Color Therapy's Roots

By Denise Turner, ASID, CID, CMG
Color Turners 


For as long as humans have walked the earth, we have worshipped the sun, its source of light (or lack thereof), and been instinctively aware of its profound effect on us. 

Thousands of years ago, several cultures began exploring color and its healing capabilities. Peoples of Egypt, Greece, and China were the trailblazers in color healing and therapy.

The therapeutic use of color in its modern sense can be traced back to 4th century Greece. The philosopher Hippocrates, referred to as the “Father of Modern Medicine,” used different colored ointments and plasters on wounds. In The Complete Book of Color Healing, author Lilian Verner-Bonds cites that Aristotle used different colored salves, minerals, crystals, and dyes as remedies. Aulus Cornelius Celsus, a legendary physician in first-century Rome, exclusively used color to treat his patients. When Christianity emerged in the 1st century AD, however, many of the ancient wisdoms and practices were expelled and deemed “pagan.” 

Color therapy advancements were dormant from the Middle Ages until the Renaissance in the 14th century and the Age of Discovery from the 15th to 18th centuries. Superstitions of the Middle Ages were superseded by the newly discovered “science.” As Verner-Bonds further explains, during this period many societies experimented with the use of color, both therapeutically and decoratively. Minerals of different colors were crushed to make pigments for paint and dyes for textiles. Pigments and dyes were also used in making medicines. Paracelsus (1493-1541), one of the greatest physicians of the Renaissance period, used color as a means to treat physical and mental disorders.

Today’s understanding of color is rooted in the work of Sir Isaac Newton. In 1666, he passed light through a prism and established a new theory, which stated that “white light is itself made up all the colors of the rainbow.” Newton was also the first to divide light into the seven colors of the spectrum. Newton believed that light and color were particles that moved in a straight line. Newton’s contemporary, scientist Robert Hooke (1635-1703), believed they were waves. Actually, they were both correct.

By the early 20th century, medical advancements led to a rise in scientific exploration into the healing aspect of light and color. Dr. Dinshah P. Ghadiali (1873-1966) began healing his patients with different colored lights, calling his procedure “Spectro-Chrome Therapy,” known today as Chromotherapy.

In 1903, physician Niels Finsen was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work on the use of light and color in healing disease. He devised the red light treatment of smallpox (1893) and the treatment of lupus by means of concentrated light rays (1895). Today, light therapy is still a common form of therapy to treat mood and eating disorders.

The October 2011 issue of Psychology Today reported: 

“People with a tendency to oversleep and overeat are more likely to respond to light therapy than others. If one is treating a mood disorder, light therapy is best given for a duration of 30 minutes for every hour one sleeps beyond 6 hours. So, for example, [a person who sleeps 8 hours] would require one hour of light therapy given one hour before they would normally wake. Since this is unlikely to be done by people who already feel the need for more sleep, it is best to use a dawn simulator light.” 

By the middle of the 20th century, Faber Birren had laid the foundation for color therapy. He blended together various color theory and color therapy concepts and his research is still used by design scholars today. 

Apart from the practice of color as a therapy, color is also widely used in psychological testing today. Psychotherapist Dr. Max Lüscher (b. 1923) developed a simple, yet effective, diagnostic test based on color. “The Dr. Lüscher Color Test” is widely used by psychologists, psychiatrists, and physicians. 

Today, architects, interior designers, and color consultants continue to explore color’s psychological and physiological effects and create healthful environments that enable people to flourish. The medical profession continues to make scientific advancements in the use of color through ultraviolet and infrared light. Industrial psychologists, experts in scientific study of human behavior in the workplace, are well aware of color’s effect on workers’ health. 

Although we’ve come a long way in our knowledge of color theory and therapy, there’s still more to explore. Who knows? The cure for diabetes, cancer, or HIV/AIDS might be sitting at the end of the rainbow. 

Denise Turner-masterfully navigates two worlds of color. As an international, award-winning interior designer and colorist, she helps businesses to drive sales with color. As a ColorTherapy expert and Energy Medicine healer, she utilizes color to empower others to heal themselves and their families. Turner is an ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) professional member, Certified Interior Designer, former CMG (Color Marketing Group) Board of Director, former ASID chapter president, and UCLA graduate.denise@Colorturners.com www.colorturners.com