Power of Colour

(Published on 13 June 2006 in 'Women at Work' - W @ W - a supplement of the Daily Mirror, Colombo, Sri Lanka)

Colour is life. One can’t imagine this world without colour. And the only way one can describe life – is in its many hues. Colour is the most magnificent experience we take for granted. Look around. Colour surrounds us and envelopes our entire being. We interpret life through colour. The power of colour is the very essence of life. Light is our energy source, and the entire spectrum of colours is derived from light. Light influences our entire complex biochemical system.

Each colour found in the visible light spectrum has its own wavelength and its own frequency, which produces a specific energy. Light is the only energy we can see and we see it, in the form of colour. Through colour we receive all the energies we need to maintain a health body, mind, and soul. Our mental health, behaviour, and general efficiency depend on colour balance. When something is out of balance, we can rectify it by the deliberate use of colour. Colour energy can be attained through the food we eat, the clothes we wear, our surroundings and use of gemstones.

Colour assists the body to balance itself and has been used for centuries by practitioners of the healing arts. Egyptian priests left manuscripts explaining their understanding of colour science. In ancient Egypt and Greece, colour temples were built with seven compartments, each containing one of the seven colours of the rainbow. People were put into different compartments, depending on their need, for physical healing and spiritual uplifting. As per colour therapy the following traits are connected with the following colours:

RED - Use for a demanding day, or when you feel drained of energy. Traits: Courageous, confident, determination, honest, and extroverted.

PINK – Traits: friendly, compassionate, faithful

ORANGE - Best emotional stimulant. It helps to remove inhibitions and makes us independent and social. Traits: Enthusiastic, happy, sociable, energetic, and successful.

GOLD – Traits: illumination, wisdom

YELLOW - Gives clarity of thought, increases awareness, and stimulates interest and curiosity. Traits: Optimistic, confident, practical, and intellectual.

BROWN – Traits: stability, earthy, reliable

GREEN - Helps relax muscles, nerves, and thoughts. Gives a feeling of peace and harmony. Traits: Understanding, growth, compassionate, vitality and nature loving.

BLUE – Mentally relaxing colour. Gives us wisdom and clarity enhancing communication and speech. Traits: Loyal, tranquil, affectionate and caring.

INDIGO - Strengthens intuition and imagination. Traits: Intuitive, fearless, power, integrity and wise.

VIOLET - Purifies our thoughts and brings wisdom and inner strength. Enhances creativity. Traits: humanitarians, creative, and mental strength.

PURPLE – Traits: spiritual, passionate, visionary

Colour can have a deep effect on our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual being. Psychologists have researched the effect of colour on patients. Depressive patients and hyperactive patients were calmed when put into rooms with red or bright yellow walls, and rooms with blue or green walls respectively. Black is a colour associated with tragedy. Blackfriars Bridge, in London, was a gloomy black structure known for its high rate of suicide. The suicide rate declined by one third after the bridge was painted green.

The use of colour has numerous applications in industry. Experiments have shown that red light heightens agility. The colours used on factory walls and machinery affect employee morale and efficiency. In sports, a locker room painted in colours on the red side of the spectrum is known to stimulate players. Uniform colour can also influence a team’s performance. Many professional football teams use red or orange as some part of the team colours. Colour is used extensively in interior design to create a certain feeling or mood, and to influence behaviour. Below is a table of colours with the effect they have on the human mind.

Studying the effect of each colour one can then select the colour best suited for each room in one’s home.

Violet : Calming for body and mind. Enhances purpose and dignity. Purifying.
Best suited for: Prayer Room

Indigo : Sedative. Helps to open up our intuition.
Best suited for: Veranda

Blue : Calming, relaxing and healing. Also the colour of communication.
Best suited for: Master Bedroom

Green: Balancing, harmonising and encourages tolerance and understanding.
Best suited for: Bedroom / Living Room

Yellow: Promotes feeling of confidence. Helpful for study as it helps us to stay alert.
Best suited for: Study Room / Library

Orange: Warming and can stimulate creativity. Orange is the colour of fun and sociability.
Best suited for: Teenager’s Room

Red: Energizing, exciting the emotions.
Best suited for: Children’s Room

Magenta: Balances spirit and matter and helps us to gain a feeling of completeness and fulfilment.
Best suited for: Senior Citizen’s Room

Turquoise: Cool and calming and good for the nervous system.
Best suited for: Dining Room

Pink: This colour soothes and nurtures. It helps to dissolve anger and encourages unconditional love.
Best suited for: Nursery

Black: Black enhances the energy of another colour. Black gives us the space for reflection.

White: White contains all the colours. It emphasises purity and gives us clarity.
Best suited for: Store / Kitchen