There are metaphors like “Do I see the gray world? Or it’s all so dark that we usually hear as a reference for images of anguish, deep sadness and depression. Come on, where do these metaphors come from?Symbolically?Is it possible for a depressed person to see the world around him differently?
Ludger Tebartz van Elst, a professor at the University of Freiburg, asked all the questions detailed above and, as a result, decided to study the correlation between depressive images and color perception and vision. Through their analysis, the findings have determined that, certainly, depressed people perceive the universe around them unequally, compared to people who are not in such conditions.
- The study began by analyzing the electrical responses of the retinas (in charge of “visualizing contrasts”).
- Both in people without depression and in depressed people.
- For each of these groups a table with grayscale indicators was shown.
- As scientists manipulated their tones at the ends of black and white.
- In order to document the greater or lesser activation of retinal cells in relation to these stimuli.
The results are undeniable: non-depressed people have greater activation of retinal cells than depressed people What does that mean?Let depressed people see colors with less brightness and intensity, as if, in front of their eyes, there is a crystal that tends to erase colors, something like a gray crystal.
The biological cause of this phenomenon is, according to scientists, in dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is one of the substances that most destabilizes people with depression and that, once released, activates retinal cells, among other effects.
In light of these findings, several researchers at the University of Dresden decided to take this study to the next level, wondering if depression affects other senses beyond sight, gathered 42 people (50% of whom were in depressive conditions) and received different perfumes. .
The results of this other study were similar: depressed people reacted less to aromas and felt them with less intensity. What’s the cause? Studies have concluded that during depression, the process of neurogenesis is significantly broken down, which decreases the number of mitral cells in our brain bulb, related to smell.
If you’re going through a depressive state, it’s very important that you see a professional who can provide you with tools to help you find solutions to situations that bother you.
The world is full of color, in every sense of the word, and each of us has the right to appreciate its quality and diversity, in this way all our senses can live up to the experience, returning all colors to our lives.