Have you ever walked into a room and sensed tension in the air? Do you ever get ‘a feeling’ about something, as if you know there’s more to it than meets the eye? Does spending time with certain people leave you feeling drained, even if encounters are friendly? Have you noticed coincidences too meaningful or well-timed to ignore? Maybe you sometimes sense you’re coming down with a cold or flu before any actual symptoms appear. If so, you may be tuning into your aura.
The Aura and Its Main Layers
The aura, or biofield, is an energetic field that surrounds and permeates your body. It is like a virtual blueprint which reflects your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual states. Some traditions and practices even suggest that our memories are stored in our auras.
Your aura is like a colourful, ever-changing bubble of energy that interacts with both your inner world and the world around you. While there is no official scientific consensus regarding its existence, researchers with a post-materialist approach are starting to gather evidence that confirms what many holistic traditions and energy healers have recognised for centuries – that there is indeed a biofield surrounding and interacting with our physical bodies, minds, and spirits.
Each layer of your aura tells a unique story about your well-being. Here we’ll explore the four main layers. These are the Etheric, Astral, Upper Astral, and Causal layers.
1. Etheric Layer (Physical Manifestation of Emotions)
The Etheric layer is the closest to your physical body, extending about 3cms beyond your skin. It acts as the energetic blueprint of your body, both reflecting and influencing your health, vitality, and sensory experiences. Some associate this layer with the sacral chakra.
How You Might Experience It in Daily Life: You may feel tingling sensations on your skin when you or someone else waves the palm of their hand above it. For empaths, this can be experienced strongly over chakras (energy centres – see image at the bottom of this article). If your etheric layer is unbalanced, you may feel drained or disconnected from your body.
Scientific Insights: Research in bioelectromagnetics suggests that our bodies emit electromagnetic fields that interact with external energies (Becker & Selden, 1985). Kirlian photography has even captured what appears to be energy radiating from living organisms (Korotkov, 1998).
Balanced vs. Unbalanced:
- Balanced: You feel healthy, energised, and physically resilient.
- Unbalanced: Fatigue, frequent colds, or feeling disconnected from your body.
How to Strengthen It:
- Spend time in nature, barefoot if possible, to ground yourself.
- Look after your physical health: eat nutrient-rich foods and stay hydrated.
- Stay fit: engage in movement, e.g. walking, running, dance, yoga, or other activities to maintain cardio health and flexibility.
- Practice relaxation such as meditation or sound therapy (sound baths or one-on-one sessions), to further boost your immunity.
2. Astral Layer (Emotional Body)
The Astral layer extends beyond the Etheric layer and connects to your emotions, self-esteem, self-acceptance, and relationships with others. It is often called the “emotional body”. Some associate this auric layer with the solar plexis chakra.
How You Might Experience It in Daily Life: Have you ever felt an emotional wave hit you when entering a room? Or sensed someone’s feelings or intentions without them saying a word? That’s your Astral layer picking up emotional energy. When this layer is out of balance, you might feel overwhelmed by emotions, hypersensitive, or socially disconnected.
Scientific Insights: Studies by the HeartMath Institute show that emotions create measurable energetic changes in the heart’s electromagnetic field (McCraty, Atkinson, & Bradley, 2004). This supports the idea that emotional energy can extend beyond the body.
Balanced vs. Unbalanced:
- Balanced: You feel comfortable experiencing and expressing emotions, you can consciously recognise when you’re picking up on the emotions of others (i.e. when what you’re feeling is not “yours”) and can maintain healthy relationships.
- Unbalanced: Mood swings, emotional numbness or feeling overly reactive, you are experiencing multiple toxic relationships and/or conflictual relationships in your life.
How to Strengthen It:
- Practice mindful meditation or breathwork.
- Talk therapy (e.g. psychology) can also support this layer.
- Express your emotions through a creative outlet such as journaling, music, or art.
- Spend time with people who uplift your spirit.
- Spend time in places that uplift your spirit (e.g. in nature, a beautiful building, an art gallery).
3. Upper Astral Layer (Intuition and Higher Awareness)
The Upper Astral layer connects you to intuition, wisdom, and higher consciousness. It is where you receive inner guidance and inspiration. Some link this layer to the heart chakra.
How You Might Experience It in Daily Life: When you have a strong gut feeling about something, receive sudden insights seemingly out of nowhere, or experience vivid dreams that feel significant. If you struggle to trust your intuition or feel disconnected from your life’s purpose, this layer may need some attention.
Scientific Insights: Research in neuroscience suggests that meditation enhances the brain’s intuitive abilities, particularly in the prefrontal cortex (Lutz, Dunne, & Davidson, 2008). Some theories in quantum physics also suggest that consciousness extends beyond the brain (Hameroff & Penrose, 2014).
Balanced vs. Unbalanced:
- Balanced: You feel creative and experience self-love and love for others. You trust your instincts and feel a deep sense of calm and clarity.
- Unbalanced: Doubting your intuition, feeling lost in life, or disconnected from your inner wisdom.
How to Strengthen It:
- Deep meditation. Work your way up to advanced practices (note: have patience as this takes time!).
- Sound baths or private sound/energy healing sessions can help you reach a deep meditative state.
- Practice mindfulness in your daily life.
- Keep a dream journal to track intuitive messages.
4. Causal Layer (Connection to the Collective Consciousness)
The Causal layer extends further away from your physical body. Often associated with the third eye and crown chakras, it connects you to universal consciousness, spiritual evolution, and your soul’s purpose.
How You Might Experience It in Daily Life: Through meaningful synchronicities –moments where everything just “clicks,” or instances of shared ideas like when you think of someone and they just happen to call you at the time. This layer is also experienced as feeling connected to the universe and having a sense of the “collective consciousness” (the concept of shared awareness). If you feel spiritually lost or disconnected and disillusioned, this layer may need balancing.
Scientific Insights: While scientific research has yet to tangibly measure the Causal layer, studies in transpersonal psychology explore interconnected consciousness. Jung’s work on the collective unconscious (Jung, 1968) and near-death experience research by specialists such as Dr Raymond Moody (Moody, 1975) and Dr Bruce Greyson (Greyson, 2003) suggest a shared, non-physical aspect of awareness.
Balanced vs. Unbalanced:
- Balanced: You experience clarity of thought, feel aligned with your purpose, and connected to something greater. For those religiously inclined, deep practice can come into play here.
- Unbalanced: Existential doubt (e.g. “what is the meaning or point of life?”), spiritual disconnection, or feeling isolated.
How to Strengthen It:
- Deep, silent meditation.
- Spend time alone in nature (phone off!).
- Engage in spiritual practices that resonate with you. These may range from religious practices to group meditations such as sound baths.
- Participate in acts of kindness and compassion. These can help bring about a sense of purpose and connection with the collective consciousness.
Table: Basic Comparison of the Four Main Aura Layers
| Aura Layer | Description | How You Might Experience It | Balanced State | Unbalanced State | How to Strengthen It |
| Etheric | Physical manifestation of emotions, closest to the body | Tingling sensations on the skin | Feeling healthy, energised, physically resilient | Fatigue, frequent colds, disconnection | Grounding, physical health, relaxation |
| Astral | Emotional body, connects to self-esteem and relationships | Emotional waves, sensing others’ feelings | Comfortable with emotions, healthy relationships | Mood swings, emotional numbness, conflicts | Mindful meditation, creative outlets |
| Upper Astral | Intuition and higher awareness | Strong gut feelings, vivid dreams | Creativity, self-love, clarity of intuition | Doubting intuition, feeling lost | Deep meditation, sound healing, mindfulness |
| Causal | Connection to collective consciousness | Meaningful synchronicities, spiritual connection | Clarity of thought, aligned purpose | Existential doubt, spiritual disconnection | Silent meditation, nature, spiritual practices |
Final Thoughts
It takes time and practice to tune into your auric layers. I used to teach the four layers to advanced meditation students and noted that regular deep group meditation in addition to daily personal practice was the most efficient way for them to be able to clearly perceive these subtle energy bodies for themselves. If you choose to explore your aura, please be patient and consider joining a meditation group or finding a mentor to help you navigate the deep states required to fine-tune your perception.
Tuning into your aura is a deeply personal practice that can be a rewarding journey. Each layer holds valuable insights about your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. For further information, I recommend the book, “The Subtle Energy Body” by Cyndi Dale. It’s a great reference for anyone interested in energy anatomy and vibrational healing.
Feeling curious about exploring your energy field? A sound bath can guide you into a deep meditative state, helping you tune into and balance your aura. For a more personalised experience, a one-on-one sound-energy healing session can work at an even deeper, tailored level. Let’s connect—I’d love to help you explore and strengthen your auric field on your path to energetic harmony!
The Seven Major Chakras
As referred to in this article:
References
- Becker, R. O., & Selden, G. (1985). The Body Electric: Electromagnetism and the Foundation of Life. New York: William Morrow and Company.
- Korotkov, K. (1998). Light after Life: Experiments and Ideas on After-Death Changes of Kirlian Pictures. Backbone Publishing Company.
- McCraty, R., Atkinson, M., & Bradley, R. T. (2004). Electrophysiological evidence of intuition: Part 1. The surprising role of the heart. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 10(1), 133-143.
- Lutz, A., Dunne, J. D., & Davidson, R. J. (2008). Meditation and the Neuroscience of Consciousness: An Introduction. In P. Zelazo, M. Moscovitch, & E. Thompson (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Consciousness(pp. 499-551). Cambridge University Press.
- Hameroff, S., & Penrose, R. (2014). Consciousness in the universe: A review of the ‘Orch OR’ theory. Physics of Life Reviews, 11(1), 39-78.
- Jung, C. G. (1968). The Archetypes and The Collective Unconscious. Princeton University Press.
- Moody, R. A. (1975). Life After Life. Bantam Books.
- Greyson, B. (2003). Near-Death Experiences in a Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic Population. Psychiatric Services, 54(12), 1649-1651
