The Healing Therapy of Light: Chromotherapy
By: Ahona Haque
The combination of colors and light to heal the world has begun to supplement traditional western forms of medicine, such as prescription medications, radiation, or surgery. The field of alternative medicine is only growing; chromotherapy as a form of treatment has shown positive results as many studies have established a connection between the human body and the visible color spectrum. This review contains a history of chromotherapy, its therapeutic applications, and its connection to human psychology (Azeemi et al., 2019).
The history of chromotherapy can be traced back to phototherapy, which is also known as light therapy.
In ancient China, India, Greece, and Egypt, sunlight was used for healing and eventually, people learned to use primary colors in combination with light as a form of treatment.
At first, many were unaware of the biological effects of color medicine on the human body. However, over time, it became a common treatment for reducing pain, relaxing muscles, and decreasing inflammation (Azeemi et al., 2005).
Figure 1: Patient is receiving chromotherapy by absorbing the electrical impulses and color emitted by the visible spectrum.
This form of medicine is based on the visible color spectrum, a combination of red, greens, and blues and its derivatives. Each color on the visible spectrum has a range of energy and frequency. Colors can generate electrical impulses and that would activate biochemical and hormonal processes in the body. When organ systems deviate from normal functioning levels, the body begins to deteriorate, becoming diseased and dysfunctional. The entire human body can be stimulated by colors. In order to rebalance the levels, chromotherapy uses electric impulses to trigger stimulants and sedatives that recover the body (Azeemi et al., 2005).
Applications of chromotherapy have increased over the years due to new research studies, such as “Virtual Reality as a Portable Alternative to Chromotherapy Rooms for Stress Relief: A Preliminary Study” (Vaquero-Blasco et al., 2020). When choosing the right colors for specific diseases, primary colors are mixed depending on the patient’s history and past medical problems.
Certain parts of the brain are sensitive to light and only specific hormones respond to specific wavelengths; therefore, different treatments require different colors.
For example, warm colors can increase respiratory movements and arouse the nervous system. Bright white light on the full spectrum primarily treats cancer, anorexia, and bulimia. Blue light is successful in treating jaundice, rheumatoid arthritis, burns, and lung conditions (Azeemi et al., 2005).
Moreover, chromotherapy is more extensively used in psychiatric treatments due to the connections to neurohormonal pathways, specifically serotonin and melatonin (Azeemi et al., 2019). These hormones act as stimulants or sedatives to recover the body (Radeljak et al., 2008). In terms of color, psychological treatments usually consist of cooler-toned colors that help lower blood pressure and relieve tension. Scientists from the American Association for the Advancement of Science found that blue light helps with a number of psychological problems, such as addictions, eating disorders, and depression (Azeemi et. al., 2005).
Further research has led to the development of Auricular Chromotherapy which has transformed the method of treating psychological trauma. Auriculotherapy treats various neurologic conditions and can lead to results beyond pain management (Stanton, 2018). This form of therapy is highly beneficial for those struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. By applying pressure on the external ear, it draws a path to the traumatic memory in the brain. Using electric impulses from the visible color spectrum, the emotional wound in the amygdala can be isolated and found (Asis et al., 2012). For PTSD, many individuals cope with symptoms after a traumatic brain injury, and Auricular Chromotherapy has been a positive addition to the psychology field.
Figure 2: Visual representation of where pressure is applied during Auricular Chromotherapy. This leads to traumatic memories within the brain.
Research on chromotherapy is continuously expanding and a lot of it stems from cell interaction with the visible-range electromagnetic radiation. Mitochondrial function is key to healthy cells which allows the body to work properly. Therefore, mitochondrial light interaction is the core of the therapeutic effect of light radiation (Paragas et al., 2019). In addition, light therapy can also benefit brain injury patients with the stimulation of neurogenesis and angiogenesis. This is also known as the generation of new neurons and the growth of blood vessels. These methods, in combination with chromotherapy, can help promote recovery after traumatic brain injury (Xiong et al., 2010).
Alternative medicine, from creative art therapy to chromotherapy, is only growing with benefits. Chromotherapy includes specific colors from the visible spectrum that stimulate parts of the brain by using hormones, specifically serotonin, and melatonin. Despite the many applications for chromotherapy, psychological treatments are deemed the most beneficial due to the brain's relationship to color reactivity. Moving forward, there is still room for further investigation to explore the possibilities of chromotherapy, which would revolutionize what Western medicine is defined as today.
References
Asis, D., Yoshizumi, A., & Luz, F. (2012). Auricular chromotherapy: A novel technique in the treatment of psychological trauma. Deutsche Zeitschrift Für Akupunktur, 55(4), 9–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dza.2012.11.003
Azeemi, S. T., & Raza, M. (2005). A critical analysis of Chromotherapy and its scientific evolution. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2(4), 481–488. https://doi.org/10.1093/ecam/neh137
Azeemi, S. T., Rafiq, H. M., Ismail, I., Kazmi, S. R., & Azeemi, A. (2019). The mechanistic basis of chromotherapy: Current knowledge and future perspectives. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 46, 217–222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2019.08.025
Paragas, E. D., Ng, A. T., Reyes, D. V., & Reyes, G. A. (2019). Effects of chromotherapy on the cognitive ability of older adults: A quasi-experimental study. EXPLORE, 15(3), 191–197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2019.01.002
Radeljak, S., Kovac, M., Kovacević, D., & Zarković-Palijan, T. (n.d.). Chromotherapy in the regulation of neurohormonal balance in human brain--complementary application in modern psychiatric treatment. Collegium antropologicum. Retrieved February 12, 2023, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19138024/
Stanton, G. (2018, June 1). Auriculotherapy in neurology as an evidence-based medicine: A brief overview. Medical acupuncture. Retrieved February 12, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6011381/
Vaquero-Blasco, M. A., Perez-Valero, E., Lopez-Gordo, M. A., & Morillas, C. (2020, October 30). Virtual reality as a portable alternative to chromotherapy rooms for stress relief: A preliminary study. MDPI. Retrieved February 19, 2023, from https://doi.org/10.3390/s20216211
Xiong, Y., Mahmood, A., & Chopp, M. (2010, March). Angiogenesis, neurogenesis and brain recovery of function following injury. Current opinion in investigational drugs (London, England : 2000). Retrieved February 19, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2836170/
Images:
Aberásturi, M. (2018, May 15). What is chromotherapy. Ben Greenfield Life - Fitness, Diet, Fat Loss and Performance Advice. Retrieved February 19, 2023, from https://bengreenfieldlife.com/article/brain-articles/pink-makes-you-docile-orange-makes-you-buy-stuff-red-makes-you-mad-how-to-use-color-light-therapy-for-mood-cognition-healing-more/
Asis, D., Yoshizumi, A., & Luz, F. (2012). Auricular chromotherapy: A novel technique in the treatment of psychological trauma. Deutsche Zeitschrift Für Akupunktur, 55(4), 9–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dza.2012.11.003
