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This weeks blog is one which opens much area for debate, and questions the whole area of medical education in the western world. It was prompted by a brief twitter chat with a guy who made a fair comment about an article on the official website for the Office of Health and Human Services in Massachusetts, which interestingly stated that Kirlian Photography was on the list of allowed diagnostic techniques for Acupuncture. The impression that I got was that this guy was a little sceptical about the use of Kirlian Photography, but very fairly asked questions in our conversation and didn’t dismiss it outright – he was prepared to listen to my opinion. Unfortunately, conversation is difficult with the twitter limitation of 140 characters, so Todd’s questions have inspired today’s blog. Todd – I hope that you find this interesting, and it helps you form your own balanced opinion.

Go back in time to the 70’s, when Kirlian Photography became a boom in the US and UK. One of the main reasons it didn’t make the mainstream was its misuse through non-scientists, making hyped up claims and performing experiments in non-scientific manners. Today, we have vastly superior equipment, analytical techniques, qualifications and 40 years of good research to our benefit. What doesn’t help is the odd misuse - Kirlian photography takes a photo of the electromagnetic corona around the surface of an object, not someone’s soul, or as someone else put on twitter, “my wife’s heart”. In addition, Kirlian Photography should not be confused with the Aura Photographs often seen at psychic events – it’s a different philosophy altogether.

However, the fundamental problem is the Western world’s belief system. We have a science-based belief system, in that something has to be proven to be considered factual. Take this a step further, and our medical knowledge is driven more by flesh and blood than the Eastern belief system, which include the concepts of an energy system or life force which drives our body – Prana (Sanskrit for “vital life”), Qi/Chi (Chinese lifeforce) Yin Yang (the interconnection between opposite forces) and Chakras (force centres within the body). While Eastern beliefs cover different interconnected planes or levels within the body, the western belief system is somewhat “flatter” – but highlights our limited knowledge. It’s interesting how Western knowledge does not explain what a memory, feeling or emotion is – but we know they exist.

Back to the point, and I do think there’s a parallel between the belief systems. In our terms, the best description for the life force is the electromagnetic energy flowing around the body. This is exactly what Kirlian Photography captures. What are the pictures telling us? This is the question that our existing knowledge can’t answer. Those who use Kirlian photography do so with a degree of belief, based on prior research – at a recent event, our customer satisfaction rate was 100% - but it’s like any doctors tool – it’s something which gives you some core information, and should be used in conjunction with understanding, knowledge and the skills of a therapist to develop a full and accurate analysis of someone’s situation in life. While we cannot explain exactly why we see what we see in a Kirlian photo (it’s like asking “why does reflexology have effects on the rest of the body?!”) we do know which hand, and which parts of the hand, maps onto each individual characteristic.

While some sceptics believe that it is not accurate (“it’s to do with moisture, pressure, etc…”) like any science or medical treatment, it is extremely accurate if used in a professional and correct manner. Western belief systems are slowly changing to accompany the train of thought that the body is more than flesh and bone. Interestingly, acupuncture itself is based on the concept of the Qi/Chi lifeforce – something western medicine does not openly recognise – so to believe in the benefits of acupuncture without opening to the potential for the principles behind Kirlian Photography is something of a contradiction.  Sure – there will always be people who make invalid claims and misuse the technology, but the same can be said for any medicine or therapy.

Todd – have a look through our pages (in particular research), and I hope that this starts to answer some of your questions so you can develop a well-informed opinion. I hope you (and the other readers) have found this interesting, and that it prompts good debate.  And to everyone else, follow us on facebook (www.facebook.com/ouraura) and twitter (@ouraura).

Have a good week!

Well, it's been a cold-stricken week here at Ouraura with coughs, sneezes and aches galore! Fortunately, most of them set in after a fantastic session at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) where we were able to demonstrate the equipment to a number of interested people, and arrange a follow-on training session.

Equally interesting was the session at Staffordshire on Wednesday aimed at the development - or at least recognition - of clinical complementary therapies for introduction alongside traditional medicines as an option for referral from NHS and other mainstream sources. It seems to the case that many people and practitioners are starting to realise that traditional medicine is not the answer to everything, and that complementary therapies have a key role to play. Heal the mind, heal the soul, and the body will follow.

But what are your thoughts? We know that Kirlian Photography has an essential role to play in proving the effectiveness of many other therapies, and also plays a role in profiling patients. What complementary therapies would you like to see alongside everything your doctor currently prescibes? Aromatherapy? Reiki?

Tell us your thoughts, and let's get an interesting thread going...