All humans emit a glow that is extinguished when we die - scientists have explained. The 'aura' is emitted by all living beings, from plants and single-cell organisms up to humans.

The scientific phenomenon is different from the spiritual belief in an aura that can be detected by people with 'psychic abilities'

The discovery was imaged by scientists at the University of Calgary, Canada, who detected "ultraweak photon emissions" (UPE) using a special camera. Physicist Vahid Salari said: "UPE is closely linked to vitality. The study of UPE has fundamental importance for basic research, as it can be used for non-invasive insights into the biochemical and metabolic processes of living organisms."

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UPE is a very low-intensity light that is invisible to the human eye. It is released as part of the chemical reaction involved in all life.

The researchers used an ultra-dark environment and specialist cameras to detect UPE in plants, and to watch UPE disappear as mice died.

UPE disappeared in the mice when they died, even though their body temperature had not yet dropped. With the plants, scientists found UPE increased if the plant was put under stress, such as heat or damage.

The researchers said: " Our results show that the injury parts in all leaves were significantly brighter than the uninjured parts of the leaves during all 16 hours of imaging."

The researchers say this means UPE could be used to detect how 'well' a life form is.

UPEs, also known as biophotons, were discovered in the 1920s by Russian scientists Alexander Gurwitsch , who was awarded the Stalin Prize in 1941 for his work. Gurwitsch believed the rays were involved in communication between cells.

The rays were investigated by Fritz-Albert Popp and a research group at the Universty of Marburg in the 1970s.

Some spiritualists believe humans emit a glowing aura that shows our physical, spiritual and mental health. The theory is that a n invisible, multilayered energy field surrounds all living beings and reflects their physical, emotional, or spiritual state; often described in coloured bands.

There are said to be seven main layers (etheric, emotional, mental, etc.) that correlate with chakras. The colour of the layers is said to have meaning (e.g., red = drive, blue = calm, violet = spiritual insight). Most scientists attribute perceived “auras” to visual effects, suggestion, or ordinary heat/EM fields.