The effect of glow of different objects, including biological ones, in electromagnetic high intensity fields has been known for more than 2 centuries. However, the complexity of the equipment that was in use at that time hindered the profound study of the effect. It was only due to Russian inventors, a married couple by the name of Kirlian who independently came across this phenomenon in 1930 – 40, that high – frequency photography method became widely known. For several decades the Kirlians were involved in glow studies of various substances. They got over 30 patents. That’s why this phenomenon became universely known as Kirlian effect.
Currently, the term Kirlian effect is interpreted as visual observation or registration on photomaterial of gas discharge glow, appearing near the object’s surface when it is placed in high strength electric field. In describing the results of biological subjects study such terms as bioelectrography and Kirlian photography are also used.
Kirlian photography became widespread as experimental studies method: the number of works on Kirlian effect amounts to over 1000 publications. The issue that aroused the greatest interest was the study of Kirlianograms of biological subjects, mainly – of human organism.
Even the first studies of Kirlian effect revealed that Kirlianograms form changes along with the changes in a person’s state. For example, it appeared possible to evaluate the general level and character of the organism’s physiological activity judging by the way the fingertips and toes Kirlianograms looked, as well as to assess the state of various systems of the organism and to follow the influence of different impacts, such as medications, therapy, etc. It gave the opportunity to develop various effective systems of diagnostics based on Kirlian effect usage.
The expansion of Kirlian effect application sphere, as well as the urge to consolidate the studies carried out in different countries, resulted in organizing in the USA and Great Britain in 1978 of the International Union of Medical and Applied Bioelectrography (IUMAB). The Union got the support of the scientists all over the world, including Russian scientists. A number of theses were defended in which a great number of experimental data were used obtained from the studies of various biological subjects with the help of Kirlian effect.
Kirlian effect is currently the only instrumental method that enables one to assess, on the physical and energy-informational levels, the state of not only a separate organ or system, but of the organism as a whole in interrelation of its various parts. In long-term outlook this method may become a practical instrument permanently present at a doctor’s desk.
The prospects of Kirlian effect application in practical psychology are a matter of special interest: some of the obtained data testify to the fact that there is correlation between glow characteristics and personality type. With due elaboration Kirlian effect may become the first instrumental method of personality characteristics assessment, and that will enable a researcher to build up an objective portrait of a personality on various stages of their development.
Most interesting data were obtained in the study of psychological compatibility of people, carried out with the help of Kirlian method. This leads to the prospects of a new approach to the problems of occupational selection, especially concerning the relationship in small groups, as well as to the problems of family creation and individual relationship.
The advent of gas discharge visualisation (GDV) device, based on Kirlian effect, has marked a new stage in human nature cognition.