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Healing Crystals Information
by Shannon Crawford
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Overview
Healing Crystals Information
Healing with crystals has gained popularity as access to information on alternative medicines has increased. People suffering from many different illnesses are seeking alternative treatments and crystal therapy is one of many such alternatives to traditional medical care. Better results are likely when the practitioner and patient underrstand how crystals work.
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History
The use of healing crystals has been noted since 1550 B.C. when the Egyptian papyrus known as the Ebers Papyrus was discovered. This papyrus contains a large body of Egyptian medicinal practices, including the use of gemstones to aid in healing. Crystal healing is also found in ancient medical texts from India, Greece and Rome among others. In antiquity many of the gems were described as having the same medicinal properties despite differences in the culture of the people. Similar to the way Catholic saints are syncretized in the Santeria religion, crystals retained their distinguishing attributes among the different ancient cultures.
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Contemporary Use
Crystal use for healing purposes has gained and lost popularity throughout time. During the downtime some references to historical uses of crystals were lost, changed or distorted through reinterpretation. In A.D. 1150, German nun and mystic Hildegard von Bingen wrote Physica and Causae et Curae. These two works contain Bingen's theories on the healing properties of many crystals. Her work forms the foundation of contemporary crystal therapy.
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Types of Crystals
There are thousands of different crystals and gemstones. Some are easily found in nature, like jade or turquoise, and others are rare, like painite. Some gemstones are man-made, like cubic zirconia and synthetic corundum. Crystal healing therapy is considered a natural art and is typically performed using naturally occurring crystals.
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How Crystals Heal
According to studies conducted in Germany (Institut für kinesiologische Pädiatrie [Institute for kinesiological Pediatrics], Dr. Kühl, Reutlingen) crystals radiate energy. This energy causes changes in brain patterns when placed near or laid on the body. Another aspect of the theory is resonance. Resonance occurs when the body's meridians, or energy channels, are stimulated as they come into contact with gemstones of like frequencies. Chaotic frequencies within the body are altered to harmonize with the crystal's vibration thus creating order out of chaos. The resonance creates a corresponding echo in the body stimulating healing.
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What Healers Do
There are some healers who choose to allow patients to pick their own crystal. The belief behind this practice is that patients are naturally drawn to the crystal that meets their personal needs. Other healers have specific crystals that they use depending on the patient's illness. Some practitioners place the crystals in specific patterns on the patient's body. This pattern may change depending on the crystals used and the patient's physical condition. Although there are basic qualities assigned to various crystals, they can overlap and several crystals may be useful for one disorder. Healers with experience using crystals for healing may be better able to choose the best healing crystals for a specific disease than an individual attempting to choose his own.
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Warning
People with serious medical conditions should seek the advice of a medical doctor. Crystal therapy is considered a complementary and alternative medicine, and caution should be used when considering crystal therapy as an alternative to standard medical care.
