Quartz, Boulder, Amethyst: Cure or Quack?
Crystals are often used in alternative healing practices and spiritual pursuits for their purported metaphysical properties. Here’s a breakdown of how they’re used and some specific types that are popular:
Healing Properties
Many people believe that crystals can promote physical, emotional, and spiritual healing by interacting with the body’s energy field, or chakra. Some spiritual and cultural paradigms incorporate the use of crystals for many purpose. Hard-core experiments have so far failed to demonstrate a clear connection between use of crystals and positive results. Some believe that benefits experienced and claimed are nothing more than a “placebo effect.” Others swear by the efficacy of the proper use of crystals. I take no position for purposes of this blog, and am interested in laying out the basics of the beliefs in specific crystals.
No one should dismiss the “placebo effect.” IF in fact that is the only benefit the crystals serve, that alone justifies their use in healing and for the other claimed benefits. “Healed” means “healed,” regardless of how someone got healed.
In short, the “placebo effect” is that if you think something will work, it will work. If someone believes that a mode of cure will do just that, it is reasonable to expect that the expected effect will occur. If you believe that a crystal will cure a headache, it just might cure the headache. While this does make for more complex experimental designs, the placebo in and of itself should not be under-rated. If someone thinks they’ll be healed, and then they are, they may well be just as “healed” as if modern medicine did the job successfully.
This is NOT a substitute for modern medical care, and as an adjunct to “normal medicine” it certainly can help, and cannot obviously do any harm unless they leave medical problems untreated and the crystal remedy does not work.
Psychic Uses
In psychic or spiritual contexts, crystals are believed to enhance intuition, connect with spiritual guides, or facilitate other psychic abilities. They are often used in meditation, placed on specific parts of the body, or used in rituals to focus energy.
Popular Crystals:
Amethyst: Believed to promote calmness and clarity, and is often used to enhance intuition and psychic abilities. Normally purple, it exhibits in a number of different colors.
Quartz: Considered a “master healer,” clear quartz is said to amplify energy and thought, as well as the effect of other crystals.
Rose Quartz: Associated with love and heart healing, it’s used to attract love and help heal from past emotional traumas.
Black Tourmaline: Used for protection against negative energy and for grounding.
Citrine: Believed to attract prosperity, success, and positivity.
Lapis Lazuli: 
Said to enhance intellectual abilities and intuition.Despite the popularity of crystal healing, it’s important to approach these practices with an understanding that they are spiritual or symbolic in nature, and not a substitute for professional medical or psychological treatment. However as a adjunct to professional conventional it may perform magic.
So, see your doctor and use the crystals. They do not represent a a fork in the road, but are options which may work well together or in the right situation, separately.
Lenny Lensworth Frieling
Shared Knowledge is Power!
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