The ONA Foundation

The Color of Foundation

As you learned in Workshop Zero, each System has a color associated with it. By studying its color and that color's psychological effects, one can enhance one's understanding of the System. In addition, by working with that color, the System itself can be energized.

To understand the mechanisms working here, let's look at the science behind colors.

Colors

One reason the Hindus recognized the chakra system as being composed of seven levels is that they could see seven colors. Since then, research has shown that the number of colors Humans perceive in a rainbow is exactly the number of colors they have primary names for! A couple of African tribes, for example, have names for only two colors ("warm" and "cool") and perceive just those two colors in a rainbow, though their eyes are built just like anybody else's.

Primary colors are composed of light vibrating at specific frequencies. The highest visible frequency (and, therefore, shortest wavelength) is violet; the lowest visible frequency (and, therefore, longest wavelength) is red.

The invisible colors above violet, we call ultra-violet; the invisible colors below red we group as infra-red.

We determine frequency via the following formula:

where Velocity is the speed of light (2.997925 x 10⁺⁸ meters per second).

Although the colors do not take up even spaces on the spectrum—we perceive a wider range as "red" than we do "yellow"—If we accept a "red" wavelength of 675 nm, and place each successive color just 50 nm lower, we wind up with the following colors and frequencies:

The Hindus who developed the seven-level chakra system, quite clearly saw red as the color of the first chakra (which, in ONA, corresponds to System Three). That's why they developed a seven-level system: Even though they could sense the energy of the first and second Systems, because they did not radiate in a way that corresponded to a color in the visible spectrum, the Hindus relegated these Systems to the realm of "minor chakras". (They actually ascribed "deep reds" to the lower chakras, certainly an accurate way of describing infra-red.)

But, now we know that light doesn't have to be visible to be real. We can extend the spectrum as needed to represent as many chakras, centers or Systems as we want, with the understanding that there will not be simple, visible, Crayola-style colors for the additional Systems.

The actual color of Foundation, then, is double infra-red—that is, its wavelength is 100 nm less than red.

Unfortunately, our eyes are not constructed to perceive this color. We can sense it as warmth or heat, but as a color it is invisible for the most part. Some people can envision it, just the same, if they have a lot of experience working with the visible spectrum. You can make use of handy substitutes for the invisible colors, effects rather than colors, effects that have psychological connotations related to the System to which we've assigned them:

The Effects of Color

As described above, the actual color of Foundation is "double-infrared" (wavelength of 775 nm) but since most people have trouble visualizing this (and Human eyes aren't equipped to see it), we suggest the use of brown as a psychologically-appropriate substitute.

According to The Power of Color by Dr. Morton Walker (Avery Publishing Group), brown (the color of ground) has unique characteristics and ways of affecting people. Man's social interaction with brown manifested as the color assigned to peasants during the Middle Ages; it can be associated with humility, autumn, harvest and nature. It can be dark, neutral, yet still have considerable richness and depth.

The physiological responses to brown, as identified by many color therapists, are that it influences the internal organs and mind in an enhancing way. Brown is stated to be a homeostatic color and lends a sense of security. The presence of brown helps:

• Stimulate the formation of prostaglandin E1. Prostaglandin is a hormone-like substance in the tissues and body fluids. It has many functions, and it factors in the actions of the womb, brain, lungs, kidney, and semen. Brown's effect on prostaglandin E1 is therefore significant for the body's overall normal functioning.

• Increase tryptophan amino acid levels that influence sleep, migraine headaches, immunity, and moods.

Brown, as a personality indicator, suggests an inner security and exhibits strength and confidence. Duties are performed conscientiously; money is spent efficiently; things are brought into order. Brown focuses upon honesty as a value, a sense of self-worth, a person who is definite in habits and convictions, dependable and steady and bargains well.

Wearing brown suggests that you want to experience an inner feeling of security, prevent a loss of physical body weight, stabilize any inconsistent activities in your physical body or in your life, calm and soothe excesses in your mental activity.