Crystal healing: Stone-cold realities concerning gemstone therapies

 

Crystal healing is a form of complementary medicine that uses crystals to enhance the body's healing processes.

 

Alternative medicine practices like crystal healing employ various types of stones for therapeutic and preventative purposes. Some people believe that crystals can operate as channels through which good, healing energy can enter the body while bad, disease-causing energy leaves the body.

 

Despite crystal healing's rising popularity in recent years, many mainstream medical professionals and scientists see it as quackery.

 

There is no proof that crystal healing can be utilized to treat illness on a scientific level, as it has never been established that illness is the result of an energy blockage in the body. Furthermore, there is no evidence from scientific investigations that crystals and stones may be separated from one another based on their chemical composition or colour to heal a specific condition.

 

Peter Heaney, a mineral sciences professor at Penn State University, said in 2021 that he was unaware of any investigations investigating the therapeutic capabilities of crystals being funded by the National Science Foundation. He continues by saying that while Albert Einstein's mass-energy equivalence of e = mc2 does imply that crystals have energy, there is no energy transfer between crystals and humans.

 

However, healing crystals continue to be widely used at spas and New Age medical facilities, often as part of complementary therapies like massage and Reiki. Even though no hard evidence supports the claim, some people find that using crystals in certain settings helps them relax.

 

The theory behind how crystals are used in healing

 

A subset of the population subscribes to the idea that crystals and gemstones can aid in the healing process. Many crystal healing websites claim that the practice has been around for thousands of years, all the way back to the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia. According to such sources, ancient Egyptians wore crystals like lapis lazuli, carnelian, and turquoise to protect against illness and negative energy.

 

However, the underlying principles of modern crystal healing can be traced back to ancient Asian philosophies. These include the belief in life-energy (chi or qi) and the chakras (vortices of this life-energy) that connect the body's material and spiritual aspects, both of which come from Chinese philosophy.

 

According to these theories, crystals can promote physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being by interacting with the body's energy field ( Time ).

 

Crystal healing involves ascribing different qualities to different stones, with different healers having differing opinions on which stones have particular qualities. Healthline explains that some people believe amethyst is good for the intestines, while others believe green aventurine is good for the heart and that yellow topaz is good for the mind. The seven chakras on the body are related to the colours red through violet.

 

A crystal healer may use stones or crystals aligned with your body's seven chakra points (approximately the crown of the head, forehead, throat, chest, abdomen, intestines, and genitalia) during a therapy session. Based on the patient's stated complaints, the stones can be utilized, and their placement can be selected. All of this is affected by the healer's familiarity with and commitment to the chakra philosophy of sickness and energy imbalances, a viewpoint widely disregarded by Western medical professionals.

 

Crystal Vaults, a retailer of crystal "talismans" and "amulets," states that crystal therapy also includes the usage of crystals and stones worn on the body or placed under pillows to ward off illness, and expel negative energy, or absorb positive energy.

 

The Real Science Behind Crystal Healing

 

However, a study implies that a patient receiving crystal healing may have a placebo effect. According to Christopher French, head of the anomalistic psychology research section at the University of London, placebo effects occur alongside a treatment. Still, they are not caused by the medication itself working on the patient's ailment.

 

French's interview with Live Science states that "there is no evidence that crystal healing works over and above a placebo effect." "In accordance with that criterion, we should evaluate all potential treatments." However, your perspective on placebo effects will determine whether you find crystal healing or any other type of [complementary and alternative medicine] to be completely useless.

 

Therefore, while a person may feel better after receiving crystal healing treatment, there is no evidence to suggest that this improvement is due to the stones themselves. At the 2001 British Psychological Society Centenary Annual Conference in Glasgow, French and his coworkers presented the results of their investigation into crystal healing.

 

Eighty people participated in the study, and everyone meditated for five minutes while holding either a real quartz crystal or a false crystal that they were led to believe was real. Half of the people who meditated with crystals had been instructed to pay special attention during the meditation to any sensations of tingling or warmth that might arise in the body or the hand that held the crystal.

 

After the meditation, the participants were asked how they felt and if they noticed any changes due to the crystal therapy. Those who meditated while holding phoney crystals reported experiencing the same results as those who meditated while holding actual crystals, according to the study's researchers.

 

Whether holding a real or a fake crystal, many people in both groups felt a pleasant warmth in their hands and an improvement in their sense of well-being. Those preconditioned to expect to feel these effects rated them more highly than those who did not. These effects, however, did not vary in intensity depending on whether or not the subject was holding a genuine crystal. It was shown that crystal believers (as determined by a questionnaire) were twice as likely to report experiencing effects from the crystal as non-believers.

 

French made the valid point that many treatments are widely accepted as having no therapeutic benefit beyond the placebo effect. Some of these remedies can indeed help you feel better quickly, but there's no evidence to suggest they can treat or cure anything more than the symptoms. French argued that if a person was experiencing major health problems, they should visit a licensed physician rather than an alternative healer.

 

Despite this, persuading a person who has faith in the curative powers of crystals can be difficult. It's difficult to refute the claims of those who feel that crystals might have a calming impact on the mind [...] There is a duty on our part to honour such real experiences." According to the Washington Post, UNC professor of psychology and religion Zhuo Job Chen,

 

Others argue that the growing popularity of so-called alternative medicine is evidence of patients' growing mistrust of mainstream medical practitioners and should prompt clinicians to exhibit greater compassion. There is an increasing chorus of people questioning the conventional medical establishment's treatment methods as a result of the rising popularity of complementary and alternative medicine. According to Edzard Ernst, an emeritus professor of complementary medicine at the Peninsula School of Medicine, the University of Exeter, quoted in the "British Medical Journal," "it shows that we aren't fulfilling a certain need — we are not giving patients enough time, compassion, or empathy." in 2018.

 

Is it risky to use crystals for healing?

 

Many "natural medicine" colleges and clinics advertise online certification courses for crystal healing. However, these schools and clinics are not regulated by any governing body and may or may not teach any of the material they claim to teach. There are currently no local, state, or federal regulations governing crystal healing or crystal healers' certification. This alternative treatment may be legal in some places as a form of massage or bodywork therapy. Crystal healers in some jurisdictions may need to be licensed.

 

Massage therapists and other alternative health practitioners can take optional board tests administered by non-profit organizations like the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB). If they meet NCTMB's standards, NCTMB-approved schools and businesses may certify alternative health practitioners.

 

Certain MDs are tolerant of crystal healing because they understand its potential to help patients unwind and relieve tension. In spite of the allure of crystal healing, people with serious illnesses should not put off getting proper medical care in favour of consulting a crystal expert.

 

Like the use of other gemstones to cure different conditions, many parents believe that the Baltic amber necklaces they give their babies and toddlers will help alleviate the pain associated with teething. Healthy Children reports that there is no proof that amber relieves teething discomfort. According to one theory, a pain-relieving substance (succinic acid) is released from the amber and absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream, while another suggests that the amber stimulates the thyroid gland to increase drooling and reduce inflammation in the ears, throat, stomach, and respiratory system, respectively.

 

In an article for Science-Based Medicine, paediatrician John Snyder discussed amber necklaces and the various pain relief claims that have been made for them. Snyder's only remotely credible claims were that succinic acid is present in the human body naturally, that some molecules of Baltic amber are absorbed through the skin, and that amber is known to contain succinic acid. However, the amount of succinic acid in the amber is negligible and not released by body heat. Additionally, there is negligible proof that succinic acid has any therapeutic effects.

 

Alexandra Hudson, Kim Blake, and Robyn McLaughlin wrote a letter to the editor in 2016 about the risks associated with amber necklaces and how they far outweigh any potential benefits. Multiple cases of strangulation and choking due to the necklaces have been reported. The authors note that the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Pediatric Society both advise against using amber necklaces and stress the importance of educating parents on teething and amber's purported healing properties.

 

There are risks associated with crystal creation that should be thought about in addition to the risks faced by patients who choose crystal healing over conventional medication. According to a 2019 article in "The Guardian," some diamonds come from mines in some of the world's poorest regions. Madagascar's diamond and precious metal exports increased by 170 per cent between 2016 and 2017, putting the country alongside larger producers such as India and China. However, most crystals are mined by tiny groups of people for little pay and in areas with little infrastructure like water or electricity.

 

Supplemental Materials

We recommend reading about the time crystal created in Google's quantum computer if you're interested in crystals.

Alternatively, research the strange crystals that resulted from the first nuclear bomb test in 1945.

Reference : https://www.livescience.com/40347-crystal-healing.html

Image source : https://pixabay.com/id/illustrations/berlian-cemerlang-permata-berkilau-1186139/

What is crystal stone good for?

How does gemstone therapy work?

When were crystals used for healing?

How do you use gemstones?

Crystal healing: Stone-cold realities concerning gemstone therapies

Do gemstones really work?

Which gemstone is most powerful?

How do you charge crystals?

Crystal healing: Stone-cold realities concerning gemstone therapies

Do crystals work for anxiety?

How do crystals grow?