Mental Health

Light and colour are integral to both body and mind. Light is an important source of energy which produces a spectrum of colours, with each colour having its own wavelength and frequency. Light enters our eyes, influencing the hormones that we produce which in turn affect the functioning of our entire body. The vibrations that come from colour energy are instrumental to a healthy mind and body and studies done by the American National Institute of Mental Health indicate the importance of a balance of colour energy and how an imbalance can adversely affect both our mental and physical health.

The development of modern psychology opened up the study of colour specifically and it has since been used for marketing, architectural design and much more. Eminent Swiss psychiatrist and psychologist Carl Jung is quoted as saying: “colors are the mother tongue of the subconscious.” He developed the work of Hippocrates and defined people as having psychological types which he categorised by colour: the fiery red personality (extrovert/thinking) is positive, decisive, bold and assertive; the sunshine yellow personality (extrovert/feeling) is cheerful, uplifting, spirited and enthusiastic; the cool blue personality (introvert/thinking) is unbiased, objective, detached and analytical; the earth green personality (introvert/feeling) is still, tranquil, calming and soothing. Jung’s work led him to develop art therapy, as he believed that expressing oneself through images and colours could help patients recover from trauma or distress. He connected our cultural perceptions with the idea that we have a universal, bodily response to colour stimulus.

We also have much to thank Swiss psychotherapist Max Lüscher for understanding the psychological impact of colour on us. He is known for inventing the Lüscher colour test, a tool for measuring an individual’s psychophysical state based on their colour preferences. From extensive and lifelong research he learnt that colour is universally and objectively recognised by everyone regardless of their gender, age, race, ethnicity and cultural backgrounds but people’s preferences for colour are decided subjectively through positive or negative association. He spent years testing thousands of different colours on a range of materials in order to create a colour test that would allow him to carry out psychological tests on people and his work in the field of colour psychology remains globally recognised.

Symptoms of poor mental health:

Stress
Anxiety, fear and panic
Low mood, sadness and depression
Low self-esteem
Loneliness
Grief
Anger

Colour in all its forms stimulates the brain and helps people express thoughts, ideas, or fears in unique ways. This is especially important for those who cannot express themselves with words.

The benefits include: