Positive Health Online

Introduction

Are light and colour important to our health and well-being?[1] Can it be used effectively to help each of us attain better health? And if so how?

If you close your eyes, what do you see? Can you see the world that you are familiar with? The answer is no; there is no form, shape, definition, texture or depth when your eyes are closed. It is light and colour that allow you to make sense of the world, because they give meaning to the form, shape, definition, texture and depth of those things we see in and around us. We even use colour to describe our emotions, to give meaning to our rituals, to make us more beautiful, and to change our environment. Without light from the sun we wouldn't be able to perceive the beauty of our planet nor give it meaning.[2-4]

Research Evidence

Light from the sun is perceived as white light and it is the refraction of this light that we see as visible light, or what we more commonly know as colour.

Can science validate any of the above practices? Yes it can. Scientists in Russia, Germany, Switzerland and the USA have been able to demonstrate that:
•    The cells within our body store light energy – although there is a difference of opinion as to where it is stored;
•    The cells within our body use light as a means of communication;
•    The cells within our body naturally carry out photo-repair daily;
•    Cells which become diseased block and transmute different light frequencies;
•    Damaged cells illuminated with certain light frequencies were rejuvenated while healthy cells showed no reaction.[1,7-11]

For instance, in Russia, Switzerland and Germany there is plenty of research1,7-11 to show that light can change the metabolic rate of a cell and that a healthy cell will allow natural and coloured light to pass through without change. It has been found that diseased cells are unable to allow natural or coloured light to pass through effectively and the light is changed into a dense mass and different frequency. Miss MK has personally found this to be true, because after meningitis she had some auric pictures taken and the colours were dense, whereas as she has become more vibrant and healthy the colours have become translucent, supporting the findings of scientists.

Initially Russia used low-level lasers, but their more up-to-date research indicates that non-coherent light (i.e., colour) is just as effective as coherent light (e.g., lasers).[9] Phototherapy is used by space programmes both in the USA and Russia as cosmonauts and astronauts cannot be ‘rushed to hospital’ from space.

Dr Fritz-Albert Popp, a famous physicist, has spent a lifetime researching how the body utilizes light and his research indicates that the body stores light (like a plant) and this light energy is used for cellular communication.[7] Research at the Necker Hospital in Paris and at Universities in Korea has been able to demonstrate ‘the body electric’ by mapping out the acupuncture points and discovering the histology of the meridians, thus lending weight to why the exercise systems from the East are known to be effective in strengthening the immune system and promoting health and well-being.[5]

Photodynamic Therapy uses light to stimulate the porphyrins in haemoglobin and is used to treat cancerous cells alongside a photosensitive chemical known as Photofrin.[11] Quantum physics talks about all matter being frozen ligh[2-4]  and only just last year scientists were talking about ‘space’ being filled with luminiferous ether (i.e., light).

In the book Light Years Ahead,[1] many different health carers share their stories of how light and colour have affected their practices and their clients and why there is no going back. Today you only have to open up a magazine or newspaper to see adverts that are promoting the use of light for the removal of scar tissue and hair. Now photo-rejuvenation12 of your skin during your lunch time is available and the beauty industry alone is introducing as many as 12 different kinds of light treatments for staying youthful and radiant. The use of light is being experienced in eye surgery and at the dentist. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)[2,13] is experienced by many people within this country and the traditional treatment is a light box with daylight simulated bulbs. Migraines and pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) have also been successfully treated with light through a tool known as the LightMask™.[14]

So can light and colour heal and help us to achieve better health and well-being? I believe they do and I would like to share with you a story of a client of mine whose life story is pretty dramatic but in which light and colour have played an important part in her healing alongside the application of both conventional and complementary methods of treatment.

Case History

Miss MK was born in the early 1960s in a Third World country where incubators and formulas did not exist. She was one month premature and weighed in at three pounds. She was put on a diet of condensed milk and placed in a warm environment. Miss MK contracted pneumonia soon after birth and she nearly died. Throughout her life Miss MK had experienced one illness after another (15 in total), ranging from childhood diseases such whooping cough, tonsillitis, measles and chickenpox to tropical diseases such as malaria, tick bite fever and Bilharzia as well as experiencing serious illnesses like meningitis, glandular fever and labyrinthitis. Up to the age of 18 she had experienced 11 of these, and thereafter a serious illness at least every five years until 1998. She has had four car accidents, broken her arm three times and experienced dehydration from not taking in enough fluids. Colds, coughs and flu occurred regularly in the winter months and glandular fever even snuck in one year after being laid low with flu. Miss MK also experienced heavy bleeding during her menses. She was put on the pill at 13 years of age and personally chose to take herself off it at 23. During her teenage years she also experienced ulcers within the vaginal area from taking too many antibiotics and painkillers and wore a back brace to support the lower lumbar region. She had had nine operations under general anaesthetic and had suffered from hay fever since turning 20. Miss MK had been known to suffer bouts of depression and feelings of low self-esteem in 1985, 1989 and 1992.

In 1982 Miss MK left the country of her birth and moved to another country and lived by the sea where she became introspective and withdrawn from life. In 1985 she left that country and moved to the UK where she became drawn to the alternative lifestyle and products.

In 1989 she moved to another country and returned to the UK in 1991 and then went to Australia for six months. In 1991 she returned to the country of her birth and in 1993 came back to the UK with the intent of studying aromatherapy. Instead she ended up studying colour therapy and this was the turning point in her life, her attitude to life and the strengthening of her immune system, to the point that when she suffered meningitis in 1997 she was put in hospital but received no treatment because she displayed no 'atypical' symptoms of meningitis. The lumbar puncture was only taken the day after she nearly died, and which then confirmed what she had. Miss MK maintains that her immune system would not have been able to deal with the meningitis in years past, but this was the ultimate healing and demonstrated clearly to her the benefits of colour in health and well-being. She refers to it as the ultimate healing in her life.

Light and Colour for Life

What did Miss MK do in order to get her immune system strong and to change her life?

She learnt that eating well was not the only thing you must do to achieve and maintain optimum health. Miss MK has learnt the importance of exercise, reducing stress and avoiding pastimes such as smoking and drinking alcohol which are known to weaken the immune system. She has studied what science has to say about light and its relationship to matter and health, and over a nine-year period she has incorporated light and colour into everything in and around her.

Since 1997 she has suffered two burst eardrums and one cold, but otherwise has been in good health. Miss MK continues to study and promote the benefits of light and colour in healing and has recently changed careers.

Towards a Stronger Immune System

In 1993 Miss MK immediately took charge of her diet as she began to study colour healing and to receive treatments in light and colour healing. She was encouraged to read up on nutrition and learn what vitamins and minerals actually do for the body. Miss MK learnt which ones cleansed the body and which ones strengthened the body. Through personal treatments and research she became aware of the need to have live and colourful foods when making a meal and learnt that fruits and vegetables contain minerals, vitamins and enzymes that are essential for the oxidation metabolism of healthy cells.

Today there is much research showing that the coloured pigments found in foods contains many disease fighters and that there is a symbiotic relationship between chlorophyll and haemoglobin (there is a valid reason for eating your greens!). For example, Harvard University found that the natural dye from tomatoes helps to ward off prostate cancer and the yellow in corn helps to prevent macular degeneration after 65 years of age. Miss MK discovered in her research that at a molecular level foods are just as colourful, e.g. calcium is orange, iron is lemon yellow, zinc is turquoise, vitamin A is magenta and vitamin E is green, etc.

Miss MK's studies in light and colour healing led her to Eastern philosophy and beliefs about health and healing and she learnt that in the Eastern traditions the subtle anatomy (aura) was related to colour energy and that illness began in the electromagnetic energy field long before it reached the physical body.[5] Miss MK discovered that by doing hatha yoga she could strengthen the subtle anatomy, breathing and visualizing colour while doing the postures. Today studies of people doing hatha yoga have demonstrated how their immune systems are strengthened by regular, gentle exercise.

One of the most interesting coincidences is that the thymus gland, which plays a role in boosting the immune system, is said in Eastern traditions to be turquoise in colour. Zinc is turquoise in colour and plays a large part in boosting the immune system also. In the Hygeia method of light and colour healing, turquoise is the colour recommended for boosting immunity.

In Russia there is now a system called Valeodermy, which is able to 'diagnose' illness six months before the illness actually presents itself as a physical illness in the body, confirming what the ancients believed, that illness starts in the electromagnetic energy field surrounding each human being.[6]

In 1994 Miss MK studied reflexology and colour and immediately put it into practice in her life. She shared this form of light reflexology with others between 1995 and 1997 and learnt how the combination created a powerful tool for healing. In 1997 she became qualified to teach light and colour healing and in 1998 she purchased a light therapy instrument for her home environment so that she could administer coloured light to herself.

On her return to the UK in 1998, Miss MK consulted an image consultant and has learnt what colours suit her genetic colouring and her personality. She is a strong advocate that the colours in our wardrobes can either make us feel well or ill. She now has a wardrobe that embraces colours that make her look good, and feel confident, beautiful and dynamic. Studies have shown that feeling good raises the levels of endorphins within the body and thus strengthens the immune system. She is currently President of a Toastmasters Club and encourages speakers and presenters to use colour to support their presentations.

Miss MK has read about feng shui and looked at interior design concepts in order to appreciate how colour and lighting within her business and personal environments help to keep her feeling centred.She uses daylight simulation light bulbs within her working and personal environments as well as ensuring that there are pictures, ornaments, plants and other items that add to the beauty of her working and personal space.

Miss MK continues to study with ease and elegance because she has learnt how sound, colour and movement enhance the three primary natural intelligences and make learning fun and effortless. She has benefited and understood the benefit of better health and well-being by using colour alongside sound and movement through continued education.

Miss MK has studied emotional releasing techniques such as the Sedona Method and Emotional Freedom Technique. She has participated in a mind power programme called Alpha Dynamics which embraces colour as the tool for taking one into an alpha state (which is known to be a state of relaxed awareness), enabling people to release stress and create an environment that allows them to 'create' the life of their dreams. Miss MK believes that colour breathing and meditation are important and practises these while travelling on trains going to work or at home in a more traditional setting. Whenever there is sunshine, Miss MK takes a sun bath for 15 minutes by sitting and facing the sun with her eyes closed so that she can absorb the life-giving properties of natural sunlight, particularly in the winter months. She walks a great deal instead of relying on a car and believes that her natural good health since 1997 has been because her immune system is now stronger than it has ever been and that this is due to the incorporation of light and colour into her life.

What Is It Costing You?

You may not have experienced such a dramatic health history as Miss MK, but what is it costing you in terms of health, lost days at work, spending time with your family or furthering your career by not incorporating light and colour into your diet, exercise, environment, wardrobe, professional development and quiet time?

I would highly recommend that you investigate the effects of light and colour for yourself and incorporate it into every area of your life. I no longer need proof, because better health and well-being are part of my everyday life. I still experience problems and occasional ill health, but, compared with the majority of the population, I haven't taken a day off ill from work in three years and my ability to resolve problems seems to be easier and faster with each year as I continue to embrace colour and light into my world. And now I have discovered how I learn so easily through using sound, colour and movement, so that I am continually improving upon my personal and professional development. And all because of light and colour!

When are you going to embrace light, colour, health and well-being into yours?

References

1. Breiling Brian (ed.). Light Years Ahead. Light Years Ahead Productions & Celestial Arts. ISBN 0-89087-762-9. 1996.
2. Liberman Jacob. Light Medicine of the Future. Bear & Company. ISBN 1-879181-01-0. 1993.
3. Bohm David. Of matter and meaning: the super implicate order. ReVision. Spring 1983.
4. McWilliams Charles. The Revolutionary Photobiotics. ProMotion Publishing.
5. Brennan Barbara Ann. Hands of Light. Bantam Books. ISBN 0-553-34539-7. 1990.
6. See www.valeocentres.com for further information.
7. McTaggart Lynne. Human energy fields. What Doctors Don't Tell You. October 2001.
8. Cooper Primrose. The Healing Power of Light. Piatkus Books. ISBN 0-7499-2069-6. 2000.
9. Gottlieb Ray and Wallace Larry. Syntonic phototherapy. Syntonic Optometry Magazine. April 2000. Also: Caduceus. Issue 52.
10. Coghill Roger. The Healing Energies of Light. Gaia Books. ISBN 1-85675-185-6. 2000.
11. Oldfield Harry and Coghill Roger. The Dark Side of the Brain. Element Books. ISBN 1-85230-025-6. 1994.
12. Salon Plus. Light fantastic. Salon International Plus. August 2001.
13. Hobday Richard. The Healing Sun. Findhorn Press. ISBN 1-899171-97-5. 1999.
14. Norton David. Light therapy for migraines. Positive Health. 61. Feb 2001.

Recommended Reading

Amber Reuben. Color Therapy. Aurora Press. ISBN 0-943358-04-3. 1980.
Balch James F and Balch Phyllis A. Prescription for Nutritional Healing: A-Z Guide to Supplements. Avery Publishing Group. ISBN 0 -89529-727-2. 1998.
Bornstein Cristina and Gill Anthony. Tony and Tina Color Energy - How Color Can Transform Your Life. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-1792-6. 2002.
Bushkin Estitta and Bushkin Gary. All About Green Food Supplements. Avery Publishing Group. ISBN 0-89529-963-1. 1999.
Calbom Cherie and Keane Maureen. Juicing for Life. Avery Publishing Group. ISBN 0-89529-512-1. 1995.
Carlino Cristina. The Rainbow Connection. Doubleday Image US. ISBN 0-385-49387-8. 1999.
Chiazzari Suzy and Davis Patricia. Colour Scents. The C W Daniel Company. ISBN 0-85207-316-X. 1998.
Cousens Gabriel. Spiritual Nutrition and The Rainbow Diet. Cassandra Press. ISBN 0-96158752-0. 1987.
Dr Gillian McKeith. Living Food for Health. Piatkus. ISBN 0-7499-2074-2.
Jones Alex. Seven Mansions of Color. DeVorss Publications. ISBN 0 87516-500-1. 2000.
Joseph James A, Nadeau Daniel A and Underwood Anne. The Color Code - A Revolutionary Eating Plan for Optimum Health. Hyperion. New York. ISBN 0-7868-6721-3. 2002.
Klotsche Charles. Color Medicine. Light Technology Publishing. ISBN 929385-27-6. 1993.
Lee William H. The Book of Raw Fruit and Vegetable Juices and Drinks. Keats Publishing. ISBN 0-87983-306-8. 1996.
Stanway Penny. Life Light. Kyle Cathie. ISBN 1-85626-409-2. 2001.
Wheater Caroline. Juicing for Health. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-7225-2839-6. 2001.
Zolar. Zolar's Magick of Color. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-76854-9. 1995.