THURSDAY, Oct. 21, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- If you detect a colorful aura around people you love, it doesn't mean you have psychic powers.
It's just a quirk of your brain, says a University College London study in the October issue of Cognitive Neuropsychology.
The study noted that some people actually do see colors in response to people or words that evoke emotion. This condition is called emotion-color synaesthesia.
"A popular notion is that some people have a magical ability to detect the hidden emotions of others by seeing a colorful aura or energy field that they give off. Our study suggests a different interpretation. These colors do not reflect hidden energies being given off by other people, rather they are created entirely in the brain of the beholder," study author Dr. Jamie Ward, of the University College London's psychology department, said in a prepared statement.
His study documented a woman who could see colors in response to familiar people or when she heard their names or certain words. She detected colored auras around people she knew. Their names and highly emotive words such as "fear" or "hate" triggered color across the woman's entire field of vision.
Synaesthesia occurs in about one in 2,000 people and is known to run in families. While some people with the condition see colors, others experience tastes or smells in response to emotional stimuli. Some scientists believe the condition may be caused by cross-wiring in the brain, such as between areas involved in processing emotions and vision.
"The ability of some people to see the colored auras of others has held an important place in folklore and mysticism throughout the ages. Although many people claiming to have such powers could be charlatans, it is also conceivable that others are born with a gift of synaesthesia," Ward said.
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has information about how emotions affect your health.
