by Ihor Magun, MD, FACP
When experts try to understand the way the mind works, they frequently come to a conclusion that may seem surprising to most people. For one thing, we make many decisions without giving them much thought. The unconscious mind and environmental exposure both play a big role in this and influence those decisions whether we know it or not.
Scientifically speaking, the conscious mind encompasses all the thoughts, memories and feelings we are overtly aware of, whereas the unconscious delves deeper into stored memoirs, dreams and even fantasies. All of these are embedded below the level of awareness but shape many of our behaviors. A host of actions and sensations trigger slates that are metaphorically related to our past feelings. Many of these emotions are "stored in the unconscious mind. Color is one of them.
Who among us does not recall a beautiful blue sky with green trees and perhaps a shimmering lake as part of this image? This “stored” memory is filled with brilliant colors and literally can never be erased from your memory. Take, for example, a situation or description of something that triggers an image of some scene you have seen. That scene may influence your mood as well as your thought process. In most cases, you may not even be aware of this process. That is your unconscious mind at work.
So why is color such a powerful force in our lives and what effects can it have on our lives? The basic answer is that color can and does generate emotion. The rainbow of colors is present everywhere in our homes, our fashion industry, travel, hospitality and the food industry. Color, moreover, plays an important role in many aspects of our life. It creates moods, influences our shopping choices, and even the clothes we wear. Even the color(s) you choose for your walls at home can set or create a specific mood. Although individual perception of color is somewhat subjective, the colors themselves have a universal meaning:
Colors in the blue spectrum are "cool" colors and trigger calmness. This also applies to green. Colors in the red spectrum (which includes yellow and orange) are "warm" colors and trigger feelings of warmth and comfort.
And this is nothing new in the grand scheme of things and the history of the world. The Egyptians and Chinese practiced chromotherapy (use of color to heal). Leonardo da Vinci stressed the importance of color way back in the 1400s, and artists throughout time have used color to evoke both emotion and create a lasting impression in our minds.
The bottom line is that color is (and always has been) a form of nonverbal communication. Moreover, each of us perceives color in a different way. How someone feels about a color or design is unique and individual and also changes with age and time. If we are able to use this knowledge to our advantage (e.g. change the color of a room to be more cheerful or calmer or wear that flashy red dress instead of the sedate beige one), we can enhance productivity and energy level and even make a statement about how we want other people to perceive us-so go for the color!
“With color one obtains an energy that seems to stem from witchcraft.” - Henri Matisse
“The soul becomes dyed with the color of our thoughts.” - Marcus Aurelius
Comments