Aura er i forskellige esoteriske eller spirituelle kredse det felt af farvede energier, som omgiver mennesker. Auraer, i ovennævnte esoterisk/spirituel forstand, kan ikke konstateres videnskabeligt, men forestillingen er udbredt i new age kredse, hvor man mener, at clairvoyante kan se en persons personlighed og vurdere hans helbred i auraen.
Ifølge esoteriske læresystemer består auraen af flere lag, der afspejler forskellige af menneskets facetter og muligheder, -fysiske/mentale formåen, ubalancer, svagheder, -fortid, nutid, fremtid osv.
Ordet oprinder fra det græske αύρα, ávra "brise", "pust" eller "nimbus". Det er kommet til dansk via latinaura, der betyder "lysskær", "livsånde", "åndepust" eller "brise".
19 October 2004, Nature: Auras may be generated in the brain Citat: "...Synaesthetic woman sees colours around faces and names...People with synaesthesia, perhaps one in 2,000 by conservative estimates, get two-for-one sensory experiences. They feel music, taste art, and often see colours around words or things...He is intrigued by the idea that synaesthesia could explain auras, but doesn't see a way to prove it..."
May 2003, Scientific American: Hearing Colors, Tasting Shapes Citat: "...People with synesthesia--whose senses blend together--are providing valuable clues to understanding the organization and functions of the human brain...For them the senses--touch, taste, hearing, vision and smell--get mixed up instead of remaining separate..."