Thursday 3 January 2013

Kirlian Photography

Kirlian photography

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Kirlian photography of a pair of coins.
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Kirlian photography is a method of creating images by placing an object on a photographic plate and passing high-voltage, high-frequency electrical current through it, thus producing images of coronal discharge around the object's image on the plate. It's named after Semyon Kirlian, a Russian electrician with a scientific bent, who (re-)discovered the effect in 1939.[1]

[edit] In pseudoscience

Kirlian photography has little scientific merit besides being a nice way to illustrate coronal discharge. Of course, that doesn't stop people trying to find un-scientific merit. Kirlian himself suggested that the images can be compared to an aura, and many New Agers seem to have run with this suggestion very literally.[1]
Kirlian photography has been used as evidence of the existence of a "biofield". Kirlian himself had noted several changes in what he was photographing depending on conditions around him, and came up with various ideas such as bio-plasma that would link the results of his photographic technique with mood, emotions and physical state.[2] David Bowie also noted ch-ch-ch-ch-changes, specifically before and after taking cocaine.[3] Since, it has been associated with energy flows, meridians and alternative medicine treatments,[4] usually as a way of measuring stress, or evaluating people who claim various paranormal properties (Therapeutic touch, etc.).[5]

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