The revival of Crystal Therapy in recent years demonstrates a new frontier in complementary healing, but the use of crystals and minerals is not new. The indigenous populations of the Americas and Australia have used them since time immemorial for their religious ceremonies as well as for healing. These people lived a life close to nature and were aware of the curative energies of crystals, while they were equally conscious of the healing properties of the plant kingdom.

In order to understand how crystals are effective in therapy, we need to remember that:

a) the human body is made up of energy fields (subtle bodies) and energy centres (chakras). The physical body (although made up of energy) appears solid to us while the aura and the outer bodies are light and fluid.

b) crystals emit different vibrations which affect the energy flow. Diagram 1 shows the generally accepted energy fields that surround the human body.

These electro-magnetic fields encircling the body are referred to as the human aura. With the help of Kirlian photography it is now possible for everyone to "see" the human aura in all its glorious colours.

The concept of the chakra system in the human energy field has its origins in Hindu teaching, where there has always been great awareness of the energy centers in the human form. There are seven major chakras (energy centers). Each chakra has a direct effect on specific glands and functions in the physical body. Diagram 2 shows the position of the major chakras.

‘Chakras can be thought of as dynamos, i.e. dynamic centres through which energy is distributed, with the capacity for transmission as well as for reception’.2 Each chakra has its own vibrational rate and colour which has an effect upon the physical body as well as the aura. The brightness or dimness of the aura is indicative of the state of well being within the individual.