Peripheral Vision Exercises: Can They Help You See Auras?

Peripheral vision is the part of eyesight that allows you to notice something happening around you, outside the direct line of vision. While the latter focuses on the details of what we are directly observing, peripheral vision allows us to notice movements, shapes, contrasts, and other changes in our environment.

In aura-related practices, this expanded vision is used as a tool to detect subtle outlines or impressions of colours that people believe the aura has. However, it is essential to distinguish between peripheral vision and aura perception, as the former is the established process and the latter is not scientifically proven yet. Learn more to find out about peripheral vision and aura detection practice.

Understanding Peripheral Vision and Aura Perception

Peripheral vision helps us to see what is going on around us when we fixate our eyesight on some object ahead. Unlike central vision, which is sharp, detailed, and focused on the object of our attention, peripheral vision is motion-sensing and less detailed.

The retina of the eye has rods and cones. While the rods detect movements and light changes, the cones help to see the details and perceive colors. That is why peripheral vision is better for catching movements than central vision.

Similarly to peripheral vision, aura perception practice is based on the technique of soft-gazing. Some practitioners claim that they see glowing outlines or other shapes, but these perceptions could be the result of:

Lighting and contrast
Afterimages
Tiredness of the eyes
Interpretation by the brain of visual information

For this reason, it is advised not to label any visual effects perceived during the exercise.

Why Side Vision is Different

As you focus your sight on something, your awareness is narrowed, while peripheral awareness is, on the contrary, widening the focus of attention and helping to be more attentive to movements and changes in surroundings.

That is why peripheral vision for aura-seeing usually starts with the exercise of soft-gazing. It does not mean that you try to blur your vision, but you relax it. One simple exercise to train peripheral awareness is to concentrate on some point on the wall and be aware of objects situated on both sides of your point of concentration.

Simple Exercise to Perceive Aura

Find a quiet room with soft lighting and go there. Stand a few inches away from the wall and put your hand in front of your face so that you can spread your fingers slightly. Now, concentrate on some point beyond your hand. Your hand should be inside your peripheral vision.

Stay for 30–60 seconds, while concentrating and breathing normally. You may see some outline or haze or nothing. All these outcomes are normal and do not mean that you have just seen an aura because similar visual effects might occur as the result of visual perception of contrast or afterimages.

The most important thing is awareness.

Side-Gazing Exercise

If you feel comfortable with this exercise, then keep your hand in front of your face and concentrate on some point and, without moving your head, become aware of your fingers and move one of them side to side.

Another way is to put some objects to the left and right and be aware of them without actually looking at them. It develops the awareness of motions in your peripheral vision, but does not enlarge the vision or guarantee aura perception.

Aura Perception Exercise with Another Person

Ask someone to stand in front of you against some plain background in soft lighting conditions. Sit a few feet away and concentrate your peripheral awareness on the head and shoulders of your partner.

You will probably notice some outlines or aura-like glow of some objects. But remember that these perceptions could appear due to contrast between the person and the background.

How to Avoid Straining Your Eyes

Pushing yourself too hard can result in eye strain and lead to the appearance of numerous visual illusions.

Instead, you should:

Relax your face
Blink naturally
Breathe normally
Rest if necessary

Your expectations could also distort reality, and thus, you should observe the phenomenon first and interpret it secondarily.

Lighting and Visual Effects

Soft lighting and plain background help in perceiving subtle impressions better. Hard lighting or the presence of numerous details can distort your perception.

Appearance of colors while looking away from the object might be caused by an afterimage, which is a normal visual illusion. Knowing this allows you to stay objective and, at the same time, investigate the phenomenon.

Can Peripheral Vision Help You See an Aura?

There is no scientific research to prove that peripheral vision lets one see auras or energy fields. However, it changes your observation method by increasing your sensitivity to subtle visual sensations such as movement, contrast, and borders.

This impression can be interpreted by spiritual traditions as aura perception but can be explained with normal visual processes.

Other Simple Awareness Exercises

You could also perform several easy exercises as a part of your daily life to increase your awareness of the wide visual field. Below are some exercises to practice regularly:

Object Awareness: Observe an object in front of you while being aware of objects on both sides of your visual field without moving your eyes towards them.
Finger Movement: Hold your hands in front of you on the sides of your visual field and move your fingers slowly to pay attention to the moment of becoming aware of their movement.
Ball Activities: Gentle activities such as catching or passing a ball naturally require you to be aware of movement out of your centre of attention.
Mindful Awareness: During meditation, focus on your breath while becoming increasingly aware of sounds, movements, lights, and objects around you.

These exercises should be understood as exercises in increasing peripheral awareness and visual attention but not guaranteed methods of increasing your visual field.

Conclusion

Peripheral vision can increase your sensitivity to subtle visual impressions and is actively used in aura reading practices through soft-gazing and side-awareness exercises. You should approach the aura viewing process patiently and curiously instead of forcing specific colors or shapes and visit an ophthalmologist if you experience any sudden changes in your actual vision.

Ready to perceive your aura from a holistic perspective? Book a session today on Auraheal and connect with experienced healers for a personalized aura-reading experience.