Sunday, July 5, 2009

WHAT'S THIS COLOR THING ABOUT?

Ok, Mellow Friends, … I promised you my thoughts about color and particularly on the psychology of color. Better late than never.

Most of us love the color of green, … right, the color of money; but how do we feel when we see green? There is that wonderful deep rich green that the summer brings with bluegrass, and then there's that stunning green that’s called emerald green. Who does not go bonkers over emerald green!

Well, Kendra Van Wagner, “Color Psychology, How Colors Impact Moods, Feelings, and Behaviors” says that green is a “cool color” … No, not cool as in “hot diggity dog that’s cool”; but, instead, she says this color can call to mind feelings of sadness or indifference. I don’t know about you, but the only way I get sad over green is when I don’t have green money. (smile)

We all know red is hot, hot, hot, … hot momma, hot chili peppers, flaming hot, stimulating hot. Yep, Kendra says that in ancient cultures, red was used to stimulate the body and mind and to increase circulation. Increase circulation? … Yeah, she must be referring to those hot chili peppers.

She also says that Egyptians and the Chinese, practiced Chromotherapy, or using colors to heal. “Chromotherapy is sometimes referred to as light therapy or colourology and Kendra states that “it is still used today as a holistic or alternative treatment”.

If you want to find out if your favorite color is popular, you can take her poll.

So what if color can affect our mood, our memory retention, and even our taste of food, … what are we going to do with that information?

Use it in marketing a product, coloring our bedroom a light blue, which is believed to calm, soothe illness and treat pain?

I always thought yellow was calming, but some chemotherapists say that yellow heals the lungs and increases energy levels. Ok, I’ll go with that, and the next time I go running (which is never), I’ll wear something bright yellow.
You with me?

What about that dark and eerie "black" color? Don’t we almost always attribute that color to dark forces, evil incarnate, or mystery, or the occult? Then why do I love to wear black? Since black is the absence of color or light, … could it be that I don’t want to feel anything when I’m wearing black? Maybe so, but we must not forget that black is also elegant.

Then there’s the range of colors. From white to the darkest blues and yellows, to the darkest reds and greens. Seems like you can go a little bananas if you start breaking all these colors down and trying to figure out just what would suit you on any particular day or any time.

Let’s just go with the flow. Why not just pick a color and then adjust to the color. How’s that for jazzing up your day?


Oh, and by the way, listen to this guided meditation with its wonderful use of color imagery, called "Guided Meditation For Spiritual Growth, Psychic Development"

1 comment:

  1. Hi Elaine,
    Thank you for you kinds words about my site. It is kind of new ..only a few months but i am enjoying it. I like yours as well. You have sooo much info here.:) I have worked some in the past with the effects of sound and color on mood etc. It is an interesting field.I look forward to reading more of your work.
    Thanks again and I will also do a rating on Linkreferal.
    Regards,
    Carl

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