FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY

The Effects of Sound & Light on the Human Body

Matt Barnes 5/1/2013

Abstract
Sound and light affect us constantly. Sound waves allow us to hear and affect how we react to different types of sounds. Each wave frequency has a particular pattern, which can be seen in different mediums, such as water. Some people enjoy some types of music that others do not. Our hearing range decreases as we age, mostly affecting the high tones. The knowledge of frequencies can help one understand how sound works for better human consumption; as well as the speed of a frequency from source to destination. Sound is also a very important part of religious practices; almost every major religion uses sounds to connect with their deity. Music is also used to treat medical conditions; one of the most common treatments is binaural beats to encourage calming. Sounds can also have the opposite effect; some have accused militaries of playing music that anguishes individuals. Music is also widely used as motivational tools. For example, the Beats by Dr. Dre are very popular headphones with athletes.

Lighting is a very wide field; there are multiple formats of source, such as incandescent, fluorescent, or LED; each with its own advantages and disadvantages. It can be shown in nearly any color and shape; each with different effects of a persons phycology. Light can be made in brightness intensity, and can be still or move. Light has many medical applications as well. Gamma Rays and the visible spectrum have the most applications. This may be to treat cancer or as the first step in treating Seasonal Affective Disordor. Light illuminates areas in entertainment and advertising to show us where to pay attention.

Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... 2 SOUND........................................................................................................................................... 5 Sound Waves ................................................................................................................................. 6 Music as sound .............................................................................................................................. 7 Religion and sound........................................................................................................................ 8 Sound as Medicine ...................................................................................................................... 10 Other Positive Effects of Sound ................................................................................................. 10 Sound as Torture......................................................................................................................... 10 Music as Motivation .................................................................................................................... 12 Lighting ........................................................................................................................................ 13 Incandescent ................................................................................................................................ 14 Halogen ........................................................................................................................................ 14 Fluorescent................................................................................................................................... 14 LED .............................................................................................................................................. 15 Color ............................................................................................................................................. 16 Lighting Experiment ................................................................................................................... 17 Red ................................................................................................................................................ 17 Blue ............................................................................................................................................... 17 Green ............................................................................................................................................ 18 Intensity of light .......................................................................................................................... 18 Dim ............................................................................................................................................... 18 Bright ........................................................................................................................................... 18

Still vs. Moving Head Lighting .................................................................................................. 19 Still................................................................................................................................................ 19 Moving Head ............................................................................................................................... 19 Medical effects of light Therapy (Heliotherapy) ...................................................................... 20 Treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) .................................................................. 20 Light as Entertainment............................................................................................................... 23 Light in Advertising .................................................................................................................... 23 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 24

How much does the sound and light of our everyday life affect us? How does it affect the way we feel and think?

Throughout history sound and light have played an intrical role in the development of mankind. At one time we would rise and fall with the sun, using fire to light our nights. Eventually man needed artificial lighting. This lighting has undergone many changes from the burning of fats and kerosene to the incandescent light bulb, and now mass use of more efficient bulbs. Electricity has evolved and today we have begun phasing out incandescent lights for more efficient halogen, fluorescent, and LED lighting. These three forms of light creation and the colors we see them in have different effects on our human bodies; both positive and negative.

Sound has also evolved from primitive grunting to formal language and chanting to banging objects to the creation of instruments and more traditional singing and has continued to change in refinement for thousands of years. The ways we interact with the sounds around us and the way they make us feel has a profound impact on our bodies and outlook on current issues in our lives.

SOUND
Sound is all around us, those whom are able to hear physically hear noise every conscious second of our lives from all directions. Those who are stricken deaf, feel sounds through the vibration of sound waves as they harmlessly pass through the body.

It is a misconception that the hearing impaired live in a soundless environment; they simply feel the waves instead of hearing them. Cochlear implants allow some people to hear just as others can. The transition to able hearing can often be too much though. There is a period of euphoria as they can finally hear like everyone else, however their ears have not been passively trained to block out remedial sounds such as a refrigerator or computer running. There is no depth of sound.

Sounds may be pleasant and make us feel positive about ourselves and the world around us. They may also be negative. A well-crafted voice is positive, this carries soothing calming emotions, while heavy metal music contours up anger or fear in many people, similarly the constant tapping of a pencil can be irritating and develop irritating thoughts within a person.

The hearing range for a human is 20-20,000 Hz (Hertz). This range decreases with age, however. The average range for an older adult is approximately 100 Hz to 10-14 KHz.

The following will discuss what sound waves are, religious perspectives on sound, and how sound waves can be used to cure physical ailments.

Sound Waves
Sound travels in waves. Over the course of many studies occurring over a hundred year period it was discovered through physical means such as sand and water that sound is in fact a wave. This can be replicated by tapping the surface of a liquid. The frequency of the sound being transmitted has a direct impact on the speed and density of the wave. The higher the frequency the closer each segment of the wave is to one another. It also makes the wave go faster from its source. This source may be a speaker or mouth to its terminating destination, such as a

human body. Consequentially, the lower the frequency the more spaced out the length of a segment and the slower it travels between source and designation. Each frequency produces a signature wave pattern in the medium, such as sand.

Resistance of medium can affect how sound waves travel and how far they are audibly useful. Outdoor air and a multitude of different surfaces make outdoor concerts sound overly resonant as the waves bounce off and are absorbed by different surfaces and ones location matters heavily on audio quality. Standing near a rough rock wall, will make you hear many signals from many sources as the waves bounce off somewhat randomly. Conversely, standing farther away from hard surfaces, particularly in a crowd of people, will allow for maximization of clarity. This is a similar effect to the rippling water. The wave is closer together at its source and spreads to slower pace as it goes further from the source and encounters more resistance.

The knowledge that sound travels at different speeds at different frequencies affect what humans hear and what sounds pleasant. This affects how to properly set up and mix sound systems as to not overwhelm part of the audience with high or low frequencies; this is crucial in delay rings of speakers. The purpose of an audio delay ring is to match the lips of the speaker on stage to what a person hears, this is different because of the speed of sound. A delay ring can be situated under a balcony, or hanging from the ceiling pointed at the balcony, or in a very large room. An audio delay that is calibrated even milliseconds off means that the highs and lows will reach the audience at different times. This can negatively affect how the person feels about the sound. The effect of this is distraction and uneasiness.

Music as sound

Everyday humans interact with sound waves through the form of music. Music is the use of harmonized vocals and instruments, such as drums, guitar, piano, or synthesizer to create emotions within ourselves. Music is simply the transference and conveyance of the performers emotions to whoever the audience may be. Our physical and emotional selves are affected by music and the way we interact with sound waves are one in the same.

Religion and sound

Many religions have some type of sound element to their practices. This is usually a method to connect mind, body and soul. The key is to connect divine and natural. They believe in the power of music or words to repair and advance ones personal or religious status.

For Buddhists and Hindus this may be through meditation. Meditation is the practice of simple chants to change ones perspective, mood, or some physical ailments. A Mantra is a word or series of sounds [used in Buddhism and Hinduism]. Chanting, overtone singing, Gregorian chant and Tuvan throat singing are all techniques recognized to assist the practitioner to block out external distractions in order to maintain focus. Human vocal sounds in particular entice the observer to relax. (Linton. p. 16).

As a chant, the sound Om is voiced in three parts, A, U, M and intends to lead the adept towards their highest faculty of consciousness. A stands for the waking state of consciousness,

U for the dream state of consciousness and M for the deep sleep phase of consciousness. (Linton. p.17)

Some Christians sing hymns. These are songs written to express emotions about or to the Christian God. I interviewed my elderly Reformed church attending grandparents. The reason that people sing hymns is to connect to a particular time in their life, such as family time, or in recognition for the hardships of the authors. They receive a euphoric realization in what their God has done for them and who He is to them. Even through pain or mental degeneration they can easily recognize common hymns, which help distract them from their current situation or ailments, and carries them to a better place mentally. The singing or listening of hymns is a common form of mental stimulation and physical motivation and reconditioning therapy in elderly care facilities. Traditional churches use this singing to connect to one another and to their God (Vander Velde. 30 Mar 13).

Some Christians sing in more currently popular musical styles, this praise and worship can vary significantly among denominations. In Charismatic churches, they believe that the presence of God enters the room and tells them what songs or words to sing or how to physically react. The congregation interacts with this very strongly. These reactions may include singing prophetically, raising hands, waving banners, or dancing. This is a physical reaction to their interaction with sound.

Musical worship in religion is a way of connecting to the divine and tapping into a higher plane of reality. Musical sounds are often a prayer or chant through the use of instruments or voices.

Sound as Medicine
A sound wave, primarily vibration, is the physical manifestation of low frequency electromagnetic waves is becoming more common as a means of relieving pain in therapy. This uses waves between 3 and 40 Hz [Hertz].

Binaural audio tracks are electronically created using similarly low frequencies to initiate calming effects. The process called hemisync was created by American Robert Monroe. The process uses stereo, or two different signals heard in each ear separately that are combined in the brain to hear the beat. These signals are more sensed than heard. Binaural beat rhythms at 10.5 Hz have been proven to enhance alpha brainwaves (Linton. p.23). These brainwaves signal the brain to go into a more relaxed and focused state. Consistent use can train the brains neurotransmitters to stay at the higher level of activity (Linton. p.23).

Other Positive Effects of Sound

Delta brain waves, those in the 0-4 Hz range are the lowest possible. Delta waves are responsible for deep sleep and can promote mental regeneration and healing.

According to French physician and noted auditory neurophysiologist Alfred Tomatis studied Benedictine Monks in1991, whom would chant up to eight hours per day. He theorized that this would charge their central nervous system and cerebral cortex; this is similar to charging a battery. The cerebral cortex is responsible for higher levels of consciousness, including sensory perception, special reasoning, language, and motor skills (Linton. p.19).

Sound as Torture

Culture is an all permeating item in what makes us who we are as a person. Different cultures view a variety of types of music differently. It is widely reported that the United States military has used some American music, specifically metal and pop to make captives reveal information. Some bands such as metal band Metallica have specifically requested to not be a part of this interrogation method.

Christian Metal legends Demon Hunter have been accused by some of allowing their music to be used in advanced interrogations. This is due to their longtime unapologetic support of the military, and allowance of their logo of a demon skull with a bullet through the head [see image right] to be placed on the uniforms of a squadron who wrote to them for permission. The squadron was revealed in an article in the February 2013 edition of Esquire Magazine about Operation Neptune to be Seal Team 6, the assassins of Osama Bin Laden. The band has no knowledge of their music being used in this manner and have not given specific permission for their music to be used in interrogations, its fairly uplifting nature though would make it a bad choice and not as likely to be successful in information gathering (Jesusfreakhideout.com).

The use of music as torture is a simple way going against ones cultural or personal chosen music. The object is the opposite of using music and sounds to motivate or psyche one up to do something. The object of torture or advanced interrogation techniques is to bombard someone with something unpleasant and therefore they will cooperate to make the unpleasant experience end.

Loud sounds can also be torturous. They can damage the ears ability to hear at its full range. The ear is deadened over prolonged use or even a short yet extremely loud action, such as an explosion.

Music as Motivation
Athletes, the military, churches, etc. are examples of people who use music and sounds to motivate themselves to get ready to perform at the highest possible level. NBA star LeBron James uses this method to play basketball, and in the process has changed the way athletes listen to music. James became one of the first to use the Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, which were created by music producer legends Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine (Du Lac, 35-39). They are among the best on the market and have helped athletes tune into their preparations better and psyche one up to perform at their top level.

The use of music as motivation is a way for athletes to tune into the upcoming exercise or game. It eliminates the outside world and any issues with fans, family, or the opponent in the game. The volume of the music should not be so loud that it blocks the outside world completely, just enough so that it mentally takes one to a higher plane of focus. The type of music is up to ones personal desires. Music gets one ready to perform at their peak and is a way of psyching one up. The pace of the exercise should closely match the intensity of the music. Consistent exercise like playing a sport or cardio should be higher than slow non constant exercise like yoga. The effects of this motivational therapy are dissociation of fatigue and cause the body to use more energy in the process of getting one to their peak, attainment of flow of energy, regulation of mind and body in flow, and acquisition of motor skill focus, meaning one

can run and move better through increased brain activity. Musical motivation is a widely used technique among almost athletes and those who simply exercise for the health of it.

The military can be a very mentally disturbing experience. Some people use music to prepare for battle or recuperate from it (Frey).

Churches use worship to motivate their members as a means to interact with their God. This is more common in Charismatic Christian churches. More information on the effects of this can be found in the Music in Religion section.

Lighting
Sound is not the only multimedia force that has the power to affect us as humans. Lighting has a very serious effect on our mood and reaction to it. There are many types of lighting such as incandescent, fluorescent, and LED, these types can be made to shine in a wide spectrum of colors as well. The type and color of lighting can make us happy, and fix depression, or make us mad or sad depending on how it is portrayed. Much like sound, lighting is carried through waves through a spectrum. Like sound, the visible spectrum of light is only part of the total spectrum. There are microwaves and radio waves above visible; gamma rays, X-rays, and ultraviolet are below the visible spectrum. The wavelength is very small in gamma rays and gets wider as you get closer to radio waves. In the visual spectrum blue is the shortest wavelength, followed by green, yellow and red, in terms of wavelength. The medical effects of light therapy are so numerous that they cannot all be discussed in this paper; some more common uses will be discussed in depth.

Incandescent
Incandescent lighting is the standard that carried illumination to the masses in the twentieth century. Light is created by heating a filament to a high degree of temperature. This temperature is around 2000 K. They are comparably very inefficient and produce a lot of heat. 90% of output is heat, compared to only 10% of visible light. They are good for producing heat when that is needed, such as animal warming areas. The wattage level equivalents have transferred over to more efficient bulb types. This is due to the long held standardization and common knowledge of how bright a 40w bulb is versus a 60w. They are cheap in cost. The yellowish tint to the light is considered homely and comfortable to many.

Halogen
Halogen lamps are much like a more efficient incandescent bulb. Both use a tungsten filament, except a halogen bulb contains Bromine gas which redeposits the gas back onto the filament as it produces light. A halogen bulb lasts longer and burns at a higher temperature then an incandescent. Their uses are mostly areas that apply to incandescent as well as video projectors, and small illumination devices.

Fluorescent
Another type of common lighting is fluorescent. Fluorescent bulbs are considered to be the heir to the standard bulb, as the sale of incandescent bulbs is phased out over the next few years. Many homeowners would recognize florescent bulbs as the curly tube variety. In the business world they are usually found in offices, retail stores, manufacturing facilities, etc. In these instances the bulbs come in three foot long tubes, sometimes hidden by a diffusion screen. The light is created by using electricity to charge up mercury gas which produces short wave

ultraviolet light. Since fluorescent lights contain mercury gas, they are considered hazardous waste and must be disposed of at a qualified site. They are four times more efficient than a typical incandescent light bulb. The temperature can burn much hotter, but without the heat output. This temperature can range from 2000-6000 K. The lighting is typically more white and sterile. It is not very well liked in the home due to its sterile office like nature. Ballast is used to regulate the power to the bulb; the ballast size depends on the bulb size. The ballast contains an inverter that turns the DC current into a more useful AC power to heat the mercury. Florescent bulbs can be good for general house lighting, such as in hallways and bathrooms. Florescent has long been the standard in business environments, and is possibly becoming the standard for homes as well.

LED
Fluorescent bulbs have a strong opponent in LED bulbs. LED are by far the most efficient lighting choice, energy consumption is variable based on temperature and therefore hard to compare to other forms. Though recent tests for advertising purposes have shown that a 6 watt LED can produce as much light as a 40 watt incandescent; and where the average incandescent light bulb will last approximately 1,000 hours; the average LED lifespan is 50,000 hours. The cost to operate is almost nonexistent. LEDs are expensive upfront and are still likely to see further perfection over the next few years. The bulbs can be used almost anywhere to create almost any color. Streetlights, TVs, stage lighting and light bulbs can be made with LEDs. Automotive lights beginning in about 2010, began to experiment with different arrangements of LEDs, this serves as an eye catching design feature but also a way to make other drivers more aware of the vehicle, this a subconscious effect of lighting on our brain. Dodge has used a

rectangular ring around the trunk on some models. Thin and flexible sheets, known as OLED are expected to revolutionize cell phones in the coming years. The California Energy Commission has stated that The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that rapid adoption of LED lighting over the next 20 years in the United States could save about $265 billion in energy costs and replace the construction of 40 new power plants.(Light Choices inside and outside Your Home)

LED is the standard for stage lighting, however in older venues incandescent bulbs are still found. LED has the advantage in this area, due to increased brightness, vibrant; and due to the RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) lights almost any color can be created. They also have very low operations costs, and little heat output. Heat onstage, particularly for a person who moves frequently, can cause dehydration and heat exhaustion, as well as simple discomfort. Heat exhaustion is somewhat rare, but has happened in the past.

Light bulb selection can have a profound impact on us in aspects that have nothing to do with the color or way it is used.

Color
The color of the light shown upon a person can affect their mood significantly. The human eye can perceive about seven million colors! This is composed of varying mixtures of the primary colors of red, green, and blue. The intensity, the brightness or darkness of the spectrum expands the variety of perceivable colors. Humans perceive color and brightness based on rods and cones within the eye, rods take in lower illumination levels, cones higher illumination. This intake is then transformed into chemical and electrical signals to be used by the brain

Lighting Experiment
I performed a simple experiment. Lights of various colors were shown on the participants and they wrote how it made them feel and what words they thought of. Red, green, and blue are discussed in their sections below.

Red, green, and blue are primary colors that make up other colors. When shown orange, people thought of the sun, heat, the orange fruit, and it made them feel happy. When shown purple, only one participant had a response, it reminded her of prom dresses.

Red
Red in the experiment brought thoughts of courage, bravery, heart, passion, war, as well as love and blood from our medical participant. These findings are in line with major medical studies on color. When asked them if red light would pump them up for a physical event that required bravery; most agreed it was a fair assumption.

Blue
Blue light, as well as green has been shown to help set the bodys sleep cycle. Blue light signals the body to wake, so it is best to avoid it at night. When shown blue light in the experiment, participants thought of trust, peace, serenity, water, and related water sports, truth, coolness. Coolness sticks out; in that blue is one of the cooler colors, along with some shades of green and purple. They said it was calming and peaceful; it made them want to relax, some on a beach. This association may be because of the time of year the experiment was done. In the case of Michigan, there are many lakes and the in-land oceanic Great Lakes; boating and the beach are a big part of the participants lives and at the end of winter; many are anxious to get back outside and be around water.

Green
The themes of green in the experiment were fresh, organic, growth, life, money, radioactive waste, and abundance. They described that the green light made them feel happy, and reminded them of food; something that likely has a lot to do with the marketing fresh foods. They said it made them want to make money and spend it.

Intensity of light
The intensity or brightness of the light can affect our emotions about it. Light intensity is measured in measured in Lumens. The power is measured in Watts.

Dim
Dim light can hide many things, some people; particularly children have a fear of the dark and what could be hiding in it. From theaters to bedrooms, dim way-finding lights guided people to their destination. Similarly, for people scared of the dark; dim lights provide a sense of calming safety and security.

Dim light has been thought to be bad for reading in; science has shown this is not the case though. According to Dr. Jim Sheedy, Doctor of Vision Science and Director of the Vision Performance Institute at Pacific University in Oregon;There is no reason to believe nor evidence to support that any long-term damage to the eyes or change in the physiology to the eyes can be caused by reading in the dark. (Mitchell) He also says that reading on Tablet computers does not hurt the eyes. Both can cause fatigue in the body.

Bright

Bright lights are effective at forcing our eyes to pay attention to the location they are illuminating. Many bands on stage use bright colored lighting to excite the audience. In heavy metal, bright flashing strobe lights are combined with fog/haze, and vibrant colors. Other forms of music uses a higher percentage of white light to illuminate the performers and lights to accent, as well as moving lights to create excitement and show action.

Bright lights can arise fear in some who do not like attention, being in front of people is the most common fear among people. Bright lights can also be calming, there is no hiding; there is no fear of the unknown.

Still vs. Moving Head Lighting

Still
Still lighting can be used to light areas of a stage, illuminating the performers. They can also be used as house lighting to illuminate an area so people can see where they are headed and what they are doing. The basic effects on humans are that of safety. No areas for things to hide in the darkness. The more accurate effects would differ with the type of bulb as earlier described.

Moving Head
Moving head lights are expensive stage lighting that can be moved and color/ gobo [image] patterned remotely by a compatible lighting console. Moving head lights are mostly used at concerts to excite the crowd, the faster and more wild the movement; the faster and more exciting the music is generally. The effect of this is more evident if there are no moving lights. The stress of lighting the proper area is less for technicians, it simply requires a fader movement, instead of ladders and the possibility of burns from the lights heat (only applies to older incandescent lights, LED do not get very hot), and possibility of falling is nonexistent. These

lights bring joy and inclusion to the audience. The whole audience can get involved in the stage and feel like they are part of the performance.

Medical effects of light Therapy (Heliotherapy)

Light waves can be used to treat many things among the most common being skin conditions, seasonal affective disorder, regulating sleep cycles, and some psychiatric disorders. Very common medical uses for non-visible light are x-rays and gamma rays. X-rays are used to see though the soft tissue of the body and allows for viewing of broken bones or solid objects in the body, a CAT scan is slices of a section of the body using x-rays. Gamma rays are used in cancer treating Radiation therapy, which along with Chemotherapy and surgery are the main treatments for cancer. Radiation therapy is a bombardment of Gamma-rays at a targeted point on the body. It is often used alongside Chemo or surgery. My father, Bill Barnes, underwent Radiation therapy multiple times. He was a three time survivor, before succumbing to spinal cancer in 2010. This form of treatment can cause burns of the skin and severe scarring of the tissue; it rendered my father unable to swallow. Gamma rays can also be used in PET scans. The patient swallows or is injected with a gamma-ray emitting liquid; the images are threedimensional and much higher quality than an X-ray.

Treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Seasonal Affective Disorder is a physiological condition that affects humans at about the same time each year, usually showing the first symptoms in the fall and lasting until spring, according to the Mayo Clinic. SAD affects more people in northern climates than in generally sunnier southern climates. Studies are inconclusive on how many people actually suffer from SAD; many push annual symptoms off as nothing and as a result go undiagnosed. Symptoms are

depression only during some times of the year, sleeplessness, loss of energy, hopelessness, limb heaviness, or anxiety. The definite cause of SAD is unknown, but it is believed that age, geographic location, and the bodies chemical makeup have a strong effect (Staff, Mayo Clinic). A lack of sunlight can knock off the bodies circadian rhythm affecting ones internal clock; as well as lower serotonin levels-affecting mood; and alter melatonin levels-affecting both sleep and mood.

The results of SAD coincide with those typical with depression; substance abuse, withdrawal from social activity, problems focusing in school or work; or in extreme cases, suicidal thoughts and actions. SAD can be treated through light therapy, prescription depression medication, group or individual therapy.

Light therapy is a common first step in treatment. This is through the use of a portable light box. Bright fluorescent bulbs are shown from a box on the patient for a set period of time. The success rate varies and can have tremendous effect or little effect. The goal is to counteract the lack of natural sunlight and realign the bodies proper chemical balance (Seasonal Affective Disorder Depression Information). The website sadtherapylamp.com will even sell you a wide variety of light sources, though the websites products do not carry an official medical backing. The temperature of the light can be between 3000 and 6500 Kelvin. Lower temperature is softer and less bright, higher temperatures more imitate pure sunlight. The boxes can be as small as 9 in by 11 in and 5 in deep. Light therapy is generally a good starting place and effects can be noticed within a few days, though consistent use is the key to continued success. Light intensity of the box should be close to 2500-10000 lux, measurement of light. Normal indoor lighting is normally between 50-300 lux. The duration of treatment should be between 20-60 minutes.

Higher intensity light should be paired with shorter durations. A standard of 10000 lux takes about 30 minutes. The New York Times states that light therapy may be quite underutilized. It is very cheap, easy to use, has little known side effects; though there is also little money to be made and no commercial backing, compared to prescriptions and psychotherapy. Light therapy may help with other non-seasonal depression periods and as a supplement to medication (Rabin).

Various depression medications are used, but take longer than light to start working, and it may take a few different drugs in order to find one that works for the patient. Medications are started a few weeks prior to the onset of when a patient starts showing symptoms each year, lasting until a few weeks after symptoms would normally stop. Psychotherapy is often the next step. The goal of psychotherapy is to identify and change negative thoughts and behaviors in order to help one cope with and mitigate said negative effects. This may be one-on-one meetings with a psychologist, or group therapy.

One does not need medical means to treat SAD; there are many simple methods such as finding ways to allow as much natural sunlight as possible into your house, getting outside and interacting with nature even on cloudy days will help. Exercise helps reduce anxiety and stress, as well as enlivening ones mood by feeling good about ones self. There are supplementary natural medicines that may help relieve depression. St. Johns Wart is known to help depression. Artificial melatonin will help mood. Omega-3 fatty acids can relieve depression. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish, and some nuts. These treatments can interfere with some medications, so contact your doctor before beginning a regimen. Light therapy can be in addition to these natural medications (Seasonal Affective Disorder Depression Information).

Light as Entertainment
As discussed in other areas, lighting is widely used at music concerts to create a certain atmosphere. This can be through strobes, moving heads, still stage lighting, truss end, or more creative means. Truss is the metal structure, made of different silver metals, on which lights are positioned, by lighting the ends, the silver reflects the color. Black would absorb the light. Reflecting light off of beams provides another avenue to source light. This effect looks interesting and mitigates the distraction of looking at metal beams, therefore taking the audience member out of the experience of the performance.

Lighting is meant to highlight or accent a particular space. The brighter and more precise the formation of a lighting display, the more confidence and elegance a person feels when in the atmosphere.

Light in Advertising
Times Square in New York City is one of the top tourist locations in the United States. Almost every building is covered from the ground to typically the 5th floor in advertising. In this day and age, that is quickly meaning LED video boards. Like those used at concerts, these boards can show many colors and can change with no after design labor, simply a computer telling the board to change. This is much safer and quicker than workers being harnessed. It is also brighter.

LED billboards much in the same vain, are replacing older static billboards. Many communities have ordinances against them or restricting them. The key complaint against them lies in there light output. In static billboards lights are shown on the billboards and drivers view

them in the dark because of the light reflecting off the billboard. In LED billboards, the light source is the billboard, some say this can be too bright for drivers eyes at night, distracting them and causing accidents. Manufacturers state however that they are not significantly brighter than a static billboard and can be dimmed further.

Backlighting letters or symbols on a sign can really make the sign stand out. This is done by installing fluorescent or LED lights in a frame and then placing plastic forms in front of the light, making the letter or symbol glow. This is very common with gas stations and grocery stores. These signs are very visible from a distance and easy to identify for customers. A dim or unlit sign could cause unease in customers, especially those unsure of their location.

Proper lighting in front of a store can be advertising subconsciously that the location is safe and secure.

Conclusion
Sound and Light have a profound impact on every aspect of our daily lives; both are all around us and affect the way we feel about and react to certain things. Our personal tastes can impact our reaction to sound. Some motivate, some torture, and some connect us to a higher being. Music can get us through good and bad times in life. Sounds can harken back to memories of times gone by. Light allows us to see our environment. The ways light are shown by different bulb types, how bright it is and how or if the light moves; along with the multitude of medical effects of light affect the hue of our environment and can heal our bodies in the process. Sound and light are important aspects of what makes our experiences good or bad. They are all encompassing. Always there in one way or another, look at the world around you and think about how they affect you in ways you never pay attention.

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