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Kirlian photography refers to a form of contact print photography, theoretically associated with high-voltage. It is named after Semyon Kirlian, who in 1939 accidentally discovered that if an object on a photographic plate is connected to a source of high voltage, small corona discharges (created by the strong electric field at the edges of the object) create an image on the plate. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Contact prints are the worst part of photography. ... Photography is the process of making pictures by means of capturing light on a light-sensitive medium, such as a sensor or film. ... International safety symbol Caution, risk of electric shock (ISO 3864), colloquially known as high voltage symbol. ... Semyon Davidovich Kirlian (b. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full year calendar). ... Photographic plates were one of the earliest forms of photographic film, in which a light-sensitive emulsion of silver salts was applied to a glass plate. ... In electricity, a corona discharge is an electrical discharge brought on by the ionization of a fluid surrounding a conductor, which occurs when the potential gradient exceeds a certain value, in situations where sparking (also known as arcing) is not favoured. ... It has been suggested that optical field be merged into this article or section. ...

Kirlian's work, from 1939 onward, involved an independent rediscovery of a phenomenon and technique variously called "electrography," "electrophotography," and "corona discharge photography." The underlying physics (which makes xerographic copying possible) was explored as early as 1777 by Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (see Lichtenberg figures). Later workers in the field included Nikola Tesla; various other individuals explored the effect in the later 19th and early 20th centuries. Yet Kirlian took the development of the effect further than any of his predecessors. 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full year calendar). ... Chester F. Carlson Xerography (or Electrophotography) is a photocopying technique developed by Chester Carlson in 1938 and patented on October 6, 1942. ... Year 1777 (MDCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1 July 1742 – 24 February 1799) was an 18th-century German scientist, satirist and Anglophile. ... Lichtenberg figures are named after the German physicist Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, who originally discovered and studied them. ... Nikola Tesla (1856-1943)[1] was a world-renowned Serbian inventor, physicist, mechanical engineer and electrical engineer. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999...

In controversial metaphysical contexts, Kirlian photography, Kirlian energy, and so on, are sometimes referred to as just "Kirlian." Kirlian made controversial claims that his method showed proof of supernatural auras, said to resemble a rough outline of the object like a colorful halo. One of the more striking aspects of Kirlian photography is its reputed ability to illuminate the acupuncture points of the human body^{[citation needed]}. An experiment advanced as evidence of energy fields generated by living entities involves taking Kirlian contact photographs of a picked leaf at set periods, its gradual withering being said to correspond with a decline in the strength of the aura. It is more likely that, as the leaf loses moisture, it becomes less electrically conductive, causing a gradual weakening of the electrical field at the drier edges of the leaf. Metaphysical may refer to: Metaphysics, a branch of philosophy dealing with the ultimate nature of reality; or The Metaphysical poets, a poetic school from seventeenth century England who correspond with baroque period in European literature. ... Look up Supernatural in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In parapsychology, spirituality and New Age belief, an aura is a subtle field of luminous multicolored radiation surrounding a person or object as a cocoon or halo. ... It has been suggested that Moon dog be merged into this article or section. ... Acupuncture chart from Hua Shou (fl. ...

Research

Kirlian proposed and promoted the idea that the resulting images of living objects were a physical proof of the life force or aura which allegedly surrounds all living beings. This claim was said to be supported by experiments by the Kirlians that involved cutting part of a leaf off —the Kirlian images of such leaves, it was said, still showed the leaves as whole, as though the cutting had never happened. In parapsychology, spirituality and New Age belief, an aura is a subtle field of luminous multicolored radiation surrounding a person or object as a cocoon or halo. ... “Foliage” redirects here. ...

Researchers at Drexel University, however, have claimed that they were unable to reproduce the effect when the glass used to capture the original leaf was replaced with new glass before the freshly cut leaf was photographed, leading them to conclude that the "cut leaf" phenomenon was caused by microscopic etching in the surface of the glass which occurred during preparing the images of the uncut leaf. They also reported on a number of demonstrable causes such as surface moisture and pressure which can account for much of the variations in color, shape, and size of the resulting image.^{[citation needed]} Drexel University is an institution of higher learning located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...

In addition to living material, inanimate objects such as coins will also produce images on the film in a Kirlian photograph setup.

In the United States, Dr. Thelma Moss of UCLA devoted much time and energy to the study of Kirlian photography when she led the parapsychology laboratory there in the 1970s. Thelma Moss, Ph. ... The University of California, Los Angeles, generally known as UCLA, is a public university whose main campus is located in the affluent Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. ... Parapsychology is the study of certain types of paranormal phenomena (parapsychology comes from the Greek para, “beside, beyond,” + psychology, derived from the Greek psyche, “soul, mind,” + logos “rational discussion”). The term was coined by Max Dessoir (1889). ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ...

Current research continues by Dr. Konstantin Korotkov in the Russian University, St.Petersburg State Technical University of Informational Technologies, Mechanics and Optics. [1] Konstantin Korotkov has published several books including "Human Energy Field: study with GDV bioelectrography" 2002, NY, Backbone Publishing Co. and "Light After Life: Experiments and Ideas on After-Death Changes of Kirlian Pictures" 1998, NY, Backbone Publishing Co. Konstantin Korotkov is Professor of Physics at St. ... Konstantin Korotkov is Professor of Physics at St. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ...

Dr. Konstantin Korotkov uses GDV (Gas Discharge Visualization) based on the Kirlian Effect. GDV instruments use glass electrodes to create a pulsed electrical field excitation (called "perturbation technique") to measure electro-photonic glow. [2] Konstantin Korotkov is Professor of Physics at St. ... Possible meanings: Gas Discharge Visualisation Gastric Dialation Volvulus This page concerning a three-letter acronym or abbreviation is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

The Korotkov methods are used in some hospitals and athletic training programs in Russia and elsewhere as preventative measurements for detecting stress. The Russian Academy of Science has approved the GDV techniques and equipment in 1999 for general clinical use. [3] 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

There has been some published research in peer-reviewed scientific journals regarding GDV and related material, including several articles in the Journal of Applied Physics. Journal of Applied Physics is a scientific journal published by the American Institute of Physics (AIP). ...

Other people who study this phenomenon are Professor Milhomens in Brazil and Dr. Mandel from Germany.^{[citation needed]}

Kirlian photo of a leaf

Kirlian photo of a fingertip

Kirlian photo of two fingertips

Kirlian photo of a leaf

Kirlian photo of two coins

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 551 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1000 × 1087 pixel, file size: 241 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Produced by me in my laboratory I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 551 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1000 × 1087 pixel, file size: 241 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Produced by me in my laboratory I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 736 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1000 × 815 pixel, file size: 86 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 736 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1000 × 815 pixel, file size: 86 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 460 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1000 × 1303 pixel, file size: 167 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Kirlian photo of two fingertips File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Kirlian... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 460 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1000 × 1303 pixel, file size: 167 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Kirlian photo of two fingertips File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Kirlian... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 583 pixelsFull resolution (2396 × 1745 pixel, file size: 807 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Color Kirlian photo of a leaf I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 583 pixelsFull resolution (2396 × 1745 pixel, file size: 807 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Color Kirlian photo of a leaf I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 754 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1200 × 954 pixel, file size: 186 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Kirlian photo of coins File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Kirlian photography... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 754 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1200 × 954 pixel, file size: 186 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Kirlian photo of coins File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Kirlian photography...

Explanations

The accepted explanation among scientists is that the images produced are those typically caused by a high voltage corona effect, similar to those seen from other high voltage sources such as the Van de Graaff generator or Tesla coil. In a darkened room, this is visible as a faint glow but, because of the high voltages, the film is affected in a slightly different way from the usual. Color photographic film is calibrated to faithfully produce colors when exposed to normal light. The corona discharge has a somewhat different effect on the different layers of dye used to accomplish this result, resulting in various colors depending on the local intensity of the discharge. ^[1] In electricity, a corona discharge is an electrical discharge brought on by the ionization of a fluid surrounding a conductor, which occurs when the potential gradient exceeds a certain value, in situations where sparking (also known as arcing) is not favoured. ... Van de Graaff generator. ... Tesla Coil at Questacon, the Australian National Science Centre museum A Tesla coil is a type of resonant transformer, named after its inventor, Nikola Tesla. ...

Skeptics of the paranormal have long disputed the claims made concerning auras and Kirlian photography. Skepticism (Commonwealth spelling: Scepticism) can mean: Philosophical skepticism - a philosophical position in which people choose to critically examine whether the knowledge and perceptions that they have are actually true, and whether or not one can ever be said to have absolutely true knowledge; or Scientific skepticism - a scientific, or practical... Paranormal is an umbrella term used to describe a wide variety of reported anomalous phenomena. ... In parapsychology, spirituality and New Age belief, an aura is a subtle field of luminous multicolored radiation surrounding a person or object as a cocoon or halo. ...

One of the most disputed studies was actually funded by the US army. During this study, scientist Joe Slate took Kirlian Photographs of the fingertips of both people claiming to be psychic vampires and those identified as their victims. Once the photographs developed they showed the "vampire's" auras to be large and fiery red, while those of their "victims" were smaller and mellow blue. Needless to say, this study is consistently contested. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... In New Age terminology, an energy vampire or psychic vampire is a being said to have the ability to feed off the life force (called, variously, chi, prana, or vitality) of other living creatures. ...

In popular culture

One famous use of Kirlian photography in popular culture is a picture resembling a hand print in the title sequence of the U.S. science fiction TV series The X-Files. Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... For other uses, see The X-Files (disambiguation). ...

Science fiction author Piers Anthony wrote a series of five books (Cluster, Chaining the Lady, Kirlian Quest, Thousandstar and Viscous Circle) based around the premise of Kirlian transfer, the idea that a person's identity resides in his or her Kirlian aura and can be transferred to a host, in effect transferring the individual into another body. The host must be a sapient being (i.e. non-beast) but may be of the same or different species and may be many light-years away, thus allowing the main character to traverse galaxies at will and "be" a variety of aliens during the course of a single book. Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob (born August 6, 1934 in Oxford, England) is a writer in the science fiction and fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. ... Cluster is a series of science fiction novels by Piers Anthony. ... In philosophy, the issue of personal identity concerns the conditions under which a person at one time is the same person at another time. ... Sapience is the ability of an organism or entity to act with judgment. ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... A light-year, symbol ly, is the distance light travels in one year: exactly 9. ... The protagonist is the central figure of a story, and is often referred to as a storys main character. ... NGC 4414, a typical spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices, is about 17,000 parsecs in diameter and approximately 20 million parsecs distant. ... A 1967 Soviet Union 16 kopeks stamp. ...

The singer David Bowie revealed an interest in Kirlian photography in the mid-1970s. The concert programme from his 1976 Station to Station tour featured some results of the technique, and in 1975 Bowie claimed to have achieved markedly different results, using his fingertip and his crucifix, before and after he took cocaine. David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947) is an English Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Cocaine (see also: crack) is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ...

The first piece of the album "MIX-UP" released in 1979 by the British band Cabaret Voltaire is named "Kirlian photograph". Cabaret Voltaire was a British music group from Sheffield, England. ...

In the movie Omen IV, Delia's babysitter, Jo, takes Delia to a psychic carnival where she and Delia had their picture taken with a Kirlian camera. The picture came out with Delia's dark and evil aura overtaking Jo's lighter, greenish aura.

The musical artist Benn Jordan's eighth album is titled Kirlian Selections, in reference to his electric-influenced music style. Benn Lee Jordan is an electronica musician operating under many pseudonyms. ... In April of 2005, The Flashbulb released the highly anticipated follow up to his fourth LP, Red Extensions of Me, entitled Kirlian Selections. ... Electronic music is a term for music created using electronic devices. ...

In the comic book The Authority, team member Apollo is said to have a "Kirlian aura." A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... The Authority is a superhero comic book published by DC Comics under the Wildstorm imprint. ... Apollo is a comic book superhero who first appeared in the Stormwatch series, but is best known for his role in The Authority. ...

Kirlia, a species of psychic-type Pokémon, is named after Semyon Kirlian. Kirlia ) are one of the 493 fictional species of Pokémon creatures from the multi-billion-dollar[1] Pokémon media franchise – a collection of video games, anime, manga, books, trading cards and other media created by Satoshi Tajiri. ... The official Pokémon logo. ...

In the World of Darkness book Project Twilight, Kirlian photography is one of the methods available to government vampire hunters to detect ghosts, spirits and auras. The World of Darkness (or WoD) is the name given to two related but distinct fictional universes developed by Mark Rein-Hagen. ...

See also

• Orgone
• Aura
• Energy
• Feng Shui
• Life force
• Qi
• Qigong
• Soul
• Prana

Orgone energy is a concept of a universal life energy that physician and psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich said he had discovered in the late 1930s. ... In parapsychology, spirituality and New Age belief, an aura is a subtle field of luminous multicolored radiation surrounding a person or object as a cocoon or halo. ... Fēng Shuǐ (風水 – literally, wind and water pronounced fung shuway), which may be more than 3000 years old, is the ancient practice of placement to achieve harmony with the environment. ... The term life force or lifeforce can refer to: The soul, spirit, or other vitalistic energy. ... QI, standing for Quite Interesting and a play on IQ, is a comedy panel game television show hosted by Stephen Fry and shown on BBC Two and BBC Four. ... Qigong is an aspect of Chinese medicine involving the coordination of different breathing patterns with various physical postures and motions of the body. ... The soul, acording to many religious and philosophical traditions, is a self-aware ethereal substance particular to a unique living being. ... Prana (, IAST: ) is a Sanskrit word meaning breath and refers to a vital, life-sustaining force of living beings and vital energy in natural processes of the universe. ...

External links

• A Kirlian photograph of a leaf
• Kirlian Photography in the "Skeptic's Dictionary"
• Guide to making a Kirlian Camera
• Kirlian Photography Explanation at YouTube
• Tutorial article on Kirlian Photography. Building you own equipment, hv circuit plans, photos, technical issues and much more.
• Can Kirlian photography capture ghostly images? on the Straight Dope
• New Generation of Kirlian Instruments
• Kirlian Effect