Colour is often seen through the lens of pure science: a matter of wavelengths, photoreceptors in our eyes, and neural pathways. However, a deeper look reveals that our lived experience of colour is a rich tapestry woven from memory, culture, and emotion.
The Science of Sight Versus the Poetry of Perception
In isolation, the phenomenon of colour can be reduced to physics and biology. It involves specific light wavelengths being detected by the cones and rods in our retinas, followed by complex neural processing in the brain. This is the fundamental, mechanical process that allows us to see a spectrum. Yet, this clinical explanation falls short of capturing what colour truly means to us as human beings.
As we navigate life, colour transforms. It becomes inseparable from our personal history and cultural context. The blue of a childhood bedroom ceiling, the vibrant red of a festival sari, or the golden hue of a memorable sunset are not just visual data. They are embedded with feelings, stories, and significance that pure science cannot quantify.
Language as a Brushstroke on Memory's Canvas
Our words play a crucial role in this process. The language we use to describe colours actively edits and shapes our memories of them. By labelling a shade, we file it away in our mind with a specific identity, which can be recalled and even altered over time. This interaction suggests that our perception is not a passive recording but an active, ongoing construction.
The way different cultures categorize colours also influences this mental palette. Some languages have distinct words for shades that others group together, potentially leading to subtle differences in how those hues are perceived and remembered. This highlights the profound connection between language, mind, and heart in our experience of the visual world.
Implications for Understanding the Human Experience
This perspective moves the discussion of colour from laboratories into the realms of psychology, anthropology, and art. It underscores that our reality is subjective, painted not just by light but by the narratives of our lives. Understanding this can change how we view everything from art and design to the ways we communicate and connect with our own past.
The insights remind us that human experience is a blend of the tangible and the intangible. The next time you recall a colour, you might be retrieving not just a visual fact, but a piece of your personal history, gently coloured by the words you've used to describe it.
This analysis was highlighted by Rashmi Vasudeva in a piece last updated on 27 December 2025.
