Purple is an intense color resulting from the union of red and blue and represents the conjunction of the strength of the first with the stillness of the second. This color, in fact, is the result of the mixture of two contrasting, almost opposite tones, a characteristic that gives it a multitude of meanings: it is the color of transformation, of mystery, of constant search, sometimes also of suffering. Depending on its tones, it can evoke different sensations, all subject to individual interpretation. Jung defined purple, the color that is “between the human and the divine, the union of two natures.” With this Psychology-Online article we will discover together the meaning of the color purple in psychology.
What does the color purple mean?
Purple is the meeting of two diametrically opposed colors both for their physiological and psychological meaning. The penetrating and active force of red is cushioned by the satisfying calm of blue. Therefore the stimulus appears ambiguous. You can think of purple as a scale precision where one plate measures the sedative effect of blue on the parasympathetic, and the other plate measures each oscillation of red and its exciting action. Basically, purple shows awareness.
From a psychological point of view, the lilac color expresses delicacy, aesthetic sensitivity and magical thinking. Sexuality (red) is extinguished and transformed through blue into seduction, into an aesthetic dimension. Purple represents the transition between the two opposite colors blue and red and the achievement of harmony of these two produces what N. Cusano calls “coincidentia oppositorum” and the highest level corresponds to mystical intuition. Levy-Bruhl, in his anthropological studies on tribal religions, was also able to confirm that purple is the color of magical identification and mystical participation.
The shape of purple is that of a rhombus (penetrating aspects of red) with rounded sides (regressive and welcoming aspects of blue) that is distinguished by its harmony and balance.
Interpretations of the color purple
It has been seen that purple is the preferred color for people with hormonal and endocrinological alterations, including women throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding included. If purple is naturally preferred in girls, the exaggerated choice of this color in adulthood may indicate infantilism, suggestion, seductive aspects, emotional lability and hypersensitivity. The rejection of purple indicates a blockage of one’s own sensitivity for fear of having to give up one’s independence or for fear of exposing one’s Self to greater vulnerability. The rejection of purple is often accompanied by a susceptible and egocentric attitude, little inclined to empathy, sensitivity and identification.
The meaning of the color purple in cultures
Culture also influences the meaning given to the color purple. Let’s see the meaning of the color violet in each context:
- What does the color purple mean spiritually? Purple is associated with mystery, mysticism, penitence, the unconscious, the secret, superstition, melancholy, death, fear, piety, frustration, fasting, fascination. , to humility, to dream and to magic.
- In Christianity, The color lilac is linked to repentance, atonement and reflection. Its primary colors, united in equal parts, represent wisdom and love; in fact, on ancient paintings of the Passion of Christ, the Savior has been represented with a violet cloak. It is also an ecclesiastical color used during the meditation period of Advent, which prepares for the festival of Christmas and Lent, the period of repentance before Easter.
- In the Eastpurple is linked to vice and evil, particularly in Japan it evokes sin and fear and that is why its use in marriages is prohibited.
- In Venezuela and Türkiye, The color purple is associated with mourning.
- Purple is the seventh chakra energy center.
- A sociological analysis shows that violet is one of the colors least appreciated by people.
The color purple in neuromarketing
Purple in neuromarketing evokes mystery, spirituality, vanity, fantasy, magic, wisdom, fashion, success and luxuryand for this reason it is used in the cosmetics sector, especially perfumes and fashion (generally women’s), in the recreational sector, in the ecclesiastical sector, in the childhood and communication sector.
Its use is advisable to paint the walls of environments where concentration and solitude are needed because it seems to help free oneself from anxieties and immerse oneself in oneself, which is why it is useful in the rooms of writers or students. For the same reason, it is inadvisable in communal rooms, such as living rooms and kitchens.
In the professional field, it seems that it is the color that inspires respect and institutionality and therefore could be used for medical and legal studies. Furthermore, it seems to be ideal in the bedrooms of couples in crisis because it would help them regain serenity and awaken desire.
The color purple in feminism
Red and blue are the colors of sexual difference: its mixture awakens in women a sense of emancipation and the will to not be considered only in their feminine part, but as people as a whole. Precisely for this reason the color purple is effective in becoming a symbolic spokesperson for the feminist movement.
This is where the term “purplewashing” was born: the prefix “purple” is associated with the belief of feminism while the verb “wash” is used to denounce co-optation strategies that use minority rights to maintain or reinforce structural forms of discrimination. In the context of feminism, it is used to describe a variety of political and marketing strategies to promote countries, people, companies and other organizations through a call for gender equality. The word is also used to criticize how Western countries that have not achieved full gender equality justify it by highlighting that other countries or cultures still have a worse quality of life for women.
Know the.
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Bibliography
- Cesarini Argiroffo, G. (2018). The meaning of the color: the viola. Retrieved from: https://www.giornaledipsicologia.it/il-significato-dei-colori-il-viola/
- Del Longo, N. (2011). Lüscher’s color test. Diagnostic manual in età evolutiva. Milan: Franco Angeli.