What is color therapy?

Overview

The effects of color on human mood have been known for centuries. Prehistoric cave art dated to 90,000 b.c.e. reflects the use of color for this purpose. Colors have symbolic value in many human societies, although the specific associations vary from culture to culture.

Ancient Egyptian and Hindu medical texts mention the use of different colors on
the walls of sickrooms to treat various illnesses. In the eleventh century, the
Persian physician Avicenna maintained that disease symptoms are associated
with different colors. For example, he thought that blue should be used to reduce
fever, red to stimulate blood flow, and yellow to relieve muscular pain and
inflammation.

In 1671, Sir
Isaac Newton demonstrated that white light can be broken into
the colors of the visible spectrum when that light is passed through a prism. In
1810, the German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe published a
book on color theory that dealt with human perception of color, as distinct from
its electromagnetic spectrum as analyzed by Newton. Goethe was followed in the
twentieth century by researchers interested in the psychological effects of color
on humans and the possibility of using color preferences to gain insight into
personality structure. The best-known psychological color test is the Lüscher
test, invented by the Swiss psychotherapist Max Lüscher. According to Lüscher, a
preference for blue indicates contentment; green, self-respect; red,
self-confidence; and yellow, an interest in self-development. A newer test, the
Manchester Color Wheel, was developed by a group of British psychologists in 2010
as a way to predict responses to various psychotherapies and to detect mood
disorders.

Mechanism of Action

Human perception of color results from the activity of photoreceptor cells known as cones in the retina of the eye. There are three different types of cone cells, which respond to blue (short), green (medium), and red-yellow (long) light waves, respectively. Practitioners of color therapy maintain that the differences in wavelength of the colors in the visible light spectrum (from 390 nanometers for blue-violet to 720 nanometers for red) can be utilized to stimulate or slow down various bodily functions, regulate the secretions of the endocrine glands, affect the brain and central nervous system, and diagnose and treat energy imbalances in a person’s body, mind, or spirit.

Those who follow the chakra theory of Ayurvedic
medicine maintain that each of the seven chakras
(energy centers) in the body is associated with a specific color, from red for the
chakra at the base of the spine to violet for the crown chakra on the head.
Application of light, cloths, crystals, gemstones, or water of the appropriate
color to the affected chakra is thought to rebalance the energy centers. This type
of color therapy is generally considered pseudoscience.

Uses and Applications

It is important to distinguish color therapy, particularly colored-light
therapy, from the phototherapy used to treat seasonal affective disorder or
such skin diseases as psoriasis or eczema. Mainstream phototherapy makes use of
white full-spectrum light or light in the invisible (infrared or ultraviolet)
range, whereas color therapy is based on a person’s perception of color and may
involve cloth, tinted water, or other colored objects as well. As noted,
alternative color therapy is used to rebalance energy, treat a range of disorders,
and offer insight into one’s own personality.

Scientific Evidence

No scientific evidence exists that colored light or gemstone therapy is
effective in treating physical or mental disorders. Although some studies indicate
that persons with mood disorders benefit from wearing or surrounding
themselves with bright or cheerful colors, such improvement often reflects a
placebo
effect.

With regard to color-related personality analysis, a number of double-blind studies of the Lüscher color test have been conducted since the 1980s; most concluded that the test has low test-retest reliability, among other shortcomings. The Manchester Color Wheel is still under investigation as a potentially useful clinical tool for evaluating depressed persons. With regard to the use of chromotherapy in neurology, researchers in Russia and the Balkan countries have investigated the effects of colored light on the secretion of neurotransmitters in the brain; results remain inconclusive.

Choosing a Practitioner

The International Association of Colour (IAC), based in London and affiliated with the British Holistic Medicine Association, sets standards for practitioners of color therapy. Most practitioners in the United States, however, are not credentialed by the IAC.

Safety Issues

There are no known negative effects of chromotherapy, provided it is used alongside conventional medicine rather than as a replacement for it.

Bibliography

Ashby, Nina. Simply Color Therapy. New York: Sterling, 2006. Print.

Carruthers, Helen R., et al. “The Manchester Color Wheel: Development of a Novel Way of Identifying Color Choice and Its Validation in Healthy, Anxious, and Depressed Individuals.” BMC Medical Research Methodology 10 (2010): 12–25. Print.

Chiazzari, Suzy. The Complete Book of Color. Boston: Element, 1999. Print.

“Color Therapy.” Therapy Color. TherapyColor.com, 1996–2005. Web. 27 Jan. 2016.

Greenfield, Brian. “Color Therapy.” HolisticOnline.com. ICBS, 1998–2007. Web. 27 Jan. 2016.