Seeing Spiritual Auras

An aura is the subtle energy field surrounding every living being. This energy appears in the form of different colours depending on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual state of an individual at any moment in time. This article is about how you can learn to see auras and be inspired by the more mystical aspects of those you interact with and meet on your life’s path.

Some people associate seeing auras with psychic or clairvoyant powers, for me it’s a little more down-to-earth than that, mainly because I learnt to read them while working in a bank during my student days. It all started when our line manager brought in a newspaper cutting of an article on auras and thought it would be good fun for us to learn how to read them. We learnt quickly but weren’t always sure if what we were seeing was real or imaginary, so being the bright sparks we were, we hit upon the idea that we would all read someone’s aura at the same time and then write our answers down on a bit of paper along with our name and fold it up. Once all the papers were gathered together they could be opened and we could get some idea of the accuracy of our readings. The results were startling; our team of seven all saw the same colour, then we knew we were onto something.

Over the years I’ve had some interesting encounters with auras. While on my travels abroad I met some Gursikhs in Singapore and we had a great time doing experiments. One evening I read the aura of one of them - it was a combination of blue and purple which indicates spirituality and intuition and was positioned around the top of his head. We then all went for a Rainsabai Kirtan and early next morning he was keen to have his aura read again to test if it had changed in any way as a result of hearing the Kirtan. It was fascinating to see the aura was now around his throat and much larger than before, he confirmed his focus for the preceding hours had been on the ‘singing’ of Gurbani as opposed to his daytime routine of thinking about it. So changes in activity as well as mental and emotional state are directly reflected in the colour, location and size of the aura.

The steps for reading an aura are quite easy. All you need is a pale background such as a white or cream coloured internal or external wall against which to stand your subject, with you stood in front of them at a distance of about 10 feet. Ask them to relax by taking some deep breaths and if you notice any signs of muscle tension - around the shoulders for example invite them to relax there, at the same time calm and ground yourself too. After a minute or so you are ready to begin your aura reading. As you look at the person, begin to defocus your eyes so you are more aware of the things in your peripheral vision than the details of the person. Continue to hold attention in your peripheral vision and quite quickly you should be able to see a centimetre or more of colour as a kind of cloud around the outer edge of the persons head and shoulders. It’s a very quick process taking a maximum of 3 to 4 minutes. Practising with others helps because you can compare readings and overcome any ‘is it real or am I imagining it?’ kind of responses. Some people don’t see a colour but they can sense a colour and this way of reading auras works just as well.

Here’s a brief run down of the main aura colours as I have experienced them:

Purple, blue, white and gold represent spirituality, intuition and sensitivity. Electric blue indicates a gift to communicate through telepathy. Pink is the colour of a person who can love unconditionally. Orange speaks of a strong, sociable, outgoing person who is eager to explore life. Yellow is about someone who is optimistic, happy and easy-going, it often appears with green.

Green is about healing oneself or possessing the ability to heal others. I saw this colour on the front of a friends shoulder one time, when I enquired if she had an injury there she told me about her sporting accident and how she had just come from a massage appointment. Having the massage would have promoted healing in the affected area giving rise to the green coloured aura around that part of her body.

Red means lots of focus and energy. Once my sister came home from work and after dropping her bag in the hallway she came straight into the lounge and closed the door behind her. As she stood there against the white of the door I saw a disc of red colour right on the top of her head. I asked if she had been concentrating a lot that day and true enough she’d just come out of an awful meeting which had lasted for hours and had required lots of focused thinking.

Black auras reflect bad intentions or actions. I’ve only ever seen one and despite the outwardly friendly, helpful demeanour of the person, I chose to go with the darkness of the energy surrounding them to inform my decision not to pursue further professional dialogue. A couple of years later I read a story in the local press about the same person, who had been convicted for assaults against women dating back to the time when I saw the black aura.

Sometimes you don’t need to ‘read’ a person’s aura by getting them to stand against a light background and defocusing your eyes etc. the aura is just there, clearly visible. Here‘s an example. I was coming out of a shopping centre once accompanied by a dear friend, as we walked down the steps to the pavement below, two Buddhist monks in their saffron coloured robes passed by quickly in the lunch time crowd. They had the most astonishing auras I have ever seen – electric blue and one foot tall around the tops of their heads, it was a case of ‘follow those monks!’ Sadly we lost them in the crowd. I still wonder sometimes, what kind of spiritual practice they must have had to create such amazing auras.

A similar thing happened more recently when I needed to speak to a well known Kirtanee and Parcharak on some professional matter. It was straight after the Kirtan and the room was filled with people talking. As I approached this person being taller than myself it was necessary for me to look upwards a little, as I did what caught my attention was an incredible gold coloured aura, just around the right side of his head, it was so unexpected but there as clear as day. It’s the only time I’ve seen a gold aura and it made me realize something quite profound; this isn’t just a profession for him - he is naturally gifted with spiritual knowledge and wisdom.

Places have auras too. The aura of Harmandir Sahib at Amritsar is so brilliant that it lights up the sky above the entire complex, so even on the darkest night the sky appears blue as if it were daytime.

Being able to see and appreciate auras is one way of developing our subtle abilities. Spiritual states are experienced through our senses at a very subtle level, manifesting as visions, enchanting sounds, depth of feeling outside our normal range of experience, tastes and fragrances, movement and communication beyond the usual dimensions of time and space. These spiritual experiences are the flowers growing naturally on the wayside, they can be admired and connect us to an increasing sense of awe of the magnificence of the Creator as we walk on our spiritual path. And of course the flowers change with the altitude. The lives of enlightened Gursikhs are embellished with spiritual experiences and we can draw much inspiration from them; Baba Harnam Singh ji Rampur Khera (the account of his life: Se Kinehiya) and Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh ji (his autobiography Jail Chittian) are two such examples. Giani Thakur Singh ji (Patiala) a modern day Parcharak also often refers to the spiritual experiences of living Gursikhs in his katha.

The Meaning of Khalsa Colours

As subtle beings we are affected by many things, one of these is colour. The colours of the clothes we wear, the food we eat and those we see in our environment all have an affect on our emotions and wellbeing. Below are some meanings of the Khalsa colours from a colour therapy perspective, exploring the many ways in which they influence us as Sikhs in our personal and spiritual development.

The colour yellow has to do with our sense of self, our identity - who we are. It brings forth the emotions of happiness and joy. Yellow is most strongly associated with the brain and mental faculties, giving rise to focus and clarity of thought, it is helpful to learning and the gathering of knowledge. In general terms; knowing your direction and what you are doing in life.

Blue is a beautiful colour, seen in the healing water of Sarovars and the Bana of Gursikhs. It nurtures faith and trust. Blue is the colour of peace. It supports the development of verbal communication skills.

Royal Blue is the colour of sensitivity. The deep blue of the night sky during Amrit Vela enhances intuition, resulting in intuitive thoughts and insights. It is the colour of honesty, of being reliable. Presence and authority are other qualities inspired by this colour.


Orange appears in the form of our Nishan Sahibs, the cholas worn by Panj Pyaray and Sikh turbans. This is the colour of deep joy and bliss. It absorbs shocks, nasty experiences and trauma. It’s about letting go of what holds us back or what is not helpful. Orange is the colour of connection, a sense of community, belonging and social aspects of being.

The colour gold features strongly in Sikh surroundings, from Harmandir Sahib at Amritsar to the domes of Gurdwaras around the world, as well as their interiors. This colour soothes anxiety and represents deep happiness. Gold is healing. It is linked to inner wisdom and may be instrumental in helping people find answers to their life situations.

White occupies the largest space in the Sikh landscape especially in India where white marble has been used extensively in the architecture of Gurdwara buildings and their grounds. It is one of the common colours worn by Gursikh men and women. White is said to contain the whole light spectrum. Its characteristics are strength and purity.

Black is a colour which grounds and helps people to feel deeply rooted. I once heard an interesting story told by an old relative. She was eighteen at the time of the Nankana Sahib massacre in 1922. Her memory of what happened was so vivid; it was like hearing a news report of the incident. Being a feisty young woman she had travelled to Nankana Sahib the day following the massacre. She said Sikhs at that time generally didn’t wear much black; however in the days after the killings many dyed their clothes and turbans black. The massacre would have sent shock waves through the Sikh community; it’s interesting how Sikhs intuitively turned to the colour black which would have had a stabilising effect during a time of anguish.

So what happens when we combine all these colours together, what kind of image do they create?

It’s a person who has a strong sense of themselves, is clear about their identity and who they are. Has deep faith and trust in God. Experiences joy, bliss, happiness and peace. It’s someone who is considerate of others. A confident person, able to handle life’s difficulties and apply focused thinking and action. Who possesses wisdom and knowledge and is on a continuous path of learning. A responsible individual who participates on a social level. A dependable, honest person. Strong and grounded. Having purity in thought and deed. A Khalsa.

The Golden Key

During the Easter holidays I was checking the car over in preparation for a long journey, when something caught my eye. It was a gloriously sunny day; in the border which lines the fence amongst hundreds of small stones I saw a golden key - an old fashioned long brass key. I’m amazed at how it came straight into my line of vision as I was stood some distance away. So I went over and picked it up, perfectly clean as it was I popped it into my pocket.

One of my favourite books - the kind which has the fragrance of many countries lingering in its yellowing pages is A Little Light on the Spiritual Laws by Diana Cooper; it has a wonderful chapter called The Law of Reflection. Basically that every person, situation or object is a mirror providing us with an important message about ourselves. For example if your car battery goes flat (as mine did last year) it could be highlighting the fact that your body or mind needs rest and ‘re-charging’.

As for my golden key, well keys open doors, doors opening represents new opportunities and people often talk about ‘golden’ opportunities, a key is also symbolic of good luck. ‘Having the key’ means having the answer/s too. I’m still working out what the message is - for a few weeks now I’ve been playing around with creating some fab affirmations which are quickly producing the results I’m after - I wonder if doing these affirmations is the ‘Golden Key’ I’ve found?

Origins of Talent

It’s said that one life time is just a chapter in the book of the soul. I believe we carry our special talents over with us from previous lives. Last year I met an exceptionally gifted singer and it was interesting to discover his journey as a musician started in childhood. When I look back at my own life I read my first personal development book at the age of eleven, I wonder was it fate it was incorrectly filed in the children’s section or was I drawn to it. It felt very natural to learn about the mind, about meditation and visualisation. I think this notion of ‘carrying over’ applies to our personality traits too; whatever is strongest about you - the comments people who don’t know you first make when they meet you, for example the most common description of me is ‘You’re so calm’, it’s even become a little boring to hear!

Interpreting Your Dreams

When I deliver training courses no other topic generates as much fascination amongst participants as the subject of interpreting dreams. It seems each person is curious to unravel some of the mystery of their nocturnal visions and gain access to the insights and wisdom they believe are locked in those images.

A good place to start is an understanding of where our dreams come from. For this we must look at the mind and it’s useful to apply the analogy of an iceberg. The tip of the iceberg visible above the water can be likened to our conscious mind; all that we are aware of in the present moment. The conscious mind can deal with about 5 to 7 tasks or pieces of information at any one time and is responsible for linear, analytical thinking involving factual information and numbers.

The 90 percent or so of the iceberg which is under the water and can’t be seen is similar to our unconscious or ‘sub’conscious mind. It takes care of all the thousands of processes going on in the body which keep us alive. The unconscious mind governs feelings, intuition and creativity. It also serves as a huge store house for our life memories and the skills we’ve already learnt. Sometimes also called the right brain the unconscious mind communicates in a language of images, symbols, metaphors and stories and of course dreams.

I believe while we are asleep at night the unconscious mind isn’t just repairing and healing our bodies, it’s also working through the emotional issues we face in our waking lives and attempting to resolve and heal them too.

Dreams can provide us with guidance and reassurance. They can deliver important messages and warnings, shedding light on areas of concern we are perhaps overlooking. Highlighting our fears as well as our deepest desires. So how can you know what your dreams mean?

There are four basic steps. The first is to record your dream. This is best done in a journal. I find spiral bound hard back notebooks are best, since they are the easiest to write in. You can get up to 70 percent more information from a dream by writing it down than simply reflecting on it in your mind. This is because the process of writing gets the dream out of your head and in front of you allowing for much greater clarity. So imagine your dream is like a film you’ve just watched and write it down like a story; ‘I was in such and such a place when this happened and then I …’ don’t worry if you can’t remember all of it, even a snippet can be quite revealing. To improve recall try to wake up naturally; relax for a few moments and gently focus on your dream, this will help to bring it into conscious awareness.

Once you’ve described the ‘story’ of the dream you can begin to break it down by making a list of all the dream symbols. These are the naming words or nouns; the places, people, animals and objects contained in the dream.

Now you’re ready to start your interpretation. Take each dream symbol in turn and ask yourself ‘What does this person represent to me in my life?’, ‘What does this animal/object remind me of?’ or ‘What does this place represent to me?’ and write your answer next to each symbol.

The meanings of symbols are always unique to each individual. A lost handbag in one woman’s dream may represent concerns about losing something she places a lot of importance on such as a job or relationship, because in waking life the handbag normally contains her valuables; money, keys, phone etc. The same dream symbol for another woman could indicate worry about her self image or appearance because the handbag usually has her make-up items in it.

Many people find when they have been interpreting their dreams for sometime; they begin to build up a personal dream dictionary, made up of re-occurring symbols which are unique to them. For example, my car is a common symbol representing my life. Recently I dreamt the car had been transformed into three tall refrigerators/freezers all made out of the same coloured metal as the car and were standing in its parking space. Later in the dream I’m using a microwave oven – a very quick way to ‘defrost’ things and cook them. So the dream speaks of the present in which some aspects of my life feel ‘frozen’ or stuck and advises that I will quickly overcome the challenges.

By the time you’ve taken each symbol and discovered it’s meaning for you, you’ll have most of the message the dream is communicating. The final step is about uncovering the feelings and emotions. These are very important clues as to which aspects of the dream you need to pay most attention to. The question to ask here is; ‘Which scene contains the most energy?’ or ‘Which part of the dream really stands out?’

The unconscious mind produces different types of dreams. It has the capacity to jump forwards in time resulting in prophetic dreams, foretelling events that have yet to take place in real life. It can go backwards too, giving us glimpses into our past lives. The unconscious mind can also pick up and communicate to us information from thousands of miles away. Here is a personal example:

When my father was visiting India once I had a very strong dream in which I saw him lying in a hospital bed and on a drip. The overwhelming emotion was a deep sense of loss that I might never see him again. This was very disturbing, for as far as we knew he was well and really enjoying his holiday. I had only finished relating the dream when the phone rang and my uncle who had arrived back from India that morning said he was on his way over and needed to speak to us urgently. He described how he had gone to meet my father and discovered he had been taken seriously ill and was in hospital. His concern was that my father’s health was deteriorating rapidly because he wasn’t getting the medical treatment he needed and that if we didn’t go and bring him back ‘he might not make it’.

There are various kinds of spiritual dreams too. One type is where the karma of the dreamer is reduced by experiencing the event which would have happened in waking life through the medium of a dream.

From helping us to find solutions to our everyday problems through to settling our karmic debts, dreams play an important role in our lives. Learning how to interpret them can open the doorway to a hidden treasure.

Spring

Since yesterday it seems spring has finally arrived. The sunshine has been glorious. The winter bugs are still harassing people and a couple of friends are down with viruses. This year has been the best ever for me on the bug front, not one sore throat or cough, much less any flu. Two reasons perhaps. Following a vegan diet automatically pushes me towards more fruit and veg because I can’t default to dairy products. More importantly though, I’ve been staying clear of sugar, completely, which I find very liberating. It’s something I simply don’t have to think about. I’m always reminded of an interesting chat I once had with my G.P. He told me how eating refined sugar lowers immune system functioning by 50% for up to 5 hours. That’s staggering!

I think we’ve become conditioned to associate treats with sugary snacks. I still have treats but not ones which will work against my body. A real treat is something my body will appreciate too, not just my mind.

Finding sugar at my place always brings amusement to my friends, as I stand on tiptoes, poking about on the top shelf of the kitchen cabinet with a wooden spoon to find the abandoned sugar pot, so they can enjoy a cup of tea!

Transforming Problems

I’m very fond of this particular Sikh teaching; suffering and happiness are the two sets of clothes worn alternately by every human being as they travel on life’s journey. It can help us to understand that problems are a part of life, no matter what we may do to protect ourselves; we will encounter them along the way.

The problem was actually a solution at one time. Like in the story of the man who needed to get across a river. Having built his boat he made it safely over to the other side, but then continued on his way carrying the boat on his back for the rest of his life. What is a problem today was the perfect thing to do yesterday given who we were then and our circumstances. We can respect our problems for the good they have done us in the past and know that we have evolved now. Problems are a natural by-product of our creative and growth processes. When we want to go in a different direction that’s more in line with who we are in the present, the old way of doing things becomes problematic.

Our problems are opportunities in disguise. They enable us to change ways of behaving and thinking which are no longer productive for us. A good analogy here is of iron ore, which is first placed into the furnace and made red hot, then taken out and given a good beating by the blacksmith as he hammers it into a new shape. The process we go through with our problems is similar. The intense heat and pressure we experience are necessary to help us get rid of our impurities – those beliefs and ways of acting or relating which need to be updated.

Like the blacksmith, individuals whom we perceive as difficult for the ‘hard time’ they give us, are actually very important to our development, they tell us ‘hey, this is where you need to look’. Hence the saying ‘our worst enemies are our greatest teachers’, because they expose vulnerabilities in us, which we can then strengthen. Viewed in this light, problems can be seen as positive challenges through which we can improve our lives.

Acceptance as paradoxical as it may sound is the first step to changing any problem. This can be hard, but it need only be momentary. Let’s take an example. Imagine I want to visit Paris. I could wish forever and it will remain totally impossible, unless I first acknowledge where I currently am. The moment I accept I’m in London the way to get to Paris is instantly mapped out and within a short space of time I could be there. My accepting I’m in London isn’t the same as liking or wanting to be in London, I may not want to be here for a single minute, however in order for me to get to my destination I must accept that’s where I am today. And so it is for our problems, acceptance of the present situation as it is, no matter how much you dislike it or wish it wasn’t the case, is key.

The solution is always present in the problem. The trick is knowing how to find it. Once you have accepted there is a problem, ask yourself; ‘What do I want instead of this …?’ These are the magic words which will transform your problem into a goal, something you feel attracted towards. It’s far easier to move in the direction of a goal than it is to focus attention on a problem. This is because when we think of problems we usually recall events that have already taken place (the past), causing us to feel stuck, helpless and demotivated. The going round and round in circles kind of thinking. Changing the problem into a goal will steer your thinking towards the future, by getting you to focus on how you would like things to be. It’s energising, creating a positive attitude with which to overcome the difficulty.

The ups and downs of life are the continuously changing externals, the ‘clothes’ we wear on the outside. True happiness, the kind which is constant because it’s not dependent upon any circumstance, relationship or possession is to be found on the inside, within us. That’s the place of real stability and security.