Does colour have any effect on your mood? Certainly yes! Do feel relaxed and calm when you see blue colour or feel energised on seeing red? Colour can have a dramatic effect on your mood, emotions and feelings. Colours can also be used to signal actions or influence moods or other physiological reactions. Colours are also known to bring in certain physiological changes in the body such as, high blood pressure, strain in the eyes, increased metabolism etc.
What is Colour Psychology?
Colour psychology is the study of impact of different colours on human behaviour. It essentially explores change in emotions and human response to different colours. Although colour perceptions are subjective, certain colours have universal effect on people.
Warm and Cool Colours
Visible light has seven colours, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, that together form the colour spectrum.
Colours in the red area of this spectrum include red, orange and yellow and are called warm colours. These colours evoke emotions ranging from a feeling of comfort to that of anger and hostility.
On the other hand, colours in the blue region of the spectrum i.e. blue, purple and green, usually have a soothing effect but can also cause a feeling of indifference or sadness.
Colour Psychology as a Therapy
Ancient Egyptian and Chinese cultures practised Chromotherapy or Colorology. This therapy used colour to heal and is practised even today as an alternative treatment as under:
- Orange colour is used to increase energy levels in the body and heal lungs.
- Blue colour is used in the treatment of body pain.
- Shades of Indigo are known to alleviate skin related problems.
- Yellow colour purifies the body and stimulates nerves.
- Red colour increases blood circulation, thus stimulating mind and body.
Summing up
Although interest in colour therapy is growing by the day, a lot more research is required as there are still many unanswered questions. The effect of colours does exist but the human behaviour and response depends on many other factors as well.
