear when you maintain a good mental diet. Every thought that comes from your subconscious mind or from other people should be examined to determine if it is of God or not of God and if it is truth or illusion. If it is positive and of God, let it into your mind as you would good food into your stomach. If it is negative and not of God, deny its entrance into your mind. It is the ongoing process of remaining conscious and vigilant and not functioning on automatic pilot that will keep your mental body clear.”

.......(Course material continues with more information on the rest of the auric layers, skip to next section.)

D. SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

According to Nandor Fodor in his book Encyclopedia Of Psychic Science (1966), the most enlightening scientific research on the human aura was done by Dr. Walter J. Kilner (1847-1920) of Saint Thomas Hospital of London. A dicyanin screen was enclosed which rendered the aura visible to normal sight. The screen was a solution of coal-tar dye between two hermetically sealed pieces of glass. Turning the eye on a naked man in dim light before a dark background, three distinct radiations, all lying in the ultraviolet end of the spectrum, became visible. The first was dark and colorless, and surrounded the body about one quarter to one half an inch out from the physical body. The second extended three inches beyond, and the third was almost one foot in depth.

Kilner tried several experiments. The aura was influenced by magnets and electricity. According to Nandor Fodor in his book Encyclopedia Of Psychic Science (1966), Kilner reported, "When negative currents were introduced, nearby, the aura went to the extent of completely vanishing under a negative charge...and increasing to an additional 50 % after the charge dissipates. It also was affected by vapors from various chemicals." Illness affected both its size and color. He also claimed that the aura was affected by an effort of will, that it could be projected to a longer distance form the body and change its colors. Mental impairment caused a diminishing in its size and distinction. Nervous diseases showed quite observable imbalances. The auras of different people showed attraction and interaction with each other, blending and becoming more intense. From this, Dr. Kilner concluded that the higher brain centers are intimately concerned in the output of auric force. He also noticed that the aura shrinks near the time of death, and that no aura whatsoever existed once the person had expired.

In the Encyclopedia Of Psychic Science (1966)Nandor Fodor continues to list other scientific studies. He refers to a forgotten and out of print book called Ten Years With Spiritual Mediums (1874) published by Francis Gerry Fairfield. Fairfield claims, "All organic structures have a special form of nerve-aura... Observation and experiments seem to indicate that the nerve-aura is material—an imponderable nervous ether... susceptible to the will of the operator, and capable of sensory impression..." Nandor Fodor notes that Morselli, Flournoy, Geley and Carrington have arrived at the same conclusion, that there is an "exteriorization of the nervous system energy."

Dr. Seymon Davidovich Kirlian made another amazing invention which revealed the human aura. It is called Kirlian photography. This is discussed in a lengthy chapter by Sheila Ostrander and Lynn Schroeder in Psychic Discoveries Behind The Iron Curtain (1973). Kirlian created a machine that uses a high frequency electrical field that generates 75,000 to 200,000 electrical oscillations per second. The object to be investigated (finger, leaf, etc.) is inserted between the clamps along with photo paper. The generator is turned on and a high frequency field which is created between the clamps causes the object to radiate some sort of bio-luminescence onto photo paper. A camera is not used.

This discovery was of great interest to many in all sorts of fields of science. According to Kirlian, different details show up in the photographs of bio-luminescence, depending on the dominant frequency. Experiments were done on leaves, photographing them in all different phases of health. Interestingly, different colors denoted illness or disease in the different samples of leaves, and even when a piece of the leaf was torn off, the aura was still there even though the piece was gone. According to Sheila Ostrander and Lynn Schroeder in Psychic Discoveries Behind The Iron Curtain ( 1973) "The Kirlian window on the unknown might revolutionize our entire concept of ourselves and our universe. It seems [Kirlian and his wife] had discovered far more than the aura."

Discussion

The human energy field is the next frontier for western medicine to explore. When doctors and scientists understand it completely, illness will be a thing of the past. There has been enough scientific research and enough proof that the human aura is real and is not just a product of fantasy as some would like to believe. The human energy field not only shows illness before it appears at the physical level, but it is also easily influenced, especially by the mind of the person who owns the aura.

Kilner claimed that the human energy field, from his conclusions, is an exteriorized nervous system which is a product of higher brain activity and that it is easily influenced by outside input as well as inner output from the mind. The fields he witnessed behind the dycyannin screen were being affected by the thought patterns of the individual and also by environmental influences such as chemical vapors and electricity. Kirlian photography shows the reality of the aura, at least the first layer of it, which is the etheric template for the physical body. In the book Psychic Discoveries Behind The Iron Curtain (1973), Sheila Ostrander and Lynn Schroeder report that the Kirlians discovered a "whole galaxy of lights... a fire world, great channels of blazing, glittering light in living things, in us." There are countless researchers who have documented and studied the human aura and its properties. After seeing the proof of scientific research on the study of the human auric field, who could possibly doubt the reality of its existence?

Perhaps years of meditation and discipline will not be necessary in the future for even the ordinary person to experience the ability to see, through the physical eye or the third eye, these other layers of the human aura. Medicines could be invented to induce these abilities and even surgeries could be possible for opening the human ability to "see." Such an account of a surgical type procedure for opening the third eye was described in T. Lobsang Rampa's book The Third Eye (1986). This is described from the point of view of the receiver of the procedure, an aspirant who was still very young and was being trained in the ways of the Lamas in Tibet. "He pressed the instrument to the center of my forehead and rotated the handle... There was no particular pain as it penetrated the skin and flesh, but there was a little jolt as the end hit the bone... Suddenly there was a little "scrunch" and the instrument penetrated the bone... Mingyar Dondup passed him a very hard, very clean sliver of wood which had been treated by fire and herbs to make it as hard as steel... entered the hole in my head... slid the sliver farther and farther... suddenly there was a blinding flash... for a moment the pain was intense... it diminished, died and was replaced by spirals of color... [the procedure was over] and the sliver of wood remained, it would stay in place for two or three weeks. Until it was removed I would have to stay in this little room almost in darkness... [the Lama]... turned to me and said: "You are now one of us, Lobsang. For the rest of your life you will see people as they are and not as they pretend to be." It was a very strange experience to see these men apparently enveloped in golden flame. Not until later did I realize that their auras were golden because of the pure life they led, and that most people would look very different indeed."

Even an ordinary person without much training can be taught to see at least the first layer or two of the human aura in an evening class. I have personally witnessed the awe and excitement my students have when they first see the human aura, without a doubt that they saw it. It is not as hard to access as people might think. The tools for developing the ability to see auras are everywhere, even in entertainment books such as The Magic Eye (1993) by N.E. Thing Enterprises. This book contains pictures that are particularly good for developing the focus necessary for the aspirant to see the human aura. The pictures are static chaos, but upon achieving the correct focus, a precise and clear image emerges in a 3D way. This is the same type of focus necessary for seeing auras.

Working with the physical body's first defense system, the aura, is an efficient way to approach healing. Etheric illness can be healed even if the condition has been there for some time in the auric layers, so what better time is there to start exploring this than now? It stands to reason that it is much easier to cause healing at the auric level than it is at the physical level. Eileen J. Garrett in her book Many Voices, The Autobiography Of A Medium (1968), says that the aura is a "vaporous color world in which the body exists and is more than a thing of beauty. It is an outer web or surround that protects the body's action, a sieve to receive the shocks of the external world and translates them into responses which the magnetic field accepts and uses." Man Myth & Magic, Vol. 3 (1985) editor in chief, Richard Cavendish reports, "The consequence of a spiritual change of state—good or ill—can supposedly be transmitted through the chakras to the material body, in this way effecting change in the physical state."

The metaphysical community is leading the way in understanding these organs and functions of the auric field. It is like re-inventing the wheel, though, for the auric body has been known and studied for thousands of years, long before western medicine came into manifestation. In Western thought, we are just beginning to find that there is more to the physical body than the physical level alone, and that the electro-magnetic field around the human body responds to Earthly events and realities just like the physical body does.

We are quite aware of three layers of parallel existence already: physical, emotional, and mental. Even the ordinary person is aware of three overlapping layers of experience. We experience events physically, have emotions about them, and think about them all at the same time. These are three simultaneous layers of existence (mind, emotions, and physical sensory input) that we are familiar with as humans, so who is to say that there are not undiscovered layers and reactions to the events of physical life? Perhaps experiences in all the layers is tied to some greater cosmic rhythm even beyond the seven layers we are looking at in this course.

This suggests that the human being is existing at the same time in parallel levels of experience, perhaps levels directly related to the physical life being lived. Vera Stanley Alder said in her book The Finding Of The Third Eye (1976), that when the chakras are fully functioning, they "connect [man] with the knowledge of and power consciously to work in the different planes of matter." Entire groups of experiences might be happening, perhaps seven layers of exactly related experiences that correspond to the chakras, their corresponding auric layers and their particular versions of events, energy waves, and other such influences.

There is very little awareness beyond the seven layers as far as written works on the subject. In some works of literature eight, nine, twelve and even twenty-two chakras are mentioned. Acupuncture proclaims as many as 700 or more chakras (known as acupuncture points). One system of chakras boasts 88,000 of them. Other schools of thought denounce the existence of chakras and auras at all, and deem them quite unnecessary to the process of enlightenment.

Perhaps there is evolution of the chakra and auric systems, and maybe that is why there is some disagreement as to how many chakras and auric layers there really are. Perhaps the chakras and the auras are evolving just like the human body is at the physical level, even though that evolution is slow. Perhaps long ago there truly were only four chakras or auric layers, and now there are seven, or maybe more. Perhaps, over time, these levels change as humankind becomes more evolved, insinuating that evolution is happening on all levels, not just physical. Obviously there has been evolution in the mental realm, with technologies and such. There has also been evolution in the understanding of the human psychological dysfunctions, mostly having to do with emotional bodies that have been harmed. There has also been much evolution in the spiritual level of mankind, so is evolution happening in all layers, not just physical?

These are questions that must be asked in research and observance of the human auric system and its chakras. As yet, it is still uncharted territory as far as western medicine and science are concerned, even with the research that has already been done. This is a wide open field of discovery for many professions, especially the healing professions.

So why then have the medical sciences largely ignored the factual truth? There has been vast research about the energy field of the human being. The section on scientific discoveries in this course did not even touch the tip of the iceberg on all the experimentation and observation that has taken place in a scientific format concerning chakras and auras. Why has western medicine not leapt at the chance to diagnose and cure physical illnesses so easily even before the physical appearance of illness? It has been proven without a doubt that there is the possibility for healing through diagnosis of the aura. Complete study and mapping of the human aura would change western medicine as we know it.

The human energy field is highly sensitive, perhaps even too sensitive for our own good, especially for people predisposed to negative thought patterns. Vera Stanley Alder wrote, in her book The Finding Of The Third Eye (1976), "Love and hate, then, have each their chemical form and action. It is obviously impossible for doctors...to do us any permanent good until we learn not to poison ourselves and those around us."

The current pattern in western medicine and healing practices could be thought of as a paradigm, perhaps even something as simple as an economic one. Paradigms are built to fight change. It is a scientific fact, according to Thomas S. Kuhn in his book, The Structure Of Scientific Revolution (1962), that paradigms fight change as a natural course of action in the universe. If paradigms were not to fight change, then chaos would ensue. This tendency for paradigms to fight change is the way the physical universe maintains consistency, patterns, and resists chaos. Therefore this resistance to change has its positive aspects, even though this might cause evolution to be slower than it would be if changes were more easily embraced by the cosmos.

A world where illness never appeared physically at all would be a different world than the one we live in now. It would be a very large paradigm change, perhaps even a quantum leap. (Quantum leaps are places where the paradigm is shifted more than usual because the tendency to resist change has been suspended for moment.) Illness would appear etherically, it would be addressed etherically, and it would be healed etherically, not physically. Hmmm... Perhaps this is why western medicine resists the possibilities of etheric healing. It would be put out of business! It would also put the drug companies out of business! In fact, everything that western medicine is now made of would be obsolete and considered a primitive understanding of human health and healing. If cancer could be treated simply by addressing the mental or emotional attitudes, or environmental stressors that disturb the human aura, then medicine would mostly be a science of emotional and mental repatterning. Yes, paradigms do fight change—especially profitable economical ones!

New kinds of healers would appear in society, however. The healers of the future would not only fully understand the physical body, but would also study the auric layers in college courses, which would be just as essential as anatomy courses. They would have studied the "organs" of the human aura, learning its psychological and emotional functions, and how to affect healing in the auric level. Doctors would use electric or magnetic instruments, light or sound, thought or emotional power, or other means as yet undiscovered. This would become the merging of western medicine and what is now called metaphysical healing. Helmut G. Sieczka says in his book Chakra Breathing (1994) that the, "higher one's vibrational frequency, the easier it is to prevent physical and mental disturbances... [they] cannot take hold when one is flooded with pure energy and light."

What would it be like if every high school student had full knowledge of how the human aura and its centers (or organs) work? Could youngsters be taught to avoid all the pitfalls that most of us fall into physically just because we have mental body disorders and emotional body disorders to some extent or another that were not addressed at the auric level? Could human beings be born enlightened and stay enlightened, not just sinking into negative patterns of unawareness, fear or defenses? And what is there to pursue after enlightenment, as the mass conscious entity called humanity? How would a human world be changed without the conflict of physical illness in high quantities like it is now, with huge business profits built around it? People would actually be able to heal themselves and not need the services of a doctor...ever.

In this era, humans operate out of a state of fear (or root chakra blockages) even if it is unconscious fear or what is called "low level" fear. The main fear for almost every human on Earth is fear for personal physical survival. The drive underneath almost every activity is somehow connected with physical survival, even the craving for love from others, workaholics striving for financial security, and various other effortful endeavors. Every human is trying to avoid sickness, poverty, and death. Many people live lives of resigned acceptance in their role as have-nots. Even people who are considered high or middle class have feelings of being a have-not because they are striving to collect enough savings to alleviate the fear of poverty, which could result in survival issues. And let us not forget the people who are actually in a life and death situation on a daily basis. There is a basic belief across the mass consciousness of humanity that there is "not enough" for everyone and there must be a struggle to survive. So people do jobs they hate to serve this need. People go through all sorts of physical healing gymnastics to preserve life for even just another year. There is a prevailing struggle for survival across the globe that is reflected in everything, from global struggles for survival to the struggles between individuals.

What would happen if physical and etheric medicine merged, resulting in a world without physical disorders, only etheric ones with etheric healing practices. And what are the spiritual implications? The spiritual implications for humans exploring the auric layers will be immense. Humans still struggle greatly with little or no awareness of the functioning of their physical, emotional or mental bodies, unaware of patterns that must be broken for true health and lucidity to emerge. The first three layers of the human aura could easily be transcended if its first three layers, which are the most accessible by science, were fully mapped and understood.

The starting point in life for our children or grandchildren would be in the heart, in spiritual evolution, rather than the physical survival level, as it is now. The next era for humanity's evolution might well be the heart. Humanity is mastering the physical, emotional and mental levels of existence, and then comes the heart, the fourth layer of the human aura, the fourth chakra, the bridge between the higher and lower centers and layers. That is when the exploration of the higher levels of human existence will begin.

What kind of adventures await humanity in the higher levels of existence that the chakras and auric layers represent as a connection to these realities? I believe there would be new kinds of energies invented, new kinds of social structures, new kinds of science, especially spiritual sciences, like astral travel, time travel, telekinesis, manipulating matter with sound, teletransportation, and interdimensional travel. Physical laws could possibly be bent once the deeper levels of reality are understood, and the higher (or deeper) aspects of humankind’s existence are embraced.

The other dimensions and universes are huge. Humans have only begun to explore them through meditation. Perhaps using fossil fuels and projecting our physical bodies into space is the wrong approach for travel in the cosmos! I personally believe that the direction for travel in the universe is an inward journey, not a physical one. Consciousness is faster than light. Perhaps the universe is a virtual reality already built into our system as humans, at least seven layers of virtual reality, and we only have to move inward to experience them. Perhaps the astral body is better equipped for space travel than the physical body.

The ability to enter the other worlds, in which the human exists parallel to his or her physical existence, is a byproduct of meditation, awakening the chakras and harmonizing the auric field. This does not necessarily mean that there must be full consciousness of the chakras and auras, for meditation will adjust these automatically, but quieting of the mind is the first step to attaining the ability to reach these other worlds. As the aspirant quiets the human mind, the kundalini is released, and experiences in the upper layers of the auric field begin, which might very well be directly related to other worlds that the human being might simultaneously exist in, and a more expanded "mind."

Conclusion

Enlightenment and healing is at hand. Humanity has become more fascinated with the ideas around meditation and its healing properties than ever before. Coming into the heart layer of the aura, which allows for the experiences of enlightenment to begin, is a result of mastering the physical, emotional and mental layers of the human aura. Over the past few decades alone, leaps and bounds have been made in the fields of physical, emotional and mental body knowledge and the healing thereof.

It is not that this knowledge does not exist, but rather, that it is being largely ignored and unused by the majority. The ability to love, to have compassion, and to be merciful are qualities human beings on a mass level are still attempting to create in themselves. Compassion is a new idea, and it is the bridge, the password, to the higher (deeper) levels of human experience. Those who have the ability to have unconditional love, or at least compassion and acceptance of the human condition in others, are the ones who get to pass "go" and move to the next levels of experience, what many people call enlightenment. With those levels of harmony in every person, physical illness in the masses would be impossible.

Shirley MacLaine claims in her book Going Within (1989), "To be more aware of the value of our chakra system is to be more aware of our internal power." So let us use the knowledge that we have already gathered about the physical, emotional and mental layers of the human aura, the first three, and explore them fully. Let us truly reap the benefits of such explorations. It is the first three layers of each individual that must be healed before humanity will stop its struggle within itself. A world of physical health and well being is within our grasp if we were to unlock the mysteries of the aura with research and study. Let us learn the laws of the human aura, for it does obey laws of some sort in each layer. Let us perform the balancing needed for healing on all three levels, physical, emotional, and mental, and see what happens next. This would be a great place to start.

Exercises And Meditations

Exercises For Cleansing And Activating Chakras
(Some exam questions may be drawn from the following material.)

1. Root Chakra
Nature: contemplation of sunrises and sunsets, especially reddish ones

Sound: monotonous and rhythmic music, like drumming and nature sounds; the vowel “u” (pronounced “ooh”) can be sung in lower C. “U” sets off a downward spiral into the roots of your being, and helps you connect with the grounding energy of the Earth; mantra: LAM

Color: the color red and all shades of red, visualization, red foods, red clothing, breathing red through the
chakra or the entire auric structure

Gemstones: agate, hematite, blood jasper, garnet, red coral, ruby, all red stones
Aromatherapy: cedar, clove oil

Yoga: hatha yoga, kundalini yoga

Suggestions:

Be patient when things go wrong so you do not waste your energy on being angry or frustrated.

Always affirm that things can come about in a positive way for you, even if you become confused or things don't work out in the beginning. Be philosophical when things go wrong.

Remain as stable as possible through change. Learn to accept change as a normal occurance in life.

Trust in life and know that everything will be all right eventually. This will alleviate fear.

Make a chart of your short-term and your long-term goals so that you can see where you're going even in the midst of moments that are uncertain.

Be grateful for what you do have, instead of lamenting that which you do not have.

Have a sense of humor no matter what is going on, even in the midst of challenges.

2. Sacral Chakra
Nature: moonlight, contemplation of clear water in nature, immersion in clear water, imbibing spring water, combining contemplation of moonlight and water together

Sound: flowing joyful music, any kind of music which creates flowing, harmonious emotions, birdsong, the sound of running water of brooks, fountains, or other ways that water creates sound; the vowel “o” as in “know,” sung in D, sets off a circular movement, uniting yin and yang; mantra VAM

Color: orange and all shades of orange, increases joy, self-esteem and renews energy, visualization, orange foods, orange clothing, breathing orange through the chakra or in the entire auric structure

Gemstones: carnelian, moonstone, all orange stones

Aromatherapy: ylang-ylang, sandalwood

Yoga: tantra yoga

Suggestions:

Take care of your physical body so that it always has enough food, water, rest and exercise.
Do not exert or push yourself beyond your natural physical limits.
Create good experiences that replenish your body and your spirit; honor your need for pleasure.
Acknowledge your sexuality and find peace with it, if you have not already.
Keep an orderly environment in your home and office.
Give your appetites and needs a place in your life, and treat yourself to pleasurable experiences.

3. Solar Plexus Chakra
Nature: golden sunlight, golden fields of wheat or grasses, sunflowers and other yellow flowers, Sound: fiery music, music with much interaction between instruments and sounds; the vowel “o” as in the word “lot,” producing spiraling movement which is directed toward the outside, entailing expansiveness; mantra: RAM

Color: gold or sunny yellow, strengthens mental activity and stimulates wisdom, visualization, yellow foods, yellow clothing, breathing yellow through the chakra or in the entire auric structure

Gemstones: tiger’s eye, amber, topaz, citrine, all yellow stones

Aromatherapy: lavender, rosemary, bergamot

Yoga: karma yoga

Suggestions:

Know who you are, eternal consciousness experiencing a temporary life on earth. Know that you are a changeless being, and that once the physical body goes you still exist independently of physical forms.

Spend time alone with yourself. Develop your personality, and explore yourself inwardly.

Affirm that you are worthy of the life you want.

Enforce your boundaries in a loving way, standing up for yourself and taking care of your needs.

Find out what your talents and gifts are.

Try new things and place yourself in mentally challenging situations.

Recognize your own power, integrity and character.

......(Continues with tips and suggestions for each chakra. Also included in this section is a very long list of questions to ask yourself when working with each chakra. Skip to next section.)

Audio Meditations

Meditations For The Chakras
Each audio tape contains meditations for the chakras and the auric layers. You will be asked in the exam questions to give a short description of your experience with each of the following meditations:

The first two tapes contain 15 minute meditations for each chakra. The eighth meditation is for exploring the chakras above the seventh, or crown chakra.
Tape 1, Side A: Meditation 1) Root Chakra. Meditation 2) Sacral Chakra
Tape 1, Side B: Meditation 1) Solar Plexus Chakra. Meditation 2) Heart Chakra
Tape 2, Side A: Meditation 1) Throat Chakra. Meditation 2) Third Eye Chakra
Tape 2, Side B: Meditation 1) Crown Chakra Meditation 2) Chakras 8 Through 22

The second two tapes contain 30 minute meditations with the following titles:
Tape 1, Side A: Breathing New Energy Into, Spinning, And Energizing The Chakras
Tape 1, Side B: Combining More Than One Chakra At A Time
Tape 2, Side A: Moving Kundalini
Tape 2, Side B: Exploring And Adjusting The Auric Layers

......(Skip forward to next section: Exam Questions.)

Sample Exam Questions
(Exam questions are drawn directly from the reading material, section headings are given where the answer can be found)

1. What are the three channels associated with kundalini energy? {Kundalini} (Answer: Ida, Pingala, Shushumna)

2. What is the sanskrit name for the Root (first) Chakra? {B. The Seven Chakras & Their Functions} (Answer: Mudlahara)

3. In the first layer of the aura, the etheric body, how many cycles per minute does it pulsate? {C. The Auric Layers} (Answer: 15-20 cycles per minute)

4. What is a dicyanin screen? {D. Scientific Studies} (Answer: a solution of coal-tar dye between two hermetically sealed pieces of glass that allows a person to view the human aura with the naked eye)

(Twenty six more exam questions are asked in relation to this course, easy to answer by referring to the written material. Exam questions are designed to make sure the written course material has been read.)

Bibliography

Alder, Vera Stanley(1976)
The Finding Of The Third Eye. New York, Samuel Weiser, Inc.

Andrews, Ted (2000)
How To See And Read The Aura. St. Paul, Minnesota, Llewellyn Publications, Inc.

Brennan, Barbara (1988)
Hands of Light. New York, Bantam Books

Brennan, Barbara (1993)
Light Emerging. New York, Bantam Books

Cavendish, Richard, Editor in Chief (1985)
Man, Myth & Magic. New York, Marshall Cavendish Corp.

Enterprises, N.E. Thing (1993)
Magic Eye. Andrews And McMeel, Kansas City, MO

Fodor, Nandor (1966)
The Encyclopedia of Psychic Science. USA, University Books

Garrett, Eileen J. (1968)
Many Voices: The Autobiography of A Medium. New York, G. P. Putnam's Sons

Kingsland, Kevin and Venika (1983)
The Complete Hatha Yoga. New York, Arco Publishing, Inc.

Kuhn, Thomas S. (1962)
The Structure Of Scientific Revolutions. Chicago, Phoenix Books

Larson, Bob (1989).
Straight Answers On The New Age. Nashville, Thomas Nelson Publishers

Leadbeater, C.W. (1990)
The Chakras. Wheaton, Ill., Theosophical Publishing House

Maclaine, Shirley (1989)
Going Within. New York, Bantam Books

Maharaj, Shri Sadguru Siddharameshwar (1998)
Amrut Laya (The Stateless State). Mumbai, India, Shri Sadguru Siddharameshwar Adhyatma Kendra

Ostrander, Sheila and Lynn Schroeder (1973)
Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain. New York, Bantam Books

Paulson, Genevieve Lewis (1991)
Kundalini And The Chakras. St. Paul, Minnesota, Llewellyn Publications, Inc.

Rajneesh, Bhagwan Shree (1976)
Meditation: The Art Of Ecstasy. New York, Harper & Row

Rampa, T. Lobsang (1986)
The Third Eye. London, Corgi Books

Roberts, Jane (1974)
The Nature Of Personal Reality. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Roman, Sanaya and Duane Packer (1987)
Opening To Channel. Tiburon, CA, H. J. Kramer, Inc.

Sharamon, Shalila and Bodo J. Baginski (1999)
The Chakra Handbook. Lotus Light Publications, Wilmot, WI

Sieczka, Helmut G. (1994)
Chakra Breathing. Mendocino, CA, Life-Rhythm

Wauters, Ambika (1998)
Healing with the Energy of the Chakras. Freedom, CA, The Crossing Press

I mention these scientific discoveries, but there are many more in which the human field has been tested and determined to be "real." I focused on these discoveries because they are actual instruments for seeing the human aura with the naked eye. I believe that a "Doubting Thomas" could be most easily convinced of the existence of the aura by sciences that make the aura visible to the naked eye, like the dicyanin screen.