The modernization of ancient therapies is gaining systematic support. For the first time, the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) has included crystal energy therapy in its research portfolio, allocating $2.7 million in 2024 to explore its mechanisms.

At Boston’s Integrative Healing Laboratory, scientists use infrared spectrometers to track the energy interactions between amethyst crystals and the human body, preliminarily discovering resonance between specific light wavelengths and the brain’s alpha wave frequency band.

“When volunteers hold crystals, their beta waves (associated with anxiety) decrease in intensity by 17%,” explained project lead Dr. Eric Zhao in a paper published in the Journal of Integrative Medicine. “This may explain the source of the calming effect. We are still on the path to separating truth from falsehood.”

Because crystals possess easily accessible intrinsic energy, they have become reliable tools for healing.

What Is Crystal Healing:

Crystals have been used as healing tools for thousands of years due to their easily accessible intrinsic energy. This may help explain why these gemstones are employed in precision technologies such as quartz clocks—their accurate timekeeping comes from the energy released when quartz crystals are under pressure.

Effects:

Healers believe crystals act like “tuning forks,” resonating with the body’s energy field. If our energy body becomes “imbalanced” due to illness or psychological stress, crystals can help restore natural vibrations and thus bring harmony back.

Because different crystals have different healing properties, practitioners often ask patients to choose the crystals they feel intuitively drawn to. This is based on the idea that we are naturally attracted to the crystal energy patterns most beneficial to us.

Crystals are especially effective in treating psychosomatic conditions such as headaches, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, and asthma.

Treatment Process:
A crystal therapist will first ask about your health issues, emotional state, and treatment goals. The session usually begins with relaxation exercises.

Next, you may be asked to lie clothed on a massage table while holding crystals or placing them on specific acupuncture points on or around your body. You might experience sensations such as tingling, warmth, coolness, expansion, pressure, or the release of suppressed emotions, which can sometimes be quite intense.

The therapist may also recommend wearing specific gemstones between sessions.

Prognosis:
Chronic conditions may require 12 to 24 sessions for significant improvement. If discomfort persists after 12 sessions, it is advised to discontinue treatment or seek alternative therapies.