CHAPTER 3

Metaphysical Mysteries

Although many things in this world have a scientific explanation, many other things do not. Who can say how a person makes a miraculous recovery after a serious illness, for example? Sometimes we just take a leap of faith and believe in something that goes beyond our normal range of experience.

In this chapter, we explore metaphysics, mysticism, and using crystals for sacred healing. We’ll also look at sacred geometry and intent medicine. While these subjects might seem like heavy concepts to those of you who are new to them, I assure you that all you need to benefit from the information here is an open mind and a willingness to learn!

Learn How to …

Crystal Energy: Myth, Mystery, or More?

Scientists and doctors often want predictable results that can be repeated with consistency before they will declare a theory or healing process as valid. Therefore, science and Western medicine have traditionally pushed alternative modes of healing to the side. However, many things exist that science can’t regulate or explain, such as the belief that the spiritual is present in all things.

Fortunately, the spiritualization of science and medicine is emerging, and scientists are beginning to accept the wholeness of the ecological system and the concept of Gaia, that the organisms of the biosphere (Earth) regulate the planet to the benefit of the whole. For example, rocks, soil, plants, and the atmosphere all work in harmony. In this shift in thinking, the thin line between knowledge and metaphysics is challenged by a new order of mysticism. Metaphysics is a philosophical inquiry into the nature of reality and the relationships between things. Mysticism is the awareness of an absolute reality or spiritual truth through direct experience or communion with an ultimate source such as God.

Open Up and Learn Something New

As we grow up, we are told that empirical evidence is the only truth. And yet, as we grow older, many of us find that not everything can be analyzed, charted, or even explained. Often, we don’t know what to do with these experiences because they don’t match what we’ve learned to accept as “truth” in the past.

When we encounter experiences that are outside of our expectations, without science to offer us explanations, we become terrified! Breaking through inhibitions and moving beyond artificial boundaries are tasks that take time and a little faith, but it’s possible and desirable to do so if you want to change your health or your outlook on life. The result is a wholeness of being that provides a sense of peace and harmony where healing can occur and where a state of wellness can happen.

Keep this in mind as you continue through this book. Nothing extraordinary can take place without the belief that it is possible. And nothing new can take place in a mind that is closed to opportunities.

There for the Taking

It is said that your first crystal should be given to you as a gift from a friend. When your first crystal comes into your life, it’s a very special moment. The crystal should be given freely and without attachment as it comes as a gift from the earth. The crystal binds you and your friend with love. Keep your first crystal as a symbol of your connection to universal love.

Without a belief in the wholeness of all things, our perceptions can be narrow minded and our experiences carefully selected to repeat what is known rather than to seek out and explore the unknown. This might be a safe way of living life, but it’s also pretty dull—you can miss some extraordinary things that are right in front of you!

Healing energy is always present, but many of us lack the knowledge and the tools needed to access it. We simply need to reawaken the knowledge about giving and receiving healing and then it’s ours for the asking. Your first crystal is the gateway to awaken this knowledge.

Platonic Solids

The Greek philosopher Plato believed that everything we need to know about Earth and life on it is accessible to us in five basic shapes. Everything is composed of these basic shapes—our physical bodies, DNA, plants, cells, minerals, the cosmos—you name it. These five basic shapes are called the Platonic solids, and they compose the structure of every solid material known to us. These solids have the following three-dimensional lattices in solid formation and represent each of the five elements:

The five Platonic solids.

Do these molecular structures have anything to do with the vibrational frequency of a crystal? Yes, very much so! The architectural and mathematical perfection of these natural crystal structures is like a cosmic receptacle for divine energy. They represent complete symmetry. Plato said that it was the dodecahedron (ether) that was used by the divine source to shape the whole universe; and the other four basic elements give us all forms of physical existence as we know it, including chemistry, physics, biology, geography, psychological perceptions, and more. What’s more, you can find a set of clear quartz or rose quartz Platonic solids with which to work. In Chapter 5, I present a manifestation exercise that uses a Platonic crystal.

When we use crystals for healing, the structure of that crystal is important. It was formed from the basic elements. The crystal matrix is like a blueprint of the source energy that the divine source forms into matter. On a larger scale, Gaia (Earth) is a cosmic receptacle of divine energy. It is said that the crystals on Earth hold the matrix of divine energy. Each type of crystal provides a specialized link for your lifeforce resonance. Just as a specific train track takes you to your chosen destination, a specific crystal can be used as a tool to repattern your life force.

In the 1970s, experiments at the Scientific Center of Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Novosibirsk, Russia, showed that the DNA in living cells communicates with the surrounding cells by way of energy transmission. Lab results show that energy can move between cells independent of their biochemical and functional organic systems. While that all might seem be a bit much to understand, it simply means that by using crystals you can communicate with and influence cells. If you can send a healthy pattern of energy to stem cells, the cells should respond and repattern themselves to that new energy signature. And those cells would be able to pass that signature along to the surrounding cellular structures.

Crystals, then, are tools that help us to access and to transform the patterns of stem cells, the basic blocks of the crystalline matrix. Because crystals hold the ions of elements from the beginning of time, they can absorb and radiate different frequencies to the fluids in the body that contain electrolytes, minerals that carry an electrical charge. In other words, you can use these crystals to resonate with your own energy and re-create cellular patterns for healing. You could be resonating with the cosmos, with the environment, or with a higher spirit. There’s certainly a lot more to explore about crystalline energy.

Crystal Resonance: Good Vibes

The resonance, or vibration, of a crystal is very powerful because it can essentially reprogram the patterns of substances nearby, including—but not limited to—human energy patterns.

Take the work of Japanese researcher Masaru Emoto, as an example. In the late twentieth century, Emoto experimented with the crystallization of water. He found that an intricate matrix was formed by the living consciousness in water crystals when the mind was focused by pleasant thoughts, images, or music. When water was exposed to negative thoughts, the water crystals were incomplete, lacked structure, and generally looked misshapen. If these misshapen water crystals were exposed to ultraviolet light or to certain electromagnetic waves, those changes could be removed.

Why not try changing water into healing water for yourself? Use spring water and two clear drinking glasses for this experiment. In the first glass, place a clear quartz crystal about 1 inch in length at the bottom and then pour 8 ounces (1 cup) of room-temperature spring water over the top of it. If you don’t have a clear quartz crystal use rose quartz or amethyst. Hold the first glass about 7-8 inches in front of you and send happy thoughts to the crystal that’s in the water. To get you started, think of something that recently pleased you or think of a person you love. Hold that thought in your head and then blow gently over the surface of the glass and water. You could whistle a happy tune. Do this for a few minutes until you feel the crystal and water have been saturated with your love-happy energy. Set the glass aside. The crystal will hold the energy signature in the crystalized water for a bit.

In the second glass, place a smoky quartz crystal about 1 inch in size and pour 8 ounces (1 cup) of room-temperature spring water over the top of it. Hold the glass in front of you and think of all the nasty things you might have encountered or accumulated over the past week. Hold those dark thoughts in your head and then blow over the water’s surface. Repeat this until you feel the water is saturated with negative energy. Set the glass aside.

Now, pick up the first glass of crystalized water and take a sip, being careful not to swallow the crystal. This is a time to apply mindfulness training and get in tune with what the water feels like. Does the water feel wetter? Maybe it feels thicker? Does it taste sweet? Does the water look clearer? Do you feel happier?

Okay, now try the second glass. Take a sip and note any sensations. Does anything come to mind? Is the water texture different than the first glass? Do you feel different emotions? Try taking a sip of the first glass again. Now, can you sense a difference?

With pleasant thoughts, you are programming happy cells. There are even happy songs used by cancer patients to improve the quality of cells in the body. Even our thoughts are carried as a resonance in water. Water is very important. On average, your body contains about 60 percent water. The Earth is comprised of about 71 percent water, and the most abundant compound in Earth’s crust is silicon dioxide, or quartz crystal, at 42 percent. Somehow, through some great creation, crystals are a companion to Earth’s resonance. They can resonate their energy through air, water, earth, and even through time and over great distances.

If we can consciously direct the crystal resonance to perform in specific ways, then unhealthy human cells should be able to regenerate from the influence of nearby healthy cells. Crystals can facilitate the focus and direction of consciousness to work with the intent of healing. Visualization helps support this intent.

Sacred Healing

When we take the work of men like Plato and Emoto, and combine it with what we know about crystal resonance on a personal level, we begin to understand how crystals heal the human body, mind, and spirit. It’s not just science—it’s sacred science! And it’s also what we call sacred healing, a term used for the processes that are not governed by the conventional application of medicine or medical procedures. It’s one of those therapeutic processes that can’t be explained by scientists but seems to work well for some people, regardless. It can include all kinds of alternative therapies, such as using crystals for healing.

Maybe you decide to practice mindfulness and, lo and behold, one day you wake up and realize you’re feeling better. You’ve arrived at some level of acceptance, or maybe you’ve detached a little from your problems. In any event, something has changed inside of you—you’ve begun to relax your mental efforts and need for a specific outcome. When you realize that you have control over how you see your problems, you see how sacred healing works.

You Have the Power to Flip the Switch!

There seems to be an invisible switch for turning on sacred healing. Some people will turn it on themselves; others need to be led to it. But this switch can be flipped only when the person is ready. Some people describe this as a change of attitude: there’s a sense of renewed energy and wanting to find a way to heal. There’s a feeling of being reconnected to life and wanting to get out there and do things again.

Spiritual healing is finding a place in many hospitals and clinical settings these days. Doctors know they can provide only so much physical and psychological treatments for their patients. When all the medical avenues have been exhausted, a physician sometimes refers a patient to spiritual services to help a patient find inner healing, spirituality, and prayer in the most difficult times. As one doctor said, spiritual services can help a patient make room for healing to occur. Theologists say it can also make room for a miracle to happen.

Sacred healing comes through many channels, such as meditation, prayer, or visualization exercises, and anyone—and I mean anyone—can access these tools. They’re already within you! Crystals can play an important role in healing by assisting in these exercises and by providing a connection to the crystalline complex, where healing can happen, and yes, where miracles are possible, too.

Minding Your Mind with Mindfulness

Okay, so now you might be asking, how do you control anger and other unwanted emotions?

That’s where mindfulness comes in. Mindfulness is awareness, staying in the present moment, and it includes the practice of meditation. Day-to-day mindfulness keeps us conscious of what we are doing and thinking and of what we bring into the world. By remaining aware, paying attention, and being present, your mind won’t wander into negative territory. It will help you become a better human being. In such a hectic world, we sometimes gravitate to mind-less-ness. Mind-full-ness is the antidote to meaning-less-ness.

Where do crystals fit into mindfulness? Think back to the meaning of the word crystal discussed in Chapter 1. The word means “clear.” When you carry a crystal or meditate with a crystal, your mind has a chance to resonate with the crystal’s clarity. You’ll have greater awareness, sharper perception and focus, and attention to stay in the moment.

Try being mindful: keep returning your thoughts to the present moment. People use a lot of supports for mindfulness that can include listening to music, visualizations, incense burning, gongs and bells, and chanting. You can see how this is all sounding so busy! The mind is more capable and flexible to handle life’s stresses when we give it the tools it needs for peace.

Now that you have practiced mindfulness, are you ready to go from HOW to WOW? It’s so special and so simple!

Now try this crystal mindfulness exercise: sit down, hold a clear quartz or amethyst crystal in whichever hand is most comfortable, be quiet, and don’t follow your thoughts—just stay in the moment. The crystal will regulate your physical system, help calm your thoughts, and provide focus for your mind. Stay present, keep your eyes open, relax your mind, and become more aware without your thoughts dashing all over the place. Practice this for a few minutes at first. You may find yourself more relaxed, revitalized, and ready to go forward with your day or night. Mindfulness can be practiced at any moment when you need to reset your energy and to clear your mind. Meditative practice is one of the best tools you can give your mind.

The Meditative Mind

Meditation is an important and integral part of sacred healing, but the very idea of meditation is still quite new to Westerners who’ve not yet experienced a true form of it. Often, they’ve been told by ecclesiasts to think of meditation as a time for spiritual reflection or deep introspection. You meditate upon something, they say. Well, that’s not true meditation because contemplation is still “thinking.” There are usually words going on inside your head and some expected outcome from all that thinking. Meditation is about not thinking at all. Period. Meditation is an intentional act of being aware of the nature of the mind. It’s the discipline of the mind.

A clear mind is a place where true healing energies can take hold and grow. We’ll talk more about meditation in the following section and in Part 3, but for now, know that when you use a crystal (such as amethyst, clear quartz, rose quartz, sodalite, selenite, or smoky quartz) during meditation, the results are clearer due to the crystal resonance keeping your energies strong and aligned. For the best results, hold a crystal in your left hand to receive its mind-stabilizing energy.

A Beginning Meditation Exercise

Guided meditation is different from traditional meditation because it uses visualization and other methods to enhance healing. Now that you know what meditation is—and what it isn’t—and how it can help flip that sacred healing switch, let’s try a simple exercise to introduce you to the process:

  1. Sit upright in a chair or cross-legged on the ground. Let your hands fall naturally into your lap or rest them on your thighs. If you have time, go through an inventory of body parts to check for tension. Beginning at the bottom and working up, check your feet, legs, hips, stomach, lower back, upper chest, shoulders, arms, hands, fingers, neck, mouth, jaw, temples, eyes, and, finally, your scalp. Relax everything. With every breath, draw in feelings of relaxation and expel any tension you feel in your body parts.
  2. Focus on your breathing for a minute, become aware of your chest moving in and out with each breath. Bring your focus to your nostrils and feel the air slipping into them. Close your eyes, if it helps you focus.
  3. Follow your breath as you inhale. Try not to force any awareness. Let your focus be gentle and natural.
  4. As you exhale, follow your breath out and feel the air sweep up the esophagus and out the nostrils. Do you have any awareness of the breath from your lungs? Does it feel warm or cold?

You might become more aware during the meditation that your mind is full of “noise” or distractions. Maybe you have some mental yellow sticky notes floating around in there. Perhaps you hear a part of yourself trying to reject your meditation experience. This is all to be expected and is the first stage of many that you go through to achieve an empty mind.

An empty mind is a good thing and an essential thing for healing. In time, the mind relaxes during meditation and becomes like clear water—crystal clear.

Set some time aside every day to practice meditation. Start with 10 minutes, once a day, at the same time and place, if you can. Your body and mind will grow used to sitting quietly. When you feel ready, try two sittings a day for 10 minutes each. The first sitting is to tame your mind. The second sitting will really count, as you will have emptied most of your mind traps during the first sitting. Increase your sitting time each day until you are able to sit quietly for 20 minutes at least once a day, preferably in the morning when there are fewer distractions. And do not be discouraged. It takes practice.

Studies in neuroscience using brain-imaging technology have shown that when the left frontal cortex is activated through meditation, stress and pain are reduced. The medical community is particularly interested in the results of these experiments as a means to decrease healing time and to promote a healthier lifestyle. This is an example of spiritualized medicine that I mentioned earlier.

Group Meditation

When you meditate with others, the harmony created by a group seems to promote better meditation. When you are with people who are all doing the same thing, everyone is putting out the same vibration and the meditative experience is much more powerful for everyone. You may experience a deep sense of peace and a broader awareness.

An experienced meditation leader will usually initiate the group session and may give some guidance on how to conduct yourself during the session so you don’t disturb others. You may be asked to sit in a certain way, chant special words, or focus on something to relax your mind. A group session may seem long for a beginner, but it will help your meditation with its shared energy. Check first with the organizers so you know what to expect.

Meditation groups are often found with martial arts organizations, as part of yoga training, or within other spiritual and religious groups.

Into the Alpha State

If you want to know if there is a scientific explanation for why meditation works to heal the mind and body—why, yes, there is!

There are four types of brainwaves that can be measured using an electroencephalograph (EEG):

We seem to spend a lot of time in beta states, from the time we wake up, to the time we rest for the night. We rarely slow down long enough to induce an alpha state, let alone a theta state. It’s not uncommon for people to feel as though they can’t relax—they’re just not used to the feeling! Meditation is known to activate the left frontal cortex of the brain and to induce an alpha state of consciousness.

When we don’t spend enough time in the alpha state, stress breaks down various mental and bodily functions. Over time, health declines and mental stability is compromised. When we stay in the alpha state for a longer time period, we become more resourceful and more creative. We have less anxiety and more ability to apply concentration to problems. Our immune system strengthens. Even our sports performance is enhanced!

Prayer and meditation are ways to connect to the alpha state when we become peaceful yet attentive. When in an alpha state, you experience calmness and clarity of thought, yet your mind is still and is not chattering on a mile a minute. You can experience the theta state when you rouse yourself from sleeping and just lie there with the awareness that you are awake, yet calm and alert. For some, this is the time when there can be a deeper connection within oneself to the transcendent self or to the divine. It’s a time to explore!

Altered states of consciousness from meditation have been found to be highly beneficial to health and well-being. Some of the reported benefits are lower blood pressure, a happier disposition, and fewer stress-related disorders. Research has also shown that when people meditate while physically sitting or lying inside a pyramid structure, alpha brainwave activity increases. These deeper states of consciousness can also be achieved by using the crystals mentioned earlier (amethyst, clear quartz, rose quartz, sodalite, or smoky quartz) to enhance the alpha and theta states.

You don’t have to have a physical pyramid to gain the benefits of relaxation. As long as your imagination is ready and willing to do some work, you can simply visualize yourself sitting inside a four-sided pyramid structure. Feel your mind starting to slow down and relax. See how long you can stay aware of the pyramid around you. See if you notice your breathing slowing down or becoming more regular. After a few minutes, allow the image of the pyramid to dissolve like a fading rainbow and slowly bring your awareness back to the room.

By the way, did you know that the 5l° angle of the Great Pyramid of Giza is the same as the angle on the face of a quartz crystal? Marcel Vogel, a noted IBM research scientist and leader of crystal healing, cut and angled the tips of lab grown crystals to exactly 51° to focus the “universal life force.” In Chapter 4, you’ll read more about using a crystal pyramid to help healing and manifestation.

The Power of Intent

A new way of looking at healing exists, called intent medicine or intent healing, which is the application of mental intent to cause a healing response. Intent medicine uses the power of conscious mental intention and can include prayer, meditation, or other like practices. When the power of conscious mental intention is focused on healing, it’s been shown to change the pattern of energy.

William A. Tiller, a distinguished scientist featured in the movie What the Bleep Do We Know?, leads investigations in the related field of psychoenergetics and has shown that thought and visualization together can affect the human energy system. Psychoenergetics is a relatively new field of science that investigates the meeting of consciousness, energy, and matter, and the nature of reality. Teller’s experiments have shown that the energy released by healers using thought, intention, and healing hands were capable of releasing electrons and affecting change at a cellular level. Healing doesn’t happen in isolation, it’s dependent on other factors.

This is one reason why healing circles that gather several people to focus healing on select people maximize their healing intent, even from a distance. We seem to spend a lot of time looking for healing. How many of us really spend the time to look at what we want to happen? We need some new skills for healing, not just new medicines. If we put together the amazing properties of crystals with the power of intent and imagery, we can focus our minds on healing in a very powerful way. Intent medicine is more than a placebo, it’s a reality!

In Chapter 4, you’ll learn some tips about buying crystals and if there’s any investment value in owning a collection. You will also learn more about your crystal and try an exercise to begin connecting with it. You may be surprised what you find!

CARVED IN STONE

Amethyst: I am the light you seek within yourself. I provide a deeper experience allowing you to sense spiritual reality and to increase your perceptions. I am a safe place for self-development, healing, and spiritual play.