Auras - Where did this idea come from?

[Triste-chan]

Just something I was wondering about after LOLAURAS came up in the FAQ - where the hell did this idea even come from? Is this one of those kooky new-age ideas, or what?  

[TeaDidikai]

Auras came from Wicca. talk2hand  

[Triste-chan]

TEEEEEAAAAAA

 

[TeaDidikai]

We know that many early expressions of Christian art portrayed halos, or auras about the head and at times horns on statues were used to depict the same thing (for example, the statue of Moses made by Michelangelo.

Even earlier than that Buddhist and Hindu art as well as some of the ancient Hellenic art featured bows of color or circles of gold or flames around a sacred person to denote them as such.

Some argue that the Sun Disks behind Egyptian figures were amongst the earliest precursors to the "aura"- I'm not amongst them viewing them as a more literal representation of the sun. ~shrugs~

In the mid 1800's, the term was coined form the initial Latin (which had meant breeze or wind) to the modern idea of the energetic field around living beings.

Some individuals have dismissed the ability to see auras as retinal burn. This has been tested by individuals who can both see auras and understand and have experienced retinal burn and has been dismissed as not the same experience. Others have argued that such experiences are a malfunction in the brain.

Much of the Spiritualist Movement and Theosophy embraced the term itself, often claiming it to be the appearance of the soul engulfing the physical body.

Some magical practices use the personal aura as "fuel" for magical working. (Not a practice my tradition engages in). Others such as psy-vamps ritualistically (or casually) collect, consume and offer such energy.

In short- ancient but poorly defined concept that was organized somewhat about a hundred and fifty years ago.  

[TeaDidikai]

Triste-chan

TEEEEEAAAAAA...

Whoa. Someone get that thing a laxative.