Blue light impacts how we think of ourselves

Our modern light environments are full of blue-enriched light. Our work reveals a powerful motivation in humans toward this light: reducing self-directed negative thoughts. In humans, non-visual photoreception quiets areas of the brain involved in negative emotions and our work shows that simply changing the amount of blue in a light impacts how we feel about ourselves. As non-visual photoreception may be downregulated in depression, this may also be key to under-standing neural mechanisms of depressed thought and provides a mechanistic understanding of light interventions to improve mood.

The danger of this positive effect of blue light on how we think of ourselves is that we are drawn to light at night, when this light disrupts our circadian rhythms. Momentary positive effects could lead to long-term negative effects.

Click on the picture for link to our open access paper.