Kirlian photography
noun
Kir·li·an photography
ˈkir-lē-ən- 
: a process in which an image is obtained by application of a high-frequency electric field to an object so that it radiates a characteristic pattern of luminescence that is recorded on photographic film
Kirlian photograph
noun
Examples of Kirlian photography in a Sentence
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Lawrence played with Kirlian photography, attended a parapsychology conference, and traveled around the country meeting witches, psychics, and other purveyors of the paranormal.
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IEEE Spectrum, 21 Mar. 2017
Someone came in with a Kirlian photography machine, which produced something like aura photography.
—Julia Halperin, New York Times, 16 May 2024
The technique used to capture this electrical flow is called Kirlian photography, named after the Russian electrical engineer Semyon Kirlian who discovered that if an object on a photographic plate is connected to a high-voltage source, an image is produced on the photographic plate.
—Discover Magazine, 10 Jan. 2013
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IEEE Spectrum, 21 Mar. 2017
Someone came in with a Kirlian photography machine, which produced something like aura photography.
—Julia Halperin, New York Times, 16 May 2024
The technique used to capture this electrical flow is called Kirlian photography, named after the Russian electrical engineer Semyon Kirlian who discovered that if an object on a photographic plate is connected to a high-voltage source, an image is produced on the photographic plate.
—Discover Magazine, 10 Jan. 2013
Cite this Entry
“Kirlian photography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Kirlian%20photography. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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