The human energy field surrounds the physical body and permeates it. Sometimes called chi or prana or orgone, this vital life force animates the physical body; at death, the energy field disperses. In most people, the field extends a few inches to as much as several feet out from the physical body and looks like a halo or cocoon of light. This sphere of light is often referred to as an aura. With practice, you can train yourself to detect the aura. Some people see it, others feel it, and some do both.

In a healthy person, the colors in the aura are brilliant, clear, and smooth. When the aura contains dark or white splotches, has tiny rips or tears, or is discolored in some way, physical illness or emotional imbalances may be indicated. According to holistic healers, disease exists in the energy field before it materializes in the physical body. By healing a disturbance in the energy field, physical problems can be corrected or averted.

Sensing Auras

Sensing auras isn't difficult; it just takes a little observation and practice. Try this technique with a partner. Ask your partner to stand against a white, blank wall. Dim the lights in the room. Stand about six feet away from your partner and ask her to think of something that makes her happy and to hold on to that feeling. Stare at a point slightly above her head or to one side of it. Don't strain — just relax your gaze.

After a few moments, you should be able to see a pale nimbus of light around her head. At first, it may resemble a heat wave, the kind you see radiating from pavement on a hot summer day. The wave may grow as your partner experiences her joyful feelings.

If you don't see any colors, ask your partner to turn up her emotions. You may see sparks of colored light now: yellow, gold, brilliant blues, and violets. Next, ask your partner to think of something that enraged her. Ask her to hold that emotion for a few minutes. Do you see any perceptible change in her aura? Does the wave shrink or get larger? Do the colors change?

If you would rather work alone, you can do the same exercise in front of a mirror. Stand with a pale, blank wall behind you. Observe the changes in your own aura as you recall a variety of emotions.

Reading the Energy Field

When a medical intuitive looks at a person's energy field, he perceives a number of details. As Caroline Myss writes in Anatomy of the Spirit, “In addition to reading specific dramatic childhood experiences, sometimes an intuitive can pick up on superstitions, personal habits, behavior patterns, moral beliefs, and preferences in music and literature. At other times the energy impressions are more symbolic.” To a medical intuitive, your aura reveals every aspect of you.

Intuitives usually agree that illness and disease are signals that indicate a need to address certain issues in your life. “Your body is designed to heal itself,” writes Donna Eden in Energy Medicine. Holistic healing operates on the principle that well-being results from balancing the energy patterns in the body. Ultimately, healing doesn't come from something outside you, such as a medical procedure or drug; instead, it resides within your own mind.