Light Therapy, also known as phototherapy, is a treatment that utilizes natural sunlight or specific artificial light to treat various conditions and illnesses. Light therapy can consist of using electric light tuned to a specific color of the light spectrum, sunshine, or infrared light. Light therapy can be used to relieve stress, anxiety, and to work in conjunction with other modalities to help align chakras, or to treat a myriad of health conditions.
As we have learned, particularly in the last couple of years during the rise of COVID, light matters. It was recommended that we get a minimum amount of sunlight a day to help combat COVID. Sunlight was also used during the Spanish Influenza to help treat patients. Light therapy has gained popularity since the 1900’s but is believed to date back to the early Egyptians who were said to have built temples specifically for healing with sunlight and multicolored lights. Ancient Chinese and Indian texts also discuss the use of color in healing.
Throughout history, most major civilizations have understood the healing power of light. Sunbathing was common in Assyria, Babylon and Egypt. Heliopolis, the ancient Greek city, was known for its healing temples that utilized light rooms. It is believed they utilized cloths dyed in specific colors, which were believed to have different healing powers.
In the 1800’s Edwin Babbitt wrote The Principles of Color. He believed in treating patients using specific colors of light and “Solar Elixirs” made from infusing water with sunlight, then filtering the water with special filters. His studies showed that the water infused with sunlight had healing properties. This method is still used today by many in conjunction with crystal therapies and other modalities.
In the late 1800’s, ultra-violet light was discovered to have anti-bacterial properties. Neils Ryberg Fisen’s work with red-light therapy helped with healing smallpox and lupus. Sun therapy was later utilized to help treat patients with Tuberculosis and to help fight the Spanish Flu. It was also used to treat depression, skin conditions and a host of other medical issues, to include pain.
Post-World War II, with the success of antibiotics, the pharmaceutical industry took hold, and more natural therapies were found to be unsupported by science. These were often categorized as “alternative medicine” and their mainstream use declined. This began to change in the early 1970’s when it was demonstrated that different light wavelengths can influence cellular function in plants and humans. The term “mal-illumination”, first used by John Ott, suggested that people may be exposing themselves to this condition by spending too much time under artificial light. This theory led Ott to create the first “full-spectrum” fluorescent tube. He later studied its effects on school aged children. The use of the “full-spectrum” light showed an improvement in behavior and academic performance.
Popp, a German biophysicist, discovered that every human cell radiates a minimum of 100,000 pulses of light per second at numerous frequencies. He further discovered that even weak light emissions at low intensity levels controlled the body and that the light in the human body may play a part in determining health and illness.
In the 1984, Dr. Norman Rosenthal published his findings and was the first to recognize Seasonal Affective Disorder. He noticed that he suffered from depression during the fall and winter months, not beginning to feel better until Spring. His findings led to the first “light box” or light therapy lamps.
In the 1990’s more studies were undertaken to include detailed studies of LED and infrared light therapies. NASA has even applied the use of LED light therapies for healing wounds in astronauts, as wounds take longer to heal in zero gravity. Professor Smaoilova, a biologist in St. Petersburg helped developed the concept of haemo-irradiation, or irradiation of the blood by extracting small quantities of blood and treating it with ultra-violet light. The blood would then be re-transfused into the patient. The results were said to be impressive for many conditions to include inflammatory conditions, infections, auto-immune disorders, as well as others.
In the early 2000’s the US FDA approved the use of blue-light therapy as an acne treatment. Many today continue to use infrared therapies for pain relief, assistance with weight reduction, as well as numerous other conditions.
As you can see light therapy can be used alone or in conjunction with other energy healing modalities to help us improve and maintain our overall energetic health.
References:
“The Surprising History of Light Therapy”, November 4, 2021, www.sunbox.com/the-surprising-history-of-light-therapy
“History of LED Light Therapy”, February 15, 2019, www.inbmedical.com/history-of-led-light-therapy
“A History of Light Therapy”, https://ledquantumlightacademy.ca/about/history
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