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“Green walls pacify”, “sugar is best sold in packages”, “red underwear causes sexual desire” … What lies behind these phrases and can we really turn the properties of color to our advantage?
We endow colors with special epithets and properties, for example: red-beautiful or noble blue. Colors are inextricably linked with our emotions, and we often say: “purple with anger”, “blackened with envy”, “green with anger”. This perception of colors is inherent in our culture and at the same time reflects their natural properties. The characteristics of primary colors are universal. For example, white symbolizes purity and light; red is the color of flesh and blood, activity and fertility; black is the color of earth and death. But nature gives an incredible abundance of shades, and man adds to this the newly invented color nuances of aniline, fluorescent paints. As well as highly sensitive devices capable of distinguishing and registering colors invisible to the eye – from infrared radiation to the mysterious colored halo of the human aura. By making connections between colors and our emotions, can we use their physical (or even magical, as some claim) properties to improve our well-being and mood?
At the level of instinct
Analyzing the rainbow
The Luscher color test is one of the most popular express methods for assessing the psycho-emotional state of a person*. It is used by psychiatrists, marriage counselors, forensic scientists, doctors, psychologists and recruiters. To compile this test, Max Luscher spent several years experimenting with more than four thousand shades, as a result of which he chose eight primary and several dozen additional colors that have a universal semantic meaning. For example, blue symbolizes peace, red – an impulse to action. The full version of the test consists of seven tables with 73 colored fields; There are also simplified options. During the test, the patient sequentially chooses colors – from the most preferred to the least pleasant. Based on his choice and prioritization, the specialist draws conclusions about the mental and sometimes physical state of a person, behavioral characteristics and inherent fears, inclinations and relationships with the outside world.
Anton Popov
* Max Lusher. Luscher color test. AST, Owl, 2005.
Why are some colors considered stimulating and others relaxing? It turns out that this effect of color is associated with the functioning of the hypothalamus and the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. This is confirmed by numerous experiments with color*. The red-yellow part of the spectrum activates the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the fight or flight reactions: the pulse quickens, the blood sugar level rises, the blood supply to the muscles increases, all the senses become aggravated. Blue and green colors, on the contrary, suppress the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, but at the same time the parasympathetic one is activated. The body receives a signal to rest and relax: the pulse and breathing slow down, blood rushes to the digestive organs.
Presumably, such a mechanism for responding to the change of colors has been formed over many millennia of human evolution, when all human activity was subject to the rhythmic changes of day and night. The body reacts to the colors of the red-yellow spectrum as the onset of dawn, preparing it for activity, and blue-green is perceived as twilight, a signal for rest. This primitive model is the simplest explanation of why a certain color is preferred for each of us at different moments of life: when we need rest, relaxation, we choose blue, and wanting to get a charge of vivacity, activity, we prefer orange or red. The most famous works in the field of color and psycho-emotional state belong to the famous Swiss psychiatrist Max Luscher, who developed a special system of personality color psychodiagnostics based on his numerous studies.
Read more:
- Repaint walls at home
colored medicine
However, diagnostics and treatment with the help of color have always existed in ancient medicine. In Ayurveda, the seven colors of the rainbow are associated with the colors of the seven chakras, each of which is responsible for certain properties and psycho-emotional characteristics of a person. In ancient Chinese medicine – with the colors of the five elements: fire (red and orange), earth (yellow), wood (green), water (blue, blue, purple and black) and metal (white). Each of the elements affects a specific organ system. For example, in case of kidney problems, the doctor could recommend giving up black in clothes. Similar techniques were used in folk medicine of the Celts and Slavs. The most famous example is a red cloth bandage against toothache. What looks like pure superstition turns out to be quite possible from the point of view of science: each color has a certain wavelength, which is perceived by any living cell. And vision is just one of the body’s ability to perceive color. A kind of proof of this is the fact that the blind are able to distinguish bright colors by touching scraps of fabric with their fingers.
Aura colors
see the aura
Modern science already has a tool to see the colored halo surrounding the human body. Bioelectrography makes it possible to register this effect on film or on a computer screen. This method is based on the Kirlian effect*, named after a Russian inventor who discovered for the first time about 70 years ago that when a person’s arm or leg is placed in a strong electric field, a glow appears around it. Semyon Kirlian also invented the first devices capable of registering the aura. Since then, technology has come a long way, and numerous experiments with aura chambers have shown that not only humans, but also plants and even physiological fluids, such as blood, have an aura. It was also found that the auras of a healthy and sick person differ in volume, color saturation, more even or, conversely, ragged contours. All the colors of the rainbow are represented in the human aura, they change depending on the emotional state, and a huge database of images of different people allows us to speculate about what this or that color can mean. Perhaps in the near future, the aura image will be used both for diagnosis and for monitoring the treatment of various diseases.
Anton Popov
*www.kirlian.ru is a site dedicated to research in the field of bioelectrography.
The English pharmacist Vicki Wall was a contemporary of Luscher—his famous “color test” had not yet been published when, through a series of happy accidents and inspiration, she invented her own color diagnostic system. This discovery made her world famous, but not in scientific circles, but in the field of alternative medicine. Vicki, a hereditary naturopath who inherited her father’s knowledge of the beneficial properties of plants and minerals, worked under the guidance of Dr. Edward Horsley, who specialized in creating medicines based on natural ingredients. She lost her sight but did not leave her job in naturopathy. Moreover, it was discovered that her perception of colors was surprisingly sharpened. Already blind, she created a system for diagnosing health and psycho-emotional state using different colors, only the role of “Luscher’s color cards” in her is played by bottles with solutions and tinctures of colored minerals, flowers, leaves and bark of various plants. In the same way as in the Luscher test, the person is asked to choose several color samples that he prefers. According to the theory of Vicki Wall, a person chooses exactly the color that is currently lacking in his aura, intuitively trying to achieve balance, harmony in his energy system. In order to correct this energy imbalance, Vicki Wall’s Aura-Soma technique suggests using color-matched solutions: an aromatherapy concentrate for inhalation, an agent for applying to certain areas of the body, and something like homeopathic drops under the tongue. The effectiveness of this method in the treatment of various nervous disorders and psychosomatic diseases turned out to be very high, due to which it is used in many alternative medicine clinics around the world.
Color therapy and color puncture
Treatment using radiation of different wavelengths – ultrasound, infrared or laser – is quite widespread in academic medicine. As for the healing power of color itself, there are many theories about how it works, but most of them are still seeking confirmation, so for now we can only rely on the positive results of numerous experiments. Color treats depression, nervous disorders, diseases of the musculoskeletal system and the vascular system. One of the recent discoveries is that a narrow directional beam of light of a certain wavelength (that is, a certain color) is able to act on biologically active points. This technique is called color puncture, and the most outstanding achievements in this area belong to the famous German naturopath Peter Mandel (Peter Mandel). Using his knowledge of acupuncture, the study of which he devoted several decades to, Mandel invented a non-contact light device that can act no less effectively than classic needles. And even better, because it does not have many contraindications that exist for classical acupuncture and, as a rule, are associated precisely with the fact that the needles penetrate the skin. There are also Russian developments in this area, for example, color-pulse therapy of the iris, which also represents a kind of “energy-information map” of the whole organism.
Have a question?
- Aeroflex Center for Physical Excellence. Moscow, 1st Vrazhsky per., 4, tel.: (495) 248 6220.
full color harmony
The Ayurvedic interpretation of chakra colors, the meaning of shades within the framework of the ancient Chinese philosophical system of Feng Shui, or their symbolism according to Luscher really reflect the universal properties of color. Perhaps different colors can actually support, weaken or stimulate the life energy that fills and surrounds us. Penetrating into their symbolic essence, discovering our likes or dislikes, we gain another way to know ourselves and build our own full-color harmony.
About it
- “Psychophysiology of color vision”. Moscow State University, 1989. 2003.
- Gershon Breslav. “Color Psychology and Color Therapy for All”. St. Petersburg, 2003.
- Simon and Sue Lilly. “The Power of Color and Color Therapy”. Dilya, 2006.
* S. Kravkov. “Color vision”. Publishing house of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, 1951; Ch. Izmailov, E. Sokolov, A. Chernorizov. “Psychophysiology of color vision”. Moscow State University, 1989.
Get in color
- Red: The color with the longest wavelength. It is closest to infrared and retains a close connection with the sensations of heat. It gives confidence, energy and enthusiasm. How to use: if you are overcome by apathy and lethargy, surround yourself with red, for example, place some red object near the workplace. For those who have a low level of hemoglobin in the blood, it is useful to have elements of red in their clothes.
- Orange: close to red, but conveys a feeling of fertile warmth rather than heat. It gives purposefulness and supports creative energy. How to use: this color will help to survive the constraint and fear for those who have difficulty in expressing sexuality, enjoying sensuality. For those who have experienced stress, a difficult situation, orange in clothes will help to recover, to come into balance.
- Yellow: This is the energy of sunlight. It brings us to a state of wakefulness and clarity, helps to concentrate. How to use: when in doubt, have difficulty making a decision, look or hold a yellow object in your hands. Those who have a weakened immune system or are prone to allergies are advised to add elements of yellow to their clothes.
- Green: This is the color of balance – it is exactly in the middle of the spectrum. It gives us the energy of green nature, it is the color of progressive development and growth. How to use: surround yourself with green if you are afraid of future changes. Green clothing is recommended for those who suffer from jealousy.
- Blue: This is the color of free space. It expands perception and allows you to look beyond your ideas or your capabilities. How to use: If you are having trouble communicating, try holding a blue object near you or in your hands. Those who want to get rid of excessive excitement, nervousness, restore calm, you can add blue to your wardrobe.
- Blue: This shade is also called indigo – it is as different from blue as a cloudless sky during the day from the night. Carries the energy of peace, self-absorption. How to use: to calmly focus, try looking at an indigo-colored object. Blue in clothes will help those who are in pain – physical or mental.
- Violet: Brings together the dynamism of red and the stabilizing power of blue, giving inspiration and strength to bring ideas to life. How to use: If you feel like you are mired in the bustle and routine, if you feel a lack of imagination and inspiration, surround yourself with purple. Purple in clothes is recommended for those who need to stimulate the body’s natural healing energy, recuperate after complex operations.