By: Ariana Marquez
Many people of all ages collect crystals as a way to calm themselves or distress whenever they feel they need to be. Wherever they please by holding onto, or keeping certain crystals near them which leaves people to question if the crystal actual has any calming effects.
Monica Aviles, ’21 says, “For me personally, crystals have been a help in my life. Each crystal has their own energy and frequency. The ones that I found most useful to me are the crystals: Lapis Lazuli and Amethyst. I struggle with anxiety and Insomnia, those crystals have healing properties that help me whenever I have really bad anxiety, or when I’m struggling to fall asleep.”
She adds, “Every single thing on this planet has energy. We ourselves emit our own frequency whether positive or negative, and that’s the same when it comes to crystals. Crystals come in different geometric shapes, colors, and sizes… They’re actually connected to the concept of platonic solids. Every crystal has a different vibration and frequency that correlates to different parts of the body (this idea connects to the concept of chakras). Crystals can affect our emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental well-being.”
She continues with, “There is no scientific explanation if crystals actually work (or at least that I know of). I do know it is proven that putting pressure on crystals creates electricity, that’s why many times, crystals are used in phones, televisions, etc. Crystals also increase the alkalinity in water, and have numerous benefits when it comes to skin care. Other than that, there is really no scientific proof that crystals do have healing properties… I think it’s more of a belief than a scientific concept.”
She also says, “The human mind is incredible, and it is possible that there is a placebo effect involved. There are many forms of treatments that are known to have a placebo effect, and crystals might be one of them. Crystals can help you in many ways, however, I do believe that if you’re having severe health problems to seek medical help rather than crystals. Crystals are a way to connect or tune back into nature, they’re mostly meant for spiritual healing.”
She concludes with, “I’ve always been interested in collecting shells, rocks, and crystals when I was younger. It wasn’t until when I was 12-13 years of age I started learning about crystals. Not only that, I started learning about other things such as alchemy, astrology, astronomy, chakras, manifestation, and a lot of other subjects. All of this fascinated me, and so I never stopped learning about these topics. I’m not a religious person, but a spiritual person. I meditate every day, I love nature, and I’m open to learning more about our universe. Crystals are a difficult subject to touch upon, especially when there’s individuals who think we’re nut jobs. Be open to learn more about crystals, and if it’s not for you, then that’s okay. There’s a variety of beliefs everyone has whether it’s Buddhism, Catholicism, etc. All of these are beautiful in their own way.”
A researcher at livescience.com says, “While there are no scientific studies on the efficacy of crystal healing, there is a study that suggests that crystal healing may induce a placebo effect in a patient who receives this type of treatment.”
They also add, “Placebo effects are effects that accompany a treatment that are not directly due to the treatment itself acting on the disease of the patient, according to Christopher French, Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at the University of London.”
However, a believer in crystals at sivanaspirit.com says, “Just because we don’t know how an ancient healing modality works, doesn’t mean it won’t work at all. In fact, there are lots of healing remedies that were once considered woo-woo that are now used in modern medicine, such as fasting. This is because Medicine works on evidence.”
Whether you believe in crystals or not, no scientific evidence has been used to prove the benefits of them, but that does not necessarily mean that crystals can not help someone in different ways.
Ariana Marquez
Ariana Marquez '23 is currently a first year writer of the Redwood Gigantea. As a writer, she has written many stories on her own for other things. She wants to capture the hearts of the people who make Redwood what it is and that would be the students, staff, parents, and many more in the school's community.
Tags: Ariana Marquez, clubs & lifestyles, crystals, mood boosting, redwood gigantea, redwood journalism, science, trends
