What is Colour Therapy and how does it work? Can it really make you feel different, feel better? Welcome to the science bit, where we might just change your life.
Colour Therapy is a method of treatment that uses the visible spectrum of electromagnetic radiation to cure diseases and directly impact the nervous and hormonal system through the eyes and the brain.
It’s a centuries old concept with records of use dating back to ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome.
Today it is undergoing a renaissance with the potential to revolutionize parts of the healthcare and wellbeing sectors just like Yoga and Meditation gained widespread acceptance and use over the past decade.
It’s applications are far reaching: from dealing with issues such as anxiety and aggression to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), general happiness and better sleep.
Both light and colours are composed of electromagnetic energy waves that travel through space. Each colour represents a different intensity, or frequency of energy. These vibrating rays of energy are taken in through the body, especially the eyes and have a significant impact on our state of being.
The eye allows light frequency to enter the body through the optical nerve and the visual cortex. This has a direct impact on the Pituitary gland that is located in our brain and is connected to the Hypothalamus. Both help to manage our nervous systems.
Colour has been shown to significantly influence the functioning of the Pineal gland, which is also found deep in the brain and contributes to the regulation of our hormonal balance.
Scientists believe that light frequency also transfers directly into our blood and through this into our whole body, programming our cells and thereby having a profound impact on our entire being. Out of all muscles in our body the eye muscles move the most - about 100,000 a day in fact. Astonishing, isn’t it? As a result every single drop of our blood passes through our eyes about every 40 seconds.
Orange
- Makes you sleep better by impacting melatonin release
- Can help with anxiety and depression by impacting serotonin production
- Filters blue light from digital screens and unnatural LED lighting
- Protects the eye from macular degeneration
- Enhances your mood on dull and grey days
- Reduces eye fatigue and headaches from screen use
- Known to help with Irlen syndrome, a visual perception disorder
Pink
- Enhances feeling of happiness and wellbeing
- Relaxes the mind and eyes
- Shown to influence serotonin and melatonin production
- Increases alertness
- Can help with anxiety and depression
- Proven to help with aggression and anger
- Gives better definition to visual experiences
- Instantly beautifies surroundings
If you want to learn more...
Here are some useful links to some of the contemporary scientific research and studies into the effect of Colourtherapy on wellbeing and to treat conditions.
A Critical Analysis of Chromotherapy and Its Scientific Evolution
The National Center for Biotechnology Information
Colored light therapy: History, theory, recent developments and clinical applications combined with acupuncture.
The National Library of Medicine
Chromotherapy in the regulation of neurohormonal balance in human brain-complementary application in modern psychiatric treatment.
The National Center for Biotechnology Information
Effects of blue light on the circadian system and eye physiology
The National Library of Medicine
Evening use of eReaders negatively affects sleep, circadian timing, and next-morning alertness
The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences