Color Therapy

Introduction

Colour has been known to have some of the most powerful effects on our mind and body. Colour contains the energy of the Sun, the life restoring force >of nature. Hence, colour as well as music and fragrance are the efficient modes of nature to connect with the subconscious core. Light and Colours have an effect on the total energetic system of the body. Light is absorbed through the eyes as well as through the skin by our sensory nerve endings.Colours act like gems; they increase the aura the astral body.This is the ambit of pure colour, and is suitable for subtle or spiritual healing.

Use of Colours

Colour therapy affects the mind more than it affects the body. Thus there is greater consideration of the Satwik, Rajasik and Tamasic (three basic qualities if the mind) effects of colour, even more in their effect on the physical constitution.

Satwa: all colours have shades that are satwik, rajasik or tamasic, so it is imperative to use only the satwik shades- those shades that bring joy, harmony and serenity.
Best colours are: white, gold, violet and blue.

Rajas: colours- bright, loud, flashy, artificial and rajasic shades- bright metallic, penetrating, are sometimes useful when there is low or inert energy. Combinations of opposite colours can also be too stimulating and irritating.
Rajasic colours are: yellow, orange, red, purple.

Tamas: these colours are dull, dark, turbid and muddy, they cause the mind and senses to become heavy, inert and congested.
Tamasic colours are: brown, black and grey.

White and black are not really considered colours, but are polar opposites of light and dark, from which colour is produced. When healing, primary colours should be used in their most characteristic shades.

Ayurvedic Concept of Colour Therapy

Vedic astrological and architectural scriptures make the use of colours to represent different deities. The seven colours of the spectrum namely, violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, red are said to be the seven rays or the deities or the sun!

Colour Therapy balances the mental and physical doshas through the sense of sight. Colours are absorbed primarily through the eyes or Alochak Pitta and secondarily through the skin Bhrajak Pitta.
The therapeutic qualities of colour are the crucial part of subtle mental and pranic life-force nutrition as it energizes the nerves, which in turn stimulates the mind.

Colour therapy is a technique of restoring imbalances in the body by applying coloured light to the body. Through coloured archetypes the individual can become aware of areas once vague or subconscious, in need of further development or understanding, allowing for increased opportunities of developing one’s inner and outer potential. Each and every colour has a driving force within our very cell consciousness, which in turn has a driving force within the consciousness of the whole person. Bringing colour into our daily lives, acts as a catalyst and motivator to recognize our self-image.

Tejas or Mental Fire

Is the major realm that colour therapy affects. Bright colours increase tejas and dark colours diminish it. However if colours become too bright tejas becomes burnt out (psychadelic drugs have this effect as well) and disharmonious or clashing colours derange tejas. Hence tejas can be balanced by the right use of colours. Inorder to increase tejas, one meditates on a ghee flame or a source of golden light. White or deep blue colour reduces excess tejas, and green balances it.
Just as choice of foods either balances or deranges the body’s health, one’s choice of colour has similar repercussions. Colours influence the mind’s emotional strength and creativity. Nevertheless, if misused, colours can have disturbing effects. Most psychological disturbances are healed through colour therapy.
Physically, colour stimulates digestion, circulation, improves vitality, increases overall physical activity, and most importantly, energises blood (Ranjak Pitta). However, if colours inappropriate to the constitution are used, they trigger off negative reactions such as, weaken circulation, depress the appetite, increase toxins in the blood, or cause mental hyperactivity.

Basic Postulates

Different colours can be used to achieve certain responses. Physical responses to colour are not tied to our individual psyches or bear much relation to our cultural background. In fact, everyone has the same general physical responses to certain colours.

Even a colourblind individual, who can't identify the colour himself, will react in the same way to these colours. All earthy objects such as plants, animals, human beings and all other living things have their own characteristics frequency of vibration. All living cells, tissues, organs and other human body parts have their own characteristics frequency of vibration in health. Illness is an altered physiological functioning that is nothing more than a change in frequency with the stepping up or lowering of the vibration caused by a stressor. The stressor can be generated from a chemical, mechanical (physical) or thermal source. Mental and emotional stressor help to change a frequency when they cause a internal chemical response, such as hormonal stimulation.

• All illness have a characteristic frequency of vibration.
• Applying a corrective frequency in the form of food, physical therapy, injection, nutrients, oral drugs, exercise, colour or some other methods of healing, will help distressed body function return to its homeostatic pattern.
• Body cells selectively take in normal rays and vibrations from the environment when they need them. However, if the environment presents overly strong rays vibrations, the cells will absorb them even when they don't need or want them.
• Cells that lack colour vibrations, the same as cells that lack nutrition, will tend to de-polarise and alter their frequencies and therefore their pattern of growth. If too much colour is present in the immediate environment cells, it will overcharge to such a degree that their frequencies and growth pattern will alter to the point of damage.
• Like that of a toxic food, a wrong colour can damage and change the electromagnetic force field or frequency of a cell, which sets up a chain reaction. The change of frequency will interact with a larger field of force of the organ, which in turn will effect the body system. In turn this will react upon the total individual, such a chain of reaction can lead to chronic fatigue syndrome.
• The fatigue may then bring on exhaustion in the organisms and eventually lead to death.
  Colour as pure vibration is the rational therapy for maintaining health and overcoming disease (as a complementary or alternative treatment to more traditional allopathic medicines or drug treatments) because it presents itself for the body's use in the right form (or food) in the right place and at the right time.
• Colour can be readily adopted for clinical application by physicians who practice orthomolecular medicine.
• In some specific cases , therapists prefer to direct the colours at specific parts of the body instead of bathing the whole body in colour.
• The most vital thing is that application of colour therapy is not at all regarded as harmful to the body and mind.

Color and You

When you favour one colour over other, you are telling a story about your personality and behaviour. For example, a person who dislikes all colours is also likely to hate music, children and the world as a whole. Most of all the colour haters intensely generate negative feelings within them, which lead them to frustrations and helplessness.

Colour preferences are innate. You are born with an attraction for particular colour. What you feel about them will probably remain with you throughout your life. Your colour choice is the result of your genes, early childhood memories, education, parent's beliefs, cultural trainings, political learning's and other aspects of life-style.

Tender children who can't speak whole sentences will often express themselves eloquently with a set of crayons. A general delight in colours shown by an adult is thought by psychologist to demonstrate the normal emotional tendencies in him. Normally all children love bright colours.

A child's preference for the black crayon probably indicates repressed emotion or strict parental domination. A love of yellow is classified as revealing a youngster's infantile traits and a dependence on adults. Red shows carefree feelings. Green indicates that the child is balanced, with few emotional out bursts and having a simple and uncomplicated nature or mind structure. Youngsters' colour representations of their mothers are always nearly with pastel shades and that of their fathers with darker shades. And so it is with adults. A preference for one colour over another reveals your true personality - the characteristics of your real trait. You then feel and see within yourself through your inner vision. Following are some of the personality traits associated with the colour you adopt as your own.

Color Adoption Associated With Personality Traits

Red

It shows that you are outgoing. You are assertive, vigorous and prone to impulsive actions and variable moods. You feel deep sympathy for fellow human beings and are easily swayed. You have a strong sex drive, entertain stimulating fantasies and would dive into extramarital affairs if a strong sense of duty did not hold you back form acting on your secret desires. You are an optimist, but you are also a complainer and do not desist to voice you complaints or discomforts.

Orange

You're good natured, enjoy being with others and are swayed by outside opinions. You do good work, have strong loyalties, feel good will and possess a solicitous heart. However unwarranted feelings of elation often pervade your psyche.

Yellow

You have a well functioning imagination, nervous energy; neatly formed thoughts and an urge to help the world. You tend to be aloof and more align to theory than to action. You are inclined to speak of lofty ideas without applying them in practical. Secretly you are shy, long to be respected, crave admiration for you sagacity and are a mental loner. You are a safe friend and a reliable confident.

Green

You are a good citizen and a pillar of the community and are sensitive to social customs and etiquette. You are frank, moral and reputable. You make yourself a splendid teacher, have a normal sex drive and feel deep affection for your family.

Blue

You are deliberate and introspective. You have conservative convictions and retreat to gentler surroundings in times if stress, but are sensitive to the feelings of other. You keep a tight rein on you p0assions and enthusiasms, are a loyal friend and lead a sober life. You nourish preposterous dreams but do not act on them. Stupidity in other annoys you, as does superior intelligence.

Purple

You have a good mind, a ready with and an ability to observe things that go unnoticed by others. You are easily incensed and are verbose when witnessing misfortune. You have a degree of vanity. Display fine-arts creativity and relish the subtle but recognise the magnificent.

Brown

You perform you duties conscientiously, are shrewd what it comes to money, obstinate in you habits and convictions and you are parsimonious. You are dependable and steady, disdain impulsiveness and can bargain as that of a horse trader.

Gray

You are cautious, try to strike a compromise in most situations. You encounter and seek composure and peace. You try very hard to fit yourself into a mould of your own design.

Black

You are above average, worldly, conventional, proper, polite and regal. Black is a colour that means one thin (depression) to the clinical psychologist and quite another (dignity) to you.

Psychological Effects of Colour

In our routine life we are always affected and bounded by existence of colour, which has a solid effect on our psychology and accordingly affects our body.For instance, if the colour blue surrounds someone the existence of this colour is going to affect his strength and aggression. On the other hand pink has a weakening effect on the physical strength and causes the release of Norepinephrine in the body and brain. Norepinephrine is a chemical that inhibits the specific hormones that contribute to aggressive behaviour.
Physiology studies equally revealed and recorded that red vibrations increase blood pressure and elevate palmar conductance. Respiratory movements increase during exposure to red light and decrease during blue illumination, with heart rate found no appreciable difference between stimulation by red and blue but the frequency of eye blinks increase during exposure to red light and decrease during exposure to blue light.

The detailed physiological responses to colour supported by scientific datas are as under:

Red

The pituitary gland, which is an endocrine gland, comes into play when a person is exposed to red. In just a fraction of a second a chemical signal goes from the pituitary gland to the adrenal glands and Adrenaline is released. The adrenaline courses through the blood stream and produces certain physiological alterations with metabolic effects. The following reactions begin immediately but may not be noticed for a few minutes or even several hours depending on the health of the individual's Homeostasis (the physiological process by which the internal systems of the body are maintained at equilibrium despite variations in external conditions).

The physiological effects of red colour are:

• The blood pressure will elevate.
• Blood flow speeds up as manifested by an increased pulse rate.
• The rate of breathing becomes rapid
• The autonomic Nervous System takes over and reactions become automatic.
• The taste buds become more sensitive.
• The appetite improves.
• The sense of smell heightens.
• Males become attracted to yellow based reds while females become attracted to blue based reds.

Orange

Being half red and half yellow orange can be either a classifier colour or a declassifier colour depending on the brightness or darkness of its shading.

As a classifier, orange is a pivotal colour for a person making a buying decision. Also in the classifying mode, orange in general, appeals to just a limited number of people. AS a declassifier, orange moved s into another range and appeals to react positively to an orange object or concepts.

The physiological effects of orange colour are

• The appetite elevated and increases.
• Relaxation is induced and the potential for sleep increases.
• The rates of blood flow slow down.
• A sense of placidnes, colourness and security develops when orange is combined with blue.

Yellow

As a declassifier with a broad-based appeal, yellow causes the following physiological alterations

• The electrochemical transference from eye to brain called Vision takes place the quickest in the presence of yellow. Yellow is the first colour a person distinguishes when he/she looks on any object. It is also the most complex colour for the brain to process.
• Human have and inherent precautionary reaction to yellow in nature, especially when it is combined with black.
• Yellow gets a quick though temporary response from a subject under stress.
• Yellow adds to stress by preparing a person for flight to fight.
• Yellow- painted rooms cause children to cry more often.
• Yellow surrounding s cause allergies to flare more frequently.

Blue

Known to produce a calming effect. A deep and strong sky-blue colour (known in medical term as Cardiac Blue) is the most tranquillizing colour of all. When it is in a person's field of vision, it causes the brain to secrete eleven neurotransmitters that tranquillize. These hormones are chemical signals, which bring calmness to the whole body.

The physiological effects of blue colour are

• Slows down the pulse rate.
• Deepens the breathing.
• Reduces the perspiration.
• Lowers the body temperature.
• Lessens the sweating.
• Eliminates the flight to fight response.
• Reduces the appetite (as very few blue food exist in nature).

Brown

Brown is generally considered environmentally sound. It offers a healthy encompass or enclosure to work, play, sleep and generally perform common metabolic functions without any hindrance. An aggragate of brown things influence the internal organs and mind in an enhancing way. Brown is a homeostatic colour and lends a sense of security.

The presence of brown helps to

• Dispel mental tension.
• Promote the synthesis of serotonin (a neurotransmitter)
• Reduce irritability.
• Eliminate chronic fatigue.
• Stimulate the formation of prostaglandin E1. (Prostaglandin is a hormone like substance in the tissues and the body fluids). It has many functions and it factors in the actions for the womb, brain, lungs, kidney and semen. Brown effect on prostaglandin E1 is therefore significant for the body's overall normal functioning.
• Increase tryptophan amino acid levels that influence sleep, migraine, immunity and moods.
  

Miscalleneous Effects of Colours

Pull Of Colors

We are always attracted by the pull of colours which comes under our visibility like: Orange draws attention quickly and indicates informality and loudly proclaims that the product is suitable for everyone. Orange is a declassifying colour and can turn the look of an expensive hotel.

Yellow is another declassifier. It signals cheapness, temporariness and caution. Yellow is the colour that the eyes register the quickest and the one likeliest to stop traffic or sell a house. Even a single row of yellow marigolds growing outside a home for sale will hasten the payments of the deposit. Since yellow also signals caution, it is preferred for rental cars, school buses and taxis, but not for banks. Splashes of yellow such as in a bouquet of flowers are cheering but a mass of the colour tends to increase anxiety and cause tempers to flare. Babies cry more frequently and with greater gusto in the presence of yellow. Temperamental artists, opera singers, writers and musicians are also seem to explode the quickest in yellow rooms.

Forest green and burgundy are classifying colours. These two shades are preferred by the wealthiest persons. Colour that classify elevate certain product's position or target some specific buying population. Red is being marketed in a blue-based red container and is selling with a great success. Women inherit a preference for bluish red while men seem to favour yellowish red.

Red, a classifier, has many virtues. It makes people unaware of how much time is passing and is therefore the colour of choice of casinos and bars. Studies show that red makes food more aromatic and entices people into eating more. Even if you shun the red cherries because of their red dye they seem to make a better fruit salad in general taste.

These are few examples from which we can nearly establish the pull due to colour. It is definitely in existence depending upon type and need of its use at the proper places.

Purple

Diverse interpretations are associated with purple. Purple gives mixed messages. Historically, of course, purple denoted royalty and grandeur. But this color is also associated with illness. To symbolise vomiting and other forms of sickness some people wear headband of Purple colour.

Blue

Conversely people refuse to eat blue tinted foods. People have a natural aversion to eating something blue. Weight-loss programmes are more successful, when foods are eaten while looking at blue decoration.

Yellow

Research shows yellow tends to stimulate anxiety and is the most irritating colour to the retina of people over fifty. It increases blood pressure within thirty seconds.

Black

It brings on a feeling of depression in forty-five seconds. Having the knowledge of these colour phenomena, we can easily understand how to influence other people and how, in turn, advertisers, mercantile companies, marketers and industrialists sway us in our direction of thinking and buying habits.