All You Need to Know About Your Aura & Subtle Energy Bodies
New Agers love to talk all about what color your aura is, but what exactly is an aura? Let’s break it down.
The aura consists of the energetic field surrounding your body and is the energy emanating from the chakras. On a scientific level, the aura contains our electromagnetic field of energy, or biofield, that science can now measure and study. Our aura generates color beyond the visible spectrum that can be sensed clairvoyantly (i.e. 6th chakra seeing) and with a Kirlian camera. In simple terms, the aura is like a bubble of energy that forms around our body and extends about 6 feet/ 2 meters wide. Theosophists like Helena Blavatsky call the whole auric field the Auric Egg.
The auric field is just one of many energy fields along with L-fields, T-fields, electromagnetic fields, magnetic fields, and sound fields. Although scientists can’t say with certainty what the aura is composed of, there are various theories. Energy healer, author, and scientist Barbara Ann Brennan believes the aura is made of a type of plasma she calls bioplasma. Plasma is the fourth state of matter, not to be confused with blood plasma. Theosophist and prolific author Rudolf Steiner stated it’s made of ether or negative mass. Energy healer, teacher, and author Cyndi Dale proposes it’s a mix of both magnetism and an antimatter that enables jumping from one world to another.
The aura vs subtle energy bodies
Many people focus on the outermost layer of our aura, which kind of has the shape of an egg. Most traditions tend to focus on just seven layers of the aura, which correspond to different subtle energy bodies. You can think of each layer of the aura being the same as a subtle energy body. This is why nomenclature can get confusing because every tradition and teacher has their own names for the same thing. I will describe these subtle energy bodies in more detail below.
Function of the aura
To serve an energy field produced by its corresponding chakra.
To relay information from the body, chakras, and various aspects of our soul and spirit with different dimensions and realms. (I define dimensions as a plane of consciousness and a realm as a plane of existence. You can think of a realm as a cube and a dimension as one side of the cube.) The information relayed depends on the function of that subtle body, which I explain below.
To filter information and energy.
To produce energetic protection.
To emit energy.
The layers of the aura are nested within each other like Russian dolls. Each inner and outer body chakra connects to and produces the corresponding layer of the aura. Ex. 1st chakra produces the 1st layer of the aura, the 2nd chakra produces the 2nd auric layer, etc. It can get confusing because different traditions call each layer of the aura something different that relates to a subtle body and plane of energy or consciousness. In essence, our aura connects our body to different planes of energy and different aspects of our body, soul, and spirit. As the Theosophist and Rosicrucian Rudolf Steiner said, the chakras are like organs of our soul that help us unlock deeper truths. Therefore, the corresponding auric layers are like energy fields that sense our physical and energetic worlds.
I think it’s also worth mentioning that certain layers of the aura correspond to aspects of ourselves: body, mind, soul, and spirit. The first three layers have to do with your physical body and this 3D physical plane of existence. The 4th layer, associated with the heart chakra, serves as a nexus point between body and spirit. The upper three layers are more associated with the higher planes and our soul. Lastly, the remaining outer body chakras have to do with the higher dimensions of our soul as well as our spirit.
Soul vs Spirit
There is a lot of confusion around what the difference between your soul and spirit is. I consider the soul as an eternal part of ourselves that is denser in energy than our spirit. The soul is the eternal part of us that travels through time and space to learn lessons and grow spiritually, and therefore, is what carries karma. The spirit is our eternal essence much lighter and resides in the highest spiritual realms. It is also eternal and formed as a Divine spark that emanated directly from Source.
What’s in a name?
Each tradition calls the aura (mostly the 7th layer of the aura) by different names. The Christians represented saints, angels, and Jesus with a halo around the head. The Quabbalists call it astral light, whereas the Hindus call it prana. Other ancient traditions such as Egypt, Greece, Native American, Indian Buddhist, Rosicrucian, and Tibetan describe each layer of the aura in detail.
The layers of the aura
Most Western esoteric traditions focus on the 7 in-body chakras, and therefore, the associated seven layers of the aura. Here is a brief description of each layer.
1st layer- Emits and filters energy associated with the 1st chakra (physical body, health, safety, survival)
2nd layer- Emits and filters energy associated with the 2nd chakra (emotions, sensuality, sexuality, creativity)
3rd layer- Emits and filters energy associated with the 3rd chakra (ideas, beliefs, judgments, thought forms, personal will, personal power)
4th layer- Attracts or repels energy associated with the 4th chakra (harmony, relationships, love, relationships)
5th layer- Receives and filters energy associated with the 5th chakra (clairaudience, intuition)
6th layer- Receives and filters information associated with the 6th chakra (clairvoyance, images)
7th layer- Connects information and energy associated with the 7th chakra (Higher Self, connection to the Divine)
Colors of the Aura (spoiler: they won’t always be rainbow colors!)
Traditionally, especially in ancient Hinduism, the layers of the aura appear in rainbow colors starting with the 1st layer as red, 2nd as orange, etc. Many new students learning spiritual anatomy and esoterism believe that your chakras and aura “have to be” rainbow colors or something is wrong. In all my years doing clairvoyant readings and energy healings, I have not found this to be true. What matters most is the quality and clarity of the color. Here is a very basic rundown of what the colors of the layers of your aura might mean.
Please note that this is unique to each individual and that the 1st layer of your aura doesn’t have to be red, the second layer doesn’t have to be orange, etc. The lightness, darkness, and saturation of the color also have meaning. Light or faint colors could mean there is a lack of energy in that area. Conversely, darker colors usually signify an intensity of energy. Sometimes these colors appear as spots or splotches.
Red: vitality, passion, anger, life force energy, strength, ambition, love, security
Orange: creativity, playfulness, happiness, excentricity, warmth, stimulation, fun
Yellow: joy, information, inspiration, stimulation, fun, creativity
Green: growth, nurture, connection, related to nature, relationship-oriented, healing, harmony
Blue (depends on shade and tone): wisdom, spirituality, intuition
Purple: spirituality, psychic abilities, intuition, connection to the Divine
White: This depends on the shade. A pure white color represents purity, connection to the Divine in the purest sense. A foggy kind of white means there are interfering energies that are creating confusion and lack of clarity.
Grey: interfering energy, often an ET or entity that is creating confusion and cloudy energy
Black: Often associated with advanced stages of disease or severe trauma on any level (spiritual, emotional, physical). This color often appears as spots and the whole layer isn’t black.
Brown: Could signify that an elemental being has placed some energy in a person’s space.
Science of the Aura: Biofield studies
Science is finally catching up to what mystics and sages have known for millennia— that humans and all sentient beings have a biofield. I will write an in-depth post about this, but for now, I recommend you read Eileen Day McKusic’s book Tuning the Human Biofield and James Oschman’s book Energy Medicine: The Scientific Basis. The term biofield is relatively new and was coined in 1994 by the National Institute of Health (NIH) in the US. British scientist Rupert Sheldrake’s work on developing his morphogenic field theory is truly groundbreaking.
From a purely scientific approach, electrocardiograms (ECGs), magnetocardiograms (MCGs), electroencephalograms (EEGs), magnetoencephalograms (MEGs) all measure the fields that the heart and brain produce respectively. Dr. Shamini Jain has spearheaded a lot of research in biofield therapy research adding a scientific explanation for why certain energy healing techniques like Reiki, biofield tuning, qigong, and prayer appear to produce positive results in patients. One way to quantify the effects of Reiki could be by measuring biophotonic emission in cells. If you really want to go down a quantum biology rabbit hole, I recommend reading Roeland Van Wijk’s textbook Light in Shaping Life where he talks all about how our cells create ultraweak UV light (aka biophotonic emission). Yes, we are truly walking mini suns!
Main Subtle Energy Bodies
Since I use a 12-chakra system, I’ve included twelve subtle energy bodies. Most traditions focus on just the first seven layers of the aura; therefore, I have modified the naming of the 8th-12th layers according to what I have learned and read from one of my dear teachers, Cyndi Dale. She developed a 12-chakra system, but to the best of my knowledge, does not directly name all of these upper layers of the aura, but rather talks about different subtle energy bodies. The names don’t matter as much as their function and structure:
1st layer- etheric body/ vital body
The etheric body is the layer closest to our skin and is unsurprisingly, most associated with our physical body, meridians, and nadis. It serves as an interface between the physical body and subtle energies.
2nd layer- emotional body
This is where most of our emotions are projected.
3rd layer- mental body/ lower mental body
This is where thought forms are created. Our thoughts really do create our reality, and that’s in part due to the thought forms that are created from what we think. These thought forms can attract matching energies into our field and physical reality; thus, our thoughts create our reality. Our self-esteem, judgments, and higher intellect also inhabit this space.
4th layer- astral body/ dream body/ higher mental body
Since the astral body is connected to the heart chakra, it’s associated with our relationships and connections to spirit, nature, and other beings. As its name suggests, it’s also related to our dreams and the astral planes.
5th layer- karmic body/ etheric template
Some people say that this subtle energy body holds the blueprint of the physical body, but I see that being the etheric body’s role. I consider this subtle body all about communicating (or resisting communication) with divine sources.
6th layer- celestial/ angelic/ Buddha body
This subtle body opens you up to possibilities, and I believe, allows you to visualize what you want to create in your life. It helps attract information that you can perceive clairvoyantly. At its highest level, you have the perspective of God.
7th layer- ketheric/ causal body
The causal body projects spiritual decisions, hence the name “causal.” It sets into motion causes.
8th layer- Akashic body/ silver body
This subtle body holds the soul’s karma and soul’s psychic powers.
9th layer- soul star/ soul etheric body
This is the seat of your soul.
10th layer- Earth star/ physical etheric body
This subtle body absorbs and emits Earth and ancestral energies.
11th layer- soul etheric body/ atmic body/ eternal body
The highest expression of the truest nature of the Higher Self beyond one’s physicality and ego.
12th layer- monadic body/ Rainbow body/ Resurrection body/ diamond body/ light body/ universal mind body
This is the closest to Enlightenment and being one with the Divine.
Other traditions
It’s worth mentioning that some traditions, like ancient Hinduism, work primarily with just the Etheric, Emotional/ Astral, Mental, Causal, and Buddhic subtle bodies, whereas Traditional Chinese Medicine works with the Lower, Middle, and Upper dantiens.
I also want to mention the ancient Hindu, specifically in the Taittiriya Upanishad, concept of the koshas or “sheaths.” These are not layers of the aura, but rather are five separate subtle energy bodies that are associated with different aspects of spiritual development and consciousness and are related to the three subtle bodies the gross body, the subtle body, and the causal body. Don’t worry about all this extra terminology for now, unless you want to go down your own research rabbit hole, which I highly encourage.
Ancient Egyptian 9 bodies
The ancient Egyptians had their own concept of subtle energy bodies that wrapped around the human body and encompassed all aspects of a person- mind, body, soul.
Khat/ Aufu- physical body
Ka- body double (equivalent to etheric body, some consider it like the astral body); it nourishes the physical body by feeding it vital lifeforce energy; It can project out of the body and travel.
Sekhem- life force energy/ qi that gives divine powers and vitality
Ab/ Ib- heart body. It houses the personality and is the core power of life. It is responsible for creating thought forms, both “good” and “evil.” In ancient Egyptian mythology, the neter Ma’at decides who enters the afterworld by weighing a person’s heart against her ostrich feather to see if a person has a noble heart or not. If a person’s heart weighs more than her feather, they are not allowed into the afterword.
Ba- soul body (similar to our soul star/ 8th chakra)
Khaibit (sometimes referred to as Sheut)- shadow body (alchemical soul work turning your shadows into gold. the necessary process to address your shadows and shine a light on those parts of ourselves rather than adopting the attitude of light, love, and unicorns that pervades New Age spirituality.); It can travel out of the body and is often seen near the Ba; The ancient Egyptian neteru Set and Sekhmet are also portrayed as dark and chaos creators, but the more I deepen my understanding of the neteru, I would argue that they are provoking us and society at large to show us our shadows. Remember, without the dark, we cannot know the light. My teacher Cyndi Dale also talks about the Book of Records within our Akashic Records. The Khaibit can also be associated with our “reptilian” brain that’s associated with survival.
Ren- name body, what your Divine name in Heaven is. Names and secret names were significant in ancient Egyptian magic and spirituality, as you could not cast a spell on someone if you did not know their Ren. Words are power and create your reality, so by having a Ren, you are manifested. I also consider it a link to the ancestral lineage as last names and sometimes first names are passed down through generations and hold certain energetic patterns.
Akh/ Khu- means translucent or shining, divine spark of the eternal soul, Higher Self
Sahu- when a person developes a certain degree of knowledge, power, and glory, the eternal sahu forms. It is akin to the spirit body/ body of light/ Resurrection body/ Rainbow body that carries the ka to Heaven.
Other subtle energy bodies
Miracle body: Cyndi Dale teaches about the Miracle body as a two-sided multidimensional mirror that exists on the Divine plane, which allows you to gain clarity on your life, provides divine perspective, and helps you attract what should be (aka a miracle) into your life.
Star Seed of Destiny body: Cyndi Dale also teaches about when red kundalini mixes and joins with the golden and radiant energy in the heart on the Divine plane of existence leading to an opening of spiritual gates and true sense of oneness.
Pain body: Eckhart Tolle talks about the pain body holding onto old emotions and pain in our energy field that we haven’t yet released.
Silver body: Connects to the Akashic Records and other 8th chakra records like the Book of Life and Shadow Records. It also connects to the silver cord that attaches to our soul to our body. Some traditions say the silver cord attaches to the astral body.¡
Why a healthy aura matters
Since the chakras connect to each layer of the aura, the energetic state of the aura is a reflection of the health of that corresponding chakra and vice versa. Having a healthy aura is necessary in order to have healthy energetic boundaries and protection. It’s also a great diagnostic tool for energy healers as the biofield is so extensive.
There are several ways to assess a person’s aura including clairvoyance, sensing the energy of the energy fields with your hands, and some people just know what’s going on through their claircognizance (or clear knowing).
Healing the aura
There are several ways to heal the aura, and there’s no “right” or “wrong” way. Ways that energy healing can improve the health and quality of the aura is by repairing tears, grounding the aura, filling it up with the patient’s own energy, removing entities, infusing Unversal lifeforce energy, etc.
Biofield tuning
Reiki
Distance healing
Accupuncture
QiGong
Yoga
Breathwork
Being in nature
Grounding
Dancing
Singing
Good quality sleep
Maintaining healthy energetic boundaries
As you can see, there are many layers to understanding the aura (pun intended). I think New Age spirituality does a disservice to students by oversimplifying the ancient and sacred teachings about the aura, its structure, function, different names, what the colors mean, etc. Instead, I normally only find seven layers listed and they are almost always in rainbow order. What makes it even more confusing is that each tradition has its own system and names for the different layers of the aura and subtle energy bodies, which can lead to an unclear understanding. I recommend that each student of esotericism studies different traditions from reputable sources (NOT ChatGPT or random influencers on social media) and try to get as close to the original scriptures and teachings as possible. Then, you can make your own assessment about which system resonates best with you using your own discernment. Happy learning!
References
Cyndi Dale. The Subtle Body: An Encyclopedia of Your Energetic Anatomy. Sounds True. 2009
Cyndi Dale. Complete Book of Chakras. Llewellyn. 2016.
Elenor Harris. Ancient Egyptian Magic. Weiser Books. 2015
Eileen Day McKusic.Tuning the Human Biofield
Eileen Day McKusic. Electric Body, Electric Health.
James Oschman. Energy Medicine: The Scientific Basis.
Roeland Van Wijk. Light in Shaping Life.
My teachers Cyndi Dale, Dee Kennedy, and Ishadai.
