Psychology of color

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Color has always surrounded a person and influenced him, the phenomenon of color perception and the peculiarities of the interaction of the human body with color have been of interest to researchers of the soul since ancient times. Hundreds of generations of philosophers and scientists have tried to solve the riddle of the deep influence of color on the human microcosm. The ancient Hindus, for example, considered man to be "luminiferous" ("tejasi"), implying by this the unity of color energy and "juices" of the body. According to the doctrines of Indian yogis, the human body is woven of intertwined vibrations of sounds and colors, melodies and streams of light.

Culture culture strife

It is very difficult to separate the psychology of color from its symbolism. The symbolic meaning of color has evolved among certain peoples over the centuries. Take black and white for example. In the West, black is perceived as serious, dramatic, sometimes sad. When black is used in decoration, warnings about its depressing effect are often heard. Traditionally, black is the color of mourning. White, on the other hand, is associated with purity, peacefulness, optimism. Therefore, the wedding dress in Western countries is traditionally white. It would never occur to anyone to wear white clothes for a funeral ceremony, and no bride will go down the aisle in a black dress. However, in some countries of the East, it is white, not black, that is the color of mourning …

But, on the other hand, different societies attribute similar properties to the same color. For example, the opinion of feng shui experts about the properties of flowers largely coincides with the opinion of Western scientists. This suggests that each color has certain qualities that are deeply embedded in its nature. It was these properties that were identified by man and passed from one culture to another.

Color is a powerful psychological factor

The effects of colors have been studied in many serious scientific experiments. But, nevertheless, it has not been fully studied. The well-known neuropsychiatrist V. M. Bekhterev stated: "A skillfully selected range of colors can have a more beneficial effect on the nervous system than other mixtures."

Color affects both the body and the soul of a person: it causes physiological reactions, affecting the performance and vital functions of individual organs. Flowers have an emotional coloring that evokes a certain mood, affects our well-being, appetite or sleep.

It is customary for psychologists to divide colors into active and passive. Active ones act excitingly - they give a "shake" to the body and are able to speed up vital processes (these are bright red and bright orange shades, to a lesser extent - yellow). Passive ones are more diverse in their effect - some calm, pacify (these are light shades of green, pink and blue, partly white), others are neutral (green, blue), others instill uncertainty, anxiety, melancholy, despondency (lilac, purple) and frankly scare, oppress (dark brown, black).

We experience amazing metamorphosis when dealing with different colors. The most striking example of this is the fact that some colors have medicinal properties. Therapy using colored light is called chromotherapy. The term comes from the Greek word "chroma" - "light". This method of treatment was known in antiquity, when patients were treated with rays of sunlight penetrating through colored glass or crystals.

The healing properties of flowers are as follows:

Purple has an ancient healing tradition, treating melancholy and hypochondria, hysteria and manic ideas.

Orange promotes digestion and strengthens breathing.

Turquoise promotes the development of sensuality and intuition and, like blue, has a disinfectant and antiseptic effect.

Gold improves heart function, enhances spiritual activity and awakens creative thinking.

White color strengthens and cleanses the entire body. It enhances the healing power of any other color with which it is used.

Black calms emotionally agitated people, neutralizes conflicts.

All shades of bright red are recommended for anemia, menstrual cramps, low blood pressure, joint pain, colds, and fever.

Yellow helps to prolong a good mood. It also enhances appetite and is a good helper in the work of the gastrointestinal tract.

Green color relieves mental and physical stress, stabilizes blood pressure, heals headaches and migraines, eliminates redness and eye fatigue, and helps with cardiovascular ailments.

Color and character

Each person prefers some color or several colors, depending on where these colors are used - in clothes, furnishings, the color of the car, etc. The pleasant or unpleasant feeling that a particular color evokes can change over time. time. But in any case, the color you prefer can tell a lot about your character and emotional makeup. Psychologists often use the color test developed by Swiss psychologist Max Luscher in the late 1940s.

The Luscher test, used by professional psychologists, requires special training for its application; it is very difficult, but effective. The test is based on the idea that the choice of a particular color sequence by an individual reflects in its entirety his emotionally sensitive sphere.

According to the test results, we can say that a person who chooses predominantly red is gullible, but overly emotional and aggressive.

If yellow stands out clearly, then such a person inspires confidence in others, is optimistic and outwardly friendly. But the constant smile on his face is most often a mask behind which a strong inner tension is hidden.

The predominant blue-green color indicates that a person is timid and weak, but dangerous for those who happen to stand in his way. And, finally, those who prefer light blue are accommodating, lazy and do not know the measure in food and drink.

Advertising in color

Of course, in the modern world, color properties are actively exploited in various fields. Color plays the most important role in advertising. Color ads attract 50% more consumers than black and white ads. Psychologists have established that blue, gold, white, black, red are "expensive" colors, which from time immemorial have been identified with the elite of society. Indeed, the combination of blue or black and gold is very common in expensive branded products. This is done in order to show the importance and prestige. For example, this technique is used by many manufacturers of expensive alcoholic beverages, in particular - Johnny Walker whiskey. The same approach is practiced when creating expensive perfumes and colognes for men.

Emotions are expressed in color

Research conducted by psychologists confirms the relationship between a person's emotional state and their choice of certain colors. So, joy, fun force people to give preference to energy-rich colors (yellow and red), denying the colors of peace and relaxation (blue and brown), as well as the color of nothingness (black). For situations where a person experiences a sense of guilt for various actions, it is, on the contrary, characteristic of the denial of energy-rich red and yellow and a preference for gray and blue colors.

Thus, blue reflects not only serene peace and relaxation, but in combination with gray corresponds to a state of passive depression.

A person who senses any danger is likely to prefer green, since it is associated with volitional tension, and yellow as energetic, associated with the need for a quick release of tension.

Color and performance

Decorators and designers, when designing interiors, always take into account socio-demographic characteristics - gender, age, profession, because each color acts in its own way. The predominance of any color (or combination of colors) in the decoration of the room creates a certain emotional and business environment. Thus, the blue color promotes better assimilation of information and the establishment of friendly relations, therefore it is recommended to use it in meeting rooms. And, seemingly close to it, blue, on the contrary, scatters attention and reduces the efficiency of staff. So many managers do not even realize that the reason for the sharp decline in the commercial profit of their company may well be … repairs in the office.

Colors can visually expand rooms (for example, yellow and yellow-green) or narrow them (red-orange).

At the same time, in the red room it seems 3-4 degrees warmer than in the orange one, and in the orange one - 3-4 degrees warmer than in the blue-green one.

It was also noted that in public places where coloring is limited to white, black and gray, people do not linger unnecessarily. They walk on the pink floor with caution, on the brown floor - confidently.

Each of the colors carries its own emotional load, which must be taken into account when stimulating work. So, the combination of red and blue-green colors stimulates overall performance. Yellow or yellow-green with orange relieves mental fatigue, and yellow alone contributes to mental activity. Blue is recommended in child labor rooms. In general, during operation, the most optimal yellow-green tones in various combinations and shades. During meals, orange-red tones are preferred, and during rest hours, it is not so much the tone that is important as the dynamics of the colors.

What do you need to define for yourself a loved one?

It is worth thinking about what colors you prefer, what color your clothes are, what color objects surround. It is important to understand for yourself which flowers are most comfortable for you, and, depending on this, choose an environment for yourself. Maybe you should change some of your clothes for something brighter or lighter, or maybe buy new curtains for the bedroom. After all, it never hurts to please yourself a little. Comfort in everything is an important component of our life, it is an improvement in well-being and performance, and most importantly, an increase in mood!