Light and Health: Chromotherapy by silaayilmaz

LIGHT & HEALTH

SILA YILMAZ Hohcschule Wismar Master of Art | Architecturel Lighting Design Fall Semester | 2020 - 2021 INSTRUCTOR: Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Michael F. Rohde

HISTORY OF COLOR THEORIES Greek Color Theory and Four Elements Issac Newton’s Discovery and Color Wheel Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Theory of Colors Modern Color Theory and Psychological Connection 3-8

HISTORY OF CHROMOTHERAPHY Ancient Egypt Ancient Greek Ancient Indian 9-12

MODERN CHROMOTHERAPHY Infrared Sauna Crystal Light Bed Crystals Bioptron Color Lighting Theraphy 13-16

HISTORY OF COLOR THEORIES

HISTORY OF COLOR THEORIES Greek Color Theory and Four Elements

Color theory sets the fundamental guidelines around color combinations and harmony. It explains how humans perceive color; and the visual effects of how colors mix, match or contrast with each other. Color theory also involves the messages colors communicate; and the methods used to replicate color.

In Ancient Greece, Aristotle developed the first known theory of color believing it was sent by God from heaven through celestial rays of light. He suggested that all colors came from white and black (lightness and darkness) and related them to the four elements – water, air, earth, and fire. Aristotle’s beliefs on color were widely held for over 2000 years until being replaced by those of Newton.

HISTORY OF COLOR THEORIES Issac Newton’s Discovery and Color Wheel

In 1666, English scientist Sir Isaac Newton discovered that when pure white light passes through a prism, it separates into all of the visible colors. Newton made a box where daylight came in and through a prism divided in 7 colors, then he aims mirrors on this position to bring the colors back to white light again to prove his point. He figured out that al the colors have a different segment size on the spectrum.

After Newton had used a prism to separate daylight and count seven individual colors, it appeared to him that, this was a closed system. By taking the violet end of the spectrum and linking it to the red start-point, he thus created a convincing circle of colors.

Newton compared colours in the spectrum to a run of musical notes. To this purpose, he used a Dorian mode, similar to a white-note scale on the piano, starting at D. He divided his colour wheel in musical proportions round the circumference, in the arcs from DE to CD. Each segment was given a spectral colour, starting from red at DE, through orange, yellow, green, blew, indigo, to violet in CD. The middle of the colours—their ‘centres of gravity’—are shown by p, q, r, s, t, u, and x. The centre of the circle, at O, was presumed to be white. Newton went on to describe how a non-spectral colour, such as z, could be described by its distance from O and the corresponding spectral colour, Y.

HISTORY OF COLOR THEORIES Issac Newton’s Discovery and Color Wheel

Opticks, one of the great works in the history of science, documents Newton’s discoveries from his experiments passing light through a prism. He identified the ROYGBIV colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet) that make up the visible spectrum. The visible spectrum is the narrow portion within the electromagnetic spectrum that can be seen by the human eye. Other forms of electromagnetic radiation, waves of energy, that we cannot see include radio, gamma and microwaves. The cells in our eyes called cones are sensitive to the wavelengths found in the visible spectrum. They allow us to see the all the colors of the rainbow.

HISTORY OF COLOR THEORIES Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Theory of Colors

Goethe challenged Newton’s views on color, arguing that color was not simply a scientific measurement, but a subjective experience perceived differently by each viewer. His contribution was the first systematic study on the physiological effects of color. Scientifically, Newton was right. Goethe’s theory was art and philosophy rather than pure positive science. Goethe created his own color wheel and placed the colors in this circle according to what he called their natural order.

‘Light and darkness, brightness and obscurity, or if a more general expression is preferred, light and its absence, are necessary to the production of color… Color itself is a degree of darkness.’ –Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Theory of Colors 7

HISTORY OF COLOR THEORIES Modern Color Theory and Psychological Connection Modern color theory is based on three primary colors, projected colors red green and blue, or its printed complements, cyan, magenta, and yellow. Colors in the red area of the color spectrum are known as warm colors and include red, orange, and yellow. These warm colors evoke emotions ranging from feelings of warmth and comfort to feelings of anger and 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.

While colours affect the bodily functions, mind and emotions with the energy produced by light, it is a significant communication tool that can be used to signal action, influence emotion, and physiological reactions as well, such as blood pressure, eyestrain, etc. Modern color theory is based on three primary colors, projected colors red green and blue, or its printed complements, cyan, magenta, and yellow.

HISTORY OF CHROMOTHERAPHY

HISTORY OF CHROMOTHERAPHY Ancient Egypt

Chromotherapy is a method of treatment that uses the visible spectrum (colors) of electromagnetic radiation to cure diseases. It is a centuries-old concept used successfully over the years to cure various diseases. Chromotherapists claim to be able to use light in the form of color to balance “energy” lacking from a person’s body, whether it be on physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental levels. Chromotheraphy was practiced in ancient Egypt, Greece and India. The Egyptians utilized sunlight as well as color for healing.

They worshipped the sun, knowing that without light there can be no life. They looked at nature and copied it in many aspects of their lives. The floors of their temples were often green - as the grass which then grew alongside their river. Blue was a very important colour to the Egyptians too; the colour of the sky. Colors were also associated with gods. With a strong focus on worshiping the sun, they believed that shining the rays of light through colored crystals could penetrate the body and act as a treatment for ailments. They built temples for healing and used crystals through which the sunlight shone.

Black: Life, fertility, regeneration Blue: Hair of gods, heavenly, water Gold: Flesh of gods, perfection, eternal, indestructible Green: Healing, life, resurrection, growth, protection Red: Chaos, destruction, life, protection White: Purity, simplicity, cleanliness, sacredness 10

HISTORY OF CHROMOTHERAPHY Ancient Greek

Similar to the ancient Egyptian application of chromotherapy, temples were built for healing purposes where sunlight would shine through color components to create color light treatments on Ancient Greek . Each color represented various therapeutic and divine elements.

The Greeks were unaware of biological changes in the body as a result of color treatment; nevertheless, they had blind faith in the healing properties of colors. They used both forms of treatment with colors: direct exposure to sunlight and indirect healing. In the indirect method, they used such materials as stones, dyes, ointments and plasters as the medium.

Black: Earth, darkness Red: Air White: Fire, lightness, lymphatic system Yellow: Water, life force Black + Yellow: Cold Yellow + Red: Humid Red + White: Warm White + Black: Dry 11

HISTORY OF CHROMOTHERAPHY Ancient India

Ancient Indian scriptures allude to the use of chromotherapy through the use of sunlight, as well. Much like other ancient civilizations mentioned, balancing elements increases the flow of positive energy and improves your overall well-being. One of the most notable traditional Indian practices is Ayurveda, or the science of life. This practice not only concentrates on the balance of color, but also focuses on elements such as tastes (sweet, salty, sour, pungent, astringent), connection with nature, and connection with your body mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Instead of using the colors externally to heal, Ayurveda believes in internal energy centers called chakras, where each chakra is associated with a color.

Red: First chakra, root, physical stability Orange: Second chakra, sacral, enjoyment Yellow: Third chakra, solar plexus, power and confidence Green: Fourth chakra, heart, emotional belonging Blue: Fifth chakra, throat, authentic self-expression Indigo: Sixth chakra, third eye, mental clarity Purple/White: Seventh chakra, crown, spiritual union 12

MODERN CHROMOTHERAPHY

The human body, according to the doctrine of chromotherapy, is basically composed of colors. The body comes into existence from colors, the body is stimulated by colors and colors are responsible for the correct working of various systems that function in the body. All organs and limbs of the body have their own distinct color. All organs, cells and atoms exist as energy, and each form has its frequency or vibrational energy. Each of our organs and energy centers vibrates and harmonizes with the frequencies of these colors. When various parts of the body deviate from these expected normal vibrations, one can assume that the body is either diseased or at least not functioning properly. Several methods are used to regulate these vibrations in the body flow.

MODERN CHROMOTHERAPHY

Infrared Sauna While traditional saunas heat the air around you, infrared saunas heat the body directly. The radiant heat penetrates muscles and joints to the cellular level to help with healing processes and improve the physical and mental health.

Crystal Light Bed Crystal bed therapy typically involves spending at least an hour lying on a bed that rests under a giant copper pyramid suspended in the air and a chromotherapy machine, which uses crystals to filter spectrums of light onto the crown chakra. Each color is thought to target a specific meridian, or energy center, in the body.

MODERN CHROMOTHERAPHY

Crystals Crystals can be placed around the home, carried with you or used in meditation just as they would when used in crystal healing. Each colour of the visible colour spectrum (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet) are associated with certain healing properties.

Healing Light Theraphy Color and light therapy aim to treat the cause of an ailment rather than its symptoms, working to create a balance within the body by stimulating physical and emotional conditions. The electromagnetic waves of polarised light oscillate in parallel planes only, thus making this light highly penetrating.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Abbas, N., Kumar, D., & Mclachlan, N. (2006, January). The psychological and physiological effects of light and colour on space users. In 2005 IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology 27th Annual Conference (pp. 1228-1231). IEEE. • Knez, I., & Kers, C. (2000). Effects of Indoor Lighting, Gender, and Age on Mood and Cognitive Performance. Environment and Behavior, 32(6), 817–831. https:// doi.org/10.1177/0013916500326005 • Zhang , G., (2020), Light Supporting the Healing Process http://healthcare.wsp-pb.com/lighting-design/ • Birren, F. (2016). Color psychology and color therapy; a factual study of the influence of color on human life. Pickle Partners Publishing. • Elliot, A. J., & Maier, M. A. (2007). Color and psychological functioning. Current directions in psychological science, 16(5), 250-254. • Hård, A., & Sivik, L. (2001). A theory of colors in combination—A descriptive model related to the NCS colororder system. Color Research & Application: Endorsed by InterSociety Color Council, The Colour Group (Great Britain), Canadian Society for Color, Color Science Association of Japan, Dutch Society for the Study of Color, The Swedish Colour Centre Foundation, Colour Society of Australia, Centre Français de la Couleur, 26(1), 4-28. • Goethe, J. W. V., & Eastlake, C. L. (2006). Theory of colours. Dover. • Traditional and Modern Colour Theory - A webinar presented by Dr David Briggs for the Colour Society of Australia • Benson, J.L., “Chapter 2: Greek color theory” (2000). Greek Color Theory and the Four Elements. 6. • Light Darkness and Colors (1998) - Goethe Theory Of Colours https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ds0LhOK2rRk&t=2700s