Why some people are able to "see the aura" around others, scientists have found out

The supposed psychic abilities that allow people to see auras around others may just be a brain quirk, according to a University College London (UCL) study of a rare form of synesthesia where some people see colorful "auras" around their loved ones.

A case study published in the journal of Cognitive Neuropsychology shows how some people may perceive colors in response to familiar people or words that evoke emotions — a condition known as emotional-color synesthesia.

Dr. Jamie Ward, author of the study, says:

"It is widely believed that some people have the magical ability to detect the hidden emotions of others by seeing the colorful "aura" or energy field that they emit. Our study offers a different interpretation. These colors do not reflect the hidden energies radiated by other people, rather they are entirely created in the viewer's brain.”

In the study, Dr. Ward of the University of California Department of Psychology documented a woman known as GW who could see colors like purple and blue in response to people she knew, or their names, when read to her. The words caused a color to spread throughout her field of vision, while the people themselves seemed to have colored "auras" projected around them. For example, “James” called pink, “Thomas" black and “Hannah" blue.

A similar test using 100 words rated on a scale from 1 to 7 for their emotional impact showed that very emotional words, such as fear or hate, also evoke colors. Words associated with positive emotions tended to evoke pink, orange, yellow and green colors, while words associated with negative emotions evoked brown, gray and black colors.

Although quite often people or emotions are metaphorically described in terms of colors, GW actually reported that she clearly saw them. Indeed, when “James” (the pink word) was written in the wrong color (for example, blue), her reaction time slowed down.

Synesthesia is a condition found in 1 in 2,000 people in which stimulation of one sense triggers a reaction in one or more other senses. For example, people with synesthesia can perceive shapes with tastes or smells with sounds. It is believed that it occurs in the brain, and some scientists believe that this may be caused by cross-connections in the brain, for example, between centers involved in processing emotions and perceiving odors. Synesthesia is known to be inherited.Dr. Jamie Ward continues:

“The ability of some people to see the colored auras of others has occupied an important place in folklore and mysticism for centuries. Although many people claiming to have such abilities may be charlatans, it is also possible that others are born with the gift of synesthesia."

Before believing that some people have supernatural abilities, scientists recommend first of all to assume that there is a phenomenon of synesthesia.