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A lot of gems and crystals are said to hold various different abilities. They've been used in this way a lot in the fantasy genre, and in Final Fantasy IX especially, you equip them on your characters so they can learn different abilities from them.

Garnet and Eiko use several of them to learn to summon different eidolons, whereas some of them hold abilities that can be learned and equipped by other characters as well.

I found this website that tells you about the properties that are believed to be in many of these different stones. The website is Crystal Cure.

Here's one example...


So, let's go into details. Those of us who are writers or who are just interested in jumping in for the discussion on there opinions/theories may want to dig deeper still.

Heh... I know more about this topic than I should, considering I'm a person for whom the jury is still out on a lot of it. But then again, I sell stones and crystals for a living. ^_^;

I don't really believe in the idea that a crystal can have a direct physical healing effect, like getting rid of a cough or curing cancer (and yes, I've heard that one!). There is a certain amount of psychological effect that such things can have, though, so I don't discount it as an aid in healing. The placebo effect is well documented and as long as it helps, why not do it? But the stone itself doing it? Nuh uh. Don't buy it.

Mental healing and focusing aids, however, is a whole other animal. I definitely go for that one. I keep lapis, citrine, amethyst, sunstone, and aquamarine on my desk near my computer and reach for them quite a bit when I'm writing (lapis, citrine and sunstone are good for creativity, amethyst for concentration and protection from outside influences, and aquamarine is good for communication) and I focus them all with a twin-tip quartz crystal. There's a piece of green calcite under my pillow for calming me down at night so I can get better sleep. And for a while, I had a piece of moldavite under my pillow as well for dream enhancement and retention (I almost never remember my dreams and it bothers me, a bit), but it was too powerful and ended up keeping me awake at night. I need to wire wrap it and make a pendant, it's so energizing. I have a sphere of golden calcite that told me I was supposed to take it home, but I'm still not sure what its mission in my life is.

There are a couple books we keep on a shelf at work that I reference all the time when people come into the store looking for something. Book of Stones and Love is in the Earth. They're both excellent references for metaphysical aspects of minerology.

Berz.

Just a general turn-of-phrase. I'm just not the sort of person that one would think would know about this stuff, given my solid science background.

As for believing in the effect to make the effect happen (we call it "drinking the kool-aid" here), that's pretty much precisely what the placebo effect is. So, yeah, I doubt it would work for me. But the placebo effect isn't strong enough to cure serious ailments that one would need to go to a doctor for. Snake-oil salesmen make a lot of money on people who believe otherwise, many times until they die.

Berz.

Er... copper isn't magnetic...

Unless you count the magnetic field that happens when you run a current through it, but given that it's being worn, I doubt there is one in this case.

As for the Hypogalceamia thing, I've actually seen something similar happen to a friend of mine. She gets crashes really badly if she isn't careful. She once got ridiculously strong all of a sudden while we were setting up camp at an SCA event. She was lifting and moving things that she should not have been able to lift or move. And then, all of a sudden, she very nearly passed out and had to be carried to food. She said she looked into it later and learned that it's a common occurrence because adrenaline steps in to compensate for the low blood sugar for a while.

Likely it was coincidence that you finally went dark when your friend took the bracelet off. Besides, according the metaphysics, just taking something off wouldn't necessarily do it. First of all, it has to be outside your aura, which extends out about three feet from you in all directions. That's why stones under pillows and sitting on desks work just as well as ones being worn or carried in a pocket. Second of all, stones usually have a fading effect, rather than a sudden cut-off, as the aura readjusts to the stone no longer being there.

Berz.

I had no idea about stones in Hinduism either...

Hey! Berz is a stones and crystals seller, eh? Goodie! Maybe she can give us a discount, he-he. wink

I have something to add here, not to the last discussion mind you but, about some "power stones" that can be found on "Magic: The Gathering". If you feel like it, head over to this page and read all about Thran Power Stones. 3nodding

I have a few of those stones myself, and two decent sized pieces of Amethyst and Moonstone next to my bed, with a large white/clear crystal point on a keychain. When I actually received the Amethyst years and years ago when I was a real avid collector of gemstones and rocks (I became less so when space was running out in the tiny place I live in) was when my nightmares disappeared and more peaceful dreams entered my mind. I have yet to have those shocking nightmares since, and that was when I was around seven or eight (I am 19 now)... This is also why I am looking for necklaces in particular that have these nice stones since I read somewhere that the neck area is the best place for the energies to affect you.

There are just things about these stones that attract me, and I can sort of feel them emitting their energies when I am close to them.

It's precious stones and those like them that are meant to have these abilities I believe. However, there are other rocks and minerals that are said to have healing properties.

Take Rhassoul Clay for example. I met a lady at a craft fair in Norwich just before Christmas (she's local as well) who told me about the stuff. It can be used to treat various skin conditions. I bought some for Amanda, and she said it really does help. She has eczema, and said that when it starts, using that clay in the shower stops it from itching for quite some time. More information can be found here - Rhassoul Clay.

There's also Black Pummice, which is used to exfoliate areas of hard skin.

I mentioned the Alum Stone before (same seller). That's used as a deodorant and is said to be the best type of deodorant out there. You wet it and rub it over the armpit (or wherever else you might need it).

I think there's still a lot about nature that we don't know and I'm very glad that people like the lady who runs this shop are around. We buy shampoos and soaps and all manner of other things that are manufactured when nature can give it to us (not always for free because people harvest the resources and sell them on). When I get a good job I'll probably buy as many natural products as I can instead.

Funny you should say these things about those nightmares ED. I don't have any stones really (albeit an old collection of tiny ones somewhere) at the moment, but I have two large dreamcatchers. As soon as I'd put up the first several years ago now, I stopped having so many bad dreams. I still get them occasionally but nowhere near as often. I know that's not about stones, but...I'll make a thread.

Topic revival!

I've created an additional type of crystal in my world, but I can't really say much on them. ^_^' They could be likened to that of the big Final Fantasy crystals from ages past, and perhaps they were part of the inspiration behind this idea. I think the size of them can be linked to the old FF crystals, but the look of them is not so different from the varla stones in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.