Color in its simplest form is described as the perception by the retina of the reflection of an artificial or natural light at an object at different wavelengths. The effect of colors either positive or negative on people has long been a matter of discussion.
In addition to having an effect on emotions, colors have also been used for therapeutic purposes which is called chromotherapy (color therapy or colorology). Chromotherapy, which has been broadly used in the eastern cultures of the world since ancient times, namely India and China, has become a complementary therapeutic technique in the West as well.
Looking back to the history of chromotherapy; Avicenna saw color of vital importance both in diagnosis and in treatment. He thought that color is an observable symptom of disease. He developed a chart that related color to the temperature and physical condition of the body. He supported that red moved the blood, blue or white cooled it, and yellow reduced muscular pain and inflammation (The Canon of Medicine).
The lead for the modern color therapy is Niels Finsen from Denmark. In 1877, upon discovering the bactericidal activities of the solar ultraviolet energy, Finsen started to conduct researches on the possible healing effect of light on wounds. Later on, he used red light to prevent the scars caused by smallpox. Finsen founded Finsen’s Medical Light Institute (called The Copenhagen Finsen Institute today) for the treatment of tuberculosis with light in 1896.
In 1932, two psychologists from California, Gerrard and Hessay, scientifically proved that blue light had a calming effect while the red light had a stimulating effect on humans.
It was in 1933 that the Indian scientist Dinshah P. Ghadiali claimed to have discovered why and how the different colored rays have various therapeutic effects on organisms. He believed that colors represent chemical potencies in higher octaves of vibration, and for each organism and system of the body, there is a particular color that stimulates and another that inhibits the work of that organ or system (The Spectro Chromemetry Encyclopaedia).
Dinshah P. Ghadiali
According to this perspective; each and every color had a corresponding point called “chakra” in human body. Chakras are referred to as the energy centers of the body and match the endocrine glands described in modern medicine. Lack of energy balance in chakras cause health problems. The color which matches the relevant chakra is used to heal the imbalance.
There are various techniques used for treatment which include reflecting light in the matching color onto the body, carrying a gem in the relevant color or mediating in an atmosphere covered in the right color. Another method is to choose your clothes or design your home or office in the matching color that will treat your health problem.
On the other hand, certain scientific viewpoints consider chromotherapy as quackery. American Cancer Society stated that “available scientific evidence does not support claims that alternative uses of light or color therapy are effective in treating cancer or other illnesses” and defended that “there’s no evidence to support a causal link between specific colors to health outcomes, there is not enough evidence to support a causal link between specific colors and emotional or mental states.”
Despite such objections, tests to find out how colors affect the human psychology still continue. As a result, it is found out that while colors can trigger negative emotions such as stress, anger and happiness, they can also help develop moods like peace, happiness and serenity.
Although there might be traditional and cultural differences, the general theory describes the meaning of colors as follows:
Red: love, excitement, aggression
Orange. happiness, dynamism
Yellow: energy, vitality and creativity
Green: peace, refreshment and health
Blue : sadness, trust and seriousness
Purple: wealth, grace and romantism
White: purity, innocence
Black: power, endurance, sorrow and grieving
To conclude, although there are no scientific findings available supporting that colors are therapeutical, it appears that use of chromotherapy as complementary therapy will continue to be a matter of discussion for long.
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