Electromagnetic Color

Electromagnetic Color

Four thousand years ago, the Egyptians built healing temples of light. Bathing a patient in specific colors of light produced different effects. Today we know that a blindfolded person will experience physiological reactions under different colored rays. In other words, the skin sees in technicolor.

This fact was confirmed by the noted neuropsychologist, Kurt Goldstein. In his modern classic, The Organism, he notes that stimulation of the skin by different colors leads to different effects. He states, "it is probably not a false statement to say that a specific color stimulation is accompanied by a specific response pattern of the entire organism."

In order to understand this, we must begin with the fact that color is a form of visible light. It is electromagnetic energy. The graph below shows where color is positioned in the range of radiant energy.

The Electromagnetic Spectrum

Wavelength in meters Name
Uses

10-15
(size of a nucleus)
10-11 Gamma Rays Cancer Treatment

10-10
(size of an atom) X-Rays Materials testing
Medical x-rays

10-8 Ultraviolet Germicidal, “black light”, Suntan

10-6
(diameter of a bacteria)
Visible Color
Link to more info.
Optics

. Infrared Human body radiation

10-2
(size of a mouse) Microwave Microwave ovens, atomic clocks

10 0
(one meter, the size of a man) . Radar, Television, F.M. Radio, International Short-wave

10 3
(size of a village) Radio frequency (RF) A.M. Radio

10 6
(distance from Washington D.C. to Chicago) Audio frequency Long-wave broadcast

10 8
(distance to the moon) . Brain waves

Specific Colors
Note: Ultraviolet and infrared are given as a point of reference. They are not visible colors.

Color Wavelength mµ
(billionths of a meter) Explanation

Ultraviolet 380-280 The smaller the wavelength, the smaller the structures with which they interact and the more powerful the energy. Gamma rays (the size of a nucleus) are more powerful than A.M. radio waves (the size of a village) Violet at 400 mµ is stronger than red at 700 mµ.
mµ =nanometers

Violet 430-390

Indigo 450-440

Blue 480-460

Green 530-490

Yellow 580-550

Orange 640-590

Red 750-650

Infrared 1000-750

Wavelength in meters	Name	Uses
10-15 (size of a nucleus) 10-11	Gamma Rays	Cancer Treatment
10-10 (size of an atom)	X-Rays	Materials testing Medical x-rays
10-8	Ultraviolet	Germicidal, “black light”, Suntan
10-6 (diameter of a bacteria)	Visible Color Link to more info.	Optics
.	Infrared	Human body radiation
10-2 (size of a mouse)	Microwave	Microwave ovens, atomic clocks
10 0 (one meter, the size of a man)	.	Radar, Television, F.M. Radio, International Short-wave
10 3 (size of a village)	Radio frequency (RF)	A.M. Radio
10 6 (distance from Washington D.C. to Chicago)	Audio frequency	Long-wave broadcast
10 8 (distance to the moon)	.	Brain waves

Color	Wavelength mµ (billionths of a meter)	Explanation
Ultraviolet	380-280	The smaller the wavelength, the smaller the structures with which they interact and the more powerful the energy. Gamma rays (the size of a nucleus) are more powerful than A.M. radio waves (the size of a village) Violet at 400 mµ is stronger than red at 700 mµ. mµ =nanometers
Violet	430-390
Indigo	450-440
Blue	480-460
Green	530-490
Yellow	580-550
Orange	640-590
Red	750-650
Infrared	1000-750