New Books in Science, Technology, and Society Jeremy Stolow, "Picturing Aura: A Visual Biography" (MIT Press, 2025)
Jun 20, 2025
Jeremy Stolow, a Professor of Communication Studies with expertise in sociology of religion and media history, discusses his groundbreaking work, "Picturing Aura: A Visual Biography." He explores the evolution of the aura concept across cultures and scientific fields, showing how it intertwines with art and alternative medicine. Highlights include the impact of Kirlian photography in understanding auras and the role of color in healing practices. Stolow deftly illuminates how auras serve as a connection point between the spiritual and the scientific.
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Chance Discovery Launches Research
- Jeremy Stolow discovered Kirlian photography by chance in a 1970s book on The Living Aura.
- This serendipitous find launched a 13-year research journey tracing aura visualization globally through diverse communities.
Auras: Real in Pictures
- The question of whether auras are real is less important than how pictures of auras are made and understood.
- Auras exist as real images that people recognize and use, regardless of their scientific validation.
Different Bodies Within Aura Images
- The Western biomedical body differs profoundly from subtle body concepts in other traditions like Ayurveda or Chinese medicine.
- Aura images often surround a biomedical body but represent energetic flows recognized in esoteric and alternative medical systems.