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Colours… Colours are everywhere… Wherever you look, you realize that life is full of millions of colour shades. Among this barrage of colours that emerges around us, you may, certainly, find your favourite one. What does that mean to you, though?
“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson said)
Definition of colours
It is widely known that colours consist of two substances: light and energy. Colours have always existed in our lives. Colours will always exist in our lives. Colours are an integral part of anything around us and the human being is born and grows surrounded by multiple colour shades that change due to the angle and the amount of the sunlight. This magical, exceptional phenomenon of colours has either a positive or negative impact on the physical or the mental condition of the individual and directly affects the individual’s mood, nature and personality due to the fact that each colour on the palette appears at a specific frequency and it is processed and perceived in a special way by the human brain.
Tests conducted on blind people made the fact that colours play a significant role on people’s mood clearly understood. Since they were given differently coloured handkerchiefs, they only had the sense of touch to feel the colour of each one of them. The results were amazing! All the participants were able to find which handkerchief had a specific colour pointing out that there were differences in their textures. Specifically, according the findings of these tests, there were:
- Blue is the colour of calm and quietness;
- Orange is the colour of joy, pleasure and delight and it’s the symbol of the rising sun;
- Purple is the colour of relaxation.
“Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.” (Pablo Picasso said)
Why does the human brain, however, perceive the colour shades differently? Why do colours affect the individual’s mood and feelings?
The importance of colours in our life
The individual is surrounded by colours and, as the individual grows up, he or she gains more knowledge about them. In this way, the individual discovers the natural colours, colours that come from nature itself as well as the artificial colours that are created for aesthetic purposes.
The colours of nature refer to specific activities in and of themselves, such as the body activity during the day or the body’s inaction, inertia, during the night.
On the other hand, the artificial colours are those that are directly related to social institutions and are predetermined by society itself, representing concrete concepts, such as black is associated with death and mourning.
More generally, it is understood that the way colors are perceived is influenced by multiple factors, such as:
- the environment, in each case,
- the heredity,
- the age,
- the gender,
- the social context
“All colors are the friends of their neighbors and the lovers of their opposites.” (Marc Chagall said)
However, according to research, each colour has a specific impact and this impact can be detected in everyday activities, such as
- when choosing clothes to wear,
- when decorating the house,
- when choosing foodstuffs/food products,
- at family, personal or social events,
- in commerce,
- when treating a patient or when an individual is being treated as a patient,
- in advertising
as well as in many other activities. In addition, according to research, most people choose colours that reflect their emotional condition, their mood or even their mental state at any given time. That means that depressed people, for instance, usually choose clothes in dark colours while well-balanced individuals, happier people or children tend to wear clothes in bright colours.
However, have you ever thought what might be behind the colour preferences that an individual may have?
Research has shown that the brain perceives certain colours in different ways. Warm colours, such as red, orange and yellow, evoke intimacy as they create a welcoming feeling while cool colours, such as blue, purple and green, are usually calming and soothing but they can also call to mind feelings of sadness or indifference.
“It’s ok to show all your colors.” (Luis Guzman said)
There is a clear difference of opinion as far as the reason why the brain perceives certain colours this way.
Theory related to the impact of colours on the brain
According to the first theory referring to the way that the brain is influenced by the colours, there is a natural association of colours with the corresponding feelings. From the very beginning, the human brain interprets the colours in a specific way, considering the frequency of their occurrence.
Theory related to the impact of colours on the brain
According to the second theory referring to the way that the brain is influenced by the colours, the emotions are created in the brain depending on the experiences and the facts of life. In short, it’s a product of learning that is acquired throughout life. The reason lies in the fact that the brain has learned about the relevance of red colour to the danger, that of the yellow colour to joy and the relevance of black colour to something negative
So far, science has not come to conclusions regarding this issue. However, according to both theories, the brain interprets and processes the different colours creating specific feelings, either positive or negative ones.
“Light in Nature creates the movement of colors.” (Robert DeLaunay said)
What do colours mean and represent?
The colour psychology is based on the mental and emotional effects colours have on people in all facets of life. According to the colour psychology, the individual’s emotions are classified considering the classification we make as regards the colours.
Warm Colours
Warm Colours are made with orange, red, and yellow and they tend to make you think of warm things, such sunlight and heat. These colours create strong emotions ranging from comfort, joy, warmth to hostility, nerves, anger, and fuss. Warm colours often evoke feelings of happiness, optimism and energy. It has been scientifically proved that, through the shades of warm colours, the heartbeat is growing and, at the same time, the brain is filled with the hormone of adrenaline, which increases the energy, stimulates the appetite and, in general, the power of the individual. Being surrounded with warm colours for a long time may create overwhelming, irritating or frustrating feelings.
Cool Colours
On the contrary, cool colours are thought to be calming, relaxing and reserved. They create gentle, mild feelings such as the tranquility, the rest, the relaxation, the serenity and the sadness. These feelings may increase the creativity of the individual, put the brain at ease and provide the individual with a balanced serenity. This excessive relaxation can also lead to sadness and sorrow.
As mentioned before, colors affect moods and emotions. For example, the red spectrum affects our physical energies. It is stimulating and warming. Blues are cooling and cleansing, affecting our spiritual energies. The yellow shades serve to bridge them, affecting our mental energies. The three colors together provide opportunities for healing our body, mind, and spirit.
You may have a detailed look of the emotional connotations that are caused by the colour shades, according to Max Lüscher, a pioneer of the colour psychology; specifically:
COLOUR | POPULARITY
(% IN POSITIVE ANSWERS) |
EMOTIONAL CONNOTATION |
RED | 64,3% | stimulates the emotional arousal, increases the pulse and heart rate, raises the blood pressure, raises the body temperature, increases lower metabolic rates, enhancing human metabolism, combats the fatigue, helps in depression, increases the respiration rate, passion / irritability, bad temper, moodiness, nervousness, used against scarlet fever and measles, used against fever, used against toothache, against anemia, action, healing properties, aggression / energy, determination, mastery, control, body temperature increase, counteracts anemia, affects the circulatory system by activating the blood circulation , love, attack, offence, assault, determination, decisiveness, stubbornness, extroversion, outgoing behaviour, competitiveness, strength
ALSO… caution, anger, temper, danger and destruction, aggressiveness, violence, gives the person a sense of power, can be used for colds, poor circulation, anemia, and mucus ailments, strengthens the physical energy and the will of the individual |
YELLOW | 93,9% | boosts the nervous system, stimulates the self-esteem, helps with arthritis, helps in treatment regarding skin problems, helps in treatment against allergies, can be used for depression, relaxation, tranquility, calm, peacefulness, creativity, optimism, liveliness, vigour, brightness, curiosity , extroversion, joy, gaiety, merriment, positive thinking, jealousy, envy, stress, pressure, unease, anxiety, depression, good for despondent and melancholy conditions, awakens an enthusiasm for life, awakens greater confidence and optimism, effective in the treatment of digestive problems, helps to balance the gastrointestinal tract |
GREEN | 95,9% | it can be applied beneficially in cardiac conditions,, it can be applied beneficially in high blood pressure, it can be applied beneficially in headaches, it is calming both physically and mentally, it is balancing to the autonomic nervous system , it is restful and emotionally soothing, it is the color of nature/environment as it is the most predominant color on the planet, power, strength, hope, better quality of life, respect, harmony, balance, it is cooling, soothing, and calming both physically and mentally. If you are exhausted, green initially has a beneficial effect, but after a time, it becomes tiring, it is the colour of energy, youth, growth, inexperience, fertility, hope, and new life
ALSO… stability , boredom |
BROWN | Logic, practical sense, stability, tradition, reliability, diligence
ALSO… stability |
|
BLUE | 79,6% | it slows the blood pressure, it slows the action of the heart and is therefore good for tachycardia, it slows the respiration rate, it strengthens and balances the respiratory system, it is good for over-excitement, it is the color for truth, devotion, calmness, and sincerity, it helps to reduce headaches and migraine, it is very effective in easing all childhood diseases, along with asthma, chicken pox, jaundice, and rheumatism, it helps against fever, it helps against stress, pressure, unease, anxiety, it helps against problems with bones, eyes, ears, it helps against insomnia, it is beneficial to venous conditions of the body, it is beneficial to endocrine disorders, it can also be used to awaken intuition and to ease loneliness, it is the color of intuition and the higher mental faculties, it helps calm the mind and helps in concentration and productivity, Order / security, It suppresses the appetite for food, logic, low profile, confidence, faith, calm / stability, it is the color for truth, devotion, joy and sincerity , cleverness, intelligence, communication, tranquility, peace of mind
ALSO… coldness, aloofness, cautiousness, reserve, self-restraint |
MAUVE/PURPLE OR VIOLET | 64,3% | it helps with the vision, it helps with the hearing, it balances psychological problems, it helps slowing down rapid heartbeat, it helps with the eyes, wealth, picturing something in the mind; visualizing things, it gives authority, prestige
ALSO… Insecurity, sadness / mourning, melancholy |
GREY | 7,1% | neutrality; detachment, compromise; conciliation, low profile
ALSO… coldness; reserve; lack of friendliness or lack of emotion, isolation |
ORANGE | – | it helps with the asthma, it stimulates feelings of socialness; it combines physical energy with mental qualities, it can assist us in healing conditions of depression, it stimulates and increases the pulse rate without affecting the blood pressure, it is tied to our emotional health and the muscular system of the body, energy increase, it enlivens the emotions, and creates a general sense of well-being and cheerfulness, it is useful for bronchitis, rheumatism, muscle spasms or cramps of all kinds, joy, enthusiasm; excitement, happiness, optimism, warmth; homeliness; geniality |
PINK | – | tenderness; softness; gentleness, innocence, feminity, love, it is soothing, it can be used for treating skin conditions and inflammations as well as the immune system,it is comforting to the emotional energies of the individual |
BLACK | 19,4% | Fulfilment, It shows maturity, It shows elegance, formality; etiquette; dignity, it relates to the hidden, the secretive and the unknown, and as a result it creates an air of mystery, strength, elegance, splendour; majesty; impressive physical presence, deep thoughts, sophisticated appearance, It is grounding and calming, especially to extremely sensitive individuals, It activates the magnetic or feminine energies of the body, strengthening them, It promotes resistance, obstruction, opposition, and enmity, It wards off hatred and negative emotions
ALSO…
Fear /threat, depression, death / misery, coldness, loneliness |
WHITE | 61,2% | It conveys the message of freedom, Optimism, It attracts positive energy, joy, it symbolizes innocence, it symbolizes purity and spirituality, it symbolizes simplicity, sterilization, faith, hope, sincerity, glow, glamour, brightness
ALSO… empty, blank |
We should know that the choice we make in colours in not made by chance; but it reveals elements of ourselves, our way of thinking… It also reflects the impact of the surroundings on the individual, the individual’s strengths, weaknesses and needs at any given moment.
Colours can dramatically affect moods, feelings, and emotions. “Colours, like features, follow the changes of the emotions,” the artist Pablo Picasso once remarked. Colours are a powerful communication tool and can be used to signal action, influence mood, and even influence physiological reactions. Certain colours have been associated with increased blood pressure, increased metabolism, and eyestrain.
Below you will be able to rank yourself according to your favourite colour and find out what kind of personality you are. Think about your favourite colour and find out what is your personality type! It is this instinctual choice of a color that tells you a lot about yourself, how you function and how others see you. It is the means to understanding your behaviour and your character traits as well as your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual states. It reflects the way you operate in the world, your strengths and weaknesses, your vulnerabilities, your deepest needs and your challenges at that time in your life.
“I try to apply colors like words that shape poems, like notes that shape music.” (Joan Miro said)
Red
If your favourite colour is red, you are an action-oriented individual with a deep need for physical fulfilment and to experience life through the five senses. If your favourite colour is red, you are an extroverted and optimistic, courageous and confident individual.
Individuals who have red as their favourite colour are dynamic people who have strong survival instincts. Red is also considered an intense, or even angry, colour that creates feelings of excitement, dynamism, or intensity. These people have a passion and enthusiasm for life, are not afraid to pursue their dreams and goals, they are self-confident and they have no fear…
Their determination helps them fulfill their goals and dreams. They have a strong need for power and control. These individuals prefer to be leaders; they are self-obsessed and egocentric people who want to excel in different issues. These individuals enjoy challenges and, sometimes, they are competitive.
Being a strong personality and a very stubborn and headstrong person, such a person acts with courage and zest, trying to see the positive side of life. Energy, power, and spontaneity may be misinterpreted and such a personality may be considered as irritable, bad tempered or aggressive. However, this individual is an extrovert person who does not go unnoticed. This individual lives in the present and is optimistic about the future. This individual gains the respect of the others, wants to be a pioneer in life and engages others due to this individual’s dynamism.
Positive and Negative Traits
Positive keywords include: action, energy and speed, attention-getting, confident, energizing, stimulating, exciting, powerful, passionate, courageous and strong, spontaneous and determined.
Negative keywords include: aggressive and domineering, over-bearing, tiring, angry and quick-tempered, ruthless, fearful and intolerant, rebellious and obstinate, resentful, violent and brutal.
Blue
Blue is a colour often found in nature such as the pale blue of a daytime sky or the rich dark blue of a deep pool of water. It is for this reason perhaps that people often describe the colour blue as calm and serene.
Individuals who have blue as their favourite colour are people who know well how to control their emotions. These people do not smile very often as they spend a lot of time thinking before they act. These people are considered to be reasonable, logical, organized and disciplined. They do not trust others easily but other people trust them. They have an inner strength and tranquility and they always try to avoid stress.
These people enjoy being surrounded by other people but they do not accept lies, deceit and hypocrisy. They prefer dealing with honesty, commitment, dedication and loyalty. Stability and seriousness are main features of this personality. Blue evokes melancholia, nostalgia and peace. These people are dreamers and well-balanced individuals.
These people know what they want in life and they act mainly based on reason. They need peace and tranquillity, without many problems or agitation. They can be easily hurt since they are emotional, sensitive and soft-hearted people. They take steps forward but they are not impulsive. On the contrary, they are reliable, firm in their beliefs, self-disciplined and scrupulous people.
Positive and Negative Traits
Positive keywords include: loyalty, trust and integrity, tactful, reliability and responsibility, disciplined,
Negative keywords include: being rigid, depressed and sad, too passive, self-righteous, conservative and old-fashioned, aloof and frigid. It can also indicate manipulation, unfaithfulness and being untrustworthy.
White
White is purity, innocence, wholeness and completion. In colour psychology white is the colour of new beginnings, of wiping the slate clean, so to speak. It is the blank canvas waiting to be written upon. While white isn’t stimulating to the senses, it opens the way for the creation of anything the mind can conceive.
Although the white colour is not considered as a pure colour by the scientists due to the fact that white contains an equal balance of all the colours, the human brain perceives it as something different from the other colours and reacts in its own special way.
White contains an equal balance of all the colours of the spectrum, representing both the positive and negative aspects of all colours. Its basic feature is equality, implying fairness and impartiality, neutrality and independence.
Individuals who have white as their favourite colour are people who have an exceptional personality. White represents purity, innocence. These people want to be free; they do not like pressures and they prefer living in a carefree way. They are positive, optimistic people who believe in luck, in the opportunities that are given to them.
White is a color of protection and encouragement, offering a sense of peace and calm, comfort and hope, helping alleviate emotional upsets. It creates a sense of order and efficiency.
They believe in themselves and they do not think of the obstacles that may discourage them and dissuade them from achieving their goals. These people are far-sighted, with a positive and optimistic nature and they are full of faith;. Thus, they can achieve their goals. Too much positive thinking may lead to risky, or even dangerous, situations.
It is obvious that creativity and temperament may help them move forward. Sometimes, however, it can be misunderstood and described as empty, leaving no one to invade their personal life. Many people use white as a recall of their youth and innocence. It reminds them of a time when their lives were easier and less complicated.
Positive and Negative Traits
Positive keywords include: innocence, purity, cleanliness, equality, complete and whole, simplicity, immaculate and neat, self-sufficient, pristine and open, new beginnings.
Negative keywords include: sterile, stark, fastidious, empty, isolated, cautious, plain, distant, unimaginative, critical and boring.
Green
Green is a lively colour, and it symbolizes renewal and growth. It is the colour you see the most in the natural environment. So it is the colour of spring, when everything comes to life. And it depicts the period when everything is alive and unrolling its natural processes.
It’s the colour of growth and health. Think of nature and see green in all its glory expressing renewal and life. Green has a strong association as a refreshing and peaceful colour. It evokes feeling of abundance and a plentiful environment while providing a restful and secure feeling. The prosperity signified by green can be negatively perceived as materialistic and possessive.
Green is a peculiar colour for peculiar people; people who have a peculiar, characteristic personality which is not easy to interpret. Individuals who have green as their favourite colour are communicative people; they want to be reassured through relationships with other people. The need to love other and to be loved by others and they can express their feelings unconditionally. They prefer to be in power and they want to have power on other people. Their greatest concern is how they are viewed by other people and they really want to be seen as successful, wealthy, and important people in their social circles. They are gentle, kind, generous, helpful and caring people who stand by other people who need help. Green is the colour of nature, growth, life and health and these people have a love for nature and environment since they may find peace and tranquility when they are close to nature.
They want to be in good terms with everyone; they are flexible and they are in constant quest to a better future. They have a mature personality who does not lose hope and aims at improving the quality of their life.
These people have a strong sense of right or wrong, inviting good judgment. They see both sides of the equation, weigh them up, and then usually take the moral stand in making appropriate decisions. On the negative side, they can be judgmental and over-cautious.
Being emotionally balanced and calm individuals, they take great care of the way they express themselves and they wish to have their opinions respected. They are a little self-centered people, but they are always organized. They love to help other people but they may be cautious and skeptical when they come up against problems. Trust is very important to these people but they feel confident when they trust the others.
Finally, as they are practical people, they are not dreamers; on the contrary they are down to earth, they do not take risks and they move forward, taking reasonable steps in order to achieve their goals and fulfill their wishes.
Positive and Negative Traits
Positive keywords include: self-reliance, reliability and dependability, emotionally balanced and calm, nature lover, practical and down to earth, compassionate, generous, kind and loyal with a high moral sense, adaptable, having a need to belong.
Negative keywords include: being possessive and materialistic, indifferent and over-cautious, envious, selfish, greedy and miserly, devious with money, inconsiderate, inexperienced, a hypochondriac and a do-gooder.
Yellow
It takes a certain type of personality to prefer yellow to all the other colours. It involves a level of optimism that most people over the age of 10 just don’t have. Because of this optimism, and the idealism that comes along with it, people who love yellow sometimes come off as whacky or aloof, but that’s just because the moody folks are straight-up jealous.
Individuals who like yellow are the happiest people. They have a calm and hospitable personality; they are people with a great sense of humour and liveliness. They are constantly looking for happiness and they want to share it with everyone around them.
They are communicative people and they are good at talking with others. They love life and everything loves provides to them. They are curious, inquisitive people who want to learn about new things. They are flexible people who love adventures and take risks many times in their lives. Even when they fail, they lean from their failure and positive thoughts prevail even in this case. They are not discouraged; they do not quit and they may be a great role model for other people.
They look forward to all of the positive possibilities in their future. They like making far-fetched dreams. They need people around them, people who can guide them and give them useful advice. They are mentally alert but sometimes they are prone into laziness. Nevertheless, they are ambitious people who make an impact on others due to their positive ene4rgy, adrenaline and dynamism.
Positive and Negative Traits
Positive keywords include: optimism, cheerfulness, enthusiasm, fun, good-humored, confidence, originality, creativity, challenging, analytical.
Negative keywords include: being critical and judgmental, being overly analytical, being impatient and impulsive, being egotistical, pessimistic, having an inferiority complex, spiteful, cowardly, deceitful, non-emotional and lacking compassion.
Brown
Individuals who like brown are rare people as the choice of this colour is not something common or usual. These individuals are exceptional people.
Kind, polite and gentle people, really frank and honest people but, sometimes, they can be rude. They know very well what they expect from life; they are unswerving and unfaltering people who do not make spontaneous moves. They are peaceful, reassured and reasonable people. They are aware of their duties and they take their responsibilities seriously. They take life seriously and he is very protective for people who need help.
These individuals are low profile people who prefer acting than talking. A family and a comfortable home is what matters for them. Finally, routine makes them feel comfortable. Safety is essential for them, because that’s the only way they can work properly.
Those who love brown have no need for extravagance. They like things as they are, and can do without any complications that come with change. They’re reliable, frugal, direct, and being spur of the moment is just not in their personality.
Positive and Negative Traits
Positive keywords include: down-to-earth, practical, approachable, friendly, stable, structured, supportive, comforting, reliable, protective, strength, quietly confident, sensual, sensitive, warm, reassured, honest, sincere, quality.
Negative keywords include: dull, boring, frugal, materialistic, lack of humor, lack of sophistication, predictable, cheap and stingy.
Grey
Those who say their favourite colour is grey don’t tend to have any major likes or dislikes. They can take or leave most things, and, on a whole, lack the passion that comes with loving a “real” colour.
Somewhere between black and white, grey is the colour that just can’t commit, and the same goes for those who love it. Grey is somewhere between black and white. It is an unemotional colour. It is a detached, neutral, impartial and indecisive colour as the people who like it. These people are low profile individuals who prefer to be a casual observer. Their tact and discretion make them exceptional but they may be thought to be aloof, indifferent.
They have learned to compromise and find mutually acceptable solutions; they have learned to respond and tell the absolute truth. They prefer being frank, outspoken people, despite the fact that their frankness may be insulting. They do not react and they look reserved, cold and aloof. They need privacy, they are introvert people. This is how they can think clearly.
They are indecisive, hesitant. Problems and difficulties make them nervous, emotionally depressed. Nevertheless, they are fair, morally correct. Hey try not to disappoint other people, be righteous and make fair decisions.
Positive and Negative Traits
Positive keywords include: reliable, conservative, dignified, neutral, impartial, professional, mature, intelligent, stable, calming, reserved, elegant, formal and dependable.
Negative keywords include: indecisive, non-emotional, indifferent, boring, sad, depressed, lifeless, and reserved.
Black
Black colour, as white, is not considered as a pure colour by the scientists due to the fact that white contains an equal balance of all the colours. Nevertheless, researchers have detected in black colour features that make it unique.
The color black relates to the hidden, the secretive and the unknown, and as a result it creates an air of mystery. It keeps things bottled up inside, hidden from the world. It gives protection from external emotional stress.
Individuals who like black colour may be described in different ways. Black means power and control, hanging on to information and things rather than giving out to others. Thus, these individuals are responsible, serious and, at the same time, secretive people. They have an air of mystery and they seem to have intriguing personalities. They have glamour, and style; they are self-controlled people, they have a strong will and they give an impression of authority and power. They may look sophisticated, elegant and confident but they may be frightened as well.
They do not talk much, they are introvert people and, despite everything, they are not superficial people. They seek the meaning of deep concepts and they are very knowledgeable about things. They often feel marginalized people and too stressed. However, they want to be in control. They are not afraid of the unknown; they are curious and inquisitive, trying to learn things that no one knows. Finally, they cause fear and insecurity; they intimidate other people but they also make other people be involved with them in order to explore the private side of their personalities.
Positive and Negative Traits
Positive keywords include protection and comfort, strong, contained, formal, sophisticated, seductive and mysterious.
Negative keywords include aloof, depressing and pessimistic, secretive and withholding, conservative and serious, power & control, sadness and negativity.
“You see everyone’s true colors in a rehearsal.” (Andrew Keenan- Bolger said)
Colour therapy or chromo therapy in our lives
What the colour therapy or chromo therapy stands for?
Throughout the antiquity, the human being used to believe that the colours exert a great influence upon the soul and the body. It was so right!! Ancient Egyptians and Chinese were using the colours in order to stimulate important vital organs.
The father of Western Medicine Hippocrates recognized the essence of balance between the mind, body, and soul. He also knew how the use of colours can be a focal part of the healing process. However, his followers geared their focus towards studying the physical aspects of healing using colours. Since then, many scholars have used a scientific approach to explore the wonders of chromo therapy.
Isaac Newton, for example, wrote a book “Optics” in 1704. Johann Wolfgang published the “Theory of Colours” in 1810. Harvard professor Dr. Edwin Babbitt wrote “The Principles of Light and Colour” and invented the Chromo disk. Other intellectuals like Rudolf Steiner, Dr. Max Luscher, and Dr. Theo Gimbel also made further studies to prove the validity of Chromo therapy.
Over the years, the colours have been the subject of many studies and they are used for physical and psychological therapies till these days. During chromo therapy sessions, six main colours may be used:
- Red
- Orange
- Yellow
- Blue
- Greek
- Violet
Chromo therapy experiments
At the end of the 20th century, in 1973, F. Dyer, professor at the University of Massachusetts, proved that colours exert a great influence on the way of thinking and feeling by offering several well-cooked dishes to his students inviting them to taste these dishes. The specificity of this experiment was that the dishes had a different colour than the usual one. The results were clear as the students did not enjoy their meals; on the contrary, they had the impression that the food was not delicious.
Two years later, there were new research studies regarding the impact of the colours on the mental and physical condition of people conducted by Dr. Jacobs and Suesh. The experiments mainly were conducted in hospitals and ambulances, where the change of indoor environments in an emergency situation showed significant changes in patients’ physical and mental condition. The red was increasing the heartbeats, while the green and the blue had a calming effect.
Meanwhile, constructions like London’s Blackfriars bridge, in England, was the subject of different research studies and it was repainted red and brown in an attempt to reduce the number of people who commit suicide by jumping from it naming this bridge as “the bridge of suicides”. The results were amazing as the suicide rate was reduced by 34%.
Being based on the above examples as well as on many other examples, contemporary researchers concluded that different colours may improve the mental and physical condition of individuals. They also noticed that people with a healthy body and soul prefer bright colours and that their overall performance is better when they are surrounded by vivid colours.
“Some colors reconcile themselves to one another, others just clash.” (Edvard Munch said)
Classification of the colours during the colour/chromo therapy
Red
- Physical stimulation
- Mental stimulation
It brings warmth, energy and stimulation, therefore good for energy, fatigue, colds, chilly and passive people. Red energizes heart and blood circulation, it builds up the blood and heightens a low blood pressure. It energizes all organs and the senses hearing, smell, taste, vision and touch.
Blue
- Relaxing, physically
- Relaxing, soothing and calming, mentally
Blue is cooling, electric, astringent. It cools down inflammations (don’t forget rheumatic inflammations), fever, high blood pressure. It stops bleedings, it reliefs the bursting headaches, it calms strong emotions like anger, aggression or hysteria. It rings tranquility. It is anti-itching and it soothes suffering.
Green
- Optimism
- Hope / strength
Green is the color of Nature and the earth. It is balance and harmony in essence and possesses a soothing influence upon both mind and body. It is neither relaxing nor astringent in its impact. Green can be used for just about any condition in need of healing. Green rings psychological and emotional harmony and balance. It cures hormonal imbalances. It stimulates growth hormone and rejuvenation. It stimulates inner peace. It strengthens the nervous system. Green brings peace, rest, hope, comfort and nurturing, calmness and harmony.
Yellow
- Action
- Physical and mental stimulation
- Strength for the muscles
Yellow is the colour of joy, happiness and mental alertness. It strengthens the nerves and the mind. It awakens mental inspiration and stimulates higher mentality. Thus, it is an excellent colour for nervous or nerve-related conditions or ailments. It also energizes the muscles.
Brown
- Relaxing, physically
- Relaxing, soothing and calming, mentally
It is used for stability, grounding, conservation, protection of household, family and pets, healing animals, finding lost objects, material constructions (buildings etc.), material increase; it is used in order to make relationships solid, to increase decisiveness and concentration, attracting help in financial crisis.
Orange
- Joy
- Impulsion
- Positive energy
Orange is warm, cheering. Orange has a freeing action upon the body and mind, relieving repressions. Orange shows new possibilities and other options in life. Stimulates creative thinking and enthusiasm, and helps assimilate new ideas. Orange stimulates the lungs, the respiration and the digestion. It increases the activity of the thyroid. It relieves muscle cramps and spasms. It increases the amount of mother milk.
Pink
- Childlike naivety
- Innocence
- Balance of feelings
Pink heals grief and sadness. It restores youthfulness. It brings you in contact with your feelings. It is regarded as a feminine color. Pink symbolizes softness, sweetness, innocence, youthfulness and tenderness.
White – Black
- Total balance
- Meeting extreme contradictions
White is the perfect color; for it is all colors, in perfect balance and harmony. White points at innocence, purity, virginity, cleanliness, freshness, simplicity, nothingness, oneness and completion, truth. As for black, it symbolizes seriousness, darkness, depression, death, mourning, mystery, secrecy, occultism, provocation, underground, underworld, things that have to remain hidden, nothingness as the great source of all creation, the need to keep your energy with you.
Use of colour/chromo therapy
Colour/chromo therapy can be blamed by some people, as it follows a special method to fight and deal with physical and psychological problems and this method is neither easy to understand understandable nor acceptable by other people..
The patient is covered with coloured silk fabrics or the patient is immersed in colourful water and remains there until the desired colour is reflected in the human body. The emission of light in a specific colour helps the patient achieve the desired result. Simply put, through this method, the light energy of colours is used in order to stimulate the organs of the body, aiming at strengthening the body and treating various diseases. The tools that are used for this method are as follows:
- Gemstones
- Candles / lamps
- Crystals
- Crystal and glass prisms
- Coloured fabrics
- Colour bath treatments
- Coloured eye lenses
- Laser
It is said that through colour/chromo therapy the coloured rays come from the eye to the brain and turn into concrete actions or feelings which contribute to the elimination or the reduction of any problems.
Apart from this method, the patient has to come into daily contact with the appropriate colours for him, depending on the physical and mental problems he deals with. Typically, warm colours are recommended for people who deal with hypertension, stress or lather, while cold colours are recommended for people who suffer from hypotension, hypotonia, languor or debility.
Chromo therapy or commonly color therapy falls under the category of Complementary and Alternative Medicine System (CAMS) of treatment which can be helpful to cure diseases. It is one of the most successful ancient practices which are now gaining interest as a valid and effective science. It is a well established fact that chromo therapy triggers the specific points in our body and relieves various ailments. It is essential that it has no side-effects. It is pleasant and completely painless. Anyone who is interested in trying an alternative treatment without having any side-effects, could try chromo therapy.
“The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.” (Marcus Aurelius said)
It is certain that the colours affect the human body in their unique way each separately in both emotional and psychological as well as in physical functions.
Moreover, you will have the opportunity to learn more about the concept of personality, the factors that affect your personality and the different types of personalities, so that you can rank yourself in one or more of them. In this way, you will have acquired all the knowledge that is necessary so that you can better learn about the people around you, but it is much more important to learn yourself.
Who are we really? Are we really who we think we are? Why are we what we are? Can we change who we are? So, learn YOURSELF better and use this knowledge in order to have a better and more positive and advantageous life. This information is the key to understanding behaviors and, eventually, to the importance of personality formation and development.
Recommended by Motto Cosmos.
More information about
Would you like to learn more about topics of the personalities? Then please check out the links right down below:
- What is Personality?
- Theories of personality development
- Personality alphabet
- Personality Development
- Codes of Personality
- Personality Types in the General Population
- 200 Influential Personalities of all time
- The greatest personalities in Ancient Greece
- What colours could reveal about our personality?
- Personality and body language
- Mottos as a way of understanding and evaluating one’s personality