If you're plugged into the world of alternative medicine, you've likely heard of"crystals"-- the name given to nutritional
supplements (usually quartz) or fossilized resins that are thought to have beneficial health properties. Holding crystals or putting them on your own body is thought to promote physical, emotional and spiritual healing. Crystals supposedly do so by positively interacting with the body's energy field, or chakra. While some crystals are said to relieve anxiety, others supposedly enhance concentration or creativity. Unsurprisingly, scientists have carried out few traditional studies on crystals. Later, the study team requested everyone to meditate for five minutes while holding a real stone crystal or a counterfeit crystal made of glass. Then, the participants answered questions about the senses they'd felt while cooperating with the crystals. Both the real and fake crystals produced comparable sensations, and individuals who tested high in the paranormal-belief questionnaire tended to experience greater sensations than those who scoffed at the paranormal. "We discovered that lots of people claimed they might feel odd sensations while holding the crystals, like tingling, heat and vibrations, even if we had told them beforehand that this is exactly what might occur," says Christopher French, a professor of psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London. "In other words, the effects reported were a consequence of the power of suggestion, not the power of the crystals." Lots of research shows how powerful the placebo effect can be. "If people feel that a remedy will make them feel better, many of them do feel better once they have experienced the remedy, even if it is proven to be therapeutically worthless," says French. And yes, it's almost certainly accurate to say that crystals do not themselves possess any of the mysterious health properties attributed to them by users. Nevertheless, the human mind is a powerful thing, and it is trickier to say flatly that crystals do not do the job, if you define"work" as supplying some advantage. "I believe that the public and medical community's perception of this placebo is something which is bogus or deceptive," states Ted Kaptchuk, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. However, Kaptchuk's study on placebo suggests that its therapeutic actions can be equally"genuine" and"robust." While he has not analyzed crystals--and won't comment on their legitimacy or anything to do with alternative medication --Kaptchuk has written a therapy's built-in placebo effect can be considered a distinct aspect of its effectiveness, and that placebo-induced benefits ought to be promoted, not dismissed. Many doctors do believe in the power of placebo. A 2008 BMJ study found that roughly half of the doctors surveyed reported using placebo treatments to aid their patients. Ordinarily, a doctor would suggest an over-the-counter pain reliever or vitamin supplement, although neither has been indicated for the individual's symptoms. Most seen the practice of prescribing placebo treatments as permissible, the authors reasoned. Holding a crystal, naturally, isn't the same as consuming an Advil, and do not expect your physician to recommend crystals at your next trip. From the standpoint of conventional medicine and evidence-based science, the existing research indicates they're akin to snake oil. But research on the placebo result indicates that even snake oil may have benefits for those who believe.
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October 2019
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