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Katherine Brewer
British Literature
Mrs.Rozan`s 4
th
period
October 21, 2011
The EIIects oI Color
How can an individual`s liIe be impacted by color? Color is everywhere and as human
beings we`re very sensitive to it. Color has been proven to have both positive and negative
eIIects on an individual`s liIestyle. Color has control on a variety oI aspects in one`s liIe and it`s
all too oIten that one isn`t aware oI them. Color controls a variety oI psychological reactions that
have been Iound that have therapeutic beneIits Ior some people. Since color is natural, the human
body already responds to it psychologically and naturally.
Color can impact on a person`s mood and emotions through shading or wavelength oI the
color. Such as when one walks into a room that`s brightly colored red or orange one will tend to
Ieel a sense oI urgency or an increase in energy and an increase in appetite as well. This is why
restaurants use bright colors so they can make more because your more hungry iI you`re Iocus is
on bright colors or colors that naturally stand our without changing shade. The other side oI the
spectrum would be the dark colors and shades. The darker the color the more tiredness one Ieels,
the sadder, and the lonelier one Ieels at the time. This particular topic is said to be a lurking
variable in diagnosing depression because it`s hard to interpret the situation because the colors
the individual is around plays such a detrimental role in the psychological balance oI one`s
moods and emotions. According to the Complete Health Institute 'We don't just notice colors,
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we also sense them. Mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually, they empower us
('Chromo therapy). This is because human beings need a unique balance to live their lives.
Human beings require socialization and most individuals highly value the ability to see. So these
things are a beneIit to us in the aspect oI how one is Ieeling. Colors alter everything that one does
colors have the ability to do this because they actually psychologically balance our endorphins
that can help control our emotions. This is why certain colors have an eIIect on one individual
but may not have the same eIIect on another individual. Based on the control and the intensity oI
any change in mood or emotions the colors will have diIIerent impact levels. One person may get
migraines Irom the intensity oI a bright yellow painted room while another may be able to
concentrate better because oI it. Notice it`s the same color but two completely diIIerent reactions.
The wavelength oI a color also plays a big role in how one`s body takes in colors the wavelength
oI a color is altered by shading. So the wavelengths will vary but the wavelength is what causes
one`s brain to evaluate the colors because the color is processed through the human eye and the
Irequency oI that wavelength then goes to the brain. This is letting one see the image in Iront oI
them without any change in eyesight or level oI intensity notice to the conscious mind.
Color`s impact on one with just the regular color is through the same wavelength process
but each color is Iiltered into the human mind with a meaning or message with them. The
primary colors have the common message oI red meaning warning or raising alarm, while blue is
serenity, and yellow means happiness or joy. These are the common meanings Ior these colors
but many oI them go so much deeper than that. For example red also symbolizes warmth and
passion. This is a very diIIerent then the common link when someone sees something red. Not
only do the primary colors have multiple meanings but colors like green, purple, pink, turquoise,
gold, silver, bronze. They all do because the world in which human beings live in is Iull or
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diversity and liIe that have colors, shades, and hues. The world is easily imagined and sometimes
reIerred to as a canvas waiting Ior the next person to make their stroke on it to complete the
picture. The colors mentioned earlier actually will send messages to ones brain that regard the
emotions oI an individual. Blue and green are known Ior promoting peace and serenity and
green promotes Iertility and growth. Whereas colors like red, orange, and yellow are known to
revitalize, reenergize, and increase one`s appetite along with their ability to hold one`s attention
(Gigorio). These things are all impacts that directly impact the individual even iI the one being
impacted doesn`t realize it. The colors that a person has the most negativity towards are the ones
that most likely have the biggest eIIect on them. For example iI Jenny hates black it`s most
likely because the signal Jenny`s brain sends out is negative because Jenny`s body reacts in a
way contrary to the way her brain would like it too. So Jenny develops distaste Ior the color
black. Just like Nick has a distaste Ior the color orange Ior similar reasons the signal his brain
sends out causes him to distaste the color Ior shade iI not just the color itselI. These reactions are
similar everywhere with everyone and this works very similarly Ior colors that are someone`s
Iavorite colors. That`s because the stimulus the brain sends out is positive and that color reacts
really well with that individual`s mind and has the greatest positive eIIect on that individual.
'Color is all around you in your school, in your home, in your wardrobe, and on your dinner
plate. Many oI these colors aIIect study habits, Iriendships, sleep patterns, and selI-esteem
(Santa Lucia). This is true because as mentioned earlier color aIIects everything one does and
plays a more severe role in one`s liIe then they could even realize.
Color has been Iound to possess natural healing properties and has been now called
Chromo therapy. The Iact that color would help heal was not a new idea. 'Color therapy is a
technique oI restoring imbalance by means oI applying color to the body. It was a popular
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method oI cure even in ancient times ('PeaceIul mind). This is what color therapy is by
deIinition. But the catch is that it`s not really applying color like laying colors on one`s body. It`s
more like putting someone in a colored room and letting that color restore the balance oI their
emotions, moods, and body. This is something that ancient civilizations used Ior centuries beIore
our culture even knew that color played a role in our day to day lives. 'Color therapy is rooted in
history as Iar back as the Mayan culture. The Mayan culture worshiped the sun and based their
liIestyles on the elements. These elements where a controlling Iorce oI nature and determined so
much oI their existence ('PeaceIul mind). This is basically telling the timeline oI how long
color therapy truly existed. So this has been a healing method since beIore the colonial era. This
proves that advanced societies at that time understood the impact oI color on their lives. Color
therapy was originally just trying to put certain people in rooms that were painted a sacred color
and believed nature would heal them through that color since it was sacred.
Color therapy is restoring the balance oI colors and emotions in the body. How is it
done? One may ask, well now a days they see which colors you react the best and worst too and
alter the wavelengths oI a color in the middle oI the spectrum to where it kind oI balances both
emotion and mood. The real question is how does this actually heal anything and what does the
balance do with healing anything? Well it`s healing with energy in basic terms according to
'peaceIul mind 'Energy Iollows thought. Where we put our thoughts, this is where the energy
goes. By concentrating on a particular healing color, it is the visualization oI that color that will
be projected. II we Iocus on a color, the energy emanates Irom our body and begins to change the
Irequency that resonates with that particular color. This is only one oI the many ways to heal
with color but it`s one oI the most common. This is also where the altering wavelengths comes in
one responds to a color like pink really well but needs something like a pale sky blue to calm
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down. Well iI using color therapy Iocus on the color pink but the color therapist will slightly
alter that wavelength by showing a really light shade oI that pink to where the individual sees
their Iavorite color but is calming because it`s a very close Irequency to the shade oI blue the
individual needs. The other type oI color therapy is light therapy. Light Therapy is actually the
real genuine study oI the wavelengths as mentioned earlier. When reIerring to color therapy as
light therapy remember this 'Color is light. Light, which is split into diIIerent wavelengths
vibrating at diIIerent speeds and diIIerent Irequencies. Colors are wavelengths oI energy that, to
us, appear as color because oI the potential and capabilities oI the object to either absorb or
reIlect the energy. This basic principle is how we experience color('PeaceIul mind).
What can color therapy do Ior the individual? Well based oII the type oI color therapy
whether it`s energy or light therapy. One can change their day to day liIe simply by altering
one`s wardrobe or simply by painting their living space a diIIerent color. This is important and
crucial because whichever one an individual chooses will have the same eIIect and that eIIect
will vary amongst individuals because not everyone is the same. Some people will need to
brighten up their wardrobe while others will need to darken it up a bit. This is all based on
preIerence. Color does impact us and that impact is what helps us Iocus. Color therapy will
actually also help someone keep Iocused and some studies show that they can help keep the brain
'awake and able to hold more memory then one who decides it`s not necessary. So it can
beneIit everyone at diIIerent times and in diIIerent ways. Color has been used in the medical
Iield today in the oncology Iield. ''We provide support Ior persons Iacing the challenges oI
cancer, says Nichols, "so it's important that our surroundings reIlect a peaceIul and serene
environment. That's why I chose to decorate with warm, inviting colors like soIt mauves and
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purples, calming burnt oranges and quiet ivory tones -- colors that make you Ieel good when you
walk in the door." (Stien).
Color inIluences everything that happens in one`s liIe and the role that it plays can heal
and beneIit a person. Color can be stimulate and send one`s mood into chaos simply by not
having it balanced. It can also heal and beneIit an individual based oII oI personal needs and
strictly by balancing the energy oI one`s own body and liIe. It`s not the actual color that
stimulates the body and mind though it`s the wavelength that transmits the visual image to the
brain. Color eIIects ones everyday liIe and can make one better simply by balancing shades oI
colors.










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Works ClLed
ChromoLherapy " complete neoltb lostltote 1he CompleLe PealLh lnsLlLuLe 2010 Web 3 CcL 2011
Clgorlo Laura ue ur Color 1herapy " ueep 1tooce Now ur Laura ue Clorglo 2009 Web 3 CcL 2011
peocefol mloJ roAcuMed lnc 2011 Web 3 CcL 2011
SanLa Lucla Lynn Color ower" 5cbolostlc cbolces 17 (May 2022) p11p3p10 5toJeot keseotcb
SLlen Shlfra CommunlcaLlng wlLh Color" womeo lo 8olsoess 383 (2006) p1413 Colllleo Web 30
SepL 2011