Seeing Colors During Meditation: Purple, Yellow, and More
Am I Visualizing Energy Flow?
I'm writing this article in the hopes that others who experience the same phenomenon will connect to try to make sense of it: Why do I see colors -- almost always purple (indigo) and gold-yellow -- whenever I'm in a certain meditative state??? What's the meaning of this purple aura, and seeing colors during meditation? Let's go into the details.
Seeing Purple Color... When?
What spurs me to see indigo and gold? It happens whenever I'm in a certain relaxed and connected state: sometimes during deep meditation, by the middle of a professional massage, during a very deep conversation, and always during acupuncture or Reiki.
The Colors I See Move in a Specific Way
With my eyes closed, I can watch the purple and gold swirl and play. The direction and type of movement the colors do always reflects what's happening with my energy.
An Example from Acupuncture Energy Work
The moment I realized that the colors moved with purpose was when I was in my third trimester of pregnancy and went to an acupuncture appointment to ease discomfort. As I lay on the table with the needles doing their work, I closed my eyes and wondered if the colors would come.
Indeed they did: Indigo and greenish gold popped up in blobs, bobbing and weaving. Then they began a distinct downward movement. I watched as the purple and yellow alternated pulsing downward, from my head towards my feet. This is what it looked like:
At the end of the half hour, my acupuncturist came back into the room and explained that the needles she'd placed were on the specific pressure points to move my energy from my head downwards, in order to prepare the flow for birth.
I was shocked: this confirmed that the flow I'd been distinctly seeing behind my eyes in color form mirrored the exact energy direction my acupuncturist had created -- even though she hadn't told me, or placed the idea in my mind. The colors were saying something and were moving with purpose. Whoa!
What Does Seeing Colors Mean?
Over the years I've been researching what this phenomenon could indicate. We've already discussed the direction they move mirroring energy flow, but what about the meanings of these meditation colors? Each hue might have a purpose...
Do Colors Mirror Chakras?
The day I did one of my first Reiki healing touch treatments on someone and suddenly saw the color RED then began seeing orange, I realized that each person must have different energy colors. It was an odd moment seeing this new color -- I was so used to always purple and gold, that I though that's all I'd ever visualize. It got me thinking about the meaning behind each color, and why some people might have more of one than another. The answer might be found in reading about body chakras... especially the purple chakra.
Which is the Purple Chakra?
According to body chakra teaching, purple light correlates with either the 6th (Third Eye) or 7th (Crown) chakra at the top of the head or above the body. Both are about higher consciousness. Perhaps when I'm seeing purple, indigo, or violet, I'm tapping into the purple chakra, and thus the wider universe of human energy?
My guess is the color I'm seeing is more the 6th (purple chakra), because the 7th chakra is both violet and white, and one day when I was doing Reiki on someone, I distinctly saw his white sparkling light, which was very different than my purple. Another time I saw black, which might be connected with the Earth Star Chakra in the 12-Chakra system.
VIDEO: Seeing Colors During Meditation
What Do Yellow, Green, or Gold Light Mean?
Seeing purple light makes sense with chakra theory, but why would I also then also always see yellow-green? That color likely correlates with the 3rd (Solar Plexus) Chakra which has a yellow aura, and maybe slightly with the 4th (Heart) Chakra which has a green aura -- both in the center of the body. The third chakra is about strength, confidence, and willpower, and the fourth about love and healing. It might also correlate with the 8th or Soul Star Chakra, which has a white and golden hue.
It's interesting to me that my soul would select the colors purple and yellow, and always only these two -- unless I'm doing Reiki meditation with someone else. The one time I was able to generate different colors within myself was during my first Kundalini Reiki training years ago, during a group meditation. At that point I distinctly saw green and several other colors I hadn't seen before, perhaps because of the powerful energy of others present in the room, and the high level of training of the Reiki master teaching us.
(If you're near Massachusetts, I now run my own Boston Reiki practice, so feel free to connect. Upon request, I now also offer remote distance Reiki sessions online, from the comfort of your own home!)
Seeing Colors During Meditation and YOU
I'm thankful to the wonders of digital art that I could finally draw and make tangible and visible what I see behind my eyes on a weekly basis, so perhaps I could find others who resonate with this experience that happens in the liminal space of energy work, so we might make sense of it together.
Do see my NEW article on chakra colors and healing, which grew from your messages from this post! If any of this rings true for you, feel free to reach out in the comments section, or by the social media contacts below.
Seeing Colors During Meditation
See all my articles about seeing colors during meditation, Reiki, acupuncture, massage, and healing. What's the meaning and purpose, and how does it connect with chakras? Learn here.
Chakra Colors and Meanings
In this follow-up article to this first one about seeing purple and yellow during meditation, I dig deeper into the research, and also drew a diagram of each of the chakra colors and energy centers in the body.
More About Seeing a Purple Aura
Here is my most recent article with more information about what seeing a purple aura means, expanded upon with stories from my Reiki energy work sessions and meditation.
Seeing Red Chakra Energy
After opening my own Reiki practice, I have had the opportunity to see the colors of other people as I do sessions with them. Most recently, I've seen a lot of red in people, so this new article is an investigation of what seeing red might mean.
Seeing White Aura and Chakra Energy
What does it mean to see white light or a white aura during energy healing work like meditation or Reiki? See my exploration and illustrations here.
Seeing Black Aura Energy
Don't be alarmed if you see inky black during energy work! A black aura is actually really exciting and useful. Read this to see why.
Earth Star Chakra
My investigation into seeing the color black led me to research the 12 Chakra System which has other energy centers besides the traditional seven: Including the Earth Star Chakra below the body!
The author and artist, Lillie Marshall, is a National Board Certified Teacher of English who has been a public school educator since 2003, and an experienced Reiki practitioner since 2018. All art on this site is original and hand-drawn by Lillie. She launched DrawingsOf.com Educational Cartoons in 2020, building upon the success of her other sites, AroundTheWorldL.com (established 2009), TeachingTraveling.com (founded 2010), and ReikiColors.com. Subscribe to Lillie's monthly newsletter, and follow @WorldLillie on social media to stay connected!
You articulated an experience I had today while undergoing an energy healing session for the first time today. It was so interesting of an experience that I was googling and came across you post.
Glad to be able to help articulate it! As you can see, you’re not alone at all, and it’s a very powerful and healing experience.
I have FINALLY found a place that fits with my experiences. When I did a meditation workshop with several others, I experienced what I call the rainbow flow of colors. Think of how a giant American flag flows in almost folded layers when the wind is gently blowing. That's how my rainbow or colors were flowing. One color flowed into another color. The instructor said it was a once in a lifetime experience. It was beautiful. while I still experience colors when doing deep breathing and I'm by myself, one-two colors flow - one flows into the next but the two colors stay on repeat. For example if I see orange it gets reilly bright then flows like the wind is blowing it into red which is bright and stays and deepens. When I ask other people about what they see during breathing exercises, they look at me like I'm crazy.
You're not alone at all, and I disagree that your experience was "Once in a lifetime" -- with practice, it's possible to learn the patterns of what helps access the colors. Sending good energy from this community!
Hi, I am so glad I found your article. I started seeing these colours swirling when I had my reiki training. I thought that was just my imagination or maybe light from outside penetrating. But sometimes it can change colours: green, blue, yellow, red, orange, purple, white. All chakra colours. My reiki trainer can download images but all I can see is just colours! Glad to know I am not just imagining things. Hopefully I can someday download more images or messages other than just colours.
Thanks for sharing your experience -- it's not just you! I invite you to explore the idea that the colors ARE the message. Each correlates to a chakra that's a different topic. Notice which colors come up when, and in which direction or shape they flow. See my articles about individual energy colors for more on how to do this. Sending you good energy!
@Erin,
Download Images?
I may have experienced a few of these. It's always an eye never eyes. Sometimes it's movement like a video of an eye moving and other times it's just a beautiful eye. The most memorable one was when I "ran into" it in the middle of the night while letting the dogs out to go potty. I was still in a lucid like state going through the motions getting up and making my way to the back door, when I blinked and turned to the left at the same time. I glimpsed this big beautiful black eye surrounded by white light. It was so exciting I thought I imagined it. So I hurried to shut my eyes and look back to my right and slightly up when BOOM there it was!! I didn't think I was gonna see it again. The entire eye and eyelashes were solid black. The shade of black that eats light. Then surrounding the eye was that silvery white light color. It wasn't scary. It looked like it should be scary but it wasn't. The image was a still image. It made me smile with immense happiness and peace.
I've seen a few eyes since this one. The one before this one was of a stationary blinking eye (moving image) looking forward (across my line of vision from left to right). The eye blinks while stareing straight. When the eyelid opens, the eye is already repositioned at slight degree upward.
I'm guessing this may have been some type of guidance. I must have gotten the guidance correctly because then abt a week later is when I seen the beautiful stationary black and white eye.
I'm always watching the colors behind my eyelids. One of my main problems is my inability to control my excitement when something is happening. I end up just popping out of my zone or what ever it's called. Lol
Hi, I found your article when googling about seeing purple and yellow when receiving reiki. I always only see these two colours, sometimes separately throughout the session, but sometimes the two colours swirling together . The patterns of the colours can be very different, sometimes as of someone has dropped a drop of paint into water and it expands and spreads, sometimes a large blob of colour will appear and then seem to disappear down a tiny hole, and sometimes both colours will move around like a kaleidoscope or will be big swirls mixing together. The yellow is sometimes verging on lime green. The purple is sometimes quite dark and other times very pale. So mesmerising and relaxing when it's happening.
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience! I agree that it's so mesmerizing and relaxing!
I stumbled onto a post you wrote about colors you see while in deep meditation. I’m reaching out, because I also see those exact color hues. At first I thought they were the auras of my spirit guards. Now I wonder if it’s actually the aura of our higher self, that we connect with in that meditative state. For me these aren’t the only colors I see. During reiki I’ve had many other colors come to me, usually reflective of my current aura state. I can also see other people’s auras. Except went I meditate, I always always see the same indigo/purple and gold/greenish yellow swirling. Another question? My numerology life path also seems to connect back to these colors. Maybe yours will to.
OMG I am so excited to find you here! I have had purple/gold swirls for years during meditation. Sometimes other colors appear... often pink when my guides are talking to me or when I sense my Mother since she passed. Sometimes greens, royal blue and occasionally white sparkles. I've even had brightly colored outlines of geometric shapes/patterns flash through when I am relaxed enough to just let it all rip.
But what inspired me to finally search this is that I started receiving different colors when my NSA (Network Spinal Analysis) practitioners are working on me and moving my energy. It's such a trip! I get a beautiful pink with one of them which makes total sense to me because she embodies unconditional love; green with another gal there who is so full of life and energy, and when I told her she said "of course! Green is my color!"; then a salmon/rose color with another gal at the same place who worked on me just today. It's so amazing I had to check and see if others are experiencing this and now I have my answer.
Thanks so much for sharing this. I am eager to connect more with others who are also connecting in this way.
Gwen, thank you so much for sharing these wonderful experiences! Wow!
Thx for explaining! I have seen colors during meditation for years and this question has never been answered. I usually see purple, green, fushia in a flowing motion like a lava lamp or kaleidoscope. Sometimes I see little pix I can't ID. Once during acupuncture, I saw the eye in a pyramid like on a dollar bill. I just enjoy it, SRW
Thank you for sharing your experience! I agree that just enjoying it is the key to helping it open improved energy flow and insights.
My third message: I was pushed to take Reiki by my spirit guides. I didn't want to be a healer, but they insisted (I can give the full story if you like) The lady suggested I take a Reiki Taster before committing to taking the Reiki 1. During the session, I saw beautiful colours as each hand position was given. I also found myself striding along a corridor in a Chinese business establishment, after doing business in a back room. I wasn't asleep and wondered what the experience meant, as it was so real. The practitioner told me it was a past life experience. I told her about the colours, and she opened a cupboard door, and pinned to the door was a chart of the human body with the chakra colours on it. All the same colours and places that I had seen! I didn't know about chakras, or past lives - but now I am a Reiki Masker (since 1992) and also a Past Life Regressionist. Life is so full of wonderful mysteries and it is so good to get a peep at them now and again.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your messages! Beautiful!
I've already posted one message, but here is another: I mainly see purples and pinks and they are slow-moving and remind me of the sixties 'Lava lamps' which were made from coloured oil in water, and the heat made the oil slowly swirl and turn in lovely shapes. I've always assumed the Spiritual World was there with me, aiding in the Reiki healing, and taken it as a kind of acknowledgement from them. The fact that sometimes there would be 'spare hands' during the healing, suggested this to be so (felt by the client) Sometimes I would feel my own body shape shift, either to a tall man, or a very short person - like a pygmy - and assumed I was getting extra help (obviously my body didn't change shape, but it felt like it) However, the explanation that it is energy also makes sense - but whatever causes it, it is so lovely, and calming and I always feel privileged to receive it.
This is very interesting. I have always seen lots of colours during Reiki, and my clients say the same. However, when I had to go and have a MRI scan in a tight confine, I was really scared as I was claustrophobic. I closed my eyes before I went in, but there was such a beautiful turquoise colour that swirled and kept me calm. Afterwards, I told the ladies I was glad the turquoise light was there as it was so lovely and they said there was no light in there...
I always see purple and yellow too, during meditation, reiki, massage. Often in the beginning I will have a very anxious feeling, but as the session progresses and the colors do their thing a calmness and peace wash over me, almost as if the color is speaking an unspoken language directly to my soul. I never really understood it, but know that it couldn't be by coincidence. Your pictures describe exactly as I see it too, first pulsing individually and then coming together turning in some kind of up and down spiral dance. Thank you for confirming that this is normal and ok.
Such a perfect way to put it: these colors accompany a calmness and peace, indeed!
I'm glad I found this. I was wondering how common it is.
The first time this happened to me was during my second Reiki session. The vividness of the colours took me by surprise. Green, red, yellow, blue, purple and white seemingly coming from the centre of my perceived vision and swirling around. It wasn't an unpleasant experience so I just maintained awareness of it and enjoyed the experience. Once the session was over, the reiki practitioner told me it had been a really intense session. After that, each time I had reiki it was similar but largely blue, green and yellow.
I've recently started to meditate again and I've started to see the same swirling colours during my meditation. Seeing that this apparently has some meaning, I'll need to increase my knowledge and deepen my practice.
Thanks for posting this as the last time I searched, I didn't find much.
So glad to help! Do check out my full explanation of all the colors you're seeing at https://drawingsof.com/chakra-colors-healing/ . Sending you good energy!
I’ve seen both the purple and gold moving downwards and like a bullseye and expanding, alternating the purple and gold. This is a great image of it. I also see blue, black, green, so many during my acupuncture, massage, yoga, and so much more.
Thank you for sharing your experiences, Jasmine! I'm curious if the direction that the colors move ever changes for you, and what meaning you assign to that.
I've only started seeing colours after a few attempts I didn't notice at first probably but today was intense...I saw four colours green, light/royal blue, pink and white they came as stripes then looked like it was mixed. I saw a wave of rainbow colours after and random spots of different colours...
I did have an outer body experience when I was about 4....icing on the cake is now I'm seeing lights at night I've also got videos and pictures to prove it. They have popped up recently on the same day I've been meditating.
Thanks for sharing your experiences, Jay!
Hi! Great explanation and illustrations. I also see gold and purple lights when meditating and before sleeping. I can see them with open eyes if the room is so dark. Sometimes in the middle of the light circle some 3D images, faces, animals appear. They all are like made out of light, like spirits i guess. Sometimes when I suddenly wake up I see a cat like creature thats watching me. It is not scary but exciting. Does it happen to you too? Do you know what does it mean? Thank you
Thanks for your kind words and for sharing your experiences! Some similar things have happened to me, and I would say to just be open and curious about them. There are a number of ways they could be interpreted, so journaling or discussing the symbolism of the images with others can be helpful. Enjoy!