[Andrej]

119-123

should the observer look for a minute or so, first through a blue or a red glass at the sunlight, he will see the band more plainly or less markedly respectively for a short time. Similar results will be obtained if the eyes be fatigued by looking at a blue or yellow band (vide ultra), when the observer becomes temporarily blue-blind or yellow-blind. Were it possible for the perception of two sets of colour-sensitive nerves to be annihilated for a short time, the observer would become perfectly monochromatic.

This, however, is not required for our investigation. In practice it has been found almost impossible by this method to induce simple red, blue, or yellow blindness. Most probably all the colour-sensitive nerves will be partially excited, although one set be almost completely paralysed, and this fact complicates the observations. However, the observation remains true that, "the eyes have become abnormally sensitive to certain shades of colour." Perhaps this may partly explain how it is that a person is enabled to perceive the human Aura after looking at the light for a short time through a spectauranine screen, since his eyes have been made more sensitive to the extreme limit of the spectrum, and most probably even to vibrations lying beyond and totally invisible in an ordinary way.

Every one is aware that if he gaze intently for a short time at a coloured object, and then look at a blank space he will see a spectre of the object similar in shape, but having a different hue. This secondary colour will always be the same, is dependent upon the hue of the object, and is termed "complementary" to the real or "primary" colour. If, for example, a yellow object be gazed at, the colour of the virtual image will be blue, the exact tint being determined by the shade of the yellow employed, and to a certain extent by personal idiosyncrasies. When the observer has looked sufficiently long at the object, the time varying according to the brightness of the light and the steadfastness of his gaze, etc., he will always perceive at first the spectre to have the same hue, but this gradually becomes lighter, and will more frequently than not become blended with a red tint, turning purple or plum-coloured. In these cases it must be remembered that the complementary colour always includes a red tint, although at first it is masked by the intensity of the blue colour.

Should, however, the observer see at first the purple or plum-coloured tints on the phantom, he may be sure his eyes have not been completely saturated by the original yellow colour, or else that there is a larger amount of white light present than usual. This shows how requisite it is to be conversant with all the varying tints that the spectre undergoes. After a short time the phantom will vanish and may return with quite altered colours. For the present purpose this secondary change may be neglected, because the use of the complementary colours is not continued long enough to produce it. One other fact remains to be borne in mind, namely; that when the background is not white, the complementary colour will not appear in its pure shade, but as if blended with the tint of the background. Since the complementary colours are entirely subjective, they will receive the names of the nearest colours of paints that could be obtained, these being accurate enough for all practical purposes. After a large number of experiments had been made with the colours we call our primary ones, we came to the conclusion that these did not give such good results as mixed ones. Numerous trials have shown the following colours to be the most useful:

1. Gamboge having a complementary colour, - Prussian Blue.
2. Antwerp Blue, - Gamboge.
3. Carmine, - Transparent Emerald Green.
4. Emerald Green, - Carmine.
However, the Investigator must determine by experiment what colour or colours suit him best.

In actual practice use is made of strips of tinted paper three inches long and three quarters of an inch wide, pasted upon a black cardboard. These are the largest size that can be conveniently employed, since longer ones do not give the complementary colours perfect to the ends. When a patient stands a few feet in front of the observer, these strips will give bands of complementary colours, which when used transversely, will be wider than the body allowing the ends of the coloured bands that are projected on each side of the body to be compared with one another, and also with that part on the body itself. When used perpendicularly the band will cover the greater length of the thorax and abdomen simultaneously, or if the back is the part under inspection, it will include the greater part of the spine from above downwards.

Directly the patient is ready to be examined by this process, he must be placed in front of a white background opposite the light so as to be illuminated evenly all over, and should there be any shadows upon the background, they must be made equal on both sides. Preferably the light should be greater than when the Aura itself is being inspected, but almost always it will be necessary for the blind to be drawn down. When the patient has been properly arranged, the observer must gaze at one of the coloured strips, keeping his eyes steadfastly upon the spot from thirty to sixty seconds or more according to the brightness of the light.
For this purpose the more brilliant it is, the better, consequently it is as well to pull aside