Can aura photography cast light on our souls?

Can aura photography cast light on our souls?

Kevin Vickers, Contributor, Jakarta

Amid the swarm of T-shirt and DVD vendors in Mangga Dua Mall, a
few meters from a noodle restaurant and up a short flight of
stairs, "Dewi" found what she was looking for.

Trembling slightly with nerves of anticipation, she sat down
in a small chair, placed her hands on the metal plates in front
of her and stared into a camera lens.

The whirr of a printer signaled the end of her search.

After starting a job in a field in which she admittedly felt
"like a fish out of water", her aura profile provided a renewed
sense of validation about her direction in life.

"I needed to do this for myself to end the doubts that were
affecting me," said the event organizer. "Most importantly, I
found out that I am someone who is suited to being out front in a
work role, doing the negotiations, for instance.

"Deep down, I knew that already but my self-confidence was
shaken."

A steady stream of Dewis -- young and old, from students to
government officials, those with debilitating illnesses or in the
bloom of good health, buoyed by a mission of self-discovery or
curious walk-ins -- make their own pilgrimage to the upstairs
studio.

At the heart of their search is the belief that the camera can
capture what escapes the naked eye.

By placing their hands on special sensor boxes, which are
designed to correspond with acupuncture points, bioenergy from
the seven chakras (main energy and nerve points) is released.
Energy waves radiating from the body are transmitted to a small
computer within a special camera, with the waves converted to a
corresponding color and superimposed onto film.

Then, in an electromagnetic nutshell, the aura is supposedly
revealed.

The colors -- comprising the rainbow spectrum of red, orange,
yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, and also including white --
are believed to symbolize different qualities and properties of
the physical, emotional, and spiritual potential of the holder.

Auras that show signs of imbalance -- where the main color is
diluted with other color tones -- are corrected with crystal
therapy.

It may sound a tad too neat and pat for comfort in a world in
which the camera can and does lie, and where grasping New Agers
are all too eager to plunk down a few hundred thousand rupiah to
gain soulful sustenance from the strangest of places.

For King Gunawan, who holds the license for the aura camera
from a U.S. company, the results speak for themselves. "I've
rarely heard anyone who came here say this was fixed because, for
one, this is technology that I cannot interfere with when the
person is already here, and because the results tell what the
people really know about themselves," said King, who became
interested in aura identification after studying the Chinese
discipline of chi kung.

Most of his clients share a feeling of uncertainty about their
place in the world.

"From my own experience, most of the people I meet are
unstable, given to wavering and unable to make a rapid decision.
They have three questions: who am I, why do I do what I do, and
what must I do to be better?" he said.

"From a psychological point of view, aura photography is
telling people what is wrong with them and what they need to
correct."

While even the most modern of Indonesians may resort to advice
from the local dukun (shaman) to treat what ails them, King said
aura photography and use of crystal therapy should be considered
a scientifically explainable means to put mind and spirit in
balance.

Colors of the auras are divided into two categories: red,
orange, yellow and green are considered the masculine yang, more
worldly and dynamic than the spiritual, creative yin of blue,
violet, indigo, and white.

King, who is careful to emphasize the positive when counseling
clients, also avoids categorizing any aura as superior to
another.

"If we understand our aura, then we'll also know not to
deplete our energy because imbalance will lead to a mixed aura
and problems. The best aura is a dense aura, not a thin one...
the unsure are people with auras like yellow with greenish tints,
or green with yellow," he said, pointing to a photo of a woman
with an aquamarine aura diluted with white tones who was
diagnosed with breast cancer.

The advantage of aura photography, he argued, was that
empirical analysis can be made of the results of the crystal
therapy by comparing photos over three-month intervals.

"At the age of six, when a child already has his own way of
thinking and desires, the aura can already be measured. If it's
yellow when he is six, then it will still be yellow when he's 20,
40, or 60, but there may be mixing with other colors due to the
circumstances of his life."

Crystals, with names such as Star of David, Green Phantom and
Clear Crystal Pyramid, are ideally worn on a necklace to fall
around the center of the body, the seat of love and understanding
for the chakra.

Even though the therapy does not come cheap, with the photo
costing Rp 120,000 and optional crystals ranging in price from Rp
500,000 to upwards of Rp 1 million, King said recognition of the
benefit of aura profiles was growing, including among companies.

"I've already had some companies send their employees here to
be photographed. We found they were in the wrong place, like
they were being pushed out front but ideally should be working
behind the scenes."

Auras are also being measured in matters of the heart, with
clients seeking advice on determining their true soulmates. "It's
hard if you get two yins together," King said, using a soccer
analogy to explain that both partners would be indecisive in
their relationship, "and wait for the ball to drop in front of
them before doing anything."

"By the same token, two people with red auras could be
explosive together. I counsel people to find the balance in their
relationship, and to be on the lookout for problem areas."

Ultimately, King said, it's all about taking care of number
one.

"You have to get your personality in order before the rest can
follow," he said. "Balance is everything. Don't be overwhelmed by
your environment.

"If you have a good aura, but you're working too hard, too
late at night, then you're going to get sick anyway."