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"Kirlian photography" film artifacts
1Department of Nuclear Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario.
Summary
Static discharges from fingers can create film artifacts resembling Kirlian photographs. These artifacts are often misinterpreted as a radiant spiritual aura, but are a result of electrical phenomena.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Photography
- Electromagnetism
Background:
- Kirlian photography, also known as electrography or corona discharge photography, purports to capture an energy field or aura surrounding living organisms.
- Such phenomena have been attributed to various spiritual and paranormal explanations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a common film artifact that mimics Kirlian photographs.
- To explain the artifact's origin as static discharge from the fingers.
Main Methods:
- Observation of film artifacts.
- Comparison with known photographic techniques.
Main Results:
- A specific film artifact was identified.
- The artifact was traced to static electrical discharges from the fingers.
- The artifact's visual characteristics were found to be similar to Kirlian photographs.
Conclusions:
- The described artifact is a result of simple static electricity, not a spiritual aura.
- Misinterpretation of physical phenomena can lead to pseudoscientific claims.