) is a Swiss psychotherapist. He's known for inventing the Lüscher color test

Lüscher color test

The Lüscher color test is a psychological test invented by Dr. Max Lüscher in Basel, Switzerland.Max Lüscher believed that sensory perception of color is objective and universally shared by all, but that color preferences are subjective, and that this distinction allows subjective states to be...

, a tool for measuring the person's psychophysical state based on his or her color preferences

Color preferences

In the psychology of color, color preferences are the tendency for an individual or a group to prefer some colors over others, including a favorite color.-Introduction:...

. Besides research, teaching and practicing psychotherapy in Basel, Lüscher worked for international companies, amongst other things giving color advice. His book "The Lüscher Test" has been translated into more than 30 languages.

Biography

After passing Swiss matriculation examination Max Lüscher studied philosophy and psychology. He finished with summa cum laude for his doctoral thesis "Color as an aid in psychological diagnosis". From this base, during the course of his work as a therapist, Lüscher developed his first test for assessing (or at least estimating) the human personality by the means of certain color cards. From 1961 until 1965, Lüscher worked as a teacher and professor in Basel and Berlin

Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

. Currently he is living in Lucerne

Lucerne

Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...

 where he runs his "Institute for Medical Psychological Diagnosis". The area of prime importance to the Lüscher research is the effect of colors on humans with regard to the psychological social aspects as well as the psychology of colors and advice for industry and firms. Lüscher is internationally known through his guest lectures and seminars.

From 1959 to 1967 Max Lüscher was married to the Swiss artist Ingeborg Lüscher

Ingeborg Lüscher

Ingeborg Lüscher, born 1936 in Freiberg, is a German/Swiss painter, working on painting, sculpture, photography, installation and video. She was first married to the Swiss psychotherapist Max Lüscher, then to the Swiss curator and art historian Harald Szeemann.Since 1967 she works and lives in...

.

The Lüscher Test-Colors

The test-colors from the Lüscher Color-Diagnosis are selected according to the same category. Therefore the patient’s choice of color shows the state of their psychosomatic and emotional status and how they feel about themselves. It is further one of many well known test-diagnostic proceedings by testing children on the area of educational psychology.

Lüscher relates to his four fundamental colors to the following fundamental categories:

• Blue: Contentment

Feeling of belonging, the inner connection and the relationship to one’s partner.

"How I feel towards a person that is close to me"

• Green: Self-respect

Inner control of willpower and the capacity to enjoy.

"The way I want to be"

• Red: Self confidence

Activity, drive and the reaction to challenges.

"How I react to challenges"

• Yellow: Development

Attitude of anticipation, attitude towards future development and towards new encounters.

"What I expect for the future"

Literature

• Max Lüscher: „The Lüscher Colour Test", Remarkable Test That Reveals Your Personality Through Color, Pan Books, 1972, ISBN 978-0330028097
• Max Lüscher: „Color - the mother tongue of the unconscious", Capsugel N.V. (1973)
• Max Lüscher: „The 4-Color Person", Pocketbooks, Simon Schuster, 1979, ISBN 0-671-83457-6
• Max Lüscher, „Colors of Love" : Getting in Touch with Your Romantic Self, St. Martin's Press, New York, 1996, ISBN 978-0312142957
• Max Lüscher: „The Luscher Profile", Mindscape (1986), ASIN B000WY2OU8
• Max Lüscher: „Personality Signs", Warner Books, 1981, ISBN 978-0446813174
• Max Lüscher: „Der Lüscher-Test. Persönlichkeitsbeurteilung durch Farbwahl", Rowohlt, Reinbek, 1985, ISBN 3-498-03812-5
• Max Lüscher: „Das Harmoniegesetz in uns", Ullstein, 2003, ISBN 3-548-36656-2
• Max Lüscher: „Der Vier-Farben-Mensch", Ullstein, 2005, ISBN 3-548-36797-6

External links

• Basics about Lüscher's Color Diagnostik - 7 languages - including English
• Max Lüscher: The logical bases of the ethical norms (Powerpoint presentation)
• Biography of Max Lüscher
• The Colour blue - musically interpreted according to Max Lüscher (example)
• Einführung in die Psychologik (Introduction to Psychologics) - (mp3) - German spoken by Prof. Max Lüscher