INTRODUCTION:

In 1999, researchers French and Williams conducted a study to investigate the power of crystals compared with a placebo. Eighty volunteers were asked to meditate with either a quartz crystal, or a placebo stone which was indistinguishable from quartz. Many of the participants reported feeling typical "crystal effects"; however, this was irrespective of whether the crystals were real or placebo. In 2001 Christopher French, head of the anomalistic psychology research unit at the University of London and colleagues from Goldsmiths College outlined their study of crystal healing at the British Psychological Society Centenary Annual Conference, concluding "There is no evidence that crystal healing works over and above a placebo effect.”

FIG 1 Crystal Therapy

Various crystals and minerals are placed on or around a fully clothed person to induce deep relaxation, release stress and pain, and promote energy balance within the physical and subtle bodies. The treatment takes around an hour and crystals may be used singly or in patterns. They are placed on sites of pain, on acupuncture points or meridians, or on subtle energy vortexes called chakras.

Ethnography:

Precious stones have been thought of as healing objects by a variety of cultures worldwide.

Anglosphere:

Crystal healing is heavily associated with the New Age spiritual movement: "the middle-class New Age healing activity par excellence". In contrast with other forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), participants in crystal healing view the practice as "individuated", i.e., dependent on extreme personalization and creative expression. Practitioners of crystal healing purport that certain physical properties—e.g., shape, color, and markings—determine the ailments that a stone can heal; lists of such links are published in commonly distributed texts. Paradoxically, practitioners also "hold the view that crystals have no intrinsic qualities but that, instead, their quality changes according to both" participants. After selecting the stones by color or their believed metaphysical qualities, they place them on parts of the body. Color selection and placement of stones are done according to concepts of grounding, chakras, or energy grids.

Criticism:

There is no peer-reviewed scientific evidence that crystal healing has any effect; it is considered a pseudoscience. Alleged successes of crystal healing can be attributed to the placebo effect. Furthermore, there is no scientific basis for the concepts of chakras, being "blocked", energy grids requiring grounding, or other such terms; they are widely understood to be nothing more than terms used by adherents to lend credibility to their practices. Energy, as a scientific term, is a very well-defined concept that is readily measurable and bears little resemblance to the esoteric concept of energy used by proponents of crystal healing.

FIG 2. How does the treatment work

Why would the specific placement of crystals have any effect on the well-being of our bodies? It is said that there is no such thing as a miracle, just undiscovered laws of physics. Crystals have the ability to hold and emit energy vibrations. When a crystal is put in a watch the battery sends a constant charge through the crystal. The crystal absorbs the charge, and then releases it at such a precise rate it is used to make the watch keep perfect time. Crystals affect our electro-magnetic energy fields or subtle bodies which surround and permeate the physical body. These include the etheric, emotional and mental bodies, which are collectively called the aura.

Crystals absorb, focus, direct and diffuse our energy fields to enable a diseased or out of balance body to find it's natural energetic rhythm once again. The appropriate crystals can be placed on the seven main chakras, which look like different coloured spinning wheels of subtle energy, running up the centre of the torso. These link the subtle energy fields of our aura with our emotions, glands, organs, physical body parts and subtle and physical circulatory flows. This is why wearing certain crystals such as yellow citrine may uplift you, rose quartz may help to ease heartache, and amethyst may calm a busy mind and help you to sleep.

If you know what effect each type of crystal has according to its colour, shape and mineral content, then you can make use of them to initiate a specific effect on the energy balance of chakras, meridians, energy, organs and emotions. Usually crystals with the points facing away from the problem area move the energy away from that area, and crystals placed with the points facing inwards recharge the body with subtle energies. A Range of various Crystals For instance a pain such as a headache indicates an over-energy situation or energy blockage. A crystal such as an amethyst point can be used to move the energy away from the area of imbalance.

Four amethyst points are used. Lie down and place one amethyst on either side of the base of the throat, just above the innermost end of the collarbones. The points should be facing upwards towards the head. Place another amethyst on the brow chakra in the middle of the forehead with the point facing up towards the crown of the head. Place the fourth crystal above the crown of the head, with the point facing straight up and away from crown of the head.

A fifth optional amethyst can be put below the back of the head, on the cervical vertebrae of the neck, with the point facing up towards the head, if the headache originates from tight neck muscles. If you find it difficult to make the crystals stay in place you can tape them on with micropore. Relax with the crystals in place for 5-15 minutes, or for as long as it takes for the headache to ease. Drink plenty of mineral water following the treatment.

There are many layouts to choose from, so the therapist either works intuitively or dowses with a pendulum for the right layout. For instance the "Seal of Solomon" layout can also be used to relieve pain or stress. Six quartz points in a star formation can be placed around a painful spot, or around the whole body. A malachite stone can be placed in the centre to accelerate the dispersal of energy. Another layout called "The figure of eight" uses quartz crystals in the shape of a figure of eight to increase the movement of the body's electro-magnet energy where it has become sluggish.

FIG 3 Does it really work, or is it a gimmick?

Seal of Solomon Crystal arrangement One of the best ways to find out whether a painless complementary therapy works is to try it out on an animal, small child or a plant. They do not need a belief in the treatment's efficacy, nor do they have the ability to understand the treatment, or suggest that the result could be just coincidence. Much of my research in crystal therapy has been done with animals. Animals seem to be able to sense the beneficial electro-magnetic qualities of crystals. One of my cats so likes crystals he always goes to sleep on me with a paw over the crystal pendant I am usually wearing. He will also voluntarily sit in an amethyst healing net, composed of eight pointed amethysts in a star shape on a yellow cloth. I also know of a grey parrot who asks for a crystal to be rubbed down his back. He is able to tell when a crystal has been placed near his cage, even when the cage is covered over for night time.

Crystals can be placed on around the sick animal or child, but it is usually more convenient to place crystals on a drawing or a photo of them for a set period of time. Alternatively a gem essence can be added to their drinking water. Gem essences can be made in the same way as a flower essence by putting a gem in spring water and exposing it to sunlight for a couple of hours. Then brandy is added to the water to preserve it, and then a few drops of this mother tincture are used to make a stock essence. Then a few drops of the stock essence are then added to drinking water. However, even drinking water which has had a non-poisonous gem in water put in it overnight can have beneficial effects. Take the gem out before drinking it. Pearl is excellent for calming a traumatised animal or child, emerald is good for the cat that keeps vomiting up fur balls, and ruby is good for improving energy.

Do certain crystals clash if used together?

Some crystals such as ruby or garnet enhance vitality, and others such as amethyst, malachite and lapis calm over-energy states. In general warm coloured stones - red, orange and yellow - stimulate energy flow, and cool colours - blue, green and violet - generally calm over activity. In a treatment some areas will need calming and others will need stimulating, but if you were to use a stimulating stone and a calming stone on the same spot it would simply neutralise the effect of each stone.

How can I use crystals on myself for my own healing?

You can wear the appropriate stone for healing as a bracelet, necklace or pendant. The healing may take some time as the crystal is only in contact with one small area of the body. For protection from adverse psychic energies crystals such as turquoise, labradorite or iolite can be worn over the chest. You can place crystal layouts on yourself as described earlier. You can also put the appropriate stones or layouts on a photo or drawing of yourself for an appropriate period of time.

CONCLUSION:

Various crystals and minerals are placed on or around a fully clothed person to induce deep relaxation, release stress and pain, and promote energy balance within the physical and subtle bodies. Despite this, scientific investigations have not validated claims that chakras or energy grids actually exist, nor is there any evidence that crystal healing has any greater effect upon the body than any other placebo; for these reasons it is considered a pseudoscience.

ACKNOLOGENMENT:

I would like to thanks to my parents, Dr Neeraj bausker residence medical officer (suretech hospital).

REFERENCES:

1. Regal, Brian. (2009). Pseudoscience: A Critical Encyclopedia. Greenwood. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-313-35507-3

2. Carroll, Robert Todd. "Crystal Power". The Skeptic's Dictionary. Retrieved January 14, 2012 "Live Science". Retrieved 2018-07-29.

3. Chase, Pamela; Pawlik, Jonathan (2001). Healing with Crystals. Career Press. ISBN 9781564145352.

4. McClean, Stuart. "Crystal and spiritual healing in northern England: Folk-inspired systems of medicine". Folk Healing and Health Care Practices in Britain and Ireland: Stethoscopes, Wands, and Crystals. Retrieved 2017-08-14.

5. McClean, Stuart (2005-08-03). "'The illness is part of the person': discourses of blame, individual responsibility and individuation at a centre for spiritual healing in the North of England". Sociology of Health and Illness. 27 (5): 628–648. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9566.2005.00459.x. PMID 16078904.

6. McClean, Stuart; Shaw, Alison (2005-07-01). "From Schism to Continuum? The Problematic Relationship Between Expert and Lay Knowledge—An Exploratory Conceptual Synthesis of Two Qualitative Studies". Qualitative Health Research. 15 (6): 729–749. doi:10.1177/1049732304273927. PMID 15961872. Retrieved 2017-08-14.

7. Malotki, Ekkehart (2006). "Introduction". Hopi Stories of Witchcraft, Shamanism and Magic. University of Nebraska Press. p. xxvii. ISBN 9780803283183.

8. John Kaimikaua, talk at Molokai, HI: 1997, as cited in Gardner, Joy (2006). Vibrational Healing Through the Chakras with Light, Color, Sound, Crystals and Aromatherapy. Berkeley, CA: The Crossing Press.

9. MacKenzie, Donald A. (2005) [1924]. Myths Of China And Japan. Kessinger Publishing's rare reprints. Kessinger Publishing. p. 249. ISBN 978-1417964291. Rhinoceros horn had, like jade, healing properties.

10. Campion, E.W. (1993). "Why unconventional medicine?". The New England Journal of Medicine. 328 (4): 282–3. doi:10.1056/NEJM199301283280413. PMID 8418412.

Received on 10.05.2019 Modified on 31.05.2019

Asian J. Nursing Education and Research. 2019; 9(3):460-462.

DOI: 10.5958/2349-2996.2019.00095.8