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Crystal healing is apseudoscientificalternative-medicine practice that usessemiprecious stones and crystals such asquartz,agate,amethyst oropal. Despite the common use of the term "crystal", many popular stones used in crystal healing, such as obsidian, are not technicallycrystals. Adherents of the practice claim that these have healing powers, but there is no scientific basis for this claim.[1][2][3] Practitioners of crystal healing believe they can boost low energy, preventbad energy, release blocked energy, and transform a body'saura.[4] There is no evidence that crystal healing has any greater effect upon the body than any otherplacebo.
While the practice is popular, it fosters commercial demand for crystals, which can result inenvironmental damage and exploitativechild labor to mine the crystals.[5] Several popular crystals used by believers such asshungite frequently containheavy metals and present toxicity risks to those handling them for extended periods or ingesting substances which were in contact with the crystals.[6]
Ancient Egyptians used amulets, which they believed to possess magical properties. The amulet's shape, decoration,inscription, color, material, orritual performed with the amulet dictated its power. Amulets were worn or placed on the body, in the form of stones, piercings, rings, necklaces, or other jewelry. The Egyptians used amulets to benefit their afterlife, often representing an Egyptian deity and its specific powers.[7] Amulets were also placed onmummies or in between the mummy's bandages, with funerary pieces usually being larger than those worn by the living. In funeral practices, they also used headrest amulets, which were full-size headrests placed in tombs to protect the dead; they also symbolized the deceased rising and beingrevived, and the sun rising between two hills, which symbolizedresurrection and rebirth.[7]
TheAncient Greeks assigned many properties to crystals. The word 'crystal' is derived from the Greek word "krýstallos" which translates to "ice".[8] The Ancient Greeks believed that clear quartz crystals were a water that had frozen to the point where it would remain in its solid form.[9]
Precious stones have been thought of as objects that can aid in healing—in a practice known aslapidary medicine—by various cultures.[10] TheHopi Native Americans ofArizona use quartz crystals to assist in diagnosing illnesses.[11] The alleged medicinal properties of precious stones, as well as other powers they were believed to hold, were collected in texts known aslapidaries.
In the English speaking world, crystal healing is heavily associated with theNew Agespiritual movement: "the middle-class New Age healing activitypar excellence".[10] In contrast with other forms ofcomplementary and alternative medicine (CAM), participants in crystal healing view the practice as "individuated",[12] that isdependent on extreme personalization and creative expression.[10][13] Practitioners of crystal healing purport that certain physical properties such as shape, color, and markings, determine theailments that a stone can heal; lists of such links are published in commonly distributed texts.[13] Paradoxically, practitioners also "hold the view that crystals have no intrinsic qualities but that, instead, their quality changes according to both" participants.[13] After selecting the stones by color or their believedmetaphysical qualities, they place them on parts of the body.[1] Color selection and placement of stones are done according to concepts ofgrounding,chakras, orenergy grids.
Worldwide, retail sales of crystals were estimated to amount to more than US$1 billion per year in 2019.[5][14]
India, China, Brazil, and Madagascar are the main producers of crystals.[5] InMadagascar, one of the sources of crystals, most crystals are mined inunsafe, non-industrial or "homemade" mines, with parents and children working together to dig crystals from pits and tunnels they dig with shovels.[5] The miners are usually paid between 17 and 23 cents per kilogram forrose quartz (≈ 8 - 11 cents per pound).[5] The miner's income may be just 0.1% of the final retail price.[5] Some people in the industry say that the low pay for miners is because customers in developed countries want low retail prices; others say that it is due to shops in developed countries wanting to be more profitable.[5][14]
There is nopeer-reviewedscientific evidence that crystal healing has any effect; it is considered apseudoscience.[1][15] Alleged successes of crystal healing can be attributed to theplacebo effect.[3][15] Furthermore, there is no scientific basis for the concepts ofchakras, being "blocked", energy grids requiring grounding, or other such terms; they are widely understood to bereligious or spiritual in nature.Energy, as a scientific term, is a very well-defined concept that is readily measurable and bears little resemblance to theesoteric concept of energy used by proponents of crystal healing.[16]
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 aquartz crystal or a placebo stone, which was indistinguishable from quartz. Many participants reported feeling typical "crystal effects"; however, this was irrespective of whether the crystals were real or a placebo. In 2001 Christopher French, head of theanomalistic psychology research unit at theUniversity of London and colleagues fromGoldsmiths College outlined their study of crystal healing at theBritish Psychological Society Centenary Annual Conference, concluding: "There is no evidence that crystal healing works over and above a placebo effect."[3]
Crystal healing effects could also be attributed toconfirmation bias (which occurs when the believers want the practice to be true and see only things that back up that desire).[17]
Crystal healing techniques are also practiced on animals, although some veterinary organizations, such as theBritish Veterinary Association, have warned that these methods are not scientifically proven and state that people should seek the advice of avet before using alternative techniques.[18]
Crystal healing proponents and5G conspiracy theorists have falsely alleged the pseudoscientific and misinformational belief thatshungite may absorb5G radiation.[19][20][21][22][23]
Other recommendations from Glastonbury? People should use Shungite, a mineral which is said to have healing powers that one "healing crystal" company says "span the board from purity to protection.
Fernandez claims Facebook warned him his account would be restricted for posting misinformation to his page, which he also uses to promote cryptocurrency opportunities and sell shungite, a crystal which he claims prevents the effects of 5G.
There isn't much scientific evidence backing these claims, and researching shungite primarily brings up New Age-y articles spewing quackery, with no citations to actual studies or research. The 5G stickers supposedly generate some kind of shield to protect you from 5G waves. Let us be clear: A sticker that claims to generate any type of radiation-blocking shield is pure science fiction.
[Fernandez] flits between long screeds about vaccinations and claims that Covid-19 is a hoax to selling products that he claims protect users from electromagnetic fields that conspiracy theorists believe are emitted by 5G towers. A shungite pyramid crystal will protect a radius of "approximately 6–7 metres", his website claims, and costs $226, reduced from $256.
