“Colors follow the changes of emotions”
- Pablo Picasso
Our visual system occupies most of our brains real estate. We are extremely visual. We have sacrificed other senses such as smell and taste to allow the visual system to expand. Back in the caveman days, we relied on our visual system to alert us from danger, find a mate, or food. It’s no wonder that we are so responsive to colors. Over time, we have developed certain preferences for certain colors. This preference has been engraved onto our DNA generation after generation. There is a reason why we normally reject dark moldy colors or browns. I guarantee that if our bodily remains after visiting the restroom looked blue or pink we wouldn’t be painting our children’s room that way today. It’s all based on experience, and how we relate those
colors to positive and negative feelings or events.
Colors have been shown to have emotional effects on people. For instance, the color red has been shown to be associated with excitement, yellow with cheerful, and blue with comfort. Furthermore, some colors have been associated with several emotions. The relationship between color and emotion (negative or positive) is directly connected to one’s individual color preference. In general, light bright colors bring out positive emotions and dark and opaque colors bring out negative ones. Other studies have shown that room colors also matter. A blue or green room, make the space look restful and feel more spacious. Orange, red or yellow make rooms feel less spacious, increase stimulation and increase anxiety levels. You might want to think twice before you paint your baby’s room!
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by Dr. German Garcia-Fresco
Neuroscientist
Perreault Magazine - 44 -
COLORS and the
BRAIN