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How
to successfully approach the massive subject matters of light and colour
together in one volume is a very tall order for any author. The book is
divided into three main sections:
Part
One Light in your life, covering the subject matter of light, (whether
natural or artificial) in our lives;
Part
Two Light and Colour Therapies covers thirty three types of light and
colour therapies currently known to be in existence;
Part
Three Light-Responsive Conditions; this section gives practical advice
and tips on a range of medical or psychological conditions, ranging from
skin to convalescence, which can be improved using light and /or colour.
Dr
Penny Stanway has attempted to cover a very large subject area in one
volume. In Part One the eight chapters move from the very scientific material
such as ‘How we receive light through our eyes and skin’ with an electron
micrograph of the human retina, to a short 22 word paragraph on page 15
on Ghosts!
“No
one knows whether seeing ghosts involves perceiving a light from a paranormal
phenomenon or seeing an image created by the unconscious mind.”
I
found the mix of ‘scientific versus the mystical’ information on several
pages to be baffling. Trying to mix traditional scientific knowledge and
information with subject matter such as ‘Near Death Experience’ is tricky
at the best of times! The book bounces backwards and forwards from one
extreme to the other, i.e. much technical and medical input followed by
loose, unquantifiable statements about NDE on page 15, such as:
“Whether this is a premature view of the afterlife
or a phenomenon created by oxygen-starved brain cells is unknown.”
One would
have hoped that the author here would have given more information on research
currently being conducted in this field or more positive input. The subject
of NDE is touched upon lightly and is left ‘wide open’, with the reader
having many questions unanswered.
The
second chapter ‘Light unwrapped’ covers traditional subject material such
as sunlight, rainbows and sunsets. There are a couple of chapters here
where the content could have been taken from any book on Colour Therapy,
such as ‘Using colour in your home’. The interior design photos showing
how colour affects our living spaces, to the topic of ‘Choosing colours
to flatter your skin’. Again, I feel as though the subject material is
being too widely spread, to cover every aspect of light and colour. Perhaps
I was expecting to receive a more ‘holistic’ health title from Dr Stanway,
rather than reading a suggestion about trying on a headscarf to see if
my skin tone has any yellow in it – to help me choose my makeup colours
more easily!
Chapter
5, which covers UV, rays and the importance of Vitamin D is extremely
well written. Informative and interestingly presented, it adds a depth
of knowledge to the book. The Chapter entitled ‘How light and darkness
affect what matters most’ is also constructive about the subject matter.
This chapter covers the effects of day and night on the body and the production
of serotonin and melatonin. However, the next chapter entitled ‘Lighten
your darkness’ moves into the subject of religion and the spiritual significance
of light and colour. Perhaps a separation of the scientific and spiritual
aspects of the book would have allowed the different styles of information
and material in a more coherent format. I say this because in the Second
Part, where the 33 Holistic Therapies are described, there are many instances
of ‘there is no evidence for specific healing effects’ – (Coloured Light),
‘There is no proof that colour acupuncture works but it could be worth
trying’ and ‘The evidence that such therapies work is hugely anecdotal’
– Crystal healing.
The
final part of the book is set out in a more traditional health book format
covering medical conditions related to the Skin, Eyes, Lungs and breathing,
Blood, blood vessels and the heart, Digestive system, all the major body
systems and Immunity and general Wellbeing. I found this to be the most
constructive area of the book. My only criticism here is the over-use
of the same photo images throughout the design. The two male office workers
first seen on page 77 have appeared in the book no less than six times,
obviously highlighting the effects of SAD syndrome, depression, Alzheimer’s
disease, migraine, dyslexia and multiple sclerosis. The repetition of
the photographic material appeared to show a lack of understanding of
the need to present the subject of colour (throughout the book) in an
interesting way. The photographs used in the book are not different enough
to give Dr Stanway’s work the platform it requires for such a massive
subject area. I also found the typeface rather small throughout, and I
have excellent eyesight!
Conclusion
This
is an ideal book for a person who wishes to expand their understanding
of how light and colour interact in day-to-day life. However, there are
areas where the subject matter has perhaps been too condensed in some
areas, or treated very lightly, with no real answers. It is difficult
to provide a book where pure scientific knowledge is expected to equally
share a platform with complementary therapies where there has not been
the funding for medical research into these areas to be carried out! I
hope that the readers of this book will feel encouraged enough to explore
the colour and light therapies contained within this book.
About
the Reviewer
Alison Bourne is a writer and holistic therapist who works within the
medical profession and has specialised in the field of palliative care.
She is a full member of the International Federation of Aromatherapists
MIFA, Member of the Association of Reflexologists MAR and full healer
member of the NFSH (National Federation of Spiritual Healers.) Her new
book Colour Breathing will shortly be available from all bookshops,
published by Energy Press. (£19.95); www.colourbreathing.com
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