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Chromotherapy
is a method of treatment of diseases by colour. It is
best used as a supportive therapy along with other
natural methods of preserving health such as correct
diet, adequate rest and relaxation, exercise, yogic
asanas and so on.
According to practitioners of chromotherapy, the cause of
any disease can be traced to the lack of a particular
colour in the human system. Colour therapy is a technique
of restoring imbalance by means of applying coloured
light to the body. It was a popular method of cure even
in ancient times. Some 2,500 years ago, Pythagoras
applied colour light therapeutically and ‘colour
halls’ were used for healing in ancient Egypt, China
and India.
The pioneer of modern colour therapy was Niels Finsen of
Denmark. Following the discovery, in 1877, of the
bactericidal action of solar ultra-violet energy,Finsen
studied the possibility of assisting the healing of
wounds with visible light. He subse- quently used red
light to inhibit the formation of smallpox scars and, in
1896, founded a Light Institute ( now the Finsen
Institute of Copenhagen) for the phototreatment of
tuberculosis. In 1932, Gerrard and Hessay, two
Californian psychologists, scientifically established
that blue light had a calming effect and red a
stimulating power on human beings.
Blue and red colours are considered at the two extremes
with yellow representing the midpoint. These are also the
three principal colours in a rainbow. A patient is first
subjected to an examination to ascertain which colour he
lacks. The deficiency is determined by observing the
colour of the eyeballs, nails, urine and excrement. In
cases of the lack of red the eyes and nails will be
bluish, and the urine and excrement white or bluish. If
there is a deficiency of the blue colour, the eyes and
nails will be reddish and urine and excrement yellowish
or red.
Every substance on earth contains colour. Even the rays
cast on earth by celestial bodies contain colour in the
form of white light. The rays of the sun contain seven
different colours - violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow,
orange and red. These are natural colours which are
highly beneficial to the maintenance of health and for
healing diseases.
According to Dr. Babbit, a well-known authority on
chromotherapy, "sunlight is the principal curative
agent in nature’s laboratory and where light cannot
enter, disease does. Chlorosis, anaemia, leukaemia,
emaciation, muscular debility, degeneration of heart and
liver, dropsical effusion, softening of bones,nervous
excitability, physical deformity, stunted growth and
consumption are the result of excluding oneself from the
beneficial effects of sunlight. "
Sunlight plays an important role in the recovery from
chronic diseases. Judicious use of sunlight can be part
of the curing process in almost every affliction. The
rays of the sun improve digestion and nutrition, quicken
blood and lymph circulation and increase the elimination
of impurities through the skin.
The action and effect of various colours on the body and
their healing qualities are as follows :Red
:
Symbolic of heat, fire and anger. It is a stimulating and
energising colour. It stimulates arterial blood and
brings warmth to cool extremities. Used as a general
tonic, it is very valuable in the treatment of diseases
like low blood pressure, rheumatism, paralysis, anaemia
and advanced cases of tuber- culosis.
Orange
:
Symbolic of
prosperity and pride, orange is useful for stimulating
blood supply and energising the nerves. It is beneficial
in the treatment of kidney and gall stones, hernia and
appendicitis. It is also used to stimulate the milk
producing action of breasts after childbirth.
Violet
:
Violet is beneficial in the treatment of nervous and
emotional disturbances, arthritis, acute cases of
consumption and insomnia.
Yellow
:
Associated with joy and happiness, yellow is laxative and
diuretic. It is a stimulant to the brain, the liver and
the spleen. It is also effective in the treatment of
diabetes, indigestion, kidney and liver disorders,
constipation, eye and throat infections, syphillis and
impotence.
Purple
:
Purple or indigo combines the blood-warming red and the
cooling antiseptic blue. It is an excellent stimulant
without being an irritant. It is beneficial in the
treatment of advanced stages of constipation, hydrocle ,
leucorrhoea, many disorders of the stomach and womb ,
cataract , migraine and skin disorders. It exerts a
soothing effect on the eyes, ears and the nervous system.
Green
:
Made up of the blue and yellow, green is regarded as a
colour of harmony. It is a mild sedative. It is useful in
the treatment of nervous conditions, hay fever, ulcers,
influenza, malaria , colds, sexual disorders and cancer.
It preserves and strengthens eyesight. Being highly
medicinal and depressive, it is of great help in the
treatment of inflammatory conditions.
Blue
:
Cool, soothing and sedative, blue alleviates pain,
reducing bleeding and heals burns. It is beneficial in
the treatment of dysentery, colic, asthma, respiratory
disorders, high blood pressure and skin aberrations. IN a
study at the New England State Hospital in the United
States, 25 members of staff with normal blood pressure
were bathed in blue light for half an hour. It resulted
in universal fall in blood pressure. The blood pressure
rose when red light was applied.
Methods
of Treatment
There are two methods of
treating diseases by colour :
- By the application of
light through different coloured glasses ; and
- By external or
internal use of colour-charged water. In the
first method , sheets of glass, 30 cms. X 36 cms.
of the required colours are needed. These are
placed at the window frames or any other
convenient place in such a way that the
sun’s rays can pass through them and fall
directly on the patient’s body. The usual
duration of the colour treatment is 30 minutes.
In case of local application, a pane of glass can
be placed in front of the diseased part so that
the light passing through the glass falls on the
afflicted area. At night lanterns can be used for
the purpose. A single lantern can have glass
panes of four different colours and the required
colour can be focussed on the patient or the
affected parts.
In the second method, coloured bottles are
needed. These bottles should be cleaned and
filled up to three-fourths level with fresh well
water, distilled water or rain water. The bottles
should be corked and then placed in bright
sunlight for three to four hours. After this
exposure, the water is said to acquire medicinal
properties and this colour-charged water can be
used both internally and for external
applications. Wounds and ulcers can be washed
with this water and it can also be used to
massage the affected parts or applied as compress
on them. For internal use, an adult can take 30
ml. of colour-charged water as a single dose. The
dose can be repeated as required.
Diet
A correct and balanced
diet is essential during the treatment of diseases
through chromotherapy. The patients should take food
items with analogous colouring. The various colours
contained in different food items are :
Red
: Beets,
radish, red cabbage, tomatoes, watercress, most
red-skinned fruits,red berries and water melon.
Orange
:
Orange-skinned vegetables and fruits such as carrot,
orange, apricot, mango, peach and pappaya.
Violet
: Egg plant,
berries, black carrot and purple grapes.
Yellow
: Lime and
lemon, sweet lime, grapes, pumpkin, melon, banana, mango,
yellow apple and guava.
Purple
: Foods
having both blue and violet colouring.
Green
: Most of the
green vegetables and fruits such as gourds, spinach,
plantain, lettuce, pea, green mango, gooseberry, pears,
beans , etc.
Blue
: Blue plum,
blue beans, blue grapes, etc.
Contraindications
There are
some important contraindications to colour treatment
which should be borne in mind while adopting this mode of
cure. For instance, the red colour would be injurious in
a naturally inflammatory condition of the system, and in
case of persons with feverish and excitable temperament.
If the red light is employed for too long and frequently,
it may produce dangerous fevers. The danger can be
obviated by using the red light for a few minutes at a
time or by placing a wet bandage over the head.
Similarly, yellow should not be used when the nerves are
very active or irritable. Yellow or orange reddish tones
may prove injurious in fevers, acute inflammations,
delirium, diarrhoea, neuralgia, palpitation of the heart
and any condition of over- excitement.
In cases of paralysis, chronic rheumatism, gout,
consumption and in all cold, pale and dormant conditions
of the system, blue, indigo and violet may prove too
cooling and constricting and should be avoided.
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