Can crystals serve a benefit to our mental health?
CW: This article discusses topics surrounding mental health which could be distressing to some readers
Mental health is an increasing problem, in the last few years there’s been a rise in prioritising self care and well being for ourselves. With topics such as mental health being more normalised, social media has been promoting well being in the forms of hot girl walks, yoga, healthy eating and… crystals?
All things crystals
Crystals seem to be taking social media by storm in the last year, spiritual practitioners have taken to platforms such as TikTok to teach others all about these mystical rocks and how they can be used in our day to day life to promote balance and positive energies. Crystals are far more than just pretty sparkly geodes we see when walking past shops, they’ve been used for hundreds of years as an alternate medicine in spirituality leading to the question, can crystals improve our mental health?
There are a lot of skeptical views around how crystals can really benefit mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression but studies have suggested that there is perhaps some merit to show that crystals can benefit us. Spirituality and homeopathic remedies have been around for hundreds of years but only recently they have been entering the mainstream media.
There are a multitude of different crystals you can choose from such as cleansing, blocking negative energies and of course, well being (the ones we want). There are specific ones which all have been attributed to be beneficial to our mental health, to narrow it down there are; citrine, carnelian, lepidolite, clear quartz, amethyst, tigers eye, smokey quartz, rose quartz, malachite and moonstone. At the end they’ll be a guide on all these crystals and all the different properties.
Placebo effect
As we know, there’s no scientific evidence to show that crystals can help our mental health as they aren’t a consumable medicine. This got me thinking about all the spirituals who have used them in their practises and tell their stories on how they have worked for them; this is when the placebo effect comes in.
The idea of the placebo effect is the our belief in something (such as crystals) has the power to emulate change even though the treatment itself serves no medical properties. Through the power of the mind and manifestation you are able to bring about mental, physical or emotional change, leading to believe that the intention of buying the specific crystals linked to mental well being can therefore improve our mental health.
So we can take the placebo effect and use crystals to our advantage, it’s all about positive thinking and belief that they will work.
With all that said, never replace medical treatment for anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions with crystals. They may be great healers and definitely fun to explore, but always take your doctors advise with medicated treatments.
The psychology of it
Now we know we can use the placebo effect to make crystals work, how does the psychology of it positively impact our minds?
The idea is that by holding or placing crystals on our body the positive energy of them will promote different types of healing; so through meditation and positive thinking (the placebo effect) we can promote positive changed within our mental health. Meditation has always been known to help with mental clarity, so by playing with psychology and mixing in some crystals you’ll be able to produce a positive shift in our mental health.
In spirituality practises there are what are believed to be chakras, which are energy centres in our body’s which are believed to be in the shape of disks or wheels. It’s believed that if one of the chakras are blocked it may affect the part of your body closest to that chakra creating an emotional imbalance; the two best chakras for mental clarity are the crown chakra (located at the top of our head) and the sacral chakra (located just about our belly button.)
The ultimate guide
Looking on Instagram and TikTok at all the spiritual girl bosses for guidance can get overwhelming, there’s different methods on using crystals, which once should be used together and which ones should definitely be avoided all mixed in with everything spirituality. It’s daunting knowing where to start, that’s why I’ve made a small guide on what are the best crystals for mental healing are:
· Citrine- creates a positive energy and stop stagnant feelings
· Carnelian- a warming energy and brings vitality
· Lepidolite- balances the nervous system and heals energy
· Clear quartz- offers a clear vision and brightens the immune system
· Amethyst- brings a pure light, positive energy and cleanses chakras
· Tigers eye- gives us a strong energy and brings about transition
· Smokey quartz- grounds us and dispels low thoughts
· Rose quartz- self love and heals our heart
· Malachite- stops mood swings and brings a sense of balance
· Moonstone- feminine energy, softness and helps us embrace cycles
If you believe crystals work or not, at least they’re pretty too look at.