Colour your world

Colour has a huge effect in our lives, even if we are not aware of it. Generally, we think about the colour of our clothes, the decoration in our homes, even the colour of our cars.

Colour has a huge effect in our lives, even if we are not aware of it- Kathryn Borg

Some people wear black all the time, others only wear pastel shades. By doing this, we are all practising colour therapy. Scientists suggest that agonising over the colour of our rooms, clothes or cars is for a good reason.

The governor of a newly built prison noticed that prisoners in each of the four wings behaved differently. He eventually came to the conclusion that this was due to the fact that each wing was painted a different colour.

The prisoners had been randomly allocated to one of the wings; however, those in the red and yellow wings tended to be more violent than those in the blue and green wings.

This observation was supported by research. Viewing red light has been found to increase the observer’s strength by 13.5 per cent, with arm muscles showing a 5.8 per cent increase in electrical activity.

Red is often used to help athletes like sprinters and pole vaulters who need quick bursts of energy, while those who participate in long-distance races are given blue light therapy before events.

So if red can make you more violent, pink can have a tranquillising and calming effect, sometimes in a minute. Again, prisoners placed in a holding cell that was painted pink were noticed to have calmed down. Tests have shown that muscle strength is reduced within two seconds of seeing the colour.

Yellow is another stimulating colour and, together with red, is the worst colour a violent person could look at. It is said that yellow street lighting could be the cause of violent street crime.

When light hits the retina, it is converted into electrical impulses that travel to the brain and trigger the release of hormones. That is why colours become associated with certain moods and can influence our thoughts and disposition. Blue can be associated with the blues and red with passion.

Historically, colour as a healing therapy in the West remained dormant until the Renaissance physician Paracelsus (1493-1541) spoke with pagan healers or ‘witches’ who explained their techniques to him.

He subsequently began using light and colour in his treatments. However, this was more folk medicine than science until the 1950s when the late University of Alberta professor emeritus Harry Wohlfarth began to conduct colour and light experiments called colour psychodynamics, whereby he demonstrated that certain colours have measurable and predictable effects on the autonomic nervous system.

Rates of blood pressure, pulse and respiration could be in­creased dramatically through exposure to the colour yellow, moderately so with orange and minimally so with red.

At the other end of the spectrum, he found that black, blue and green had the lowest effects (Int. J. Biosocial Res., 1984).

The findings of Wohlfarth gave some credence to the well-accepted idea that colour and light affect people and their moods and behaviours.

Further studies were carried out on plants and even rats to see how they were affected by various colours.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) was developed by Thomas Dougherty, who has used the technique to treat more than 3,000 patients with various malignant tumours. Recognised as a cancer treatment by the US Food and Drug Administration for years, it is believed to be especially beneficial in cancer patients for whom surgery is impossible, or where chemotherapy and radiation have failed to prevent recurrences (J. Natl Cancer Inst., 2002).

In addition, light therapy is often used to treat some skin conditions such as psoriasis.

This therapy is also being used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Work in the San Diego State University School of Nursing demonstrated that arthritis sufferers exposed to blue light for up to 15 minutes experienced a significant reduction in pain (Int. J. Biosocial Res., 1982).

Guidelines to use colour therapeutically to help recuperation include the following five colours, according to those using colour psychobiotics.

Green regulates the pituitary gland and fights depression, bulimia and other psychosomatic conditions affecting the stomach and digestion. It calms the nervous system, fights irritability and insomnia and can assist recovery from a nervous breakdown.

Blue is the most calming of all colours. It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous systems, lowers blood pressure and calms rates of breathing and heartbeat.

Red is the colour to create more energy or stimulation. It affects the heart by raising the pulse rate and can increase tension in muscles. It can trigger excitement and sensuality and could be the spectrum’s answer to the little blue pill.

Yellow is a detoxifier and cleanser. It can increase neuromuscular tone, purify the blood and aid digestion. It can also be used to stimulate happiness and encourage a strong sense of security as well as feelings of well-being.

White is the colour of balance and regeneration. It can stimulate the production of serotonin and is especially helpful for those who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder during the long days of winter.

kathryn@maltanet.net