Crystals & Christians

Have you ever visited the Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC, and found yourself gaping at the breathtaking crystals and gems on display? This spectacular exhibit shows how the shapes and colors of crystals reflect God’s creativity and design.

But some people look at crystals for more than just their beauty. Keyword search data on the internet reveals a 40% increase in searches for “crystal healing” in the past few years.1 Social media and celebrity endorsements have raised crystals from archaic New Age antiquities to trendy, health-enhancing charms. Consumers purchase all kinds of crystals that sellers claim will calm the spirit or energize the mind.

Some claim that crystals are an effective holistic health practice. But this movement has a dark side. As Christians, is it acceptable to use crystals, despite their connection to the occult?

Absence of Evidence

Rocks, minerals, crystals, gemstones, precious stones—all of these are included under the label of healing crystals and stones. A crystal is a mineral, a group of special inorganic compounds with a fixed chemistry. Contrary to secular opinion, it doesn’t take slow and gradual processes for crystals to grow. As a geologist who has studied the effects of the flood, I can tell you that some of these magnificent crystals formed at creation and others during the global flood and within the years following.

Those who believe in the healing power of crystals claim that these stones have a stable vibrational frequency. It’s true that some minerals exude a frequency. For example, your watch may contain a quartz crystal oscillator. If you put a voltage across the crystal, it vibrates at a fixed frequency, allowing for accurate time keeping.

These proponents also claim that the human body has an unstable frequency. A 2023 report shows that our cells do indeed vibrate, creating different frequencies.2

With their stable energy patterns, these crystals can supposedly transmit their energy to us, redirecting energy flow in our bodies and providing healing. The Little Book of Crystals describes crystals as “tuning forks” that bring harmony to the “very unstable energy field of the human body.”3 By promoting the flow of good energy, crystals can supposedly rid your body of negative energy and the resulting diseases and mental ailments.

Though no absolute standard exists for the powers supposedly belonging to each crystal or stone, many sources catalog the supposed healing power attributed to each crystal. Some people say quartz stimulates brain function while amethyst will halt your headache. Other people tell you that crystals can alleviate your stress, help you find better focus, or ease your aching back. One company even sells “gemwater bottles” that infuse drinking water with stones such as amethyst, rose quartz, and clear quartz crystals, which they claim are helpful for calming and balancing.

Proponents of crystal healing borrow terminology from science, but their concept of energy is vastly different from a scientific understanding of energy. While crystals do have energy, the idea that they can transfer energy to humans lacks empirical evidence and scientific support.

For starters, not all minerals have a stable frequency as they claim. True science provides no evidence to support crystal healing, beyond a placebo effect.4 A 2001 study by University of London psychologist Dr. Chris French debunked the healing power of crystals when 80 participants were unknowingly given either crystals or placebo crystals. Most of the participants reported feeling the guaranteed “energy-enhancing sensations”—no matter what crystal was used.5

Few studies have examined the healing power of crystals, mainly because research institutes will not invest in studies without a legitimate premise. In the scientific community, the healing power of crystals is largely viewed as pseudoscience.6 While it is true that the atoms and molecules making up our bodies are in constant motion, science does not support the idea that human bodies vibrate at specific frequencies in a way that is relevant to our health.

Crystals are often associated with alternative medicine like other natural means God has provided to enhance health and promote healing—such as herbs, oils, and supplements. What could be wrong with clutching a crystal when negative thoughts arise, or rolling a rock in our palms when we’re feeling anxious?

Concerning Connections

While crystals might be trending, the beliefs behind them are nothing new. For thousands of years, people have used crystals for spiritual and magical purposes. Ancient cultures of Egypt and Mesopotamia—India, Greece, and Rome, for example—used crystals for their supposed healing properties. Many Native Americans still believe turquoise contains powers of protection.

When I was a young adult in the 1970s, a subculture emerged known as the New Age movement. Many followers of this movement practiced age-old beliefs and religious traditions that God warned about in his Word (Deuteronomy 18:10–11). Some of these practices included reading astrological signs, attempting divination (seeking knowledge of the unknown by supernatural means), and using tarot cards. Some New Age followers today teach that crystals bestow powers on the humans who possess them.

Many years ago, I had an online conversation with a user, Liam, who claimed that the phantom quartz crystal he wore around his neck gave him the power to absorb energy, form impressions of people’s motives, and form holographic images. Liam commented that these crystals could heal and help him channel (an occultic term meaning to converse with spirits or demons).

As a scientist, I was amused by Liam’s outlandish crystal claim. However, his reference to contacting spirits troubled me. Wiccans and New Age followers truly believe that crystals have these powers. But in both the Old and New Testaments, the Bible warns us that demonic spirits in our world seek to control our lives (1 Samuel 28: 3–25; Mark 1:21–28).

Like Liam, many proponents behind crystal healing today are involved in the occult, which is associated with mystical practices including astrology, divination, Eastern religions, sorcery, and other unbiblical and ungodly ideologies.

Humans were created as spiritual beings, and as such, we all crave spiritual fulfillment. Sadly, those who look to the occult for such fulfillment, rather than to Jesus, will not enter the kingdom of heaven (Revelation 22:14–15).

The Creator of Crystals

It’s one thing to admire a crystal’s beauty, but it’s another thing entirely to believe in its healing powers. Multiple times, Scripture warns against involvement with the occult (Deuteronomy 18:9–12; Ezekiel 13:18, 20–21; Acts 19:17–19). God’s Word commands us to never call upon dark or satanic powers to heal, see the future, or make choices. We are also called to “depart from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19) and to practice discernment in all things (Philippians 1:9–10).

Crystals don’t have healing powers, but they do showcase God’s handiwork. So by all means, enjoy your rock collection and crystal jewelry. But remember—rocks are just rocks. Instead of hoping crystals will heal or help you, appreciate them for the creation they are and glorify the Creator as you admire what he has made.