Lost colors, forbidden colors, colorful universe

I thought I lost a few colors but instead gained some insight.

Approx. 820 words; 3 minutes read time

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Over the last few years, I've had this reoccurring sensation that some colors had vanished. No, I'm not experiencing a form of color blindness. And this is not a metaphor for life losing its brilliance, nor is it a plea for help. I mean this at face value - I've had at least three episodes where I felt like colors I'd known had disappeared.

When I say "colors," I'm referring to the visible light spectrum - between 380 and 740 nanometers (nm) wavelength. You might recall from science class the human eye can detect light within this range. While many other animals can see wavelengths in the infrared (>740 nm) or ultraviolet (<380 nm), we generally cannot.

My most recent "lost colors" event was a year ago while I was trying to pick an appropriate color for a booklet cover. I was feeling uninspired and a bit down while working. And then it hit me - like an electric jolt. Despite having the complete rainbow at my disposal, something was missing. It was distressing, like misplacing my keys or losing sight of my son in a crowd. I wanted a different color, one I had known before, but now I couldn't find it.

The sensation was fleeting, lasting only a few seconds. But it was so intense the thought of it lingered for some time. As I said, I had this same feeling a couple of times before, and each time it made me take pause and notice.

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It occurred to me that my brain could be acting up. Psychological quirks of many kinds can be precursors to disease. Hallucinations might be a prelude to Parkinson's or Alzheimer's, for example. And with COVID-19, some people experience losing their sense of smell. Having perception "irregularities" of any kind are notable.

Since the last episode, I've searched to see if there are any known correlations. The research turned up nothing. I also took a few of those color blindness tests to be sure. All clear there. Beguiled, I reached out to a friend and vision expert, ophthalmologist Dr. Tom Ott. 

"I don't know of any disease or disorder with your symptoms," he responded. "I wouldn't worry about it." 

"Look, I'm not worried...not much anyway," I replied. "But, I am curious. Could it be more? Something indicative of a larger phenomenon...since I'm not going crazy."

"Hey, you might be going crazy," he interrupted. "But feeling as if you lost some colors is not symptomatic of any disease I know." 

Geeze. Thanks, Dr. Ott.

Crazy or not, the experience felt real. So I decided to do some further sleuthing. 

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Here's a curiosity I uncovered: "forbidden colors." These are color combinations our brains cannot decode. Our eyes have neurons that are on/off switches, ones for red-green, and ones for yellow-blue. Red light hitting the red-green neurons turns them "on." And green light inhibits these, turning them "off." A switch is never both on and off; neither can these neurons sense red and green at once. Likewise, for yellow-blue neurons: yellow turns them on, and blue turns them off. 

While red-green and yellow-blue are real colors, we don't "see" them because of the limits of our eyes and brain. 

Human perception is an active field of study. What is typical for all doesn't cover all that some individuals might detect. For example, a few investigations propose some humans can see infrared and ultraviolet. In some circumstances, that is. Other studies point to receptors for magnetism in people. These proteins are akin to those in magnetoreception species like birds. What these extremes mean for us is unclear. But we do know there is more than meets the eye when it comes to human perception.

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I desire to think my lost colors were indicative of some transient hyper-perception. As if I did see more colors once upon a time, but lost the ability. Yet, the scientist in me immediately dismisses this as wishful thinking. Whatever is going on with me, it's not a superpower. It is more likely a brain glitch. 

My explanation: I tried spicing up a dull project by only changing the color, leaving me wanting. I somehow equated this feeling with misplacing something I once had. Coupled with my general malaise at the time, and poof - I felt as if some colors had disappeared from existence.

That said, it was an illuminating experience. The episodes have caused me to think a great deal about what I see…and cannot see. There is so much out there beyond our perception. It’s comforting in a way, knowing that the universe is more colorful than we see.

Until next time. Science. Fiction. Create.

JRC

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