Aspects of Color
“The world is your kaleidoscope, and the varied combinations of colors which at every succeeding moment it presents to you are the exquisitely adjusted pictures of your ever-moving thoughts.” James Allen
Think of your favorite color. Can you visualize it with your eyes closed? What are the
associations this color brings to mind? What shade or tint of this hue do you like best? Does this color remind you of a person, place, or thing that is significant? Is this color flattering to you? I contend that color is a powerful influence in our everyday lives whether we are aware of the blessing or not. Colors are signals. In the wild world they signify arousal, threat, or invitation. An absence of color is nature's most profound understatement. Grayness is its own beauty, and brilliant colors depend on gray's shyness for their effectiveness. Colors may calm, excite, arrest, motivate, or even heal us.
Ancient cultures worshipped the sun, from where all light, and therefore all color,
Ancient cultures worshipped the sun, from where all light, and therefore all color,
originates. The therapeutic use of color in the ancient world can be traced in the teaching attributed to the Egyptian god Thoth, known to the Greeks as Hermes. Following these teachings, Egyptian and Greek physicians, including Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, used different colored ointments and salves as remedies, and practiced in treatment rooms painted in healing shades. The Arab physician Avicenna systematized the teachings of Hippocrates in the 9th century. He wrote about color both as a symptom of disease and as treatment, suggesting, for example, that red acts as a stimulant on blood flow while yellow reduces pain and inflammation.
When we are healthy we may like most colors, but emotional and physical problems will tend to bring out preferences for different colors. Perhaps we are drawn to the color we need, such as a lively red when exhausted. We will be naturally attracted to blues when we need rest and healing. Perhaps our over-excited world would benefit from the use of more blues. Conversely, depressed people may benefit from viewing more yellow and gold.
