Excerpt from chapter four in: A Catholic Response to the New Age Phenomenon by the Irish Theological Commission in 1994. To see the contents of the whole chapter, click here.
"New Age Movement" is abbreviated as NAM.
All the writers on the NAM speak of the crystal craze as one of the most popular NAM things today, popular even with Christians! The belief in the power of crystals stems from the NAM belief that God is an impersonal force, or energy, which is vibrating in the Universe. If one wants to get into harmony with this energy then one may do so through certain objects that vibrate in harmony with this energy. NAM believes that crystal rocks, with their beautiful crystal shapes and patterns, vibrate with this energy. They believe that if you hold a crystal while meditating this energy will flow into you. One may even go further and focus deeply on a specific crystal in order to release psychic energy for psychic healing, contact with spirit entities, or in developing higher consciousness.
Elliot Miller says that crystals are used in a variety of therapies, such as psychic healing, acupuncture, 'dream work', aura and chakra cleansing and balancing. In yogic philosophy the seven centres of spiritual energy in the body are called the chakras. Besides this they are used to enhance meditation, visualisation, astral or 'soul travel', channelling and various forms of divination. Many people also wear them as lucky charms, or to attract prosperity, the opposite sex, and so on. They appear to have endless functions!
Crystals are a modern form of using the old-fashioned magic charms and other occultic objects that missionaries found in use when they went to take Christianity to a new country or culture. Of course crystals, of themselves, have no power. They are merely beautiful stones. But when used with occultic ritual people experience power in association with them. See Inside the New Age Nightmare 1989, Randall N. Baer, p.106. See also Unicorn in The Sanctuary, Randy England, pp.46-50, where he lists the uses of crystals. For example, you need quartz crystals to focus the energy of the body for harmony and balance; you need jade for wisdom, a sapphire to elevate your mood, etc.! Apparently Grace has become obsolete!
Everyone accepts that they need help in meditation. The NAM first recommended TM and mantes; then this was not enough, you needed crystals. The latest craze is that you must sit under a pyramid! All these things belong to the same grouping, and indicate that people have turned away from God to what appears to be anything else. Russell Chandler discusses this fully in chapter 12 of his book Understanding the New Age.
