What does the color lilac mean in Psychology?

A review of the concepts and sensations related to this shade of violet.

The color lilac is one of the shades of violet, which is generated by the combination of the latter with the color white. Violet, in turn, can be obtained by the combination of a cold color (blue) and a warm color (red).

Both violet and lilac have been related to different psychological and cultural meanings, which we will see developed below. different psychological and cultural meanings, which we will see developed below.

Description and characteristics of this color

The lilac color is named after the botanical species syringa vulgaris, which includes flowers whose distinctive feature is this color. It includes a Wide range of shades ranging from light lilac to common lilac, French lilac, mauve and lavender.

Likewise, lilac can be obtained by combining violet with white the combination of the violet color with the white colorIt is therefore considered to be one of the many types of violet that exist. Other derivatives of violet are for example purple, purple or burgundy. Each varies according to the intensity of the violet itself.

Violet is considered one of the primary colors by the RGB System (Red, Green, Blue), which is the chromatic analysis developed by Isaac Newton through the decomposition of sunlight. This decomposition was obtained by means of a glass prism with various wavelengths, which achieved a chromatic circle with the colors violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red.

For the RGB system, white light can be recreated by the sum of three colored lights: green, blue-violet and red-orange. These lights are those that cannot be obtained by the combination of others, so they are considered the primary colors. This system is the one that has been used to analyze the luminous properties, not pigmentary, of each color.of each color.

For the analysis of their pigmentary properties (which has allowed the systematization of colors in inks), another system known as CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key) was developed. In this system, the colors that cannot be obtained by mixing others are blue, yellow and red (the primary colors); with the addition of black as a base pigment. For CMYK, violet is a secondary color, which emerges from the combination of red and blue. Lilac is generated by the combination of violet and white, so it is considered one of the many shades of the former.

How do we perceive lilac?

In the retina of the human eye, violet and lilac are perceived by the simultaneous excitation of blue cones and red cones, located in the fovea (at the center of the macula lutea of the eye). These cones act as trichromatic receptors through the optic nerve, which is responsible for communicating chromatic messages to the brain.

Through a wavelength of between 380 and 420 nm (which unfolds upon exposure to the chromatic stimulus), blue and red lights are generated, which finally allow us to perceive violet, as well as its different shades.as well as its different tonalities.

This is one of the descriptions of the mechanisms of color processing offered by physiology. However, psychology and anthropology have also explained some of the individual and cultural meanings of colors. Let us look at some of them below.

Meaning of lilac in psychology

For psychology, color is closely related to emotions. After perceiving the chromatic ranges through the optic nerve, the rest of our system activates different emotions. system activates different emotions related to our personal and socio-cultural experiences with each color.

For example, for color psychology, cold colors, such as blue, are par excellence those that transmit feelings of tranquility, while warm colors, such as red, are those that generate excitement. At the same time, as proposed by Eva Heller (2004), each color can change its meaning depending on how it is mixed with other colors.

In this sense, the same author proposes that the color lilac has been related in Western culture to an ambiguous image of cosmetics, vanity and maturity in women.. In other shades, the color violet can be related to frivolousness and at the same time to originality.

Also, being in one of the lowest shades of violet, the color lilac has been associated with tranquility, sweetness, warmth, restraint and low impact. and low impact. It is not usually associated with negative behaviors; on the contrary, it is associated with sensitivity, empathy, kindness, balance and maturity.

All of the above has served to use colors strategically according to the sensations and emotions they want to provoke. This has impacted different spheres, ranging from psychotherapy to architecture and marketing. For example, it was the representative color of the extravagance of the art nouveau.

Cultural meanings of lilac

Colors not only activate perceptions and emotional experiences at the individual level, but can also mobilize different social codes depending on how they have been used culturally. Even within the same culture, the meaning of colors and their shades can vary. For example, in Europe the color purple implies penitence, while the color violet in light tones is related to humility..

In the same sense, one of the first classifications of color according to its social meanings was made by Goethe, who related the color violet, at a moral level, with the useless or profitable. On an intellectual level, he related it to fantasy and the unreal. On a social status level he identified it with artists, and on a cultural tradition level with spirituality, magic and theology.

In fact, for the church, violet and its various shades have symbolized love and truth, albeit in constant tension with passion and suffering. They are in fact the colors associated with representative seasons such as Lent and Advent, which are celebrated before Easter and before Christmas respectively. On the same dates, these colors are used in the habits of the bishops.

On the other hand, in South America, the color purple was associated with joybecause it was found in abundance in different flowers and crops throughout the year. Finally, in recent times, the color violet has been associated with feminist movements in different parts of the world.

Bibliographical references:

• Heller, E. (2004). Psychology of color. How colors act on feelings and reason. Editorial Gustavo Gili: Spain.
• Llorente, C. (2018). Comparative analysis of chromatic symbology in advertising. Nike in China and Spain. Vivat Academica. Revista de Comunicación, 142: 51-78.
• Parodi Gastañeta, F. (2002). Chromosemiotics. The meaning of color in visual communication. Retrieved September 17, 2018. Available at http://200.62.146.19/bibvirtualdata/publicaciones/comunicacion/n3_2002/a07.pdf.
• Rivera, M. A. (2001). Perception and meaning of color in different social groups. Revista Imagen, 53: 74-83.