The Light of Life

Jesus is often referred to as "the light of life". And John 1:4 states that "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." With verse 9 further stating that "The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world." In fact, early religious iconography often depicts Jesus surrounded by a halo, which is a ring of light surrounding a person. While often science and religion seem to be at odds, upon further study, they intertwine once more. Such is the case with a newly released study conducted by scientists from the University of Calgary that is published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters.

For this study analyzes the phenomenon of biological ultraweak photon emission, a low-intensity emission in the range of 200 to 1000 nanometers, that has been observed in all living systems that have been examined. The results of this study reveal a significant contrast between the ultraweak photon emissions from live mice versus deceased mice. It also observed that in plants, an increase in the temperature and injuries, both caused an increase in ultraweak photon emission intensity.

The study is part of a range of studies showing that human beings give off a very faint light with a glow so mild that cannot be seen by the human eye, unaided. That the human body "literally glimmers" was first observed in scientific studies published in 2009. Studies that observed that the human body directly and rhythmically emit light.

The Calgary study's senior author, Dan Oblak, stated in the "New Scientist" that "The fact that ultraweak photon emission is a real thing is undeniable at this point. This really shows that this is not just an imperfection or caused by other biological processes. It's really something that comes from all living things." As to the source of this glow, it seems to stem from mitochondria releasing microscopic amounts of reactive oxygen species. Which, in turn, react with other molecules in the body, like proteins, lipids, and fluorophones. These then emit biophotons that give off light.

It is hoped that further studies of this faint glow can one day be used to help track forest and plant health as well as even detect diseases in human beings. In the meantime, John 8:12 states that "Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"

Luisa Reyes is an attorney in Tuscaloosa with a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Judson, a master's degree in library science, and a law degree from Samford's Cumberland School of Law. She is also a piano instructor and vocalist.