It has been known for thousands of years and to millions of people that crystals have spiritually healing, cleansing, energizing, and empowering properties to them. This has significance beyond the mere delight in their beauty and spiritual energy, since if this is true then it says something about the nature of our reality. I'll go into that later. For now, let's discuss what crystals and gemstones are.
Crystals are the formation of rock of a specific chemical compound that, due to how the molecules of its makeup line up together in regular patterns, form regular geometrically shaped rocks. Some are cubes, some are diamonds, some are circles, and some are pyramids or pointed hexagonal shapes. These crystal structures form usually under conditions of high pressure and temperature in the earth. Their color and maybe their spiritual properties are determined through the kind of crystal they are, based on their chemical composition and other factors.
Crystals have a enormous variety of different uses spiritually. Some are more for healing, some are more for empowerment, some are cleansing, and some connect us to a higher spiritual vibration. Some do all those things. Crystals are also used for meditation. Simply by focusing on the energy of a crystal one can meditate on its vibration, and attune to its “frequency”, thus attaining to the wisdom the crystal has to offer.
Crystals are also often associated with the energy of the body, which includes the chakra system (see “The Chakras”). Some crystals are known to be most helpful for specific chakras. For example, Amethyst with its clusters of pointed crystals with a purple color is known to be helpful for the crown and third eye, whereas Rose quarts that is pink is known for the heart. Different sources on these crystals may have slightly different descriptions of these stones properties in their details, but the overall message is usually the same. I personally have felt in my 16 years of meditation the effect of crystals on my energy body and in my psyche. It has definite effects that are perceivable the more you become sensitive to them. Their properties spiritually tends to correspond with what they feel like when you look at them. I personally believe, however, that crystals do not replace the genuine reflection on the transcendent in meditation, that is most important. Rather, they are like the spiritual flowers of the rock kingdom that are a gift worth receiving and celebrating. To do crystal meditation all you need to do is find a crystal you like and sit with it in your hands and resonate with it, or if you lay down you can put it on your third eye or any part of your body. Another thing you can do is drink water that the crystals have infused their energy with by putting them in the water or putting them close to it or buying a water bottle designed for it. It is essential that you don't drink water from crystals that are poisonous or put crystals in water that dissolve. Do ample research before doing crystal water infusion. My experience has been that putting crystals in water or infusing the water with their energy is the best way to experience their benefits.
There is something most important with regard to understanding the implications of crystals. Their very existence points to the fact that the mind and matter are not two separate things, since we see that crystals have both a physical composition as well as a mental or spiritual identity as well. If this is the case then we must conclude that matter is mind, and mind is matter. Rather, mind and matter are two expressions of the same nature. As in “The Meaning Dimension” I speak about how the world can be divided into two dimensions, that of objective and subjective reality. This means that there is a physical dimension and a meaning dimension or of mind. Crystals are the most obvious expression of this reality. Either millions of people are delusional about the spiritual effects of crystals over thousands of years, or there is a meaning dimension to the physical world that is exemplified in crystals. This means that the world does indeed contain meaning in itself, and that meaning is not just a meaningless brain state. (See “Refutation of Physicalism”)
Crystals are not the ultimate source of our spiritual fulfillment, since that only comes from the transcendent, however they are the spiritual flowers of the rock kingdom, and they ought to be celebrated as all good things should.