Crystals

[uka888]

Does anyone here use crystals? I really don’t know much about them at all but have heard it mentioned a couple of times recently and it sounds intriguing!

Crystals have some very important uses in medicine ....

Basically, first grow a crystal of the protein you're interested in, which may or may not have drugs or antigens bound to it, then shine x-rays through, collect the data for the diffraction pattern , do a lot of very complex maths , then you wind up with a 3d structure on which you can then do loads more complicated calculations, look at with molecular graphics etc etc to get an understanding of what's going on at the molecular level and design better pharmaceuticals.

Enormous fun, but you can't do the part with the actual crystals at home.

YABU.

HTH.

I have some, I like them as they are pretty and nice to have around the place. I don't know if they do anything magical but I think they can be a useful focal point for intention or meditiation. A few years ago I was very troubled by nightmares and sleep paralysis and I smudged my room with sage and put some "protection" crystals on my night stand and the nightmares and sleep paralysis stopped completely. It probably was just placebo but it was helpful.

Some types of psychotherapist encourage the use of a ritual to deal with psychological problems and I think it can work for some quite dramatically.

I think there must be some truth in it.

Crystals can be very pretty and nice as decorative items, but I don't believe they have healing or protective properties.

Why would a crystal be more "magical" than anything else from the natural world? Why is a pretty, polished crystal better than a rough stone from the local river or a clod of earth from my garden?

I have a beautiful big amethyst cluster. It has amazing powers of looking pretty while gathering dust.

I had terrible anxiety as a teen. Someone gave me an amethyst crystal and it started off a huge collection. I've got hundreds of crystals now, though haven't bought any new ones for about 10 years. I don't know if they really do anything but I used to find it so calming to just "play" with them - sort them into colour groups etc. I loved the smooth polished ones. I know it sounds a bit silly but I always used to get them out when I was feeling panicky, and it helped to calm me down. I've got some of them on display in bowls and things but most are in a box under my bed now. I wouldn't get rid of them, I still enjoy looking at them from time to time

Load of bollocks. My friend did some reiki (free) on me using them and they/the reiki was completely pointless. Told her this in no uncertain terms, but she knows me well so was braced for it!

I like them because they’re attractive. I have an amethyst one and it’s beautiful. I’m not averse to a bit of woo if it improves one’s mood. It makes more sense to me than Christianity, certainly less batshit and not as harmful.

@D4rwin

Big fan of the sodium chloride

Especially with a large portion of chips.

@AuntMasha

I like them because they’re attractive. I have an amethyst one and it’s beautiful. I’m not averse to a bit of woo if it improves one’s mood. It makes more sense to me than Christianity, certainly less batshit and not as harmful.

I've got quite a few bits of crystals, rocks and polished stones, plus some fossils. Crystals are lovely to look at - order and beauty from chaos, with no woo needed - what's not to like? But as to any healing properties ... well, other than as placebos or 'worry beads', my previous post outlines their genuine role in medicine.