aura

(aw'rah) [L. breeze, oddr, gleam of light.] A peculiar sensation felt by the patient immediately preceding an epileptic attack; it may be a paresthesia in the epigastric region or in the hand or leg ascending to the head, noises in the ears, flashes of light, vertigo, -etc.; it is called auditory, epigastric, vertiginous, etc., according to its seat or nature, intellec'tual a., a dreamy, detached, or reminiscent mental state preceding the epileptic paroxysm also called reminiscent aura.