moods and colors
...It is not normally part of a psychologist's remit to study the finer points of colour harmony so colours are defined as, for example, "blue and orange" or "red and green" without much consideration of the subtleties of shade and tone. Angela Wright studied both unconscious thought processes and the dynamics of colour harmony in her exploration of colour psychology. Colors are separated into two types of colors; warm and cool colors. The warm colors are in the red area of color spectrum and include red, orange and yellow. These colors produce emotions like feelings of warmth and comfort to feelings of anger of hostility. Colors on the blue side of the spectrum are known as cool colors and include blue, purple, and green. These colors are often described as calm, but can also call to mind feelings of sadness or indifference. Color Psychology as Therapy Several ancient cultures, including the Egyptians and Chinese, practiced chromotherapy, or using colors to heal. Chromotherapy is sometimes referred to as light therapy or colourology and is still used today as a holistic or alternative treatment. In this treatment: • Red was used to stimulate the body and mind and to increase circulation. • Yellow was thought to stimulate the nerves and purify the body. • Orange was used to heal the lungs and to increase energy levels. • Blue was believed to soothe illnesses and treat pain. • Indigo shades were thought to alleviate skin problems. Most psychologists view color therapy with skepticism and point out that the supposed effects of color have been exaggerated and that colors have different meanings in other cultures. Research has demonstrated in many cases that the mood-altering effects of color may only be temporary. A blue room may cause people to feel calm initially, but the effect will be lessened once they regain their equilibrium. Choose A Color In...