It’s a dreary, chilly night, and I’m lying in a spa-style bed in a gray room at Modern Sanctuary, a wellness center in New York City. My head is resting on a pillow, my feet dangling slightly off the bed, which gives off a slight heat. Headphones and an eye mask lie on the table next to me. A row of crystals are lined up above my head, and Edgar is standing beside me, who will be administering my first crystal bed healing treatment.
Why did I come here?
If you’ve been scrolling through Instagram lately, you might have noticed that crystal healing has become all the rage these days. Both Adele and model Miranda Kerr are said to be fans. And at a party last weekend, a woman I met pulled a small velvet bag out of her purse, showed me all the crystals she owned, and told me what each one was used for. I tried hard not to frown in extreme skepticism. I don’t believe in this alternative medicine that claims crystals have healing powers, but I’m very curious. So I made an appointment.
What is Crystal Healing?
Before I tell you about my session, let’s take a moment to reflect: what exactly is crystal healing?
Devotees believe crystals can help with physical, mental, and emotional issues. “Crystals act as a tool to create a visible change in my energy—overwhelmingly good change,” says Heather Askinosie, crystal expert and co-founder and co-author of Energy Muse. Crystal Muse: A daily ritual for connecting with your true self.
“Crystals are amplifiers; people wear crystals for protection, for feeling, for energy,” says Alexandra Giannelli, certified hypnotherapist, life coach, and owner of Modrn Sanctuary . Askinosy points out that the use of crystals dates back to ancient times, when they were used in healing rituals or given as talismanic gifts.
Crystal bed therapy, which starts at about $120 for a 45-minute session, is based on the principles of crystal healing and the idea that harnessing the energy of crystals can help. “The treatment can help relieve stress, ease anxiety, [help practitioners] “It’s about reconnecting with yourself,” Askinosy says.
However, scientists say otherwise. I have searched hard and found no scientific or medical studies to support the efficacy of crystal healing. In one article I found, the author describes crystals as more like talismans than medicine, and attributes the efficacy of crystal healing to a strong placebo effect.
My Crystal Healing Session
When I arrive for my session, I’m given a sheet that lists the different frequencies (measured in Hertz) that the crystals will emit during the session. (Crystals are natural conductors of energy, which is why they’re used in radios, computers, clocks, and more.) I choose a 174 Hz session labeled “Relieve,” which is supposed to “reduce pain” and “provide a sense of security, safety, and love to your organs, encouraging them to perform their best.” (Other options on the chart are labeled “Resolve,” “Love,” “Uplift,” and more.) I guess it never hurts to do something that might help your body function better.
Next, I go into the treatment room and lie down on a table, which looks very similar to the $9,000 Quantum Resonance Crystal Bed currently for sale on Etsy. Edgar walks me through the procedure as he rotates the row of crystals close to my body. Seven crystals – red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, dark blue, and purple – are suspended from metal arms, the kind you’d find in a dentist’s office. Edgar lines the crystals up over my body and sets the machine so that both the crystals on me and the ones in the bed emit 174 Hz.
Edgar then prepares binaural beats and accompanying water sounds, which I listen to through large headphones during the session. Some sounds are relaxing, others are a bit tense, like holding a guitar string for too long. I had never heard of binaural beats, but Giannelli told me they help train the mind. “Binaural beats are two frequencies that are sent harmoniously to the brain to help harmonize brainwaves. When you relax and enter a meditative state, you experience different brainwaves, including alpha, beta, theta and gamma, which makes your mind open and receptive,” she explains.
Once everything was ready, Edgar turned off the overhead lights, handed me an eye mask, and left. I was left lying alone on the bed in the room. At first, my mind was racing. I couldn’t stop thinking about the blisters on my right foot and the items on my to-do list. But then the soothing sounds from the headphones and the warmth from the bed helped me relax. I was in a daze for a while, but after about 20 minutes, Edgar came back into the room, gently touched my shoulder, and told me that the treatment was over. He handed me a glass of water, brightened the lights a little, and left the room. I went to the reception and returned to the bustling New York night.
So, did it work?
The crystal bed treatment was fun in a novel way. Plus, the crystal bed is comfortable, and anything that forces me to get away from the internet and my phone feels worth the money at this point. As for my organs, well, same goes. But Askinosie says what I get out of the session depends solely on my mindset.
“If you believe that crystals can help you on an energetic and vibrational level, then they absolutely can,” Askinosy says. “If instead you’re thinking, ‘It’s not scientifically proven, so it can’t work,’ then you’re right; crystals probably won’t work for you,” she points out.
Crystal therapy is all about the placebo effect. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing. “Sometimes placebo is the best thing — it gives you the possibility of change and hope,” says Giannelli. Plus, in our constantly moving world, Giannelli points out, having the opportunity to elevate or dissipate thoughts can be incredibly beneficial. “Thoughts may be present, but they don’t have to have such a huge impact on you,” she says.
As someone who lives in a stressful world, I find that appealing. But I remain skeptical of the healing powers of crystals, and that’s OK, says Giannelli. “For some people, this will be a great resource. For others, it will just be an experience.”
Madeline Barry is the former deputy editor of Parents.com and currently a freelance writer, editor, and content strategist whose work has appeared in Women’s Health, Health.com, and other online publications. She enjoys watching ’70s movies, going for leisurely runs, and petting neighborhood puppies. Follow her on Twitter at @lovelanewest.
