The Write Brain

Color, Light & Your Brain: What Really Works


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Ellis and Dr. Melillo go deep on COLOR & LIGHT—how different wavelengths (red/orange/yellow vs. blue/indigo/violet) nudge left/right brain networks, impact reading, focus, anxiety, and even motion sensitivity. We cover practical tools (tinted & hemifield lenses, flashing-light glasses) and why some lights (hello, flickery fluorescents) can make you feel off. Plus: what 40 Hz “gamma” is and why meditators love it, and where laser/photobiomodulation fits in—without the woo.

What you’ll learn

  • Right vs. left brain: why warm colors often lift left-brain functions; cool colors often lean right-brain
  • Irlen-style tinting & hemifield tricks: when colored overlays/lenses help reading and tracking
  • Flicker matters: why certain room lights spike anxiety or fatigue
  • 40 Hz basics: how rhythmic light can entrain brainwaves (pros/cons, safety notes)
  • Photobiomodulation (laser/red light): what it is, what it isn’t, and where the science is headed
  • Easy self-checks: color in your room/wardrobe, quick one-eye/half-field experiment, safer swaps you can try today

Try this (safe, simple)

  1. Swap one environment to earth/neutral or warmer tones for a week; note mood/focus.
  2. Reading issues? Test a colored overlay or tinted display (warm vs. cool) and see if line-skipping eases.
  3. Sensitive to lighting? Replace harsh fluorescents with full-spectrum, low-flicker bulbs.
  4. Quick visual-field check: briefly cover one eye and the inner half of the other while looking straight ahead—notice if calm/focus changes. If it does, you might benefit from targeted visual work.
  5. Curious about devices (tinted/flash glasses or light therapy)? Work with a qualified clinician—wrong settings can feel worse even if they’re not harmful.

Chapters 
00:00 Nashville dinner + setup
02:00 Color frequencies & brain networks
06:40 Irlen lenses, reading & eye tracking
12:50 Hemifields and mood/anxiety
19:40 Fluorescent flicker & sensitivity
24:30 40 Hz gamma & entrainment
29:50 Photobiomodulation (laser/red light)
40:30 What to try at home (safely)
44:50 Wrap & next episode teaser

Listen on: Spotify • Apple Podcasts • iHeartRadio • YouTube
 Follow: @thewritebrainpodcast | @ellismelillo | @drrobertmelillo
 Booking/partners: [email protected]

Educational only; not medical advice. If symptoms are significant or new, see a clinician.

Hashtags: #RightBrain #ColorTherapy #Irlen #Photobiomodulation #BrainWaves #40Hz #ADHD #Anxiety #Reading #Wellness #Nashville

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The Write BrainBy Ellis Melillo

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