How Colour Therapy Works

Our Reaction to Colour - The Endocrine System

Colour affects us physically and psychologically, directly and indirectly and from a combined psychological, physiological, and spiritual perspective. From both the psychological and physiological perspective colour affects us directly when it enters the eye and is transmitted to the emotional centre of the brain the hypothalamus. This in turn affects the pituitary gland the gland that controls the entire endocrine system the network of glands including the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, parathyroid glands, adrenal gland, pancreas, ovaries, and testes.

The thymus gland, pineal gland, and kidney are sometimes considered endocrine organs. They all release hormones into our bodies, hormones are protein messengers that help cells talk to each other. The endocrine system can affect moods and could account for Seasonal Affective disorder or S.A.D, it also affects sex drive, energy levels, and weight gain to name a few.

We are indirectly affected by colour as it can penetrate our bodies so that even blind people can benefit from colour therapy. This means that clothing, bed clothing, and diet can affect us the same way as the colours we actually see. It is commonly known that sunlight also has the effect of synthesising vitamin D through ultra violet radiation acting on the skin. However, photosensitive people can react to sunlight and develop a skin rash, but sunlight can be used to treat other skin conditions such as psoriasis.

The existence and purpose of the pineal gland has been a matter of long standing scientific debate. Recent scientific evidence shows that it is another master gland in addition to the pituitary, which acts as the body's light meter receiving light activated information from the hypothalamus. Its activity is activated by light changes and the earth's magnetic field and is part of our biological body clock that adjusts to varying lengths of daylight.

It is now recognised as the regulator of regulators controlling sexual function, growth, and aging, body temperature, blood pressure, motor activity, sleep by the production of melatonin, tumour growth, and mood. The pineal gland has long been associated with spirituality and described as the third eye through which information to the body's energy centres are passed. When we get an imbalance of coloured light all the above bodily functions and our daily rhythms can be is thrown out of synchronisation with our needs to maintain our mental and physical health.

Warm and Magnetic Colours
Colour is sometimes referred to in terms of temperature, the red longer wavelengths colours are referred to as warm or magnetic colours while the shorter wavelengths towards to blue end on the spectrum are cool or electric colours. From the hottest red which has a lowest and slowest frequency but the most powerful penetrating affect, to orange and then yellow are generally taken to be the three main magnetic colours.

These colours are masculine and linked to action as they supply us with basic life force energies for action, they are warm, stimulating and energising, they are connected to the awareness of self and self-expression, physical and survival instincts, creativity and the mental processes. They are grounding colours that link us to the earth and discharge negativity from our system.

Complimentary Colours
Complimentary colours are colours that are directly across from each other on the colour wheel. They are called "complementary" because, when used together, they become extremely vibrant and have heavy contrast. Complimentary colours are useful when you want to make something stand out, for example, if you use a green background and have a red circle on it, the red will jump off the page and be almost blinding. In colour therapy, complementary colours reinforce each other and can be used in specific rations such as 755 red and 25% of its complimentary colour green.

The Aura
An aura is an envelope of vital energy, which radiates from everything in nature including minerals, plants, animals and humans. The aura is not visible to normal vision, but may be seen by using clairvoyance and specialized photographic equipment. The aura is often described as a multi coloured mist that has an assortment of boundaries and properties and binds our physical bodies to our spirituality; it is not in anyway separate from our physical body but they combine as one unit that makes up the whole person. The aura acts as a prism to divide white light into its component colours that are sent to different coloured layers around our bodies. These auric layers correspond to chakras or energy centres which in turn relate to major organs in our bodies. The aura is the way in which these chakras are energised and are the means by which we communicate with our aura and vice-versa.

This means we need a balance of all the colours in white light to remain healthy, an imbalance can affect our psychological well-being and cause physical illness; it is the task of the colour therapist to correct any imbalance present in the auric layers.

The Seven Main Chakras of the Spiritual Body and Their Respective Colours

Violet - Crown

Indigo - Brow

Blue - Throat

Green - Heart

Yellow - Solar Plexus

Orange - Sacral

Red - Root or Base