How Does the Brain See and Process Colors?
The human brain is an amazing organ, capable of perceiving and processing colors in a way that no other creature can. Colors play a vital role in helping us make sense of the world around us, and our brains work hard to process them accurately. In order to understand how our brain see colors, it’s important to know a bit about its anatomy and functioning.
The human eye is made up of three main types of cells known as cones: red, green and blue, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). Each type of cone is sensitive to different wavelengths of light waves which allow the eye to perceive a wide range of colors. These cones are responsible for detecting primary colors (red, green and blue) which are then sent to the brain for further processing. The brain then combines the signals from these different cone types to create all other colors.
Our brains are able to detect colors because of specialized cells in our retinas called cones. These cells detect different wavelengths of light, specifically blue, green, or red light waves. When these waves are combined, they create various other colors in our vision, the AAO said. Scientists believe that humans evolved this type of color vision so that we could more easily distinguish food sources from poisonous plants or predators from harmless animals in our environment.
How Color Helps Our Brain Visualize the World
Color also plays a role in how we interpret and remember information. Studies have shown that colors can increase our recall of facts by up to 80% when compared to black-and-white text. This is because colors help us organize and classify the world around us, making it easier for us to identify different objects and memories. For example, a person may associate certain colors with particular emotions or experiences.
When it comes to decision-making, color can also help guide our choices. Colors are often used as symbols in advertisements to subconsciously influence the decisions we make about what products we buy or services we use. Additionally, research suggests that colors can even affect how we perceive taste; people tend to rate food higher if they are given a plate with more vibrant colors.
Overall, the connection between the human brain and color is complex and fascinating. Color helps us differentiate between objects in our environment, recall information, and make decisions about what we buy or how we interact with others. By understanding how our brains perceive color, we can better understand ourselves as well as the world around us.
Ultimately, a better understanding of this connection allows people including doctors, physicians, and other healthcare professionals to better understand how humans can process information via color. And in return, they use this knowledge to make decisions. This, in particular, is applicable to understanding what’s literally happening right in front of us, or what’s on our minds.
Why the Brain Still Sees Color in Darkness
The way in which the human brain perceives and processes colors is complex and fascinating. For example, when you look at a rainbow, your eyes will detect the different wavelengths of light that make up each color. This information is then sent to the visual cortex of the brain where it’s interpreted as different hues and shades. As your eyes move across the spectrum of colors, neural pathways are activated which allow us to identify and perceive each color accurately.
Humans have an intrinsic ability to recognize colors quickly and accurately due to something known as “color constancy”. This means that regardless of how much light or shadow there is on an object, the brain will still be able to perceive it as the same color. This is because our brains take into account the light sources in a room and adjust accordingly to remember what an object actually looks like. Color constancy helps us make sense of complex scenes with multiple colors more easily and quickly.
Another interesting aspect of color perception is known as “color blindness”. This condition affects roughly 8% of men and 0.5% of women and causes certain colors to appear distorted or even invisible due to difficulty distinguishing between certain wavelengths of light, said Gretchyn Bailey, a former optometric technician. The most common type of color blindness is red-green where people have difficulty distinguishing between these two colors, although other types such as blue-yellow are also relatively common.
Understanding Color Variations and Constancy
Finally, our brains are capable of perceiving even the subtlest differences in color. We can detect small changes in hue, brightness and saturation which helps us differentiate between similar colors. In fact, a study of different cultures showed that they viewed shades of blue and gray differently due to the words used in their native languages. For example, a dark gray may appear as a dark blue for one person, but it may appear the other way around for someone else. This is because our brains have evolved over thousands of years to be able to make sense of the world around us, and color is an important factor in that.
All in all, it’s amazing how much our brains are able to do when it comes to perceiving and processing colors. From accurately identifying hues and shades in a rainbow, to being able to pick out the smallest differences between two objects – there’s no denying that this incredible organ is one of nature’s greatest creations.
How the Visum Light includes Color
With the four wavelengths of red, blue, green and near-infrared, the Visum Light has the unique ability to combine colors to visualize magenta, yellow, turquoise, and white. These allow the brain to process a third color while the body receives the benefits of the tow that are turned on.
This is just one of the abilities of the Visum Light. To learn more and stay in touch with us, you can sign up for our newsletter here.
Resources
Bailey, G. (2019, February 27). Color blindness explained. All About Vision. Retrieved January 12, 2023, from https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/colordeficiency.htm
Color Perception, Linguistic Categorization of Colors in Different Languages and the Role of Language in Color Perception based on Estonian and Russian Languages. Retrieved from https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/color-perception-linguistic-categorization-of-colors-in-different-languages-and-the-role-of-language-in-color-perception-based-on-111635.html
Dzulkifli, M. A., & Mustafar, M. F. (2013, March). The influence of colour on memory performance: A Review. The Malaysian journal of medical sciences : MJMS. Retrieved January 12, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3743993/
How humans see in color. American Academy of Ophthalmology. (2017, September 29). Retrieved January 12, 2023, from https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/how-humans-see-in-color
