Chromotherapy

Abstract

Chromotherapy is a method of treatment that uses the visible spectrum (colors) of electromagnetic radiation to cure diseases. It is a centuries-old concept used successfully over the years to cure various diseases. We have undertaken a critical analysis of chromotherapy and documented its scientific evolution to date. A few researchers have tried to discover the underlying scientific principles, but without quantitative study. Sufficient published material can be found about the subject that provides a complete system of treatment focused on the treatment methodologies and healing characteristics of colors. A number of studies have elaborated the relationship between the human body and colors. We also show the possibility of carrying out diverse research into chromotherapy that is pertinent to deciphering the quantum mechanical dipole moment of water molecules. The quantum mechanical dipole moment as a result of the absorption of different colors, we conjecture, produces charge quantization phenomena. This review illustrates that the development of science in the field of electromagnetic radiation/energy can be very helpful in discovering new dimensions of this old theory.

Hypothesis

Newtonian ideas helped us to understand solid matter and moving objects found in the earth's gravitational field. Einstein, however, through his renowned equation E = mc2, determined that energy and matter are dual expressions of the same universal substance (1).

The vibratory rate of a substance determines its density or its form as matter. A slowly vibrating substance is referred to as physical matter, whereas the subatomic (which vibrates at or above the speed of light) is subtle matter or pure light energy. Light is electromagnetic radiation, which is the fluctuation of electric and magnetic fields in nature. More simply, light is energy, and the phenomenon of color is a product of the interaction of energy and matter. The wavelength, frequency and quantity of energy of every colorful ray are fixed for each color; that is, a specific wavelength, a certain frequency and a particular amount of energy in that wave have been denominated as a distinct color. The human eye is sensitive to electromagnetic radiation only at wavelengths roughly between 380 and 780 nm. This small segment is called the visible spectrum or visible light. Visible light can be broken down into numerous electromagnetic frequencies, and frequency relates to a color of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet and all the vibrations thereof.

Newtonian concepts, limited to the observable, have also been applied by contemporary medicine, which is premised on the idea that the total picture becomes predictable by understanding and regulating the various material parts. That is, when a part of the body malfunctions, it is removed or replaced in a similar way to how we handle machinery. Alternatively, it is treated with chemical ingredients that often cause negative side effects. Simply stated, contemporary medicine examines the symptoms and influences or suppresses them, but it does not involve itself with a real source—diseased life energies. Einstein's approach deals with the human body not as an assemblage of chemical parts but as a total, complete system operating in harmony with the electromagnetic/energy system of the universe. The key to understanding chromotherapy/vibrational healing lies not in the Newtonian mechanistic approach but in rerouting energy fields that form complex relationships with other fields such as those surrounding the physical/cellular substance and others relating to more non-physical energies (1).

Every creature is engulfed in light that affects its health conditions (2). The human body, according to the doctrine of chromotherapy, is basically composed of colors. The body comes into existence from colors, the body is stimulated by colors and colors are responsible for the correct working of various systems that function in the body. All organs and limbs of the body have their own distinct color (3). All organs, cells and atoms exist as energy, and each form has its frequency or vibrational energy. Each of our organs and energy centers vibrates and harmonizes with the frequencies of these colors. When various parts of the body deviate from these expected normal vibrations, one can assume that the body is either diseased or at least not functioning properly. The vibratory rates inherent in the vibrational technique (chromotherapy) are such that they balance the diseased energy pattern found in the body. For in every organ there is an energetic level at which the organ functions best. Any departure from that vibratory rate results in pathology, whereas restoring the appropriate energy levels to the physical organs results in a healed body (1).

Chromotherapy is a narrow band in the cosmic electromagnetic energy spectrum, known to humankind as the visible color spectrum. It is composed of reds, greens, blues and their combined derivatives, producing the perceivable colors that fall between the ultraviolet and the infrared ranges of energy or vibrations. These visual colors with their unique wavelength and oscillations, when combined with a light source and selectively applied to impaired organs or life systems, provide the necessary healing energy required by the body. Light affects both the physical and etheric bodies. Colors generate electrical impulses and magnetic currents or fields of energy that are prime activators of the biochemical and hormonal processes in the human body, the stimulants or sedatives necessary to balance the entire system and its organs (Fig. 1).

Applications of Chromotherapy

Variation in Influences of Light During the 1950s, studies suggested that neonatal jaundice, a potentially fatal condition found in two-thirds of premature babies, could be successfully treated by exposure to sunlight. This was confirmed in the 1960s, and white light replaced high-risk blood transfusions in the treatment of this condition. Blue light was later found to be more effective and less hazardous than full-spectrum light (the most common form of treatment for neonatal jaundice). Comparison of blue light with turquoise for treatment of neonatal jaundice was carried out by Ebbesen (19). Bright white full-spectrum light is also now being used in the treatment of cancers, SAD (seasonal affective disorder, so-called winter depression), anorexia, bulimia nervosa, insomnia, jetlag, shift working, alcohol and drug dependency, and to reduce overall levels of medication. Schauss worked on the tranquilizing effect of colors and found that color reduces aggressive behavior and violence (20).

The blue light found to be successful in the treatment of neonatal jaundice has also been shown to be effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, as emphasized by Pleasanton in his work. In studies by McDonald, most of those exposed to blue light for variable periods of up to 15 min experienced a significant degree of pain relief. It was concluded that the pain reduction was directly related both to the blue light and to the length of exposure to it. Blue light is also used in healing injured tissue and preventing scar tissue, as well as for burns and lung conditions (2). In 1990, scientists reported to the annual conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science on the successful use of blue light in the treatment of a wide variety of psychological problems, including addictions, eating disorders and depression. At the other end of the color spectrum, red light has been shown to be effective in the treatment of cancer and constipation and in healing wounds. As a result, color is becoming widely accepted as a therapeutic tool with various medical applications.

A new technique that has been developed over the past two decades as a result of pioneering research is photodynamic therapy (PDT). This is based on the discovery that certain intravenously injected photosensitive chemicals not only accumulate in cancer cells but also selectively identify these cells under ultraviolet light. These photosensitive chemicals then exclusively destroy the cancer cells when activated by red light, whose longer wavelength allows it to penetrate tissue more deeply than other colors. PDT can be used for both diagnosis and treatment. Thomas Dougherty, who developed PDT, reports that in a worldwide experiment more than 3000 people with a wide variety of malignant tumors have been successfully treated using this technique (21). Chromotherapy 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 steadier energy output.

By comparison, pink light has a tranquilizing and calming effect within minutes of exposure. It suppresses hostile, aggressive and anxious behavior. Pink holding cells are now widely used to reduce violent and aggressive behavior among prisoners, and some sources have reported a reduction of muscle strength in inmates within 2.7 s. It appears that when in pink surroundings people can never become aggressive despite their desire, because the color saps their energy. In contrast, yellow should be avoided in such contexts because it is highly stimulating. Gimbel (22) suggested a possible relationship between violent street crime and sodium yellow street lighting.

Color, Brain and the Effects of Light Research in Russia during the 1960s showed that one in six experimental subjects could recognize color with their fingertips after only 20–30 min training, and blind people developed this sensitivity even more quickly. Understanding of these effects has come about only as a result of research into the hormones melatonin and serotonin, both of which are produced by the pineal gland in the brain. Melatonin is known to be the crucial chemical pathway by which animals respond to light and synchronize their bodily functioning with diurnal and seasonal variations. Serotonin is a very important neurotransmitter in the brain, whose action has been linked with mental disturbances such as schizophrenia and hallucinogenic states. Serotonin, a stimulant, is produced during daylight whereas the output of melatonin – which is linked with sleep – increases when it is dark and has a generally depressive effect. This is reversed when it is light and the production of melatonin drops. Its main site of action appears to be the hypothalamus, the part of the brain involved in mediating the effects of various hormones and in regulating emotions. However, changes in the output of melatonin in response to light influence every cell of the body, notably the reproductive processes, which are sensitive to such variations. High levels of melatonin have been found in women with ovulation problems and anorexia nervosa (a characteristic feature of which is amenorrhea, or absence of periods), in men with low sperm count and in people suffering from SAD, which usually occurs during winter. Research also confirmed that certain parts of the brain are not only light sensitive but actually respond differently to different wavelengths; it is now believed that different wavelengths (colors) of radiation interact differently with the endocrine system to stimulate or reduce hormone production (22).

This work has given a new dimension to chromotherapy: the use of colors in psychological disorders. SAD has become a very common problem nowadays, in England in particular, where the sun does not shine for up to 1 or 2 weeks, so that no light enters into the body. As a consequence, psychological diseases manifest, mainly in the form of depressions, which, according to chromopathy studies, are curable without any use of tranquilizers.

A detailed study of chromotherapy, with patients exposed to sunlight through color filters, was produced by Jacob. He adopted modern theories to prove the relationship between melatonin, light and color. Takkata was the first researcher to attempt to find a relationship between blood and sunlight. Jacob's work concerns hormonal changes as a result of exposure to sunlight. Of course, sunlight is a perfect blend of seven colors; different colors are responsible for the release of different kinds of hormones, which keeps us healthy. Jacob stated in his work that

Light is responsible for turning on the brain and the body. Light enters the body through the eyes and skin. When even a single photon of light enters the eye, it lights up the entire brain. This light triggers the hypothalamus, which regulates all life-sustaining bodily functions, the autonomic nervous system, endocrine system, and the pituitary (the body's master gland). The hypothalamus is also responsible for our body's biological clock. It also sends a message, by way of light, to the pineal organ, which is responsible for releasing one of our most important hormones, melatonin. The release of melatonin is directly related to light, darkness, colors, and the Earth's electromagnetic field. This necessary hormone affects every cell in the body. It turns on each cell's internal activities, allowing them to harmonize with each other and nature. The pineal gland is believed to be responsible for our feeling of oneness with the universe and sets the stage for the relationship between our inner being and the environment. If that relationship is harmonious, we are healthy, happy, and feel a sense of well-being. An imbalance in this relationship makes itself known in the form of disorders or disease in our physical, mental or emotional states. The Pineal is our “light meter”, and receives information from the heavens above, to give us that sense of oneness with the universe, and from the Earth's electromagnetic field below to keep us grounded. A perfect balance is necessary to maintain our health and to keep us in harmony with the environment (22).

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Source: Pub med central