The Kirlian Effect
The Strange Aura of Kirlian Photographs (KP)
Known technically as the 'Kirlian Effect'. Discovered quite by accident, this effect is thought to show bioenergy; the life force itself. The original KP's were in black and white but through a series of perfections, Semyon Kirlian and his wife, Valentina, developed logical colour techniques and natural enhancements.
He was an inventor from the Russian City of Krasnodar. In 1939, using equipment at the hospital where he worked as a maintenance man and an electrician, he built a device making photographs of any object placed in a high frequency electrical field. The first image he worked on was his own hand. When developed, they were amazed to see the result. Crystalline streams of energy and light emanated from around his hand. They experimented with both live and inanimate objects. 
A fresh cut leaf would be surrounded by a bright aura and multifarious points of light. A few days later the leaf would have a much deteriorated and dimmer aura with no points of light. A human hand would display disorganised points of light and a general cluttered disturbance if the person was ill or under strain. If in good health then the KP would show a strong, organised radiance. 
A logical pattern of emanation has been described where cancers and such like are said to be discernible in the 'aura' by the use of KP. This is still in the experimental stage, but the results thus far have satisfied the faithful.
In one experiment, Kirlian's followers cut off a leaf before a branch was photographed. They claim a phantom leaf appeared in its place duplicating the original leaf exactly. They are believed to have coined the term 'bioluminescent'.
Have they discovered a new form of energy?
Orthodox science views these images with modest, almost non-existent interest. To the rest of us, these images are the closest we have yet to photographing the aura. KP eventually gained recognition in the US. A meeting called "The First Western Hemisphere Conference" in May 1972 was organised. A number of delegates working independently claimed to have duplicated the Kirlian's results and further added a few of their own.
For instance, the KP of the hand above is that of the Russian Spiritual Healer, Olga Worrall. E. Douglas Dean claimed that the corona grew in intensity each time Worrall thought of healing. In 1976 the journal 'Science' ran a feature discrediting the results as being nothing more than moisture and the photoelectrical/photochemical properties of the materials used. The article, however, failed to explain how this could be.
Perhaps the last word should be left to U.S. Psychologist Thelma Moss who is credited with bringing KP to our attention in the West. "I wouldn't see any purpose in mucking about in this field if I thought it were an entirely electrical phenomenon".
One thing is certain, their full story is yet to be told.