World of Color - Mood Magic

A field of red poppies, an emerald city, a yellow-brick road... you can almost hear the strains of "Over the Rainbow". Color is a fascinating concept. It's everywhere - pigment or light, hues and complements, warm and cool, vibrant and calm. Just what is it about color that causes all these mood shifts and "sets the scene"?
I decided to go more in-depth and investigate what is known as the psychology of color.
Most people have cultural ideas associated with color from an early age, and these ideas vary across cultures. Then there are universal ideas about color based on sensory perception of the environment; symbolism of color is often closely tied to nature.  For example, red reminds us of fire, and blue is reminiscent of water or the sky.
It turns out that the way we perceive color is based on a reflection of light off of an object; whatever wavelengths of light are reflected form together the color we see.  Since light is a form of energy, color can affect us as humans just like different types of energy.  This science of color is known as chromodynamics. Pretty cool, huh?
Let's look at each color's personality.  There are two major color families, warm and cool - another way of classifying light energy which is counterintuitive... after all, infrared (red) has a lower frequency than ultraviolet (purple), while the color red is said to be the warmest while blues, greens and purples are said to be cool colors.  Interestingly enough, oranges and yellows are classically known as upbeat, cheery and motivational colors (high energy).  Reds seem to take the extreme high road, earning an almost reckless reputation - to some people, red means passion, but it is also known to increase blood pressure! On the other hand, blues are often touted as calming tones, though they have a melancholy side along with purples.  Greens seem to be the more neutral color, balancing a slight warmth (the yellow component) with a calming coolness (the blue component).
Now for the really fun stuff...  Scientists don't just study how colors affect people and tell them to paint their houses accordingly. There is an alternative healing science known as chromotherapy or colourology which was used even in ancient times by eastern civilizations such as Egypt and China. According to this practice, the color red was used to increase circulation, stimulating both the body and mind. Orange was used to treat illnesses of the lungs, while yellow was associated with purification of the body. Blue helped to relieve pain and was used as a blanket treatment for any illness. Indigo (a deep hue between blue and purple) was a skin treatment. Imagine that! (Hospitals and nursing homes, I sincerely hope you are taking notes.)
In Indian Ayurvedic medicine, there are seven chakras, or the sacred centers of a person's body, each of which is associated with a particular color. The usages for these colors are closely aligned with the ancient Chinese methods, but are also further developed and specify which chakra can benefit from a particular color to help certain bodily or psychological functions.
Who knew colors were so powerful? Well, I'm definitely going to do my research before I paint the house again, and I'll think twice about all my future color choices... but I will probably end up relying on intuition and my personal reactions to color anyway. No need to fritter away time trying to find the perfect color, right?

After all, life is too short to die.