Imaging "auras" around and between plants: a new application of biophoton imaging.

951 As shown in a previous photoessay, beautiful images of plants and other biologic systems can be obtained in total darkness.1 In a deep sense, underlying metabolic processes cause them to “glow in the dark.” This low-level biologic chemiluminescence is commonly known as biophoton emission. State-of-the-art low-light charge-coupled device cameras originally developed for applications in astrophysics enable imaging this emission in a light-tight chamber. We have observed variations in patterns produced by various plant parts such as leaves and vegetables as a function of time and noted that injury (e.g., cutting) is associated with clearly visible increased biophoton emission. As we studied the thousands of images we recorded over the past 2 years, we began to observe there were also patterns in the “noise” surrounding the plant parts. It appeared that not only did the biophoton patterns extend beyond the plants but also that patterns were strengthened between plants when they were in close proximity. Could these patterns represent “auras” surrounding plant parts, and were the plants expressing some kind of communication or resonance? When a plant is placed in darkness, the chlorophyll fluoresces for a few minutes. After this fluorescence decays, biophoton emission persists as a by-product of metabolic function. Published studies indicate that processes increasing oxidative metabolism producing singlet oxygen and other oxygen-related free radicals correlate with measured biophoton emission.2,3 Some recent theories consider the possibility that this radiation helps regulate biologic and