Walter John Kilner

Walter John Kilner (1847–1920) was a British medical doctor and inventor of the Kilner Screen, a device he claimed could allow the viewer to observe the aura of a person. His work, though largely discredited by the scientific community, has had a lasting impact on alternative and New Age beliefs about the human energy field.

Early Life and Education[edit | edit source]

Walter John Kilner was born in 1847 in London, England. He pursued his medical education at St. Thomas' Hospital, London, where he later worked as an electrician. Kilner's interest in the human aura and electromagnetic fields began early in his career, leading him to experiment with various devices and techniques to visualize what he believed was the energy field surrounding individuals.

Career[edit | edit source]

Kilner's most notable contribution to the field of alternative medicine and parapsychology was the development of the Kilner Screen. This device consisted of dicyanin dye sandwiched between two pieces of glass, which Kilner claimed could filter the light spectrum in such a way that the human aura could be seen by the naked eye. He detailed his findings and theories in his book, The Human Atmosphere (1911), where he described different colors and shapes of auras and what they purportedly indicated about a person's health, emotions, and character.

Despite his enthusiasm and detailed observations, Kilner's work was met with skepticism from the scientific community. Critics argued that the effects seen through the Kilner Screen were due to optical illusions or the result of the viewer's imagination rather than evidence of an actual aura. Furthermore, the use of dicyanin dye, a toxic substance, raised safety concerns.

Legacy[edit | edit source]

Although Walter John Kilner's scientific contributions were largely dismissed by his contemporaries, his work has found a place in the realm of New Age and alternative healing practices. The concept of the human aura and its significance in understanding health and emotional well-being continues to be a topic of interest among practitioners of holistic medicine and energy healing.

Kilner's ideas also influenced the development of aura photography and other techniques aimed at visualizing what proponents claim to be the energy fields surrounding living beings. Despite the lack of empirical evidence supporting the existence of auras, Kilner's work remains a subject of fascination and continues to inspire those exploring the boundaries between science and spirituality.

Death[edit | edit source]

Walter John Kilner passed away in 1920. His death marked the end of an era of early exploration into the human aura, but his legacy lives on in the continued interest and debate over the existence and significance of the human energy field.