Eidolumen
n. Light that is a Resemblance

by John Greschak

October 3, 2008



Introduction

This article introduces the term eidolumen.


Pronunciation, Etymology and Definition

The word eidolumen (pronounced eye'-duh-loo"-min) is a noun derived from the Greek word eidos (resemblance) and the Latin word lumen (light). It means "light that is a resemblance".1


Usage

Whenever one looks at a particular object (e.g. a book, a firefly or a movie), they are actually seeing light that was reflected off, emitted from, or projected through the object. One may say this light resembles the object. However, when one looks at a particular object, one would not usually say they are looking at light that resembles the object; they would say they are looking at the object itself. But what if one sees or photographs something for which there is no physical evidence beyond the light itself? In this case, excluding hallucinations, one has seen (or photographed) light that resembles something, in the absence of that thing. The term eidolumen may be used to refer to such light. One could say they have seen an eidolumen.


Related Words

The word eidolumen is not equivalent to the related words phantom, ghost and vision.
  • Phantom.
    The American Heritage Dictionary defines phantom as "something apparently seen, heard, or sensed, but having no physical reality", "something elusive or delusive", "an image that appears only in the mind; an illusion" or "something dreaded or despised".2 In contrast, eidolumens consist of light that exists outside and independently of one's mind. Unlike a phantom (which is, by definition, something seen), a given eidolumen exists regardless of whether or not it is seen.

  • Ghost.
    A ghost is defined as "the spirit of a dead person, especially one believed to appear in bodily likeness to living persons or to haunt former habitats". Eidolumens are not necessarily related in any way to dead people. Further, they do not necessarily resemble people. That said, some eidolumens do look like people and it is possible some are fashioned by spirits of the dead.

  • Vision.
    Among other things, a vision can be "something that is or has been seen", "a mental image produced by the imagination" or "the mystical experience of seeing as if with the eyes the supernatural or a supernatural being". Some eidolumens might be mystical or supernatural. But they are not produced by the viewer's imagination; they are light.

Examples of Eidolumens

Here are five photographs taken with an eidolumen camera (Note: These photographs are relatively dark. To see the eidolumens more easily, reduce the amount of light in the room.):3





Photo 1





Photo 2





Photo 3





Photo 4





Photo 5


1. Analogously, the noun eidosonus (pronounced eye'-duh-soh"-nis) is derived from eidos and the Latin word sonus (sound). It means "sound that is a resemblance".

2. All definitions cited here (except those for eidolumen and eidosonus) are from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. (2000). Available: http://www.bartleby.com/61/.

3. An eidolumen camera is a type of camera specifically designed to make photographs of eidolumens. See: A Simple Eidolumen Camera.


 

Other Articles on Eidolumens

Other Work by John Greschak

Public Domain