The Power of Crystals: Science, History and Healing

This article explains the power of Crystals for Healing. We all live lives that are stressful and anxious. Therefore, cares and worries press down on us, aches and pains bother us. We feel tired and our energy gets run-down.

Stress and depression can hit anyone.

It’s very tempting to either ignore these issues, hoping they will go away, or just reach for the medicine cabinet, for instance in the hope a pill will do the job.

There is an alternative health way, which deals with these pressures on our life: Healing quartz crystals, and other healing stones. 

Above all, gem therapy, especially when practiced in a complementary way, with taking better care of our diet and exercise, is highly effective. 

Therefore please just don't reach for a chemical fix, which often has side effects. There is an alternative way - or a complementary way - through the healing power of crystals.     

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Gemstone Therapy

Let’s begin at the beginning, with the relationship between your health and your Chakras.

How Chakras influence our health

In Stone Age times in the West, we recognized that each of us is made up of more than just flesh and blood. Archaeological finds, stretching back to the dawn of humanity, show that healing with crystals is as old as mankind. Gradually that knowledge was suppressed by Bronze Age and later Iron Age monotheistic religions.

We were told that there was an abstracted Soul, distinct from the body and the body itself which – so we were taught – was weak and sinful. Our bodies were sinful things, ruled by passions we must repress. For instance, religions encouraged fasting, sexual abstinence, body mutilation, and self-flagellation.  
Later, secular Western thinkers discarded the Soul as well. We were now told the body was simply a physical object. 

We are more than Flesh and Bone

Some - not all - early psychology and psychoanalysis, reduced us to simplify the body and its passions. We were - so the new thinking sometimes claimed -  a motley collection of simplistic primeval drives, shorn of our spiritual dimension.  

Many ills flowed from this profoundly narrow – minded viewpoint. Rather than looking at ourselves holistically, in all our dimensions, we were encouraged to see ourselves in a reductionist way. We were told - by some - we were just thinking automata, mere biological machines. 

Ironically, Western physics now holds that the Universe itself has more dimensions - in fact, many more dimensions than we see or easily comprehend.

String theory in physics: We live in many dimensions without awareness of them

Not Three but Many Dimensions

The classic Western tendency of some thinkers to reject everything that we can’t immediately see, or touch, was overturned as Physics developed. Now, ironically, Western Physics and Western Mathematics deals in the possibility of 11 dimensions - or more. What’s more our Universe may actually be part of a Multiverse. Other current respectable scientific thinking allows “something” to emerge from “nothing”, that we are in fact living in a projection and that alternate timelines and realities are consistent with current mathematics and physics. 

One of the strangest current topics is in quantum mechanics. The act of “seeing” or “measuring” seems to change the event or the thing being observed. Somehow, consciousness is tangled up in reality. 

All these possibilities are standard orthodox scientific thinking today, taught at well-respected universities.   

Therefore, finally, in the West, we now acknowledge that there is definitely more out there. We also know the deeper we probe, the more we seem to find. 

Now the West has moved on from simplistic thinking, we are able to reconnect with our true selves.    

The Knowledge of the East

In the East, no such narrowing and separation of body, mind, and spirit occurred. There are many Eastern traditions – including the Chinese idea of the Way and its Power – which acknowledge we are multi-dimensional. Taoism, Buddhism, and Hinduism all share this multifaceted view. They talk of a multi-dimensional view of our true selves and real natures. The most well developed of these is the Indian theory of Chakras.  

Chakras and their locations 

The Chakra tradition holds that we exist in at least multiple dimensions – we have a physical body, usually called the sthula sarira and a non-physical body, usually translated as a ‘subtle body’ and called the sukshma sarira. There is indeed more to us than just blood, skin, and bone.

“I am not Myself” 

In the West, with its tradition of spiritual suppression, our language still gives away that at some very deep level, we still understand this truth – that there is more than just one dimension to our being. In English speaking countries, you sometimes hear expressions like  ‘I am not feeling myself right now’ or ‘I don’t feel right’ or ‘I am not myself today’.  

Understanding Chakras 

The number and exact nature of chakras vary between schools of thought, but the predominant view is these are up to seven energy fields or locations, that are found along the central meridian of the body (again an echo of some Chinese traditions). We’ll explore this in more detail later.

Weakening, dissonance, and disharmony in these centers of psychic energy correlates with a lack of physical energy, low mood, anxiousness, aches and pains, and other maladies.

To learn more about chakra healing we recommend reading Chakra Healing: A Beginner's Guide to Self-Healing Techniques that Balance the Chakras

With practical instruction and guidance, you'll learn:

• Different ways to heal―Explore how to connect with your chakras using everything from meditation to crystals, essential oils, and even diet.
• Seeing is believing―Helpful illustrations make these tools and exercises even easier to understand.
• Perfect for beginners―Experience full chakra healing inside and out through accessible, bite-size advice that requires no previous knowledge.

There are various ways that Chakra energy is modified and enhanced, for example through certain yoga practices. However one of the most effective (and one of the most widely practiced) is via the use of crystals for healing. 

The Science of Crystals for Healing

A crystal is one of the most beautiful intriguing and mysterious forms of physical matter. Unlike almost any other form of matter, a crystal is a highly organized and complex latticework with a range of amazing properties. 

One of the best-known crystals is the diamond – well-known for its astounding strength as well as a great beauty. Sapphires, emeralds, and rubies are other well-known crystals in gemstone therapy. There are a great many more and each has its own unique properties.

Do you remember being taught at school that atoms and molecules are like pool balls? The reality is nothing like that. In fact, they are vibrating seething sources of energy and none more so than the apparently static lattices of crystal.  

Crystals for Healing: Our Instincts Are Right

We all feel instinctually some of the power of crystals, without even necessarily realizing it. Many feel, at some basic level, the calmness of the blue of a sapphire, the freshness of the green of an emerald, and the warmth of the red of a ruby.  We feel the trapped warmth of the rising or setting sun in amber or the dazzling brilliance of noon in a diamond. 

Who hasn’t in some way or at some time experienced this? It’s a sign that you are subconsciously already feeling the power and influence of crystals. We call them gemstones and jewelry and value them today, but we know our distant ancestors wore them too when the world was younger and greener.

Our ancestors took crystals and stones with them on their travels as they spread out over continents. In new lands, they found more healing crystals, prizing them wherever they found them. 

In fact, some of the most ancient trade in the time of the Pyramids of Egypt, early Mesopotamia (now Iraq), and the wood and later stone henges scattered across the west of Europe, were in crystals. From Avebury to Babylon, and from the shores of the Baltic to the Persian Gulf, crystals were collected, prized, and traded.          

Crystals for Healing: History 

Torcs,  bracelets, necklaces, earrings, anklets, brooches and dress ornaments all used crystals. The ancients used crystals and stones at all stages of life. Some celebrated birth, others adulthood, yet others were taken for the afterlife. Giving and receiving crystals was part of ceremonies of marriage, loyalty and friendship. The Western and Middle-eastern ancients knew and celebrated the power of crystals.   

  

These breath-taking ancient near-east bracelets from around 500 BCE mounted many different crystals in a gold setting. Image courtesy Walters Art Museum 

Their wisdom and knowledge largely were lost but it lived on in India and elsewhere in the East. It is now being reembraced in the Western world and we are reconnecting with our true selves.

A ‘Pill for every Ill”

People often take prescription or over the counter drugs to help deal with problems and symptoms that could also be mitigated via Chakra healing. All drugs have costs, both money costs but also physical side effects and don’t ‘cure’ the problem. These drugs are a bit like weed killer. It's rather like having weeds in your garden and just buying and then applying a bit of weed killer. You might ‘control’ the weeds but blight other plants too and you don't address the “root” of the problem. 

Eliminating the weed by pulling it up is more effective, safer, more natural, and less likely to have collateral damage. Crystal healing fixes the root causes.  

Crystals for Healing: The Chakra Points

All crystals resonate differently in the physical world according to their inherent natures. This is also the case in the psychic world, so that different crystals are attuned to different chakras. When a chakra is said to be out of balance, it means it is no longer providing positive energy (or providing the right energy) Thus it is that different forms of healing use different crystals to re-tune the individual chakra.  

Looking again at a chakra diagram, we will now work through the explicit links between the chakra, the associated healing crystals (there are always more than one) and the links to health.

 The seven chakra locations 

The word ‘chakra’ is a very ancient Sanskrit term and approximately translates to ‘wheel’. The concept of the wheel has many meanings in different Indian spiritualist traditions, but in this case, the link is to the generation of energy and the focus of a circle.

Each level of our physical and spiritual body has a chakra.  

The Seven Chakras 

Each Chakra has a distinct function, therefore a different crystal for healing. 

The Crown (Samsara)

The crown is the highest chakra, at the top of the head and is associated with clarity of thought, connections to higher states of being and forms of enhanced consciousness. When it is out of balance, we feel alienated, alone, disconnected from the world around us, and also disconnected from our spiritual selves.

A clear crystal such as pure quartz is one of the types of crystal associated with healing thoughts, via resonating with and re-tuning the crown chakra. Other commonly used types with crystal healing properties include yellow calcite and citrine.

The Third Eye (Ajna)

This is the chakra associated with emotional well-being, intuition, and insight.  Some see it as a window onto the true self or the soul. A wrongly attuned third eye is associated with feelings of depression, anxiety, and a general feeling that our body and mind are out of step, which manifests itself in physical ways like sleeplessness, tiredness, and melancholy.

A purple/violet crystal, like amethyst, is one of the common types of crystal associated with healing thoughts, via resonating with and re-tuning the third eye chakra. Other types with crystal healing power, include lapis lazuli and moonstone.

The Throat (Vishuddha)

This chakra is linked with communication (hearing and speaking) clarity of expression and emotional intelligence. When this chakra becomes unbalanced, then any aspect of communication and understanding will be impacted.

The blue of the crystals of turquoise, blue lace agate and aquamarine are some types of crystal associated with physical or emotional healing via crystals. Other types include lepidolite.

The Heart (Anahata)

The heart chakra is the pivot between the upper spiritual chakras and the lower chakras, more associated with material matters. Having the mind and the body at odds leads to many kinds of problems that express themselves in many and varied different ways.

Effective crystal healing therapy fixes this. Rose quartz, red calcite, and tigers iron are commonly used for this chakra, and also malachite and mica. These are powerful crystal healing stones. 

The Solar Plexus (Manipura)

Butterflies or the feeling of a ‘pit’ in the stomach is a signal that the solar plexus chakra needs attention. When your solar plexus chakra is aligned, you will feel irrational nervousness, unfounded worry about the future, shame, self-doubt, and a loss of confidence.

Amber is our companion - with us for thousands of years and is widely found in archaeological digs alongside humans, from many locations. It is an effective stone for this chakra and people also benefit from stones such as jasper, carnelian, and orange calcite.

The Sacral Chakra (Swadhisthana)

Creativity and creative energy - especially procreative sexual energy, flows from the sacral chakra. This is part of the vitality of being human. We need this chakra to stay balanced and functioning. Without it many tasks we could normally accomplish become difficult, our joy in life is diminished and it will negatively affect those around us as well as ourselves.

The power of the sacral chakra is great and should not be underestimated. It is re-tuned and realigned using stones like tigers eye and carnelian.

The Root Chakra (Muladhara)

Located near the base of the spine, this is the base or foundation chakra. A solid foundation allows much to be built safely on it. When a root chakra becomes misaligned, the effects are found in many places and expressed in many ways.

A wide variety of stones are used for the root chakra. These include hematite, bloodstone, obsidian, smoky quartz, and aragonite.

As well as the crystals mentioned, many other crystals will provide effective healing for their users. There are more than 500 crystals used in crystal healing. Many have multiple uses. Some users find that some stones work better for them than others and in different combinations. 

So, you must seek out experienced and knowledgeable guidance on their use.  

Now we have a picture of the relationship between the different stones and their chakras. We now move on to explore the five-step crystal healing process.   

Crystals for Healing in Action: The five-step process

There are five steps to take to make crystal healing effective.

Step One: Recognize the Need to be Healed

All forms of healing and therapy start with you acknowledging the need to change. If you don’t accept the need for change, then change won’t happen. Artisan Jewelry alone won’t help without you embracing the change process. Chakra healing and gem therapy work when you are committed to making changes.  

Step Two: Recognizing what to remove and what to keep 

The second step is like a psychic audit. Which parts of you need completely clearing away? Are there parts you want to keep but change? What do you want to keep and strengthen? 

Step Three: Beginning Crystals for Healing 

This is the start of the actual healing process. Once you have selected the appropriate crystal or crystals, you need to cleanse or clear them through a process called smudging, so they can best assist you.

Smudging involves burning sage or Palo Santo and enveloping yourself and the crystals in the smoke for 30-40 seconds. This is excellent to clear negative energy from the area, the crystals, and your own energy field.

We recommend our premium 100% natural Incense Sticks to ward off bad energy, lull you into a deeper state of mediation, and fill your home with blessings!

Next, you can start to use or wear your crystals and keep them close to you. At the same time, change anything in your diet or exercise practices that need attention. Natural healing is a holistic form of alternative healthcare.

In two to three weeks, you will make progress. Things will happen faster, or slower - depending on the person. Don’t worry or give up!  

Resolving the inner misalignments, mistuning, and conflict takes time..

Step Four: Incorporation 

Now you have started on your journey, the fourth step in crystal healing is the act of consciously incorporating and integrating the changes into your total being.  This means mind and body, energy and matter, material, and spiritual.

Your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual selves will come into alignment. This is like a tesseract – a cube with higher dimensions. Remember, we also exist in other dimensions, so don’t expect to see things change just in our normal modes of perception.

 

A tesseract is a way of visualizing a 3-dimensional cube in higher dimensions. 

You will remove negative thoughts, negative emotions, and harmful toxins.

Crystals are not just rigid lattices. They seeth with multi-dimensional energy  

You will feel more relaxed, more at ease, and yet more focused at the same time.  Look in the mirror. Notice that your face looks less careworn and more relaxed as the power of the crystals creates a harmonizing connection that happens within yourself. As things progress, your mood, your mental outlook, your thoughts, feelings, and even ideas or opinions may start to change. It will take a while to notice. 

However, there is still one more phase, to make sure you secure and lock in the positive changes you have made.

Step Five: A New You 

If you want to rebuild a house, you have to make sure the foundations are secure. What you have done in stages one to four is accomplished that – but you still have a new house to build. That new house is a ‘New You’ or a ‘New Me’. The final step can take three or four months, perhaps even longer. For some people, they just carry on building. That building is not just making a larger ‘metaphysical’ psychic dwelling. It’s also about the fine detail of inner beauty. The New You is harmony within and radiance without.  

If you stick with the crystals for healing methods we advocate, you will achieve stability for the changes you have made. 

Prepare for a new sunrise with a new way of seeing the world. You have gone from an ‘old me’ to a ‘new me’ – keeping the best of who you were but removing, changing, or enhancing other aspects of yourself.  

The goal of crystal healing is a new dawn and new you

In this new dawn, once this ‘new you’ is born and thriving you are free to experimentally test out the stability of the changes you have made.  You do this by changing or removing one or all of the crystals. 

Crystals for Healing: What to do next

Using crystal for healing is a journey – the crystals are tools and vessels, but it is you who goes on the journey. It is a journey that requires commitment but that brings rewards. Your commitment to the crystal healing process needs to be sincere but equally, you need to have trust and let the crystal healing process and the crystals themselves do much of the work for you.

Anything worth doing takes effort and anything associated with the Spirit and psychic dimensions takes an open mind, a degree of self-awareness, and some self-discipline. Do not give up if you don’t get an instant result. Be honest and open about what you need to change. Also, you must be honest about why you need to change.

Do not wear just any tumbled stone. Choose your crystals wisely.

We recommend reading The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall, which is an "easy-to-follow directory that includes photographic identification, detailed descriptions, and information on the individual properties of each crystal--including the spiritual, mental and psychological, emotional and physical effects, plus its use in healing. It's an indispensable reference for crystal lovers everywhere."

Some crystals are much better than others at specific kinds of healing. Know that some are better suited to healing the overall root cause problem which underlies the symptoms. 

So, select your healing crystal with an honest heart and it will be your friend and a trusted companion on your journey!