Am I Visualizing Energy Flow?
I’m writing this article in the hopes that others who experience the same phenomenon will connect to try to make sense of it: Why do I see colors — almost always purple (indigo) and gold-yellow — whenever I’m in a certain meditative state??? What’s the meaning of this purple aura? Let’s go into the details.

Seeing Purple Color… When?
What spurs me to see indigo and gold? It happens whenever I’m in a certain relaxed and connected state: sometimes during deep meditation, by the middle of a professional massage, during a very deep conversation, and always during acupuncture or Reiki.
The Colors I See Move in a Specific Way
With my eyes closed, I can watch the purple and gold swirl and play. The direction and type of movement the colors do always reflects what’s happening with my energy.
An Example from Acupuncture Energy Work
The moment I realized that the colors moved with purpose was when I was in my third trimester of pregnancy and went to an acupuncture appointment to ease discomfort. As I lay on the table with the needles doing their work, I closed my eyes and wondered if the colors would come.
Indeed they did: Indigo and greenish gold popped up in blobs, bobbing and weaving. Then they began a distinct downward movement. I watched as the purple and yellow alternated pulsing downward, from my head towards my feet. This is what it looked like:

At the end of the half hour, my acupuncturist came back into the room and explained that the needles she’d placed were on the specific pressure points to move my energy from my head downwards, in order to prepare the flow for birth.
I was shocked: this confirmed that the flow I’d been distinctly seeing behind my eyes in color form mirrored the exact energy direction my acupuncturist had created — even though she hadn’t told me, or placed the idea in my mind. The colors were saying something and were moving with purpose. Whoa!

What Does Seeing Colors Mean?
Over the years I’ve been researching what this phenomenon could indicate. We’ve already discussed the direction they move mirroring energy flow, but what about the meanings of these meditation colors? Each hue might have a purpose…
Do Colors Mirror Chakras?
The day I did one of my first Reiki healing touch treatments on someone and suddenly saw the color RED then began seeing orange, I realized that each person must have different energy colors. It was an odd moment seeing this new color — I was so used to always purple and gold, that I though that’s all I’d ever visualize. It got me thinking about the meaning behind each color, and why some people might have more of one than another. The answer might be found in reading about body chakras… especially the purple chakra.
Which is the Purple Chakra?
According to body chakra teaching, purple light correlates with either the 6th (Third Eye) or 7th (Crown) chakra at the top of the head or above the body. Both are about higher consciousness. Perhaps when I’m seeing purple, indigo, or violet, I’m tapping into the purple chakra, and thus the wider universe of human energy?
My guess is the color I’m seeing is more the 6th (purple chakra), because the 7th chakra is both violet and white, and one day when I was doing Reiki on someone, I distinctly saw his white sparkling light, which was very different than my purple. Another time I saw black, which might be connected with the Earth Star Chakra in the 12-Chakra system.
VIDEO: Seeing Colors During Meditation
What Do Yellow, Green, or Gold Light Mean?
Seeing purple light makes sense with chakra theory, but why would I also then also always see yellow-green? That color likely correlates with the 3rd (Solar Plexus) Chakra which has a yellow aura, and maybe slightly with the 4th (Heart) Chakra which has a green aura — both in the center of the body. The third chakra is about strength, confidence, and willpower, and the fourth about love and healing.
It’s interesting to me that my soul would select the colors purple and yellow, and always only these two — unless I’m doing Reiki meditation with someone else. The one time I was able to generate different colors within myself was during my first Kundalini Reiki training years ago, during a group meditation. At that point I distinctly saw green and several other colors I hadn’t seen before, perhaps because of the powerful energy of others present in the room, and the high level of training of the Reiki master teaching us. (If you’re near Massachusetts, I now run my own Boston Reiki practice, so feel free to connect.)
Seeing Colors During Meditation and YOU
I’m thankful to the wonders of digital art that I could finally draw and make tangible and visible what I see behind my eyes on a weekly basis, so perhaps I could find others who resonate with this experience that happens in the liminal space of energy work, so we might make sense of it together.
Do see my NEW article on chakra colors and healing, which grew from your messages from this post! If any of this rings true for you, feel free to reach out in the comments section, or by the social media contacts below.
Other Meditation Colors
See all my articles about seeing colors during meditation, Reiki, acupuncture, massage, and healing. What's the meaning and purpose, and how does it connect with chakras? Learn here.
Chakra Colors and Meanings
In this follow-up article to this first one about seeing purple and yellow during meditation, I dig deeper into the research, and also drew a diagram of each of the chakra colors and energy centers in the body.
More About Seeing a Purple Aura
Here is my most recent article with more information about what seeing a purple aura means, expanded upon with stories from my Reiki energy work sessions and meditation.
Seeing Red Chakra Energy
After opening my own Reiki practice, I have had the opportunity to see the colors of other people as I do sessions with them. Most recently, I've seen a lot of red in people, so this new article is an investigation of what seeing red might mean.
Seeing White Aura and Chakra Energy
What does it mean to see white light or a white aura during energy healing work like meditation or Reiki? See my exploration and illustrations here.
Seeing Black Aura Energy
Don't be alarmed if you see inky black during energy work! A black aura is actually really exciting and useful. Read this to see why.
Earth Star Chakra
My investigation into seeing the color black led me to research the 12 Chakra System which has other energy centers besides the traditional seven: Including the Earth Star Chakra below the body!

The author and artist, Lillie Marshall, is a National Board Certified Teacher of English who has been a public school educator since 2003, and an experienced Reiki practitioner since 2018. All art on this site is original and hand-drawn by Lillie. She launched DrawingsOf.com Educational Cartoons in 2020, building upon the success of her other two sites, AroundTheWorldL.com (established 2009) and TeachingTraveling.com (founded 2010). Subscribe to Lillie’s monthly newsletter, and follow @WorldLillie on social media to stay connected!
Dawn
Monday 30th of January 2023
I just had an EEG and was seeing purple coming in waves from the outside of my eyes to the center which was gold. I see color behind my eyes when relaxing or falling asleep. I thought everyone did, but I never saw it pulsate or move so rapidly before. When I got home I decided to look it up because I had a friend years ago that was studying Reiki who told me that energy had different colors and meanings. I stumbled across your page and I am fascinated by what I have learned! Thank you for sharing this.
Lillie Marshall
Monday 30th of January 2023
Dawn, So glad you found this article, and thank you for sharing your experience! I've started to become very curious about the intersection of the neuroscience (what the brain is doing) and the spiritual with these colors. Keep us posted if you have any further insights!
Ethan
Saturday 28th of January 2023
I've recently been reconnecting with my spirituality and I was finally able to successfully meditate by practicing divided attention. The first time I experienced seeing a swirling green light with my eyes closed. I learned that was my heart chakra healing, meaning I'm ready to give and receive love. The next time I meditated all it took was just laying in bed listening to relaxing music. This time I saw mostly purple light and some green. It's nice to know this is confirming what I've recognized in my life recently: a wider consciousness and perspective. A spiritual wisdom must be developing within me. I quite like it 😊
Lillie Marshall
Saturday 28th of January 2023
Thank you for sharing your beautiful experiences! Keep it up!
Karoline
Tuesday 27th of December 2022
Happy i found someone else seeing purple and yellow! I havet Just startede gjetting interested in spirituality and im trying to connect more and awaken more. I didnt think i havet experienced anything until i noticed the colors 😍
Lillie Marshall
Friday 30th of December 2022
Hi Karoline, You're not alone! Very cool that you're also seeing the colors!
Star
Sunday 18th of December 2022
I am pretty must in tune with my spiritual self but I had never tried meditating before, I managed to get time today meditated for the first time. This is how it started, everything was black and foggy for the first few mins so I started focusing on my breath… soon I stopped hearing external noise… my visual was sort of messed up but as I tried to focus deeply I started seeing a circle of white smoke with purple in the center .. closing in .. I really don’t know how to explain this .. but imagine a circle moving away from u .. it becomes smaller and smaller and then another circle appears from the corners of your eyes and that becomes smaller .. it was like a loop and it got pretty fast, until I could just see a white circle and no more purple and something like a skyline.. this part was really hazy. I swear I cannot share this with anyone coz they will call me crazy but I’m definitely going to meditate more often now. I just wish I knew what it all meant .. this post was the closest to my experience but not quite . if any of u know please drop me a msg.
Lillie Marshall
Sunday 18th of December 2022
Hi Star, Thank you for sharing your experience! I've definitely experienced something like that -- each time the colors move in different shapes and directions. You're not crazy, you're not alone, and it's nothing bad! Keep meditating and see what happens. Do share back with us if you have a moment, after you've tried it several more times.
Tulsi Blue
Sunday 11th of December 2022
Finally! Yes, I also see the indigo and yellow/ green Hughes. Usually it’s indigo is circular ( like an eye) and the yellow or golden green is all around it and it floats and mostly opens and closes. I have had many profound somatic releases/ healing experiences with energy work and massage. Thank you for this.And I would love to be a healing practitioner, but I’ve been too caught up hustling as a nurse! You give me that inspiration. And to add, I did a Polarity Therapy training for 4 weeks and I would see circles like fingerprints. My teacher said according to ancient scriptures I saw Prana.
Lillie Marshall
Monday 12th of December 2022
Thank you for sharing your perspective! Perhaps you can combine your work as a nurse with energy work!