Healing crystals are used in alternative medicine for crystal healing or crystal therapy. Various gemstones, rocks, and crystals are believed by practitioners to possess the ability to heal or restore balance within the individual. The healing crystals are used in a number of ways to help promote healing, and each one is thought to have unique properties that affect each user differently.
Crystal therapy is based on the concept of vibrational medicine, the idea that all objects and organisms in nature possess a living force, called chi, that can restore or heal the balance within neighboring organisms. In crystal therapy, each crystal, rock, and gemstone employed by practitioners is thought to retain the chi necessary for healing and restoration. By physically exposing themselves, in one fashion or another, to the chi vibrations of the healing crystals, followers of this practice believe that problems with their own chi can be remedied.
Each individual is thought to have specific reactions to specific crystals. Healing crystals and their unique properties attract different people. Intuition guides patients to the right crystals, although the crystal selections can change as needed. Once someone has chosen the healing crystals that most suit him or herself, the crystals can be placed in a convenient location for the benefit of anyone who passes nearby or worn on the body, especially if fashioned into jewelry. Another method is to call for a healing session with a practitioner, who will place the crystals in specific arrangements on the patient's body.
The chi within every healing crystal is said to be unique, drawing power from such physical characteristics as shape, size, color, and texture and from its attraction to a particular user. Some crystals are thought to possess healing properties that are more suited to specific seasons of the year. Others are believed to possess the ability to enhance memory. Healing crystals are associated with a wide range of treatments that change with each user, so selecting the right crystal out of a large number of stones is mostly a personal experience. It is recommended that individuals touch and handle the crystals that attract them to determine whether its healing vibrations are the right fit for their needs.
While believers in crystal therapy advocate treatment with healing crystals, there is a lack of scientific evidence attesting to their efficacy. Practitioners say they have noticed an improvement in their mental well-being or physical health, when treating their own illnesses with healing crystals. Most medical professionals, however, believe that these improvements are a result of the placebo effect, a psychological phenomenon in which an ineffective treatment positively affects an individual's health because of his or her expectations of the treatment.