A SKEPTIC’S GUIDE TO CRYSTALS
Date: May 25 2018
Publication: The Fullest Magazine
This is an article about my very recent, yet very deep appreciation for crystals. For years I considered crystals to be the mascots of New Age culture — too woo-woo and hippie for my liking. But I’ve found that we tend to resist what we’re most authentically drawn to for fear of edging closer to our truth. And, if I’m being totally honest, this is why I fear-resisted crystals for years. If you’re skeptical about crystals or just don’t understand what all the fuss is about, read on. If you’ve always loved crystals since forever, I hope you read on too. I’m not writing to convince you to be pro-crystal or anti-crystal, I’m simply offering my perspective on these natural wonders of the world.
So, first things first:
What are crystals made of and how are they formed?
Crystals are composed of groups of atoms, with silicon, carbon, and oxygen molecules making up the most ubiquitous types. The crystallization process, consisting of three stages, is essentially a transition from chaos to order. In its initial phase, a few atoms approach each other and form a stable microscopic aggregate. In its second stage — the growth stage — there is an orderly addition of further molecules until the termination stage (the third and final) when the growth ceases.
In the 17th century, Nicolas Steno, a catholic bishop and scientist, first discovered that although crystals appeared to be a variety of shapes and sizes, the same interfacial angles persisted in every specimen of the same mineral. This highly ordered crystalline structure is what causes them to oscillate and emit frequencies, making crystals essential components of certain electronics — from computer and TVs, to cell phones and satellites.
Crystals are also incredibly old, millions and millions of years old, having formed when molten rock or liquid magma cooled within fissures deep beneath the earth’s surface.
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