How Lighting Affects Emotion

Physiological Effects

• Light deprivation can affect natural physiological rhythms. For example, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), according to the Mayo Clinic, can make people feel depressed when the days get shorter during the winter months. The cycle of day and night, called circadian rhythm, helps regulate the hormone melatonin, and a lack of light can interfere with its production, leading to physiological imbalances. In contrast, an abundance of light is thought to help many common disorders, including SAD. In a technique called "light therapy," doctors use high-powered, daylight colored lights to treat some mental illnesses.
  
  

Intensity

• Although light can be strongly influential on psychological well-being, it also has more subtle impacts as a visual cue to trigger feelings and emotions. One of the most important aspects of light is its intensity. According to InvitingHome.com, "higher levels of lighting generally produce cheerful effects and stimulate people to alertness and activity, whereas lower levels tend to create an atmosphere of relaxation, intimacy and restfulness."
  
  

Color

• Color paired with light plays a tremendous role in setting mood. The crimson light of an ambulance in our rearview mirror immediately alerts us to danger, ratcheting up our anxiety and demanding we get out of the way. The warm golden glow of candlelight makes us feel relaxed and romantic. The bright yellow light from a sunrise helps gives us energy for the day.
  
  

Frequency

• Not only are those ambulance lights blood red, they're also pulsing with a quick, jarring rhythm. Flashing lights get our attention, whether they're part of a fire alarm or a neon sign, and make us excited or anxious. Consider the use of strobe lights in haunted houses and contrast that with the constant illumination on flags and public buildings, which connotes stability and strength.
  
  

Focused and Diffuse Light

• Lamps come with lampshades for a reason: Diffuse light relaxes us and softens our facial features, easing tensions. Hard, focused light---like that of a spotlight or the harsh light above the bathroom mirror---casts things in strict, sharp relief, which can make us feel restless and nervous.