Light has a profound effect on the body human. Conversely, a lack of light also has profound and far-reaching effects on a human being. As the sun's light patterns change with the change of seasons the biological rhythms of the human body also shift. Inadequate and irregular exposure to light can create a series of disturbances and imbalances within the body that interrupt delicate patterns of rhythmic synchronicity.

The published studies of photobiologist Dr. John Nash Ott conclude that in order to maintain health during seasonal change it is necessary to be exposed to light containing the full wavelength spectrum found in natural sunlight. Dr. Ott's studies conclude that artificial and incandescent lighting found in most homes and offices is grossly lacking in a complete balanced spectrum of sunlight. Dr. Ott theorizes that improper lighting within our homes and offices are prime contributors to bodily imbalances and disturbances that can even affect the absorption function of nutrients. Dr. Ott references these imbalances as "malillumination." Malillumination is a major contributor to seasonal depression, anxiety, hostility, over-sleeping, tiredness, hair loss, suppressed immune functioning, and strokes.

Is Light Therapy the Medicine of the Future? For the last two decades medical science has focused on light therapies and their adjuncts as evidenced by the advancement of laser techniques that are now considered commonplace. Light and color therapy have been recognized as sources of healing, but it is only in the last twenty years that scientists and mental health practitioners have validated the wealth and value of full-spectrum light, ultraviolet, laser light, and colored lights as integral components in treatment plans for a variety of dis-eases.

The National Institute of Mental Health conducted a groundbreaking 1980's study on light therapy in a series of clinical response trials. Sixty-one percent (61%) of the people participating in these trials received morning light therapy for thirty minutes a day. Additionally, the remaining trial participants in this study received evening light therapy for thirty minutes. The results were astonishing! Four weeks after receiving daily light therapy treatments participants experienced nearly complete recovery from seasonal depression.

Light deprivation causes normally high functioning people to exhibit classic symptoms of depression and irritability during the winter months. Some have accepted their own mid-cyclical depression as something that they experience every year, and they attribute their depression to shorter days and longer nights. Those who identify with the symptoms of natural sunlight deprivation need not experience a return of these symptoms. Why suffer when you don't have to? The symptoms of sunlight deprivation are real, and this recognized disorder presents therapies and solutions that eliminate suffering.

You no longer HAVE to endure symptoms of lethargy and depression alone. Sunlight and full spectrum light can be applied to the skin to relieve the winter blahs. Sunlight deprivation exacerbates symptoms of depression and anxiety and contributes to increased irritability, heightened premenstrual syndrome, migraines, and carbohydrate cravings and subsequent weight gain. Sound familiar? Read on…

If you have been feeling out of sync because of less daylight hours we must first consider the circadian rhythms. The circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles of biological activity regulated by the body's internal time clock that are synchronized by light and darkness cycles as well as additional biological cues. Some of the biological rhythms controlled by the circadian rhythms are the sleep cycle, production of hormones, respiration and the body's maintenance of temperature.

Scientists have proven that a timing mechanism exists in human beings located at the base of the brain just behind the spot where the optic nerves cross. This cluster of cells is known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus. There are melatonin receptors in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. The circadian rhythms are also related closely to body temperature and heart and lung regulation and other biological symptoms.

The delay in our body clocks occurs because of the disparity we experience with morning light and internal dysynchonicity. The dysfunction of the circadian rhythms can create seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The symptoms are depression, oversleeping, overeating, weight gain, and carbohydrate cravings resulting in increased carbohydrate consumption.

Light adjusts our internal clocks and assists us with the internal dialogue within our cellular structures. Ultraviolet light from the sun assists our body in the production of melatonin, the chief hormone of the pineal gland. Melatonin is also thought to be a primary regulator of our immune system. The sun's rays stimulate the pineal gland while light effects the pineal glands secretion of melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone that governs ovulation, sleep, and hormonal secretions. It is undisputed that light and the amount of light we take in directly affects brain chemistry. Therefore natural sunlight deprivation and seasonal lack of light creates Seasonal Affective Disorder that is experienced more often by people who live in more northern climates.

Light therapy exposes you to increased levels of light under controlled conditions. Treatment consists of sitting close to a light box that consists of florescent bulbs enclosed in a box with a diffusing screen. The light recipient is encouraged to bask in the needed replacement of natural sunlight through artificial means. New research continues with full spectrum bulbs that mimic outdoor daylight. The critical component is that the level of light produced should match that of light outdoors shortly before sunrise or sunset. Most people receive exposure to artificial bright lights in early morning at an hour when it is still dark outdoors during winter nights. The idea is that when the bright light is presented, the body's internal clock shifts ahead or is delayed when stimulated by light. The physiological time shifts may be the basis of the therapeutic response.

PlanetLightworker provides this information for our readers for their own discernment. It is not our intention that this information substitute for, or replace, the advice and counsel of your own personal physician or medical practitioner. If you feel that the therapy described herein many be applicable to your needs then do have a dialogue with your physician and ascertain whether the therapies described herein would be applicable for your particular health care needs.

In conclusion, there are many ingenious light box systems and products for sale on the web that provide sunlight therapy without harmful ultraviolet rays. However, we refer our readers to the following practitioners of Light Therapy for their advice and expertise in the related benefits and projected outcomes to be experienced within this specialty. They can correctly guide you to the correct light boxes and therapeutics for your personal healing sessions.

For those interested in learning more about the work of Dr. John Ott and the science of full -spectrum lighting, contact the Environmental Health & Light Research Institute, 16057 Tampa Palms Boulevard, Tampa, Florida 33647 or telephone (800) 544-4878.

The College of Syntonic Optometry, 1200 Robeson Street, Fall River, Massachusetts 02720, telephone (508) 673-1251, is a group of member optometrists utilizing optometric phototherapy. The college will refer you to a local practitioner in your area.

The Dinshaw Health Society, 100 Dinshaw Drive, Malaga, New Jersey 08328 (609) 692-4686 is an organization established in 1975 that advocates the use of advanced color therapies to assist people in self-healing with color.

Read Lisa's Previous Articles here.