by Carol Ann Liaros

  Seeing energy fields or auras is really not that difficult; in fact, it is simply a process of learning to "see" in a new way. Trying too hard will only prevent you from seeing them at all. Rather than striving to see the aura, let it appear to you.

It is not so much an active "looking" as it is a passive "seeing". This is something of a paradox: if you try to see it, you probably won't, and if you look directly at the aura, it may disappear.

At first you may perceive the aura as a haze, glow, whiteness, or cloudiness around the head and shoulders, or simply as an intensification of the background color around the individual. This thin, silvery haze outlining the body is, in fact, the etheric double, the first layer of the aura.

Seeing the aura for the first time can be quite a surprise, and there are many different reactions to this experience. Some think it is their eyes playing tricks on them. Others think they are imagining things, or seeing an optical illusion an after image, or a shadow caused by the lights in the room.

People who wear glasses begin wondering if it is not time to get their prescriptions checked. Some think they have suddenly developed double vision. The aura is real, however, it is not an illusion or simply a figment of the imagination.

Sometimes, there are individuals who can see the colors of the aura immediately, appearing as a shimmering, pulsating field around the body. The colors of the aura are not quite like the colors you are used to seeing.

These are finer, more subtle colors, and the colors will vary depending upon the individual's physical, mental emotional, and spiritual condition. For most people, seeing the colors of the aura takes practice and persistence.

If you are having trouble seeing the aura, there are usually three stumbling blocks that can account for it: the intellect, past conditioning and tension. Although the intellect is important to the intuitive process, the logical mind cannot experience ESP or see auras, it can only sort out the experiences once they have occurred.

When the intellect acts as stumbling block, you will hear yourself saying things like "It must be my imagination", "My eyes are playing tricks on me", "I'm probably just seeing a reflection or a shadow", "It's only an optical illusion", or "There must be something on my glasses".

These are all some of the common responses of the intellect to this experience. Of course, a healthy skepticism can be a good thing, but the important thing to remember about the intellect is that it only accepts experiences that are familiar and can be logically explained.

The second stumbling block is past conditioning. Much of what we call logic is really conditioning. As much as we pride ourselves on thinking for ourselves and being open to new experiences, many of us are not. For the most part, we believe what we have been taught to believe.

And most of us are very aware of the fact that our school system, those who were in authority in our lives, and even our religious backgrounds, probably did not tell us about seeing auras. It has not been part of the mainstream worldview of how things are supposed to be.

The only way we deal with this bias is to let yourself recognize that no one possesses all the answers or understands all the mysteries of life. Learn to put your past conditioning and your intellect aside, for a time. The intellect will have the opportunity to analyze your experience later.

For many of us however, the biggest stumbling block to seeing an aura is the third problem of tension. In fact, tension in any form keeps us from experiencing ESP. As you practice relaxation, learning to do it at the command of your will, seeing the aura can become an easy, almost effortless experience.

Trying too hard to develop your intuitive abilities will generally keep you from having a positive experience or from doing very well.

In time, as you develop your abilities, you will begin seeing more and more colors in the aura. The colors of the aura can be interpreted, although the specific meaning often differs depending upon who is doing the interpreting.

Most individuals who have worked with color interpretation do agree on the basic principles.