Study Suggests All Humans Emit Subtle Light Until Death

All living beings, including you, emit subtle, etheric, semi-visible light that continues until death. Recent research supports this idea.

This mysterious luminescence might lead one to believe it is an indication of an aura or something similar.

However, Dr. Daniel Oblak, a physicist from the University of Calgary and the study’s lead author, explained to BBC Science Focus that while the concept of an aura is metaphysical and unscientific, the emitted light is not. Known as Ultraweak Photon Emission (UPE), it is a natural byproduct of metabolism.

“I would like to emphasize that UPE usually results from biochemical processes and is thus akin to what occurs with glow sticks.”

“UPE is so faint that it is imperceptible to the human eye and can be completely obscured by other light sources unless in total darkness.”

Don’t think that you can observe your own sparkle simply by closing the curtains and turning off the lights; this light is 1,000 to 1,000,000 times dimmer than what the human eye can detect.

UPE arises when a chemical within a cell creates an unstable molecule, known as a reactive oxygen species (ROS), which is essentially a byproduct of metabolic activity.

As ROS levels increase, other molecules become “excited,” meaning they carry excess energy, and it is this energy that emits light.

The primary factor driving this phenomenon is oxidative stress, a kind of cellular damage caused by aging and disease. The greater the oxidative stress experienced by the body, the more ROS—and consequently, more light—is produced.

“When an organism ceases to live, it halts metabolism, thereby stopping the emission of ultrawave photons,” he remarked.

To investigate UPE, scientists in Calgary measured the UPE generated by immobilized and deceased mice and damaged leaves.

Using specialized cameras, they found that living mice emitted significantly more light than their deceased counterparts. Conversely, the leaves released more light in areas that were damaged compared to intact regions.

This is due to increased oxidative stress in the scratched areas. However, the dead mice did not emit light as their bodies no longer underwent metabolic processes.

Dr. Oblak highlighted that the significance of UPE lies in its ability to provide a non-invasive method to assess the health of living organisms.

“This technology could be utilized to monitor tissue status, such as in transplants, or to gauge crop and forest health, especially regarding the stress levels in organisms,” he explained.

Nonetheless, this field remains rife with uncertainties. For instance, Oblak pondered: “Perhaps UPE is not merely a byproduct of metabolic processes; it may also serve a purpose,” although scientists have yet to reach a consensus.

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About our experts

Dr. Daniel Oblak is an associate professor in the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Calgary. He earned his PhD in Quantum Optics from the University of Copenhagen in 2010, having previously completed his Bachelor of Science and Master’s degrees at Aarhus University. Currently, his research interests encompass quantum information science, long-range encryption, quantum networks, and quantum light interfaces.