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Madina G.'s picture

More on Reality and Color

It truly is intriguing that we have all found some manner of connecting with each other our perceptions of colors, in a way so that we all have the same "language" about them. Yet doesn't this ability to establish this kind of "reality" defy what some were saying that everyone has their own "reality" which is valid by their own perception? People who are colorblind have some sort of defect within their retina, and the way they perceive the world is consequently termed "defective" on this account. Do their I-functions need to work extra hard to construct a story that is more in line with societal constructions of reality as opposed to relying on a story that would satisfy the way their retina receives information upon spotting a color?

I was also fascinated by the notion that there is some sort of correlation between colors and moods, perhaps having something to do with their wavelengths pointed out by Margaux. I'm more inclined, however, to attributing this phenomena to the level of active cones and rods in our retinas. In Seasonal Affective Disorder for example, people experience depression according to how much light is reaching their retina, and as we already know lots of light translates into more active cones. The amount of light, or rather the amount of cones, results in a change in the amount of serotonin and melatonin levels that consequently influence moods. Just like the way the amount of activated cones has an effect on moods we can apply this model to the question about colors. If different colors have different effects on human moods, than it may be due to the types, or subsets, of cones that are activated at that time (M,L or S). Again, this is determined by the amount of light that hits the retina. Therefore, can't we gather from this that the amount of light, not the particular wavelength of the color, is the reason for the differences in moods that are often observed? After all, in a dim or dark room, the color green could look almost brown or black and would have the opposite effect of what one would expect.

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