Kirlian photography

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Kirlian photography of a pair of coins.

Kirlian photography is a method of creating images by placing an object on a photographic plate and passing high-voltage, high-frequency electrical current through it, thus producing images of coronal discharge around the object's image on the plate. It's named after Semyon Kirlian (1898-1978), a Russian electrician with a scientific bent, who (re-)discovered the effect in 1939.^[1]

In pseudoscience[edit]

Kirlian photography has little merit besides being a nice way to illustrate coronal discharge and making pretty cool pictures. Of course, that doesn't stop people trying to find un-scientific merit. Kirlian himself suggested that the images can be compared to an aura, and many New Agers seem to have run with this suggestion very literally.^[1]

Kirlian photography has been used as evidence of the existence of a "biofield". Kirlian himself had noted several changes in what he was photographing depending on conditions around him, and came up with various ideas such as bio-plasma that would link the results of his photographic technique with mood, emotions, and physical state.^[2] David Bowie also noted changes, specifically before and after taking cocaine.^[3] Since then, it has been associated with energy flows, meridians, and alternative medicine treatments,^[4] usually as a way of measuring stress, or evaluating people who claim various paranormal properties (Therapeutic touch, etc.).^[5] Changes in skin moisture and contact pressure are in fact the variables responsible for changes in the coronas, and Kirlian photography is therefore not a reliable measurement of health.^[6]

External links[edit]

Kirlian photography at The Skeptic's Dictionary
Kirlia at Bulbapedia^{[note 1]}

References[edit]

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Kirlian Photography and Auric Fields
↑ Fullspectrum.org (professional Kirlian photographers, apparently of the mostly non-bullshit kind) — About Kirlian
↑ David Bowie's Kirlian Photo, Before and After Using Cocaine
↑ Kirlian.org
↑ Mystica
↑ Questionable Methods of Cancer Management: Electronic Devices by The American Cancer Society, CA Cancer J. Clin. 1994: 44, 115-127.

Notes[edit]

↑ The Pokémon Kirlia is named after Kirlian photography. There's a fun piece of trivia for you.

[kirlian-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Kirlian Photography and Auric Fields

[2] Fullspectrum.org (professional Kirlian photographers, apparently of the mostly non-bullshit kind) — About Kirlian

[3] David Bowie's Kirlian Photo, Before and After Using Cocaine

[4] Kirlian.org

[5] Mystica

[6] Questionable Methods of Cancer Management: Electronic Devices by The American Cancer Society, CA Cancer J. Clin. 1994: 44, 115-127.

[7] The Pokémon Kirlia is named after Kirlian photography. There's a fun piece of trivia for you.

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Kirlian photography

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In pseudoscience[edit]

External links[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

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