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biological clock
August 2008 
Seasonal Affective Disorder and Light Therapy
Posted on Feb 19th, 2008
by 
Inukshuk
Inukshuk
From the January 2008, Vol. 02, Issue 01, B: Beauty & Beyond magazine, pages 18-19, an article about S.A.D. (seasonal affective disorder):
LET THERE BE LIGHT
Light/Colour Therapy Part I
THE S.A.D. TRUTH
By Olwen Hydross
Light is a source of Health & Beauty. A visible radiant energy that travels through space in the form of electromagnetic waves that varies in size, intensity and frequency. When light travels at a speed of 300,000 km per second it vibrates. When the different colours. Not visible to the naked eye, they exist anyway.
Science of Chromotherapy
Before the scientific age, colour was considered akin to "divinity". It was only discovered in the 17th century by Sir Isaac Newton's demonstration of passing lightrays through a glass prism that "white light" (sun light), was not just a single component but also a complete sum of all the colours of the spectrum. The light rays when passed through the prism become divided into a series of luminous zones, which reproduce all the colours of the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. All have different wavelengths and vibrate at different frequencies.
Effect of Light on Organisms
Seasonal Affective Disorders (SAD)
Photobiology, the discipline that studies the effect of light on living organisms, has clearly demonstrated the beneficial effect of sunlight on all living things. We perceive light through the eyes and through the surface of the skin. Light is absorbed through specific biochemical receptors that are present in our organism, and through biophysical and metabolic receptors it transmits energy to all our organisms. Regulating the production of Melatonin (sleep hormone) and Serotonin (awake hormone).
Just as animals rely on the signals from the sun to keep their body clocks exact to synchronize their activities, so do we humans need sufficient daylight to synchronize their activities, so do we humans need sufficient daylight to synchronize our circadian and circ-annual rhythms and body clock. The biological clock can keep the time, but in the absence of connection from the daylight cycle, the biological clock gets out of sync, and affects our physical and mental health. Seasonal Affective Disorders (SAD), is one effect of reduced exposure to sunlight.
A similar thing occurs when we travel across different time zones, we experience what we call "jet lag". This de-synchronization of the body's rhythms is suspect in triggering problems; i.e. hormonal imbalances, sleep disorders and mood swings.
Absorption Through Skin
Scientific studies have demonstrated that only certain parts of the body are able to absorb light. These "light sensitive areas" coincide with the Acupuncture Points, Qi channels, and "Meridians", Yin and Yang, on the body's surface.
When human living organism is exposed to visible light at these actual points the light can travel immense distances within the body. The "Meridians" can be thought of as a "light distribution system" similar to a fiber optic communication system.
The light penetration through the human tisssue depends upon the spectral range of light (Colour) used. White light (mixture of all colours) diffused the best, followed by Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Turquoise, Indigo and Magenta light, which is the weakest.
These studies observed that "light and colour" are natural sources of energy that can help the body to cure itself by non-artificial means and by re-establishing corporal balance.
Cellular Energy
If we think of the therapeutic capacity of "solar light" as a "multi-coloured" energy source, it is easy to understand why certain colours, when considered separately, can be so effective. Each colour has different properties and actions, with different effects, such as: calming, exciting, re-vitalizing, or normalizing.
When a cell is hit by a light wave that has a wavelength equal to its own, a resonance is created. This sort of "agitation" provoked by the absorption of light energy causes chemical / physical changes to take place, is able to restore the molecular resonance and brings a normalizing effect of the cellular function.
Some photochemical phenomena happens everyday. For example, on a bright sunny day when skin is exposed to the sun it will turn brown. Light interacts with molecules, increasing their energy, thereby modifying, or separating them to create new ones. Light colour acts on our cells in various other ways and may be used for therapeutic purposes. Frequently newborn, premature babies, born with jaundice, are treated in hospital under blue light and recover very quickly.
Chromotherapy
Highly sophisticated apparatus, designed to select each colour and deliver the power of energy on the basis of its wavelength, intensity and range of action, is now available to help in the treatment of common beauty problems such as: Excess Fat, Water Retention, Cellulite, Stretch Marks, Solar Redness, Sun Rash, Pre-mature Skin Aging, Dry Skin, Wrinkles, Acne, Oily Skin Prevention of Free Radicals, Slack Skin, Atonic Skin, and Threat Veins.
Selection and duration of exposure to the colour/s used in the treatment is customized, depending on the condition to be treated.
Light Food for Thought
Considering that our physical and mental dispositions are effected by light & colour, it is wise to carefully consider our daily surroundings, i.e.; colour of clothing and paint on our home, or office walls.... Even lighting: Full Spectrum rather than Fluorescent. Many of us work in artifically lit buildings that do not provide sufficient intensity of light to affect the suppression of the hormone "melatonin" and to connect our ciradian Rhythms. Light specialist believe that this mal-illumination may be the heart of many common disorders, including fatigue, depression, suppressed immune function, sleep disorders, skin damage.
After all, a world without light and colour can become a SAD place.
LET THERE BE LIGHT
Light/Colour Therapy Part I
THE S.A.D. TRUTH
By Olwen Hydross
Light is a source of Health & Beauty. A visible radiant energy that travels through space in the form of electromagnetic waves that varies in size, intensity and frequency. When light travels at a speed of 300,000 km per second it vibrates. When the different colours. Not visible to the naked eye, they exist anyway.
Science of Chromotherapy
Before the scientific age, colour was considered akin to "divinity". It was only discovered in the 17th century by Sir Isaac Newton's demonstration of passing lightrays through a glass prism that "white light" (sun light), was not just a single component but also a complete sum of all the colours of the spectrum. The light rays when passed through the prism become divided into a series of luminous zones, which reproduce all the colours of the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. All have different wavelengths and vibrate at different frequencies.
Effect of Light on Organisms
Seasonal Affective Disorders (SAD)
Photobiology, the discipline that studies the effect of light on living organisms, has clearly demonstrated the beneficial effect of sunlight on all living things. We perceive light through the eyes and through the surface of the skin. Light is absorbed through specific biochemical receptors that are present in our organism, and through biophysical and metabolic receptors it transmits energy to all our organisms. Regulating the production of Melatonin (sleep hormone) and Serotonin (awake hormone).
Just as animals rely on the signals from the sun to keep their body clocks exact to synchronize their activities, so do we humans need sufficient daylight to synchronize their activities, so do we humans need sufficient daylight to synchronize our circadian and circ-annual rhythms and body clock. The biological clock can keep the time, but in the absence of connection from the daylight cycle, the biological clock gets out of sync, and affects our physical and mental health. Seasonal Affective Disorders (SAD), is one effect of reduced exposure to sunlight.
A similar thing occurs when we travel across different time zones, we experience what we call "jet lag". This de-synchronization of the body's rhythms is suspect in triggering problems; i.e. hormonal imbalances, sleep disorders and mood swings.
Absorption Through Skin
Scientific studies have demonstrated that only certain parts of the body are able to absorb light. These "light sensitive areas" coincide with the Acupuncture Points, Qi channels, and "Meridians", Yin and Yang, on the body's surface.
When human living organism is exposed to visible light at these actual points the light can travel immense distances within the body. The "Meridians" can be thought of as a "light distribution system" similar to a fiber optic communication system.
The light penetration through the human tisssue depends upon the spectral range of light (Colour) used. White light (mixture of all colours) diffused the best, followed by Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Turquoise, Indigo and Magenta light, which is the weakest.
These studies observed that "light and colour" are natural sources of energy that can help the body to cure itself by non-artificial means and by re-establishing corporal balance.
Cellular Energy
If we think of the therapeutic capacity of "solar light" as a "multi-coloured" energy source, it is easy to understand why certain colours, when considered separately, can be so effective. Each colour has different properties and actions, with different effects, such as: calming, exciting, re-vitalizing, or normalizing.
When a cell is hit by a light wave that has a wavelength equal to its own, a resonance is created. This sort of "agitation" provoked by the absorption of light energy causes chemical / physical changes to take place, is able to restore the molecular resonance and brings a normalizing effect of the cellular function.
Some photochemical phenomena happens everyday. For example, on a bright sunny day when skin is exposed to the sun it will turn brown. Light interacts with molecules, increasing their energy, thereby modifying, or separating them to create new ones. Light colour acts on our cells in various other ways and may be used for therapeutic purposes. Frequently newborn, premature babies, born with jaundice, are treated in hospital under blue light and recover very quickly.
Chromotherapy
Highly sophisticated apparatus, designed to select each colour and deliver the power of energy on the basis of its wavelength, intensity and range of action, is now available to help in the treatment of common beauty problems such as: Excess Fat, Water Retention, Cellulite, Stretch Marks, Solar Redness, Sun Rash, Pre-mature Skin Aging, Dry Skin, Wrinkles, Acne, Oily Skin Prevention of Free Radicals, Slack Skin, Atonic Skin, and Threat Veins.
Selection and duration of exposure to the colour/s used in the treatment is customized, depending on the condition to be treated.
Light Food for Thought
Considering that our physical and mental dispositions are effected by light & colour, it is wise to carefully consider our daily surroundings, i.e.; colour of clothing and paint on our home, or office walls.... Even lighting: Full Spectrum rather than Fluorescent. Many of us work in artifically lit buildings that do not provide sufficient intensity of light to affect the suppression of the hormone "melatonin" and to connect our ciradian Rhythms. Light specialist believe that this mal-illumination may be the heart of many common disorders, including fatigue, depression, suppressed immune function, sleep disorders, skin damage.
After all, a world without light and colour can become a SAD place.
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