I was described as unusual in that the reader could not detect an aura because I was in a phase of being "emotionally closed off." My reply was "Yeah, I get that all the time unless I have three drinks in me." A round of laughter ensued and I apologized for being hard to read. No harm done.
That was close to but less than what I thought because my girlfriend had warned me to "be nice." The aura reading set up was a classic cold reading technique. Eyes half closed and holding hands with boozed up, chatty party guests was a way to pick up clues to personality and then express them as seeing their auras. As far as I know, it was just a bit of entertainment at a party and no one got swindled.
Is reading auras always a small trick or a delusion due to after images and skewed color perception? Not necessarily. There are scientifically tested and verified psychics who claim the ability to read auras, as have some remarkable psychics from history. Philosophically grounded adepts describe the aura as an extension of the human soul as it occupies the body.
Is that possible? Sure, but it would likely take a good slug of alcohol before someone could convince me that they have actually read my aura.
The first person who told me about my aura made her living as a psychic. The 2nd was a retired neighbor. There is certainly a lot of fraud & nonsense in this area. As in every other area of human existence.