For centuries, mystics and New Age enthusiasts have held the belief that crystals possess healing powers. While opponents argue that it’s a classic case of the placebo effect—psychological priming in action—proponents claim that the natural vibration of the stones can raise energy levels and as a result, alleviate common ailments like stress, drowsiness, and low concentration.
Crystals are Healing
Everything in this universe operates at a vibrational frequency. It traces back to the structure of atoms, which are tiny particles of matter in a constant state of motion. Crystals and gems are conductors of energy. Depending on their age, origin, and composition they have the ability to amplify an individual’s personal waves and eliminate blocks from energy fields (chakras). Crystal healers can identify seven main chakras in the human body.
Courtesy of Peter Weltevrede (Wikimedia Commons)
Each one controls a particular gland, which in turn controls an organ. Markus van derWesthuizen, a registered Reiki Master and Crystal Healer, told Health24 “when you hold or wear a crystal, the unique message from it is emanated into your body, passing the message from cell to cell—and this is where the healing takes place.”
Christopher Baird, a certified Yoga Instructor, can vouch for the effectiveness of crystals in his own life. “I was really sick in 2011. I suffered from clinical depression and I was on antidepressants and medications to help me focus in and out of school. I bought a singing bowl and a quartz crystal to wear around my neck for a few months. I would play the singing bowl each day and wear the quartz necklace while allowing myself to heal. By the time January of 2012 came, I was off of four separate medications and I felt I had my life back.”
Popular Uses
Amber: Calming for hyperactivity and stressed nerves
Carnelian: Releases sorrow, envy, fear, apathy, and rage
Tourmaline: Relieves fatigue, anemia, increases success
Garnet: Increases courage, sexual energy, and enthusiasm
They’re a Hoax
A recent study by Dr. Christopher French, a psychologist at Goldsmith’s College, London, found that crystal healing may be a sham. French took a sample of 80 volunteers and gave half of them an actual “New Age Crystal” to meditate with. The other 40 volunteers were given a fake, imitation crystal but were told that it was genuine. The researches were also instructed to tell the subjects that they would experience a number of benefits including tingling, focused attention, balanced emotions, and increased energy.
In the end, only 6 out of the 80 failed to experience at least one of the sensations they were psychologically primed for. French’s experiment indicates that there was no noticeable difference between the subjects holding the real crystal and the ones holding the fake rock.
Whether or not crystals are the end-all , be-all solution remains to be determined, but what is certain is that the controversy will likely trek on for centuries to come.
Green Earth Gypsy 