Kelly: “How did you get into aura photography?”
Annette Bruchu: “One day a psychic gal said to me ‘why don’t you buy an aura camera. You could probably better show people their colors and put it to good use.’ I didn’t even know there was such a camera until I began a brief study to see which camera system was the closest to what I was seeing around people. Then I bought the Kirlian digital aura camera system. I set it up and I was actually happily surprised by how accurate the technology is. My dad once said to me when I was a child that everyone has a talent and they should depend on their talent to make a living and so I did just that.”
Meg: “What is the process like if someone wants their aura read?”
Annette Bruchu: “I am a vendor at a great many metaphysical expos around the United States where I set up the systems and people approach me to get the photo taken. They would sit comfortably in front of the computer system where they can see the camera as they place their hand on the silver sensor to make contact. The process entails sending the information of their energy through the program so that instantly they can view their aura live on the computer screen. This technique is so fascinating and it’s spectacular to see how the human body shows the glow of life force’s electrical fields. After a moment it all calibrates and I print several pages of information for them to take home. Also, I explain to them what it all means. It is delightful information.”
Kelly: “What do the various colors and variations mean when you are reading their aura?”
Annette Bruchu: “Every color aura has a gift to offer and specific quality to share. The colors that show up in aura have great information. For instance, yellows show their caring side for people and nurturing with excitement and joy. I often see people drawn to them as their counselor or mentors. They are uplifting with a gift of intelligence that keeps them wanting to learn their whole life long. They have a great sense of humor and a magnetic energy that people gravitate toward to feel safe. They’re great party people and planners that like a fun time. They love the limelight and work well with children and seniors.”
Meg: “I know people like that! And yellow is my favorite color.”
Annette Bruchu: “Greens are naturally attracted to the folks with the yellow aura. The green energies in an aura tend to be more serious personalities. They are the planners and details are important to them. They are usually in a role of science, financial, or medical, and the attraction to the yellows are strong for both of them because yellows are chatterers and greens tend to be listeners.”
Kelly: “Okay, I’m definitely not a green!”
Annette Bruchu: “Violets are the sensitive observers and the visionaries. They can come up with such amazing ideas and the orange aura folks create it for them. The violets are sensitive to smells, touch, taste, and feel. And a bit emotional, sentimental, as well as observant. Oranges are creative and talented as they march to the beat of their own drum. They add a childlike innocence to our life. They are great as photographers, artists, and musicians. They are attracted to the violet auras because of the sensitive side they share. Blue is the aura of the spiritual leaders. They are the calm ones that for some reason show up, and everyone feels at ease with them. They lead people well and love the outdoors where they enjoy the air on their skin and all that mother nature offers.”
Meg: “It’s fascinating to think about the people in our lives who fit so distinctly into these categories. What about the rest of the colors?”
Annette Bruchu: “Reds are the passionate people with the drive to do it their way, so I usually say ‘get out of their way.’ The darker red can also show up as stress, grief, and in people who are the worriers. I call whites the supernovas. This is an interesting hue because they can carry all of the colors of the rainbow in their aura and they can be adaptable to which characteristics suit the situation. They are very talented in so many areas and they can feel depleted in their stamina very quickly. They can also be eccentric thinkers. Black auras mean there is no energy to be found. They are unplugged and unaware of their surroundings. All of the colors are magnificent to see.”
Kelly: “Can you talk more about the sort of technology and/or camera you use to read auras?”
Annette Bruchu: “I have and use the Kirlian digital photography system. It is the one I like for a most interesting aspect; it has electro-photonic imaging where you can see live altered states of consciousness including meditation, very scared, mental stress, confusion, or laughing. It is quite diverse, and accurate.”
Meg: “Do you have a favorite Stephen King movie or novel? What is it about the story that you like?”
Annette Bruchu: “I like nail biters and being frightened comes easy for me. I startle easily and I am a bit jumpy because of my senses that are sensitive. I like The Shining because it was a bit disturbing and it had me screaming. I am all about numbers and the room number 237 at the Stanley Hotel is a seductive number with a scene of a lovestruck woman that ended up heartbroken and ends her life in the bathtub in that room. Devastating! When you visit The Stanley, you still get yourself ready to be frightened years after the movie had been released. I am so afraid of creepy noises and weird things in old hotels, still today.”
Meg: “That’s one of my favorites, too!”
Annette Bruchu: “Carrie was one of the first Stephen King movies that I saw as a kid. I didn’t sleep for weeks. I was a teenager myself and the girl had the strange powers that I could relate to. Seeing auras should be effortless when our mind and our eyes are relaxed. We open up our sensory apparatus, when color is more apparent to our physical eyes. When we get out of our own way.”
Kelly: “It’s incredible to me that you were going through this time in your life and were able to relate to Carrie in the movie. You both had powers!”
Our conversation with Annette Bruchu made us curious about our own auras and what would show up in our photographs!
Insomnia also explores how we view death. Ralph begins seeing “little bald doctors,” two of whom want to preserve the natural order of death while a third brings chaos. How do various cultures view these harbingers of death like the Grim Reaper? In Greek mythology, the Thanatos guides souls to the next life through a nonviolent death. They believed death to be a peaceful transition into eternal rest. In Irish mythology, death is foretold through the shriek of the banshee. In the fourteenth century, it was believed that the scream of the female banshee would predict impending doom. Around this same time, the Grim Reaper became popularized in society due to the catastrophic effects of the Black Plague. Death comes for Ralph at the end of Insomnia, although it is a sacrificial death in order to save his wife’s daughter. He goes peacefully with the two bald doctors by his side.
Many methamphetamine addicts report the appearance of “shadow people” after prolonged periods of sleep deprivation.3