At the most fundamental level, your body and every cell within it operate as electromagnetic systems. Cellular membranes maintain voltage gradients (membrane potentials), mitochondria generate energy through electron transport chains that produce not only ATP but also ultra-weak electromagnetic emissions, and ion channels facilitate rapid electrical signaling across tissues. These processes are inherently electromagnetic: cells continuously generate small electrical currents, magnetic fields, and biophotonic light as byproducts of metabolism and redox reactions. Our research explores how these cellular electromagnetic activities may relate to a broader, coordinated signal — what we refer to as the human biofield.
This field is best understood as an emergent property of ordinary physiology — small electromagnetic and biophotonic signals, generated by known cellular processes, that our research aims to measure and correlate with markers of physiological state.
This post explores the biofield concept, what measuring it can offer as a research and wellness tool, and current thinking on how mind-body states relate to physiological signal. Whether you’re a clinician, researcher, wellness practitioner, or simply curious, we hope this gives a grounded look at where the science stands today.
What Is the “Field”? A Primer on Biofield Science
Building on the electromagnetic foundation of life, the human biofield refers to the aggregate electromagnetic activity generated by living systems — electromagnetic fields, ultra-weak biophotonic emissions (tiny packets of light produced by cellular metabolism, especially in mitochondria), and related electrophysiological signals.
This isn’t the “aura” of esoteric tradition — it’s a measurable physical phenomenon. Every cell in the body produces ultra-weak photon emissions (UPE, or biophotons) as a byproduct of oxidative metabolism and redox reactions. Our research program is studying what these emissions can tell us about cellular activity, oxidative stress, and energy balance. Combined with electrophysiological signals — voltage changes, ion flows, and field dynamics — they form what we call the “electrophysiological terrain”: a real-time reading of measurable electrical and photonic activity.
A helpful analogy: Aurorus functions like a kind of spectrometer for the biofield. Where a lab spectrometer resolves the chemical composition of a sample, Aurorus reads the body’s own faint electromagnetic and biophotonic signal. This field isn’t static; it responds to internal and external cues. Our working hypothesis is that it functions as an integrative layer alongside better-established molecular mechanisms (hormones, neurotransmitters) — though this remains an active area of research rather than settled fact.
Nuances and edge cases: Not all biofield components are equally well understood. The electromagnetic aspects are well-documented via established tools like EEG and ECG, while subtler elements — such as patterned biophoton signals — are an active and still-developing research area. Factors like age, environment, stress, nutrition, and intention may modulate these signals; our research program is working to characterize how and to what extent.
Individual variation in ion channel or mitochondrial function may also influence baseline readings.
Measuring the Field: A New Window into Physiology
Traditional diagnostics (blood tests, imaging) excel at detecting established disease. Our research is exploring whether biofield measurement can add complementary, earlier-stage signal — an open research question, not an established clinical capability.
Aurorus measures the biofield by capturing ultra-weak biophotonic emissions and electrophysiological patterns non-invasively via a fingertip scan, in minutes.
Areas of current research focus:
- Mitochondrial function and oxidative stress: our studies have found statistically significant correlations between biophoton readings and markers of cellular energy production and free radical load.
- Organ system signal and autonomic balance: research is ongoing into what patterns across multiple systems may indicate about autonomic nervous system status and overall resilience.
- Intervention feedback: pilot studies are tracking how readings shift in response to nutrition, exercise, and other interventions, as one objective marker among others.
- Longer-term research direction: whether field changes can eventually contribute to earlier-stage research signal is a goal of our ongoing study program, not a current, validated capability.
While Aurorus currently serves as a complementary wellness and research tool, we’re pursuing FDA 510(k) clearance to establish specific diagnostic indications over time. Interpretation within the Aurorus system is automated and designed to be accessible, and becomes more informative with additional context such as lifestyle and health history.
The Mind/Consciousness Connection: An Active Research Question
One of the more interesting open questions in this field is how mind-body states relate to the measurable biofield. The mind isn’t isolated in the brain; there’s a well-established bidirectional relationship between mental/emotional states and the body’s physiology more broadly.
What the research suggests so far:
- Psychoneuroimmunology: it’s well established that thoughts, emotions, and stress modulate the autonomic nervous system, hormones, and immune function. Whether and how these changes are reflected in biophoton emission and field measurements is an area we’re actively researching.
- Biophotons and consciousness research: some researchers have theorized possible roles for biophotons in neural communication; this remains an early-stage and unsettled area of the broader scientific literature, not an Aurorus-specific finding.
- Intention and subtle energy: some studies have linked practices like mindfulness to physiological changes; how these relate to field measurements specifically is something our research program is exploring.
We want to be clear about the limits of what’s established here: correlation is not the same as causation, and this is a complex, actively-debated area of science. Placebo effects, expectation, and environmental factors all play a role, and individual and cultural differences influence outcomes. We’re not claiming a settled causal model of health and disease — we’re describing an open research direction.
Practical takeaways:
- Stress-reduction practices are broadly supported by other research as beneficial for wellbeing, independent of biofield measurement.
- Objective measurement tools like Aurorus can offer one additional data point for people already engaged in mind-body practices.
- Aurorus is best used alongside — not in place of — nutrition, movement, and conventional care.
Why This Matters
Our long-term aim is a more complete, integrated model of health — one where measurable electromagnetic signal can eventually complement conventional, symptom-focused care.
This is a developing research area relevant to clinics, researchers, and wellness practitioners alike. As our research program advances, we hope to build a stronger evidence base connecting these measurements to meaningful health outcomes. Today, Aurorus offers a way to quantify and track physiological signal that has historically been harder to measure objectively.
If you’re interested in this area, we encourage you to explore the underlying science, and to work with qualified healthcare professionals on how any of this might fit into your own care.
*Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes. Aurorus technology and biofield assessments are complementary tools. Consult qualified healthcare providers for medical advice. Results vary.*
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Nancy Rizzo Prior to developing the science and technology for Aurorus, Nancy spent 13 years at Mayo Clinic Scottsdale as a board certified radiological therapeutic physicist and cochaired the Complementary and Alternative Medicine program. Nancy is board certified as a Radiological Therapeutic Physicist by the American Board of Radiology (DABR) and holds a Ph D. in Energy Medicine with an emphasis on Biophysics from Holos University.
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