The second layer is called the emotional body and is all about emotional states. It is also called the astral body, by some. It outlines the physical body, but is more fluid and in motion than the first layer. It appears like colored clouds or wisps about three inches out around the physical body. Its colors change constantly depending on the emotional state of the person, and its movement varies as well.

This layer of the auric field has all the colors of the rainbow and more. The chakras in this layer reflect the typical rainbow progression up the chakras as seen in common pictures of the chakras.

The colors in the emotional body can also fly off and go in different directions, especially if strong emotions are felt toward someone or something. This is the auric layer which is most often seen by beginners who see clouds of color around a subject.

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Helmut G. Sieczka says in Chakra Breathing (2000) that this is the etheric body. Even though he connects it to the root chakra, he describes it as clouds of color a few inches out from the body, a typical description of the emotional body, and he says that its function is to keep out toxins and bacteria.

Genevieve Lewis Paulson, Kundalini And The Chakras (1991) says the, "Emotions and feelings are just vibratory rates... After refining this layer of the aura, it is possible to have feelings without getting caught in them, experience life without causing more karma and blocks, and to love without attachment."

According to Ted Andrews in How To See & Read The Aura (2000) this layer is the astral body. As we go on, you will see that there is some disagreement among various texts as to which layer of the auric field is actually the astral body, the causal body, etc.

In Vera Stanley Alder's book The Finding Of The Third Eye (1976), this layer is also called the astral body, or ghost body, and "having the same high speed of movement as electricity..." She also states that the ancient Egyptians called this layer the BA, or astral body, the "traveler through space."

Richard Cavendish, editor in chief of Man Myth & Magic, Vol 2 (1985), writes that this "etheric double is probably physical matter of a refined character." As I have stated, there is some disagreement as to whether or not this is really the location of the etheric double, or astral body.

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, in Meditation: The Art Of Ecstasy (1976), says the polar opposites of this layer is that of love and hate, polar opposites of the primal level of emotion.

In The Chakra Handbook (1999), Shalila Sharamon and Bodo J. Baginski say, "The astral body, also known as the emotional body, is the carrier of feelings, emotions and character traits... Every change in emotions is radiated out into the aura by the astral body... The emotional aura is constantly in motion... an indescribable play of constantly changing colors, shining in all imaginable hues."

Joshua David Stone, Ph.D., says in Soul Psychology: Keys To Ascension (1994), "If you are run by your astral body,by your feelings and desires,your astral body ends up running your conscious mind instead of your conscious mind having mastery of your emotions. You travel in this body when you practice astral projection... The limitation of this is that you are limited to traveling only on the astral plane.