Crystal Healing

Introduction

Do crystals have energies? If they do, can we feel them? Can we sense them? Do crystals have different energies? If so, can we identify these differences? The crystal therapist would answer "Yes" to all of these questions. Can anyone 'sense' crystal energies and therefore distinguish them from each other? What about sceptics? Would they be able to sense energies or is it just for people who believe in crystal energies? Crystals are supposed to work through energy. In crystal therapy, crystals which have spiritual significance (e.g. clear quartz is good for the crown chakra) or healing benefits are laid out in specific crystal 'layouts'. In this practice, crystals are used therapeutically to heal through facilitating their energies. 

Layouts

Chakras

In order to cleanse the seven chakras, particular groups of crystals are used. White or purple crystals are used for the crown chakra, because their colour is associated with that particular chakra. For example, clear quartz or amethyst. These crystals can also be used for the brow chakra, which is supposed to be located in the centre of the forehead. The crystals with the appropiate colour are laid down ontop of each chakra.

Chakra crystals

Red crystals are used for treating the root or base chakra, whilst orange crystals are used for treating the sacral chakra, yellow crystals for the solar plexus chakra, green crystals for the heart chakra, turquoise crystals for the throat chakra, indigo crystals for the brow chakra and, lastly, purple or white crystals for the crown chakra. 

     On the post on reflexology, it is discussed how physical illness and energy blockages are linked. In work with crystals, there are crystals that are supposed to be suitable for healing, or aiding the treatment of ailments, such as headaches. There are numerous books on the 'metaphysical' properties of different crystals, including what crystals can treat what ailments and chakras. However, if someone discovered in a book on crystals that red jasper was good for grounding and that it could also heal their joint pain, if the person believed in what the book said, they are susceptible to the suggestion that red jasper could help them feel more "grounded" and more susceptible to the suggestion that red jasper could heal their joint pain. Hence, the person may place a red jasper crystal on their ailed joint, and also a red jasper on top of their root chakra (which is supposed to be located in the reproductive region), and, some time later, they may believe that they feel more "grounded" and that their joint pain has gone or has improved. Yet it may not have been down to the crystal's "energy" at all, but rather down to psychological processes or principles, such as classical conditioning. In a social situation, more psychology may be apparent, including conformity, because the person may feel, even subconsciously, to feel obliged to "feel" or "sense" something when in a group, or feel obliged to report having had a similar response or sensation whilst holding a particular stone that is in accord to what the rest of the group thought they had experienced. If the person thinks that another member or members of the group is correct in their stating that a crystal gives a particular reaction (e.g. tingling in the fingers whilst the crystal is held), the person may be more inclined to have a similar experience with the same type of crystal. Or they may wish to report a similar experience to help with their position in the group (that he or she has a lot in common with everyone else as they have similar experiences to them), in order to be liked more.

Crystal 'wands'

 

 Crystal 'wands' (crystals with a point on the end/s) are used point-wise to channel energy into the person's body and aura. A number of these may be laid around the recipient, with all their points pointing towards the recipient's body to draw in energy in order to heal or energise them.

Does this crystal have an 'energy'?

If the crystal therapist feels that the recipient has an excess of energy in their body, they may reverse the wands so that their points face outwards, to draw excess energy out into space from the recipient's body. The wands can also be held by the crystal therapist who may decide that a chakra is blocked (such as the root chakra) and may circle over the chakra clockwise or anti-clockwise, depending on what chakra it is and the natural way of movement for it. Generally, the energy for chakras is thought to move clockwise (possibly this may only be attributed to the 'higher chakras' of the crown, brown, throat and heart and that the 'lower chakras' of the solar plexus, sacral and root have energy flowing in an anti-clockwise manner).

    Supposedly, if one was to hold a crystal wand with its point just above the centre of their palm, slowly moving the crystal wand clockwise, it is possible to "feel" the energy of the palm chakra, either as a moving prick or tracing sensation on the hand it is down over or as some sort of warmth or tingling in association of the movement. However, the person doing the crystal wand over their hand knows full well that it is happening, so may wrongly attribute the crystal wand's movements with sensations that they coincidentally feel with the hand it is done on, or they may imagine the physical sensations, especially if they believe that the crystal wand is doing something, at least something with crystal energy.

    

Chakra crystals

Crystals are mainly used in crystal therapy in accordance to their colours and perceived qualities, including for their supposed effect on the chakras. 

Red crystals

Anything that is red is said to be good for the root or base chakra. Red tomatoes or peppers, red apples, red plastic shelves perhaps (only joking - those aren't edible anyway!). However, it touches on the concept of colour healing, in which colour is used for its therapeutic effect on the chakras and also on the psychological state of the person. For some crystals that are used for the base chakra, please refer to Figure 2. Some crystals are unmarked as their identity is currently unknown. Red jasper, as pictured in Figure 2, according to Judy Hall's The Crystal Bible, p.156 "...is gently stimulating. It grounds energy and rectifies unjust situations. Red jasper brings problems to light before they become too big and provides insights into the most difficult situations. It makes an excellent "worry bead", calming the emotions when played with." 

This extract does raise some questions, however:

1. How did the author get the information about how the crystal can be used? 

2. Is the information based on the data from a survey of people, from the feedback they gave after their treatments with crystals?

3. Is the information based on personal opinion or experience?

4. What scientific evidence is there that the crystals do as the author claims?

5. In the final sentence, the author says that red jasper is an excellent "worry bead" when played with. But this may be due to the person playing absent-mindedly with the crystal whilst they are daydreaming or in a meditative state and consequently find it beneficial with regard to worry, without being associated with the crystal in any way. 

Also, when "Placed under the pillow, it helps dream recall. Red jasper stimulates the base chakras and assists rebirthing. It cleans and stabilizes the aura, and strengthens your boudaries. This is a stone of health, strengthening and detoxifying the circulatory system, the blood, and liver. It dissolves blockages in the liver or bile ducts." This raises the following questions:

1. If the crystal "helps dream recall", does this mean that when placed under a person's pillow each night, they will remember ALL the dreams they had each night?

2. In what way does red jasper "assist rebirthing"? What is the context? Emotionally? Spiritually? Physically? Psychologically?

3. What is the context of the "strengthening of your boundaries" (similar question to Question 2)?

4. If red jasper "is a stone of health", does this mean that anyone who uses red jasper becomes completely healthy? By "health" does it mean psychological, physical, mental, or/and psychological?

5. Have any of these claims been proved scientifically, such as improved dream recall and an improvement of health, in controlled experiments (unlikely)?

6. Why is it that the statements are rather vague, resulting in 'reading into' the statements?

7. What would happen if someone misunderstood or misinterpreted some of the statements and used the crystal assuming the crystal helped something slightly different?

8. What scientific evidence is there for any of the claims the author makes for red jasper, particularly for when they state that the crystal "strengthens and detoxifies the circulatory system, the blood, and liver" or that that crystal "dissolves blockages in the liver or bile ducts"?

9. In what way does the crystal "strengthens and detoxifies the circulatory system, the blood, and liver" or  "dissolves blockages in the liver or bile ducts"? Does it do these physically? Energetically (such as energy blockages associated with the liver, etc)? Or some other level?

   In meditations, people have different experiences. Some people may visualise themselves to be in a woodland, where they meet elves or fairies; others may visualise themselves underground, where they visit gnomes or aliens. Even if one person was to visualise themselves in a woodland, for example, whilst another person also saw themselves in a woodland, it is highly unlikely that, if they were each to draw what their woodlands looked like on a piece of paper, the drawings would be identical. In the same way, meditations with crystal result in different experiences. Some people may experience something with the crystal which is contrary to what the book says the crystal helps with or facilitates. Meditation is subjective; it cannot be entirely predicted what one person may experience in it. 

Programming crystals

Crystals, according to p.31,  The Power of Crystals by Denise Whichello Brown, can be programmed, although "The most suitable crystals for programming are clear quartz crystals, which are colourless. (Coloured crystals already have their own programmes of use - suggested by their colour - by virtue of their vibrational and mineral compositions.)"

     This suggests that crystals such as clear quartz and Herkimer diamond do not have a "program" for healing. It would also suggest that if someone had given a negative program for healing to, for example, a clear quartz crystal, before giving it to a charity shop or re-selling it, that whoever buys that crystal (maybe for healing purposes) will be affected by its negative "programme" in some way. But in practice, will that "programme" be picked up on somehow by its new owner, or will they assume that the crystal is reprogrammed, so will not be affected by its previous owner's negative programme - not that it should matter, because in this scenario the new owner will programme the crystal again with their own one?

     Why would someone want to "programme" a crystal? For healing purposes - particularly if the owner practices crystal healing on people; or for self-help purposes, such as to try and heal a wound or some other ailment; or for psychic or spiritual development (with regard to clairvoyance or intuition, etc.).  Whichello Brown explains on p.32 how to programme a crystal, after deciding on the particular thing you would want to programme it for. "Once you have decided on your intent, hold your crystal in front of your heat chakra ... and take a few deep breaths to focus your consciousness and feel your connection."

    Before moving onto the last step, there are some questions that must be considered:

1. What is 'consciousness'? Is it the mind? Usually, consciousness is described as the 'soul', but in this context, does the author mean the mind? If she doesn't then what does she mean by 'consciousness'?

2. How do you 'focus' your consciousness? 

   "Then lift the crystal to your third eye chakra ... and state your intention clearly, either aloud or non-verbally. Say, for example, 'I programme this crystal to be used for healing, meditation, manifestation and communication with the angelic realms.' Repeat your intention several times to make your purpose clear. You will know intuitively when the programming is complete. When it is, detach your consciousness from the programmed crystal and put it down.'" This raises some more questions:

1. Why do you need to lift the crystal "to your third eye chakra" and "state your intention clearly"? Is this so that the third eye chakra understands or acts on the intention for the crystal's purpose? Why? How?

2. Will the intention's effect be measurable scientifically or tangibly? If so, how?

3. How will it be possible to know 'intuitively' when the programming is complete? 

4. How do you 'detach your consciousness' from the "programmed crystal"?