Kirlian

Kirlian photography is a set of photographic techniques that capture coronal discharges occurring around an object placed on a dielectric surface and connected to a high-voltage source. The phenomenon was first observed in 1939 by Semyon Kirlian and his wife Valentina in the Soviet Union, when an electrical apparatus produced a visible glow around objects during a faulty measurement. After further experimentation, the method was publicized and came to be associated with their name.

In standard practice, a high-voltage, high-frequency supply (often tens of kilovolts at tens of kilohertz) feeds a conductive plate on which the object rests. A dielectric layer separates the object from a photographic plate or electronic sensor below. The strong electric field induces a corona discharge around the object's edges, creating a luminous halo that is recorded in the photograph. The appearance and intensity of the discharge depend on factors such as moisture, texture, pressure, temperature, electrical conductivity, and the distance to the plate.

Scientific interpretation centers on conventional physics: the effect is the result of corona discharge and surface charging in an electric field. While variations in the image can be informative about material properties or contact quality, claims that Kirlian photographs reveal a person’s life energy, aura, or psychic state are not supported by controlled scientific evidence. Nonetheless, the technique has influenced popular culture and has been used in some artistic, forensic, and exploratory contexts.

Today, terms such as electrography or bioelectrographic imaging are sometimes used to describe related approaches, with Kirlian photography remaining the best-known historical reference.