With November reminding us all to be a little more thankful and gracious, we were inspired to learn how our luminaries/lights might do a little more and bring light to those that need it. We quickly learned that November is Epilepsy Awareness Month and knowing that this disease can cause sensitivities to light, we were curious of the effects of Light Therapy. 

In 1879 Thomas Edison stumbled on an invention that would make him famous, and change the world forever. Though it’s been awhile since that first light bulb flickered on, there are still extreme advances with lighting being made. From developments on how lights affect our moods, to how they can be used in treatments for illnesses, lights continue to impress.

If we could take a moment to realize the impact that light has on our lives, what could we accomplish? How can we harness that power that we take for granted and use it efficiently and effectively in all aspects of our daily life?

Using lights to their full potential can (and should be) easy and fun! We’ve come up with some quick ways to improve how you use light so that you can influence your mood and improve your health.

1. Research shows that intense light equals intense emotion. If you’re having an emotional encounter, dimming the lights may help calm the situation and relax those intense feelings. The opposite can be true, as well. Set up a bright desk lamp and work more efficiently when you’re feeling energetic and inspired.  
   
   
2. If you’re having trouble sleeping, you might consider some DIY light therapy. Studies show that exposing yourself to red or green lighting just before crawling into bed can actually help you fall and stay asleep, leading to a more productive you. Check out thisAmber Diamonds bulb that can be used with or without a lamp shade to cast a warm, earthy glow over your bedroom.
   
   
3. Red is exciting for most people. It has the longest wavelength, vibrates at the lowest frequency of all visible light, so is the color that the human sees first, before all other colors. This is why it is used in advertising and stop signs. Fill your room with powerful, warm, stimulating energy with our Red Archimedean Spiral bulb. Although there are some people, who feel more calmed and comforted by Red, most people are calmed by cool colors like Blue and Green.
   
   
4. Winter time can be a time of overindulgence with so many wonderful (and delicious) holidays to celebrate. If you’re trying to suppress your appetite, trying adding some gray paint to your kitchen with a fun lamp, or a purple bulb (check out our Purple Archimedean Spiral bulb, as both tend to suppress thoughts of food.
   
   
5. Don’t be afraid to try new lighting techniques to boost your spirit during the winter months! Add some outdoors to your indoors with thisSnowman bulb, or by using thisSun, Moon and Star bulb in the kids’ room or nursery.

Inspiration comes in many forms, especially from the brilliant and beautiful minds of Mood Light's customers. Recently, I had a customer ask to include this passage in as a note to be added with their Mood Lights purchase (a gift they were giving) and it gave me the chills. Read and enjoy!

"The Word" lyrics

We want to take you on a luminary adventure. Research has shown that lights have the power to change your mindset, invoke feelings and help to recall memories. Sleep patterns and energy levels are both influenced by light. In fact, lights have moved away from just being dusty fixtures on the ceiling to delivering individualized treatments to people for specific prolonged problems.

Take the article Can Orange Glasses Help You Sleep Better? written in April 2015 by Kate Galbraith of the New York Times. She explores the idea that wearing orange colored glasses before bed can help promote better sleeping habits. Galbraith writes, “Studies have shown that such light, especially from the blue part of the spectrum, inhibits the body’s production of melatonin, a hormone that helps people fall asleep.” It seems like a quick (though quirky) fix, right? Just get rid of the blue at night and hello, Mr. Sandman!

However, color isn’t the only variable in regards to light. Let’s take a look at light intensity and strobe patterns. Both have as big an affect on temperaments as color. Strobe lights, for instance, are currently being researched for law enforcement use when detaining a suspect because of their ability to disorient and confuse, and therefore induce fear. A study published by the Journal of Consumer Psychology¹ also showed that people experience more intense emotions under bright lighting conditions, which could be why interrogations are often shown on TV as being conducted in a brightly lit room.

We can use the knowledge that we have about the effects of lighting to create our own Luminary Adventures. Below are a few DIY luminary adventures you can easily create and some lighting suggestions from our personal favorites just in time for Halloween!

1) Set a spooky scene for Halloween by using strobe lights to disorient trick o’ treaters as they approach your house. Creating some temporary visual disorientation can help to induce fear, and really help you milk those creepy decorations for all they’re worth!

2) Send shivers up visitors’ spines by changing out your front entrance light with a deep blue light bulb. The blue creates an eerie glow that adds a creepy effect. Our Blue Archimedean Spiral bulb combined with thick fog and strobe lights would send shivers down your visitors’ spines.

3) Not so much into the scary part of Halloween? Light up your yard with orange and red flood lights and draw in the crowds of kids! Red helps to energize and orange stimulates creativity (and is the color of pumpkins) which means happy, excited children running up to your front door for candy! Highlight your kid-friendly entryway with our Pumpkin bulb.

5) Get creative with your pumpkins this year. So often those Jack ‘o Lanterns get stuffed with a candle and forgotten. Add some mystique to that finely carved face with a yellow flickering LED light, or use a chilling blue light for a sinister glow. Throw in some dry ice and our Red Flames bulb to create a fire-breathing illusion.

Have more ideas about how to create a luminary adventure this October? We would love to hear them!

¹Journal of Consumer Psychology, Incandescent affect: Turning on the hot emotional system with bright light, Alison Jing Xua, Aparna A. Labroob, published online December 31, 2013.