Effects of specific colours

Over the past decade, scientists have reported the successful use of blue light in the treatment of a wide variety of psychological problems, including addictions, eating disorders, impotence and depression. At the other end of the colour spectrum, red light has been shown to be effective in the treatment of migraine headaches and cancer. As a result, colour is becoming widely accepted as a therapeutic tool with various medical applications.

Colour can have therapeutic effects in non-medical settings too. In some instances its effects have been quite accidental, as in the case of a newly built prison where each wing was painted in a different colour. Although allocation to each wing was random it was subsequently found that the behaviour of the prisoners differed significantly depending on which wing they lived in. Those in the red and yellow wings were more inclined to violence than those in the blue and green wings.

Experimental research lends support to these observations. Viewing red light has been found to increase subjects' strength by 13.5% and to elicit 5.8% more electrical activity in the arm muscles. For this reason it is now used to improve the performance of athletes. Whereas red light appears to help athletes who need short, quick bursts of energy, blue light assists in performances requiring a more steady output.