Few people think that colors, just like circumstances, situations and people, can influence our mood, well-being and even behavior. Today we will talk about the effect that lilac and violet colors have on the human psyche.
In everyday life, not every person thinks about the fact that color can somehow influence his psyche and mood, however, in fact this is so. Each color has its own meaning and, accordingly, each color has a different effect on the psyche; in this article we will talk about purple and lilac.
Origins of color
In the color system, violet is considered a third-order color, between purple and blue. The etymology of its name has a long history. The Latin word "viola" is believed to have originated first. Later it was borrowed by French and German. In these languages, purple sounds like “violet”. The word "fioletowy" is a Polish version of the name, from which the Russian "violet" comes.
Most people associate this color with violet blossoms. It is classified as cool shades. Purple is the color of luxury, mysticism and nervous instability.
Until the 19th century, when synthetic dyes were invented, obtaining this shade was incredibly difficult. Artists of the Byzantine Empire made purple paint from the ink secretion of mollusks. A small jar of dye required about 250 thousand soft-bodied animals. The paint turned out to be very durable and rich. This shade was rightly called royal.
Symbolism
Johannes Itter wrote that dark purple is the color of disaster. But once it is illuminated, all the mystical horror turns into nobility and peace of mind. This color combines the masculine active and feminine passive principles. It simultaneously conceals depth and challenge, unity and conflict. Purple is a mixture of magical blue and hot red. This is the unity of two irreconcilable elements. Such a union can give either everything or nothing.
Purple is the harmony of opposites that have been reconciled. The cool blue tone calms the vibrant energy of red. Bright impulses of red awaken to life and dilute the dreary depth of blue. Thus, the components of violet color provide it with balance and poise.
Since ancient times, this color has been considered a symbol of everything mystical and inexplicable. In books you can often see magicians and wizards dressed in purple outfits. In religions, the symbolism of this shade belongs to the spiritual sphere. In the mythology of many countries, the color purple is represented by the wise owl. It is a source of secret knowledge, and in some cultures it symbolizes an ascetic lifestyle and repentance.
The color purple is also associated with spiritual rebirth, personality transformation, and the transition from one state to another. Moreover, such spiritual changes occur abruptly and free the soul from everything old and obsolete.
Purple is the color of creativity, but not ordinary, but beyond the limits of consciousness. Esotericists consider it not a human color, but rather an otherworldly one
In Buddhism, purple is the color of the seventh chakra, which is responsible for the highest level of spiritual consciousness. This energy center is located at the crown and symbolizes pure intuition, celestial knowledge and connection with the cosmos.
The ancient Egyptians associated this color with a particle of the soul that remained alive after death. This spiritual element was called the word “Ba” and was depicted in the form of a bird that served Osiris, the god of death.
In Christian mythology, the color violet is a symbol of sacrifice. In ancient Rome, women wore wreaths of violets as a sign of spiritual and physical purity, humility and abstinence.
Significance in psychology
The influence of the color purple on the human psyche is ambiguous. Its “waters” cannot quench your thirst, but you can easily choke. This color is actively used in hypnosis and meditation. If you follow the technique of spiritual practices, purple helps speed up recovery, activate the self-healing program, normalize brain function, improve memory and concentration. It also develops imagination and has an analgesic effect.
In reasonable quantities, violet color can normalize blood pressure, relieve panic attacks, calm the nervous system, and improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system. But this is not a safe medicine. The dose must be clear and correctly selected.
For men
A man’s attraction to the color purple indicates wisdom and experience, as well as a special perception of the world. He is able to see and feel what others cannot. Perhaps he has psychic abilities that he himself is not aware of.
Representatives of the stronger sex who love purple are distinguished by such qualities as:
extraordinary worldview interest in everything mysterious and unexplored desire for deep self-knowledge isolation, taciturnity external coldness strong empathy desire to be useful to other people desire to comprehend higher spiritual matters
This is a classic description of a man who prefers the color purple. But there are exceptions to this rule. Sometimes a passion for purple speaks of a demonstrative nature, a desire to attract the attention of women.
For women
For the fair sex, the purple hue has a completely different meaning. His lovers usually have a strong inner core, but outwardly they may not show any strength of character. They are used to living by the rules that they came up with themselves. These women are individualists who do not tolerate moral pressure.
Psychologists characterize lovers of this color as follows:
value inner freedom love unusual creativity communicate only with those who share their views in relationships “are not exchanged for small coins” have an emotional nature are very vulnerable and sensitive have a keen sense of the souls of other people
Most of those girls who are crazy about the color purple do not know how to dissemble or pretend at all. They don’t know how to hide their emotions, and they don’t see anything wrong with their sincerity.
Purple is considered a feminine color because it carries the energy of emotions and the subconscious.
For children and teenagers
Kids who like purple have a bright and rich imagination. Perhaps these are future artists, writers or designers. Often such children have artistic behavior and try to express themselves as individuals.
It is worth noting that the influence of purple on children, as well as on adults, is quite controversial. This color simultaneously denotes the depth of the soul and demonstrative pride, mysticism and sacrifice, abstinence and craving for vices. Therefore, children who love this color may be tormented by an internal struggle.
Children who are fond of purple things usually have the following psycho-portraits:
they are easily suggestible, but can easily influence others; constant contradictions in feelings and desires bring them discomfort; they are in dire need of encouragement and support; they can often express their feelings and interests in the form of an exciting game; they have strong intuition.
If you like the color lilac: what does it mean?
Personality formation takes place surrounded by colors. The emergence of various associations, mental characteristics and temperament influence the development of certain color preferences. This is what love for purple indicates:
- Creativity, the desire to create. Such people are interested in art. They immerse themselves in their hobbies, abstracting themselves from the outside world. These are creators and researchers.
- Rich fantasy. Lovers of purple are true generators of ideas. They willingly dream and plunge into serious, deep thoughts.
- Closedness. It is difficult for others to attract attention and arouse interest among those who prefer purple shades, since most of them are introverts. They are tired of a long stay in the company, they are wary of friendship and keep close only those who have been tested by time.
- High degree of sensitivity. Such individuals are easy to hook and offend, they have a hard time experiencing stressful situations, and often suffer from low self-esteem and inferiority complexes.
- Highly developed empathy. People who prefer a solitary lifestyle are well aware of the emotional state of others, know how to sympathize and are always open to requests for help.
- Eccentricity. This trait is especially noticeable at a young age, when a person strives to find his place in society and is on the path to developing a value system.
- Happiness comes from touching beauty. Lovers of lilac surround themselves with attractive things, they have delicate taste, and take care of their appearance.
I distinguish three main shades of lilac based on the predominance of cold and warm tones:
- Violet with a dominance of blue is loved by powerful people who find it difficult to get along in a team.
- The prevalence of red is preferred by romantic, sentimental individuals; light purple with a medium combination of heat and cold is chosen by trusting natures who are strongly attached to places and others.
Negative effects of color
Violet is a very energetically strong color, so it is easy to overload the psyche. Psychologists consider it somewhat difficult, so you need to approach violet color therapy with extreme caution.
Purple is known to suppress appetite. It can be useful for overweight people, but thin people should not get carried away with it. Violet in excess reduces the ability to think rationally, causes overexcitation and irritation.
Purple is the color of the chosen ones; one cannot remain indifferent to it. Almost all people react strongly to this color. Some people adore it, others hate it, but it’s difficult to be neutral about this color. A rich, dark shade of purple can have a very bad effect on an unstable psyche. But light lilac shades act more softly.
Experts do not recommend getting carried away by purple people with a phlegmatic temperament. It is also better for melancholic people to avoid it. Constantly surrounding oneself with violet, a person becomes withdrawn and silent, gets carried away by mystical practices and withdraws from reality.
Women
Women who love the color purple are dreamy and ephemeral; it’s never boring with them. They live in their own reality, understandable only to them, and are guided by their own principles and rules. Moreover, such people never break the law and are very conservative. They do not strive for power, but since they have developed intuition, they are often useful in distributing advice to the person “at the helm.” They are prone to mood swings, going from one extreme to another, from panic to euphoria. They are vulnerable, sensitive and emotional, although outwardly they try not to show their vulnerability. Such women need the patronage and protection of a “strong shoulder.”
Shades of purple
The color purple has many unusual shades. There are 196 of them in the Panton palette. Here are the main ones:
Amethyst
It has a pink undertone, so it is characterized as warmer and more pleasant. Denotes fantasy, tenderness, dreaminess.
Eggplant
Has an admixture of black. Deep and rich, but can be light and dark. A darker eggplant emphasizes depth, while a lighter one can look flashy and vulgar.
Indigo
A mixture of dark blue and dark purple. A mystical and calm color that is associated with wisdom and balance.
Lavender
This is a light shade of lilac with a hint of gray. It looks very gentle and fresh, evokes positive emotions.
Purple
Elegant and ceremonial color. Combines blue and pink shades. Gives a feeling of celebration and well-being.
Combination with other colors
If we are talking about light shades of purple, then they look better in low-contrast compositions. Darker and deeper shades take advantage of combinations with other rich colors. Bright purple color suppresses all other colors, so the best option would be a combination of its moderate shade and other muted tones.
Purple and pink
A mysterious and juicy combination, it is not intrusive. A cool shade of moderate pink seems to be a continuation of the purple tone. The richer the pink color, the more the depth of the purple is emphasized, and the lighter it is, the clearer its contours become against the background of the main color.
Purple and red
Red color is one of the integral components of purple, so this combination is both contrasting and complementary. This is a sensual and exciting color union, enveloping the consciousness with unusual and mysterious images.
Purple and burgundy
This is a calmer, but no less deep and effective combination. Noble crimson shades softly set off the main color. Cherry, wine and ruby tones also look good in combination with a moderately saturated purple color.
Purple and orange
This combination cannot be called harmonious, because the proximity of these colors looks defiant and catchy. The strong contrast of warm and cold tones creates tension. But if in general these colors create a contradictory impression, then in the case of individual combinations you can get a very interesting and successful combination. For example, eggplant color harmonizes perfectly with coral and peach shades.
What does dislike for the color lilac mean?
A pronounced dislike for shades of purple also says a lot about character and other personality traits:
- Practicality, confidence. Such people do not like to have their head in the clouds, but prefer to work and achieve specific, tangible results. They live for today.
- Restraint. Emotionality is considered more of a disadvantage than a virtue. Because of this, it is not easy for such individuals to understand and accept the feelings of others. In everything they are accustomed to being guided by logic and reason, and not by sensations and experiences.
- Purposefulness, perseverance. The more effort, the greater the result. This is the motto of those who do not consider themselves admirers of the color lilac.
Lovers of purple
Psychologists characterize lovers of this unusual color as extraordinary, creative and freedom-loving people. Their life is full of surprises and surprises. Their life path resembles an attraction. They only dream of peace.
Most purple lovers are sociable individuals. Sometimes they need pauses in activity, during which they seem to hibernate. But this is the “calm before the storm”, a rest before new achievements.
A person who likes the color purple is quite sociable, but he is only interested in conversations on philosophical and mystical topics. He may seem like an eccentric to those around him, so, as a rule, such individuals are looking for their own circle of friends.
Only “select” people, endowed with amazing intuition and the ability to understand inexplicable things, can experience a strong craving for purple shades
These people are “not of this world”; they are very smart by nature. They don't have to spend hours reading books to gain valuable knowledge. It’s as if the cosmos itself sends them heavenly wisdom, and they only pass it on to other people.
Often, purple lovers are interested in magic, esotericism, and paranormal phenomena. They are fearless and strong in spirit, but are often deprived of health. This is a kind of payment for high intelligence and superpowers.
Men
Intellectuals with a keen eye for observation. In life they notice more negative things, that is, they think in a pessimistic way. They are kind, understanding, but do not like to give advice, because they believe that a person should be responsible for himself and decide what to do. They love independence in everything, so they set the rules by which they live themselves. Men who prefer purple are aesthetes by nature. Although they may come across as vain and arrogant, they usually are not. They rarely say what they think, but their facial expressions reveal their true thoughts.
Use in clothing
Violet shades in the wardrobe are preferred by extraordinary and courageous people, most often women. Things of this color are worn by girls who strive to be original. Purple is truly capable of creating a unique and memorable image, but only a person with good taste can combine it correctly with other colors.
It's easy to overdo it with purple, so it's better to have one or two things of this shade. This could be a light lilac blouse or a summer dress. If we are talking about evening wear, then dresses in rich purple shades will look luxurious and advantageous. But it is worth noting that such an outfit requires an almost perfect image. Hairstyle, makeup, shoes - everything should be on point.
Bright shades of purple suit hot brunettes, but girls with blond hair need to be careful with them. For blondes, clothes in a pale lilac shade are suitable. If we are talking about a purple headdress or scarf, then in this case it is also worth paying attention to gentle and restrained tones.
Interesting Facts
Purple is monochrome. In the color spectrum it is defined as an independent separate color. There are different variations of it. For example, in terms of its meaning, the light lilac color in psychology is in no way inferior to rich purple. This is not surprising; this phenomenon is common among other flowers.
The following facts are known about the color purple:
- in past times, only people of aristocratic origin could afford purple clothes;
- purple was considered the color of funerals and mourning;
- among ancient tribes it was a symbol of power;
- purple is used in national emblems;
- it appears during various chemical reactions of acids and can become red or blue in color of varying brightness.
A funny story happened in one of the zoos. A veterinarian gave medicine to a polar bear when it fell ill. Due to an allergy, the animal's fur turned purple, but after a while it returned to its previous state. Crowds of townspeople gathered to look at the funny bear, painted lilac.
People of creative professions have a special love for this color: musicians, film directors.
For the people of Armenia, purple became the color of grief, in memory of those killed during the genocide, as a result of the actions of the Ottoman Empire in 1915-1923. The purple forget-me-not was chosen as a symbol of tragedy. An emblem depicting this plant was dedicated to the 100th event in 2015.
Purple color in the interior
Purple color can be used in the interior of an apartment or office, but you should use light and delicate shades so as not to create an oppressive and heavy atmosphere. Purple in the interior goes well with white and gray. You can add a brighter color - light green, purple or orange.
Purple accents in the room help develop creative imagination and focus on studies. They calm hyperactive individuals and stimulate passive ones. This color will be appropriate in the offices of creative people who need constant inspiration.
Muted hues of wine, eggplant and plum in the kitchen distract attention from clutter, they are practical and stylish. In addition, purple tones help you lose weight because they suppress excess appetite.
In the living room, purple shades are very appropriate, provided that the room is well lit. They provide an atmosphere of solemnity and look majestic, especially in combination with accessories made of gold, silver and crystal.
As for the bedroom, here you can put furniture with purple elements in colors. The walls can be light lilac, plain or with a small pattern. In the bedroom there should be purple shades in moderation, especially if it is a children's room. It is best to use two or three small interior items, for example, a painting, a rug by the bed, or an ottoman.
In the interior, purple is best combined with white, black, gray, burgundy and lilac. In general, it is advisable that there be no more than two or three flowers.
Purple color will add spice to the bathroom. It will lift your spirits in the morning and relieve stress in the evening. You can use tiles with a purple pattern and frame the mirror area with purple. Thus, purple will distract attention from tired and ugly images.
How to choose the right color of clothes?
Knowing what effect a particular color has on your interlocutor, and correctly using this knowledge in practice, you can win him over to your side:
- red helps a person striving for success achieve their goals, eliminates doubts and encourages them to make the right choice;
- if an important meeting is planned, at which you will need to quickly make informed decisions, you should give preference to a blue suit;
- green helps to cope with excessive anxiety and recharges your energy;
- white will help convince the interlocutor of the correctness of the desired point of view and win him over;
- yellow calms, promotes creativity and mental activity;
- Psychology attributes the color violet with the ability to enhance a person’s intuition; it also helps to overcome one’s inner fears and cope with melancholy;
- For people seeking to make a career in trade, the color orange will help them recharge with optimism and positivity and make it easier to establish contact with partners.
With the help of the right color of clothing, you can manipulate people around you, making them think that they themselves made this or that decision.
Use in advertising
The color purple is not often used for advertising purposes. On the one hand, it brings concentration and harmony, and on the other, disunity and internal struggle. It also stimulates creativity, makes you delve deeper into yourself, and realize your true desires.
Marketers use this color to promote products that have just entered the market. These can be new products made with a creative approach, as well as various products for creativity. Most often, several purple elements are used in advertisements to unobtrusively place the right accents.
Purple evokes mixed feelings because it combines the feminine and masculine. Experienced advertisers use it to influence people who want to challenge society, change radically, and start life from scratch. The greatest effect is achieved with a combination of purple and bright yellow.
Purple helps you escape from reality, relax, and immerse yourself in the world of dreams and fantasies. Therefore, this color is suitable for decorating sweets, alcoholic beverages, perfume, and toys.
For children
More often, purple has a depressing effect on the child’s psyche. This is the color of children who are insecure and poorly adapt to new living conditions. If violet shades predominate in a child’s drawings, then this is an alarming sign for parents. The purple color speaks of the child’s possible hidden depression, a desire to escape reality into his own imaginary world.
It should be remembered that a child’s nervous system is formed before the age of 5; young children simply like bright colors, including purple. Therefore, it is too early to draw conclusions about the mental health of children under 5 years old based on the drawings.
Health effects
As already mentioned, the effect of this color on health is not clear. It all depends on the individual characteristics of each organism. According to scientists, the area of influence of violet is the pineal gland, located in the diencephalon. This is where all the “mental” signals come from, so purple is heavy and should be used with caution.
An excess of this color can cause depression and depression. The appropriateness of treating children with this color is questionable. But a moderate amount of purple stimulates brain function, normalizes the lymphatic system, improves the functioning of the spleen and parathyroid glands. This color has also been proven to be effective in combating migraines as it acts as a pain reliever. Purple can enhance the effect of anesthetics and narcotics.
