Christian halo = aura

When I was a young teen I saw a halo around the head of a girl who was a good friend of mine. It looked exactly like images of religious figures with halos. It was permanent and fixed and stayed no matter what way she turned her head.

At Sunday School I looked up an image painted I think in about the 1500s and it showed three holy men around infant Jesus. All three men and Jesus had halos. The girls halo had been whitish-blue, and these were yellow-gold. The ones in the picture were more perfectly circular, but the style of painting wasn't super realistic but also kind of stylized. I pointed it out to one of my pastors and told him I'd seen the same thing around a person. He told me halos were myths and I was just seeing an illusion. They aren't real, according to him, but symbolic, so don't act like they're real.

I shut up about it except with people who I felt wouldn't judge me about it, like my godfather who was a very intellectual guy. He said that people especially artists in the old days saw halos frequently and that the new-age term is aura.

So, I like the term halo better than aura. Both a pretty names. But it's an area where new-age spirituality and ancient Christianity definitely connect, indicating a unification of beliefs and observations about the world. What is Christian stance on visibility of halos? I can't find anything 'official' on the phenomena.

there are two different aspects to your question. First, from the earliest time
the halos in religious art were used to represent 2 different pagan ideals. The
halo of stars is and was representative of Sofia and or Venus. the Disk style halo resulted from representations of the SunGod. The "Halo" that you
describe sounds like the descriptions of Auras that i have heard. It is my
understanding ( and i could be wrong) that everybody has an Aura, some are
stronger and more visible than others. It is also my understanding that some
folks can see them clearer or better than others.

yeah nothing strange in every religion i know they show the halo around thehead they say its because there is the part where the aura is mos visible.

yeah we all have an aura but of different colours and stuff dont really know never seen one.

Originally posted by taibunsuu
So, I like the term halo better than aura. Both a pretty names. But it's an area where new-age spirituality and ancient Christianity definitely connect, indicating a unification of beliefs and observations about the world. What is Christian stance on visibility of halos? I can't find anything 'official' on the phenomena.

From what I understand in art, it was a way of depicting an 'enlightened' person represented with a light shining from behind the head. When the Baroque period kicked up, it seemed to take a three dimentional form and was thin like a circlet. The circle does have a Christian connotation with no beginning and no end like God. The reasoning was to make the painting life-like with a hint of spirituality. From what I understand it is pan-religious in that a lot of pictures show this of their enlightened people. This is not to say they are not real, for I'm sure even artists had to either hear a description of it or have seen something of the like in order to depict it. So, so. Can you be Christian and believe in an aura? Why not if you believe this is the spirit. On the other hand if you say no, can't say I blame you because we typically would have to experience something like this in order to believe it. Two things though: New Age is not Christianity and be cautious of people who tell you that your experiences aren't real.

What you saw, was it a circlet or light from behind?

[edit on 23-11-2004 by saint4God]

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i like your Godfathers reply...

i think artistic representation of Halos began during the Medievel times and into the Rennaissance...

supposedly, the pious or saintly people could have a halo...
if a non-believer had any auras they would be in peril... for sure

there's other mystical jargon about halos'...one of which is the round Halo
represents the round dinner plate or the round bread at the 'Last Supper',
therefore the image of a Halo signifies the person imaged is of the Christian sect...and having partook of the mysterious body of Christ ritual.

for real facts check this link
more info check this page

nimbus, aureole, glory, strange thing though, the Catholic Encyclopedia has nothing about none of these...

So, I like the term halo better than aura. Both a pretty names.

Yeah, good thinking, and also, the term halo isn�t as worn out as the word aura, and halo sound�s a bit softer too.

Cheers:
Cactus

Originally posted by saint4God

What you saw, was it a circlet or light from behind?

It happened when I was 15 and she was 16. After track practice we were sitting in a field on a nice day just talking. She was sitting up and I was lying on grass. I noticed a white glow around her head and thought it was an illusion like when you stare at an object too long against a uniform background you see a ghost image of the object. A couple things countered that, though, I hadn't been staring but looking around, and I kept looking around to keep from staring. Every time I looked back the halo was growing wider. And instead of being darker than the background (blue sky) it was lighter. It stopped at about 18" from each side of her head, a circle from the base of one jaw to the other. It was two-dimensional and regardless of the angle of her head toward me it remained 'flat' from my perspective. The circlet was overall uniform but the edges faded and wavered. The texture of the halo also wavered from white to light blue. I told her what I was seeing, and for some time it was very unique, but after awhile I got adjusted to seeing it. After about twenty minutes we parted to go to our homes. It was visible regardless what color was in the background behind her. I've never seen a halo or aura on anyone else since. It was just a spontaneous thing. I didn't feel ill or stressed at the time, but had been quite at ease.

Originally posted by St Udio
...one of which is the round Halo
represents the round dinner plate...at the 'Last Supper'

Kinda like History of the World Part I with Mel Brooks? Love that movie .

Jesus: One of you at this table will betray me.
Waiter: Judas!
Judas: WHAT?!!
Waiter: Would you like a soup or salad?

[edit on 24-11-2004 by saint4God]

much enjoyed the reading thanks! Can I ask what alignment/religion your friend is?

I had a friend that claimed to have had a similar experience as well as a little colour changing ringlet of light she used to play with as a child. I have no reason to doubt since there was no alterior motive for a good friend to say something like this.

Originally posted by saint4God
much enjoyed the reading thanks! Can I ask what alignment/religion your friend is?

She was a Christian Scientist and her family were devout Christian Scientists. I was very active in my church (Baptist) at that time as well.

I have seen halo's or aura's around a lot of different people. I saw one last week, there was a visiting minister in my church and she spoke about something that was very relevant and inspiring and the light around her head was so powerful that I got really excited. I know that no one else saw it because they wouldn't have looked so glum. I used to see it when I was young all the time, then for about the past 3 or 4 years nothing. I even forgot about it, then I remembered and prayed about it and I felt like God wanted to show it to me again. He did, a few months ago in a room of 10 people, they all had them. That night changed me. I feel like I am meant to learn more about them because they are important. It is a gift and needs to be developed and used for good. Things like this don't happen without a very good reason.