Colors have been a part of human experience since the
dawn of time. Some of the oldest prehistoric forms of art, discovered
in caves by archaeologists, already use colored pigments; proof that
even in those days the artist tried to depict reality as
accurately as possible. Even then, man knew the difference between
one color and the other.
Of course the importance of the colors in those days had a lot to
do with survival. Those who possessed sharp eyes lived longer,
and colors were an important factor in spotting both prey and
predator. But as the drawings on the walls of caves clearly show,
colors also had a deeper meaning for mankind.
It is interesting to see how children learn to work with color
long before they learn to work with shapes. First a child starts
doodling, drawing random scratches, lines or spots in different
colors. When the drawings start to develop, the colors come first.
A child may draw a cow with only two legs, or a man with six
fingers on each hand, but the sky is always blue, the sun is
always yellow, and the grass is always green.
I remember wondering about colors as a child. Why was the sky
always blue, why was the grass green? Carl Sagan once said that
only children think about the nature of our world, because they
don't know enough not to ask the important questions. There is a
lot of truth in that statement. After all, most of us do not
wonder about such everyday matters as colors and shades. It's part
of our lives, we take it for granted, and only when we look at a
black-and-white movie of photograph, we catch a glimpse of what
the world would look like without colors.
Let us be ignorant here for a moment. Let us forget for a
moment how normal the world around us is. And let us wonder
why.
Why is blue blue? Why do we experience a difference between blue
and red? Why does a room decorated in green have a different
effect on us than the same room would have when decorated in red?
Why do small children find toys decorated in bright, primary
colors more attractive than toys in shades of brown and grey? Why
would I wear blue jeans and a black sweater while avoiding
combinations of, say, red, orange and pink? Why doesn't one wear
day-glo colors in church, or paint the boardroom of a multi-billion
dollar company purple? Why do we associate pink with
femininity? And why do many graphic artists choose certain colors
and shades, without being able to explain exactly what made them
select these particular color combinations?
Yes, why indeed? Why do we perceive colors the way we do, and
what meaning do they have to us? Why do we see colors in the first
place, and why do we attribute aesthetic values to those colors?
There is something about certain colors and color combinations
that we find aesthetically pleasing or repulsive. Colors
affect us on a deep emotional level. There is much more to
color than meets the eye.
The effects and behavior of colors and colored light in physics is
well known. Less well known are the metaphysical aspects of
colors. Which is a bit odd, because we experienced those effects
ourselves long before scientists discovered the true nature of
light, color and optics. Perhaps it's time to take a closer look
at the metaphysical aspects of colors and the way in which we
experience them.
Everything around us is colored. The saying 'colored by
prejudice' is not exactly without ground. Everyone knows colors,
and the influence those colors may have on our perceptions of
whatever it is that we observe. In other words, colors are an
important factor in our judgment of what we see and experience,
and the opinion that we form about it afterward.
The most important aspect of colors is their influence on the
human mind and soul. Colors represent emotions, feelings, and a
deep knowledge of the inner self. (Artists know this.) This is the
primary function of the way in which we perceive colors. They are
a form of communication with our inner selves.
Science has never truly looked into the nature of our color
perception. Scientists tell us that the different colors that we
see are in fact different wavelengths of electromagnetic
radiation. Red corresponds with the longest wavelength that our
eye is able to see, while violet is the shortest. There are many
electromagnetic wavelengths possible 'below' and 'above' our
visual spectrum, starting with infrared and ultraviolet
respectively, and eventually down to microwaves and radio waves,
or up into the realms of X-ray and gamma radiation.
Scientists tell us that we see colors when the light that enters
the human eye hits a cell in the optic nerve, so that the energy
represented by the electromagnetic wave causes an electrochemical
reaction, which in turn sends a signal to the brain. Different
wavelengths cause different signals to be sent, which are
interpreted by the visual center in our brain as different
colors.
Scientists also tell us that a blue object looks blue to us
because it absorbs light of any other color, so that only the blue
is reflected. They point out that the sky looks blue because
sunlight is refracted by the atmosphere, so that only the blue
component of the sunlight reaches earth.
All of this, and more, is true. And it explains both everything
and nothing. As is often the case with science, the only
explanation offered deals with the 'how' and not with the 'why'.
Why does green look green to us? What is it, essentially,
that makes green green? We may know nothing about wavelengths and
of electromagnetic radiation. But we do know the
difference between green and red. Of course we do. Any child can
see it.
Rudolph Steiner gave some thought to this matter in his lecture "Das Wesen der Farben, Grundzüge einer geistenswissenschaftlichen Farbenlehre für das künstlerische Schaffen" ("The essence of colors, foundation for a spiritual color science to aid artistic creation") which he gave in 1921 in Dornach, Switzerland. Steiner delves into the essence of the colors themselves, and tries to experience colors rather than just perceive them visually. He analyzes their relationship with the various aspects of the human spirit, and finally links the various colors to life, nature and the universe. Although Steiner held these lectures primarily for an audience of artists and others who work with colors professionally, he touches a basic aspect of colors that applies to all of us: the way in which colors are experienced by those who see them.
There is a significant difference between our perception of
colors and their physical behavior. Consider a rainbow, for
example. We all know the order of the colors that make up the
visible spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and
violet. Although this is a continuous spectrum, we perceive it as
seven color 'bands'. Between red and yellow we see a definite zone
of orange, a 'layer' that has a color of its own.
This is interesting. If we take perfectly (i.e. theoretically
ideal) white light and break it by means of an ideal prism, we get
a spectrum that encompasses every possible wavelength of light in
the visible spectrum, and that therefore contains every color of
light that is physically possible. We see a continuous range of
colors. From the darkest red that we are able to see to the
faintest violet, it's all there.
Yet we see seven colors. Of course the human eye has something to
do with that, because the optic nerve is not perfectly linear and
is more sensitive to some wavelengths of light than to others. But
that doesn't really say very much about our color perception.
For example, consider the blue/green range. Follow it from blue
to green. First we pass shades of blue, which gradually change and
slowly move towards green. But there comes a point at which we no
longer consider them shades of blue, but shades of green instead.
This point is not well-defined, in fact its exact location depends
upon the observer. I have seen people put up serious arguments
about these 'borderline' colors, because they were unable to agree
whether to call them bluish green or greenish blue.
When I look around me at the room that I'm sitting in, I see
shades of red, shades of blue, shades of yellow. There is an
infinite variety in colors all around me, yet I think of them as
variations on a small, tightly restricted set of 'standard
colors'.
This is not the only example of the difference between the
physical aspects of colors and the way in which we experience
them. Another important difference lies in the fact that we are
able to see colors that, from a physicists point of view, aren't
colors at all.
Take black and white, for example. Physically, black is caused by
a total absence of light. A perfectly black object does not
radiate or reflect any light at all. In fact, the color
black is nothing but complete darkness that we perceive as black.
White, on the other hand, consists of a 'mix' of all the other
colors. If beams of light of all colors in the rainbow are put
together, the result is white light.
In other words, while all the colors in the visible spectrum have
a definite place in that spectrum and a wavelength that is
directly proportional to their position in the spectrum, black and
white can only exist as no color at all or as all colors put
together, respectively. Yet we experience black and white as
different and separate colors.
Another example is brown. There is no brown in the spectrum that
we see when light is broken by a prism. The true nature of brown
is revealed when we shine white light through a brown filter. When
the intensity of the light is sufficiently increased, brown
becomes yellow. Brown is nothing but yellow, only less intense.
Yet we experience yellow and brown as different colors,
even though the wavelength of the light that enters our eye is the
same.
Some colors have a soothing effect while others stimulate us.
We experience some colors as warm and others as cool. There seems
to be a direct relation between the colors that surround us and
how energetic we feel.
This energy may not manifest itself in the form of physical
energy. If you've just run a marathon, you have used up your
reserves. Looking at the right color won't enable you to do it
again. But you may feel as if you're able to. And of
course the opposite is also true: dark and dull shades not only
have a depressing effect, but may also cause feelings of fatigue
and listlessness.
In psychology and psychiatry it is common knowledge that there
is a link between colors and the human spirit. Dark and drab
colors tend to depress a person, while bright and clear colors may
have an uplifting effect on the spirit. Soft shades of pastel
often have a soothing effect while contrasting combinations of
primary colors may cause feelings of restlessness. We also express
our feelings in colors. Persons suffering from vital depressions
have often been observed to paint in shades of grey and black, but
as therapy progresses they start to use more lively colors. Colors
are also determined by character. Someone with an extrovert
personality may prefer brightly colored clothes, while more
introvert people often wear more neutral colors.
Men and women also have their own color preferences. Many women
prefer the 'softer' shades, like pink, pastel shades of green and
yellow, or creamy white. Men on the other hand often have a
preference for 'harder' colors, such as blue or red. However, it
should also be noted that many men are a bit shy of expressing
themselves in colors. They rather dress in grey or black, or
decorate their houses mostly in black and white, depending on
taste and character.
We have developed a finely tuned sense of colors that do or do
not go with our moods. Funerals are rarely conducted while dressed
in bright colors, but on weddings it is appropriate to wear
brightly colored garments. Churches are not often decorated in
bright shades (though darker shades of red, purple and brown are
not uncommon) and public buildings are often quite 'neutral' in
color design.
We use colors to influence our moods as a matter of course. If we
want a room to be cozy, we use colors that convey warmth and
safety. Bedrooms are often decorated in creamy and pastel shades,
so that we can easily relax in them. An office is more business-like
in its colors, with white walls and perhaps with a dark blue
or green carpet.
The above shows that there is a definite link between colors
and our moods, feelings and mental functioning. In fact, it is
safe to say that colors are linked to the human soul. (For the
moment, we will loosely define 'soul' as that part of the human
spirit that feels and experiences on a non-verbal level, as
opposed to that part that deals with mental processes such as
thought, critical analysis and speech.)
If we feel that a color suits us, if we feel attracted or repelled
by a certain color scheme, or if we feel more or less energetic
when we are surrounded by certain colors, then that observation is
made by the soul. Therefore, we are unable to motivate our
feelings about a certain color, other than in subjective terms
("I don't like it" or "It doesn't suit me") or
in relation to patterns of behavior and social rules ("It's
not appropriate" or "It just isn't done").
This essentially moves the focus of attention not to the colors
themselves as physical phenomena, but on the effect of colors and
color patterns on the soul. Apparently, the soul is able to
register feelings and emotions in response to certain colors or
color patterns. In other words, colors are an important
form of non-verbal communication.
In this respect colors closely resemble music, which is after
all a form of non-verbal communication that expresses feelings and
emotions in tone and melody. (Music, in turn, resembles dance,
which is a similar form of communication but this time expressed
in motion.)
Graphic artists know and use this effect that colors have on us.
A painting may consist of nothing but colors and abstract shapes,
and yet it may convey a feeling, an emotion, that makes us stop
and look at it.
Abstract paintings are a relatively recent development in graphic
art. Medieval paintings were all realistic (or attempted to be,
depending on the level of skill of the artist). In the western
world abstract art is relatively new, and it only started to
evolve when photography did away with the need for painting as a
means to create realistic pictures. In ancient cultures however,
abstract patterns and colors were more common.
The increasing use of abstraction in graphic art corresponds with
a new stage of development in human awareness. Never before did
modern man try to express emotion in nothing but colors and
abstract patterns. Since early pioneers started to create abstract
art around the turn of the century, it has constantly enjoyed
public attention. Graphic art can be a bit of a shock if someone
expects art to be realistic. People may like abstract art, or they
may hate it, or they may refuse to consider it art because it is
not a realistic picture, but it never leaves them indifferent. The
most common complaint that people make about abstract art is that
'anyone can do something like that' but for some reason only a
few really do it.
Used in this way, colors are a link between the soul and the
physical level, a way to express on the physical level something
that takes place in the soul and cannot be put into words. In a
way, a composition of colors is a means for the artist to
communicate with his or her own inner self.
The analogy between music and color does not stop at the non-verbal
expression of emotion that it performs. Another important
though less apparent similarity lies in the behavior of musical
notes compared to that of the different colors.
The tone scale is cyclic, i.e. the notes are repeated at a certain
interval. 'Do' at the top of the scale (do, re, mi, fa, so, la,
ti, do) is one octave higher than 'do' at the bottom of the scale,
but it sounds to us like the same note, only this time in a
different key. A melody can be played in different keys, but
essentially remains the same melody.
Colors are also cyclic, but this is not readily apparent, since
the human eye can only perceive one 'octave' of what we shall call
the color scale. The nature of this cycle may be shown, however,
by studying the order of the colors in the visible spectrum. For
example, consider the red/orange/yellow sequence. If we combine
red and yellow pigments, the result is orange. Mixing yellow and
blue pigments will give us green, which corresponds with the
yellow/green/blue sequence. (To avoid confusion, it should be
noted here that mixing pigments and combining colors of light are
two different processes. The colors achieved by mixing pigments
are the result of absorbtion, in a process called subtractive
color mixing, which is done with the primary colors red, yellow
and blue. When different colors of light are combined, the process
is called additive color mixing. The analogy, however, still
holds.)
But what if we want to produce the colors 'above' the blue color
band in the spectrum? Indigo and violet (bluish purple and reddish
purple) can only be achieved by mixing blue with different
amounts of red, which can be found only at the opposite end of the
spectrum!
This is where the cyclic nature of the color scale is
revealed. Apparently, the color 'above' violet is similar
to the red at the bottom of the scale, except that it is 'an
octave higher'. This does not imply that
ultra-violet radiation (which has a place in the electromagnetic
spectrum just beyond the visible limit of violet) would be seen as
red if the human eye were able to see it. It does indicate,
however, that there are colors below and above the visible
spectrum that we are unable to see, and therefore are unable to
visualize, just as someone who has been born blind is unable to
comprehend what the colors in the visible spectrum look like.
Imagine that the human ear would be able to hear just one octave
of the tone scale, from 'do' to 'ti'. Would we be able to imagine
what the higher octaves sound like? We might be able to describe
these higher octaves as 'similar but different' notes, but we
would not know what they sound like. We might be able to deduce
their existence, but we would still be unable to experience them
ourselves.
We have the same problem with the 'higher octaves' of colors. Our
eye is able to see just one 'octave' of the color scale. But the
electromagnetic spectrum does not end there, and the behavior of
the colors in the visible spectrum indicates that there are colors
below and above the visible range. We are unable to experience or
even imagine these colors, but we are able to deduce the fact that
there should exist 'lower octaves' and 'higher octaves' of colors
which are beyond our grasp.
As we have seen, different colors are linked to different
levels of energy. We have already discussed how we experience a
difference between 'cool' and 'warm' colors, and how bright
colors may lift the spirit. But there is much more to this aspect
of colors and color patterns.
Those who are able to observe the human aura usually see the
different layers of the aura as different colors, as a result of
the different levels of energy represented by each auric layer.
The chakras (the 'nodes' in the human energy system) also have
their own colors. The colors of the chakras correspond with the
colors of the rainbow; the energy of the first chakra (at the
coccyx) can be seen in red, while the seventh chakra (the crown
chakra at the top of the head) is visible in violet-white.
Healers know the effects that colors can have on the human
energy field. Crystals in different colors are used to work with
different layers of the aura, while clothing or the rooms that we
live and work in also have certain effects on the aura.
In fact, some people deliberately surround themselves with the
colors they need (although they may not realize this). Blue may
drain off excess energies, for example, while yellow may replenish
a persons energy and cause a feeling of well-being. (The latter
may also be caused by the association of yellow with sunlight. On
the other hand, is it a coincidence that man lives under a yellow
sun?) Red may induce a feeling of security and cherishing, but
also of restriction and confinement.
Other colors also have their own effects on us.
How should we deal with color? Well, should we? Why not just
experience it? After all, the most important effects that colors
have on us take place on the emotional level, which is essentially
non-verbal. In order to understand the nature of our color
experience, we must first undergo this experience without trying
to analyze it with the critical part of our mind. It is very
difficult for most of us to experience and observe but not to
analyze. Yet this may be the only way to gain true understanding
about our relationship with colors.
If we truly understand the nature of our color perception, then we
might also gain a better understanding about ourselves, the
universe of which we are part, and the energies that it consists
of. By a mans colors ye shall know him.
The relationship between colors and energy has rather profound
implications. The point is that what we experience as
colors is in fact energy, that physically manifest itself as
electromagnetic wave quanta or photons. That means that there is a
limit to the range of energies that we can experience as colors.
Energies on different levels behave differently, and we can only
observe them indirectly, by means of detection equipment suited
for radio waves, gamma rays or other forms of energy.
As Einstein has shown in his famous equation, matter is also a
form of energy. After all, energy manifests itself in many
different forms, and one of these forms is matter. Matter consists
of a corpuscular component (mass) but also of an energetic
component (kinetic energy or temperature, for example). In a way,
mass acts as a vessel for more energy in different forms.
Matter is subject to the limits imposed on it by the structure
of space. Our physical space is three-dimensional, and all
physical manifestations of energy (which is what matter is, after
all) are therefore three-dimensional as well. We know just one
kind of matter. Something is matter, or it isn't.
In other words, matter as we know it is limited to one 'octave' of
the 'matter scale', just like the colors as we know them are
limited to one 'octave' on the 'color scale', or rather on the
scale of energies that we are able to experience. These limits are
imposed upon us (the observers) and upon the phenomena that we are
able to observe, by the structure of the three-dimensional space
that we inhabit. Our physical universe encompasses just one
'octave' on the scale of energy-manifestation.
There is, however, also a scale 'below' and 'above' it, sometimes
incorrectly called sub- and superspace. (Although sub- and
supermatter would be an appropriate name for the forms of matter
that manifest themselves outside the limits of our physical
universe.) That means, basically, that matter can 'rise above' or
'drop below' our physical plane of existence. When that happens,
matter as we know it becomes 'supermatter' or 'submatter',
respectively, and ceases to be matter as we know it.
To get an idea about the properties of 'supermatter' or
'submatter', consider a photon or a black hole. A photon carries
energy but has no rest mass, and can only exist while traveling at
the speed of light. There is no such thing as a photon at rest.
Under certain conditions it may behave as a particle, but there is
a significant difference between a photon and 'ordinary' matter. A
black hole, on the other hand, consists of a mass so dense and
heavy that it distorts space up to the point where the black hole
is no longer part of what we think of as 'normal' space, and it
becomes essentially invisible because light (or any other form of
energy) cannot escape from it.
Photons and black holes are both manifestations of energy/matter,
but they are completely different in nature, and may be thought of
as two different 'notes' on the 'energy/matter scale'. Now think
of photons and similar quanta as existing at the top of the scale,
while black holes exist at the bottom. This is a simplified
analogy, but it serves to paint a rough idea of the different
forms of energy/matter manifestations that we know, and the limits
that are imposed upon them by the structure of our universe.
(The above is not a scientific explanation. Science, and especially physics, limits itself to those aspects of the universe that can be observed, measured and verified. It deals, among other things, with the behavior of energy and matter in our physical universe. Aspects of matter that is not, strictly speaking, part of our universe lie outside the realms of science.)
Where does that leave us? We started wondering about colors,
and we ended up exploring some of the limits of our universe. We
have seen that colors are the visible manifestations of feelings
and emotions, a form of non-verbal communication and therefore the
graphic equivalent of music and dance. We have seen that we do not
only see colors with our eyes and recognize and analyze them with
our mind, but also experience them on the level of the soul. And
we have also seen that what little we are able to observe
indicates that there is much, much more in the way of color, space
and energy that exists outside the limits of our senses.
Those who learn to understand why we experience colors as we do,
in fact learn about the basic principles of the relationship
between body and soul, between man and his physical form, between
the physical plane of existence and the levels around it.
To learn this, physical observation alone is not enough. The soul
will have to act as a means of observation, and a deep, inner
understanding about man and his universe becomes more and more
essential as the learning progresses. The inner certainty that
there are aspects of the universe that are beyond the limits of
physical observation is the first step in this process.
Of course mathematics is a powerful tool to describe and even
predict some aspects of time and space, and physicists and
cosmologists have been using it with impressing results. But we
should realize that there is one important obstacle here:
mathematical equations that have been designed to deal with an
aspect of the physical universe, are by their very nature limited
to the physical plane. The higher, inner knowledge mentioned here
cannot be achieved by mathematics alone, or by any other branch of
scientific research. Instead, we need to use the soul as a means
of observation, experience as a means of research, no matter how
subjective it may be, no matter how difficult it is for us to give
a rational explanation for it.
Which brings us back to where we started: our
experience of colors as opposed to their physical aspects
alone. A deep experience of colors is a good way to arrive at an
understanding of the above, which will be difficult to grasp at
first glance for many of us.
The most important obstacle in this process is the tendency of our
minds to analyze. As soon as we observe something, we absolutely
have to analyze it, compare it to what we know, and draw
conclusions.
Instead of trying to understand, try to work from experience, from
feeling, while studying color. That is not so hard as it may seem:
everyone is used to trust his or her feelings when choosing
colors. Everyone has a certain feeling about colors or color
combinations. Children are masters at this; they know which colors
they like and dislike long before they can talk. We already have a
strongly developed aesthetic sense about colors, that can be used
as a starting point to learn to experience colors emotionally.
Relax. Sit down in a quiet place and look upon a certain color,
preferably a large sheet of colored material, under daylight if
possible. And feel the effect that the color has
on you.
How does it feel? Where does it feel? Which images does the color
bring up? Do not just look at the color, but look
into it. What do you see? And how does it feel?
Do not try to analyze yet. Do not try to understand yet why a
certain color causes a certain experience. (This is the hard
part). Make notes if you wish, but only about the experience
itself.
Repeat this with different colors. Don't try to do it all in one
session. Take your time. It may be best to start with the primary
colors red, green, blue and yellow, and then to proceed with
variations (e.g. darker and lighter shades) or color
combinations.
Which colors are attractive to you, and which ones aren't? Which
colors give you a feeling of warmth of cold, and what feelings do
they cause? How do you feel afterwards?
Only after some time you will notices how much information you
will get from simply regarding a color. What an enormous effect
colors have on us! How can the physical aspects of a color (light
at a certain wavelength that enters the human eye) have such a
profound effect?
The answer is simple: they can't. The eye serves us as a means to
observe the world around us on a physical level, but when we
study colors as described above, the mind and especially the soul
cooperate in the observation and serve as a means of non-physical
observation.
As you will see, learning this 'deeper observation' is not all
that difficult. The most important thing is to suspend critical
reasoning, and to experience the effects that a
phenomenon (in this case the color) has upon us on a deeper level.
In this way you may cultivate an 'instinctive' understanding, an
inner Knowledge, of those things that you only observed on a
physical level so far. Studying colors are a good start (although
other means may be just as useful). A similar understanding of
other things, such as the universe that we inhabit and the
limitations and aspects of our physical existence, are only the
next step in this process.
There is no 'best way' to do this. Everyone is different, and
the method of observation as described above is necessarily
subjective. But the essence (observation with the soul instead of
with the eyes alone) remains the same for all of us.
Colors are a physical manifestation of energy, of emotions, and of
space. Matter is a form of energy and vice versa. Life is a form
of energy, and the universe that man exists in serves to give form
and shape to that life. Not only does space give form to man, but
man also gives form to space. It goes even further: reality as we
know it is created by man as much as man is shaped by reality.
All is One, and One is All. A color, a human being, a mind, a
soul, a spirit, a universe. Nothing can exist separately, nothing
can exist except in relation to everything else.
To know, really know, one of the parts means to know the Whole.
What a fantastic discovery!