Chromotherapy

Color therapy

Color as art, form, life, therapy… in one word: chromotherapy.
Chromotherapy is one of the alternative medicines: the multicolored world of colors represents a therapy aimed at treating ailments of various entities. harmony and balance of body and spirit.

Chromotherapy in history

The origins of chromotherapy practices have deep roots in the past: just think that the Egyptians and Romans already adopted heliotherapy for the treatment of various ailments: this practice consisted in undergoing the direct irradiation of the sun's rays, which exercised a power in the body antidepressant, albeit mild.
Practitioners of chromotherapy believe that colors are able to influence the functions of the organism, affecting the metabolic, nervous and immune systems.

To make it clear how important they were and how much they could influence colors in ancient peoples, a table is shown which summarizes the key concepts of chromotherapy for the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Indians and the Chinese. This table will be useful in order to make a subsequent comparison with the current chromotherapy trends.

ANCIENT PEOPLE

IMPORTANCE OF COLOR

HIDDEN MEANING OF COLOR

Egypt

Color = functionality of the organism

Black = fertility
Yellow (gold) = divinity of the sun
Red (blood and fire) = positive and negative energy; extremism

Greece

Color = fundamental element (water, earth, fire, air) and body fluids. Color is used in the treatment of diseases

Yellow = bile
Red = blood
White = phlegm
Black = spleen, liver

India

Color = balance of chakras (energy centers connected to the main glands of the body)

Red = flowing blood
Blue = blood clotting

China

Color = physical well-being

Yellow = strengthens the intestine
Purple = treats epilepsy

Colors and properties

Even in the most modern chromotherapy, colors are associated with some particular properties. As we will see, there are some analogies with the traditions of the past: this means not only that the current color therapy has kept many lines of thought unchanged with the ancient peoples, but it gives an example of the importance of this alternative medicine, very much "felt" ”From all peoples of every age.

• Green symbolizes harmony, nature, balance and hope: it seems to act at the level of the nervous system (based on chromotherapy only), calming migraines and nerve pathologies; helps to spread harmony and calm.
• Red is a symbol of fire, blood and sexual arousal: it is connected to strength, life and passion. It is believed that a red painted wall can increase blood pressure and accelerate the pulse. Again, chromotherapy uses red in conventional medicine against burns and exanthematous pathologies (rashes) Red seems to be useful against depression, asthma, cough and impotence.
• Blue contrasts with red with a calming, soothing and refreshing effect. For this reason, chromotherapy uses blue in the walls to make you forget about stress and all the problems associated with it such as anxiety, insomnia. Even inflammation is calmed with blue (obviously there is nothing scientifically proven). Even the different shades of blue are considered to alleviate certain conditions: indigo would be used in case of cataracts, light blue to relieve the eyes.
• Yellow represents the intellectual part of the brain; according to the chromatists it acts as an aid to study to promote concentration. It seems to be able to instill happiness, joy and protection; at the gastric level, yellow symbolizes the elimination of toxins.

Principles of chromotherapy

According to the fundamentals of chromotherapy, colors can be absorbed by the body in many ways: special instruments and devices can diffuse radiation, or the sun irradiates the skin, enclosing the entire spectrum of colors in the light, even food contributes to chromotherapy, because the colors they contain enter the organism through their intake. Indeed, the water, rich in luminous irradiation, charges the body with energy, as do the clothes which, enriched with colors, touch the body, connoting it with harmony. Furthermore, the body could absorb colors thanks to massages with colored oils and pigments, or it can be helped to relax through baths with colored waters enriched with essences.
Chromotherapy with light irradiation, based on the assumptions of chromotherapists, is one of the most effective techniques: electromagnetic waves are exploited for the production of energy, capable of entering deeply into the cells so that an electro-chemical balance occurs. The light irradiations would hypothetically serve to improve the biological functions of the cells. What pushes "believers" to practice this abstract practice is the consequential aspect: light radiations cannot create dangerous side effects such as those caused by drugs, as light and colors would only be able to modulate the psyche, carrying out the action. right in the emotional state. Thus, physical and mental well-being is the mirror of inner balance and harmony.

The thinking of scientists

Chromotherapy, in the light of scientific thinking, is an ineffective practice because there is no demonstrable or proven evidence regarding the "efficacy of this dubious" medicine ": according to" real "Science, even the hypotheses of chromotherapy are devoid of any consistency.
What about the episodes, albeit sporadic, of healing with color therapy? The scientific community responds that the recovery of the disorder could be a consequence of external factors or of the placebo effect, certainly not associated with color therapy.
Despite what has been said, it is still fascinating and hopeful to believe that an abstract philosophy / medicine such as chromotherapy can benefit man: for this reason, color therapy is included among the pseudo-sciences.