1. a subjective sensation that precedes an epileptic seizure or migraine headache. It may include such phenomena as strange tastes or odors, flashes of light (a visual aura), numbness, and feelings of unreality or déjà vu.

2. in parapsychology, a subtle halo or emanation that purportedly surrounds every person, animal, plant, or object. Some sensitives claim to be able to discern such auras, which can allegedly reveal an individual’s personal qualities as well as his or her state of physical health. It is also claimed that auras may be rendered visible by such means as Kirlian photography and the use of Kilner screens. In spiritualism and theosophy, a person’s aura is sometimes identified with his or her astral body (see astral projection); in other traditions, it may be seen as the manifestation of a life force or energy field. See also effluvium; Reichenbach phenomenon.