Article by Mia Schmitt

The Crystal Effect: All That Matters Is What You Believe By: Mia Schmitt

“My gallbladder started acting up and I was gonna have to have surgery -- it was incredibly painful,” recalled Julie Kalua, an assistant at East West Bookshop, sitting in front of the expansive crystal display case. “I would hold that crystal at night and it actually alleviated the pain so I could sleep.”

Whether it is from healing of the actual crystals, or from healing of the mind through the power of belief and intent, people are getting a lot of benefits out of crystals.

At a time of great anxiety and stress generated by a global pandemic, many people are turning to crystals for calm and pain relief. In fact, “U.S. consumers spend about $30 billion a year on complementary and alternative medicine,” and Julie Kalua Julie’s crystal store is benefiting from this trend as these people turn to crystals as an alternative method to cope with everyday stress in their lives. This accounts for the fact that “...metaphysical retailers cite current stresses for driving as much as a doubling in [crystal] sales.”

Auria Polefka is also a deep believer in the power of crystal healing. She was first introduced to crystals by her grandmother, who gave her some when she was younger. She didn’t start using crystal healing until one of her friends re-introduced it to her. Auria said she learned more about crystals through TikTok, a popular social media app, which inspired her to research more about it. Then, after going to a crystal shop with her friend, she was enthusiastic about learning more. Auria attributes crystal healing to helping her feel appreciation and love for herself and others, and says, “that is something that everyone should feel…selfAuria Polefka love and just more love in general.”

For Auria, her experience took time and patience, but did eventually work. She elaborates, “it’s just that change doesn’t come quickly…sometimes I meditate with them, or just carry them around and what I’ve noticed is change does come, but it takes a lot of patience, and patience is something that I’ve really had to learn. I think it’s something that’s really important for me to learn in life in general, but also just with stuff like crystals.”

Believers like Julie and Auria agree that crystals “allow positive, fruitful energy to flow into the body and do away with the negative, toxic energy.” Practitioners also believe crystals have a particular vibration and frequency and these vibrations “I EXPERENCED and energies work to uplift moods, minds, and health in a AN ENERGY considerable manner.

Julie has described this exact situation: “[When I put on a MOVEMENT crystal ring], I experienced an energy movement that came THAT CAME through my body.”

THROUGH MY A lot of believers don’t actually know if crystals’ “powers” have been documented scientifically to heal. In fact, “there’s BODY” no evidence crystals have special powers. Science actually has -Julie Kalua evidence against it -- proving crystals alone have no special powers. In one experiment, even ardent spiritual healer believers couldn’t tell the difference between real quartz crystals and glass fakes.”

In 2001, a study was done by Christopher French, a psychologist at the University of London. In this study, he gave 80 people booklets that explained possible sensations they might experience while holding crystals. These sensations included feeling tingling in limbs, an energy spike, and increased focus. Half of these people were given real crystals, and the others were given fakes, without knowing they were plastic instead of actual crystals. The people who held fakes experienced the sensations just as much as the people given real crystals.

French concluded that crystal healing is based upon the power of suggestion, rather than the flow of energy.

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“The placebo effect is almost certainly at play. And the mere act of doing something to take control of your destiny can often boost hope, brighten mood, and improve your ability to cope with a chronic condition, says psychologist Stuart Vyse, author of ‘Believing in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition.’ ‘There is no scientific evidence to support the medical effectiveness of any of these remedies,’ he says. ‘But there is the possibility that they might have an indirect psychological benefit.’”

But even when true crystal believers find out that crystal healing doesn’t scientifically work, will they stop using them? It’s doubtful. In a study on dietary supplement users, it was found that 80% of users would still take their supplements if studies done by the government proved them to be ineffective. And it’s likely that believers of crystal healing would do the same -- they would keep believing in and using crystals.

It doesn’t matter if the crystals actually work, what “WHAT MATTERS IS THAT matters is that you believe they work, and the power of intent will help you see the actual healing.

YOU BELIEVE THEY Not surprisingly, there are many skeptics. When asked WORK, AND THE POWER how she deals with crystal skeptics, Auria says, “[if] OF INTENT WILL HELP they make fun of it or say things about how it’s not YOU SEE THE ACTUAL real, I’ll usually just laugh with them because if they’re not open-minded about it, there’s no point in starting HEALING” an argument.”

Believers are not deterred because it’s working for them: “it’s definitely a journey, one that can start small or start large. Wherever you do want to start, whenever in your life you want to, there’s never a bad time. I mean, crystal healing has really helped me feel appreciation and love for myself and others, and that is something that everyone should feel.”

Like many things in life, focusing on how to improve your body and spirit, whether using crystals or not, is a gateway for inner and outer healing. Believing that something will work is what is going to do the healing. The power of belief and intent is stronger than most people know.

About The Author

Mia Schmitt is a rising senior at Los Altos High School in Los Altos, California. She’s an active tennis player, enjoys coaching, and listens to music frequently. At home, she loves spending time with her family and animals, especially her dog and two baby goats.

Mia was introduced to crystals by various people close to her, and has found a fascination for them after doing extensive research on the power of intent through crystal healing. She hopes to insipre others to use crystals as a way to put their beliefs into something, and get physical and mental benefits out of it.