Potential Side Effects of Crystals - A Caution
Don’t be alarmed by the title—crystals themselves aren’t inherently dangerous. However, it’s important to remember that crystals are tools of frequency, and like any tool, you need to use the right one for the task. The challenge is that many people either aren’t sensitive enough to perceive crystal energies or, if they do sense them, find it difficult to articulate what they feel.
This past Christmas, I had an experience with a crystal that was entirely new to me. While celebrating at a friend’s house with her family, I decided to open up about my ability to sense the energies of stones—a step out of my “spiritual closet,” so to speak.
Curious, my friend removed her Greenstone pendant, which she had worn continuously for ten years (yes, a full decade without taking it off!) and asked me to interpret its energy. I was nervous since I’d never tried to sense and explain crystal energies in front of others before. But as soon as I held the pendant in my palms, its energy hit me with a force I wasn’t prepared for—it was intensely stimulating to the solar plexus.
The sensation was intense and almost chaotic, creating an urgent, explosive drive to accomplish or create—but it was so overwhelming that it became unbalanced. I couldn’t understand how my friend managed to sleep while wearing it. As I observed her state of mind and life, it became clear this wasn’t the energy she needed.
I became aware that it could be the crystal's energy that was fueling her impatience, pushing her to start too many projects she couldn’t finish, and leaving her feeling unfulfilled from the lack of completion. What she truly needed was a calming, steady energy—one that would help her patiently translate her thoughts into action, step by step.
As I tuned into the crystal, I sensed that its original frequency was designed to ignite passion, motivation, and willpower—perfect for someone feeling lethargic or lacking a spark in life. But something had clearly shifted. Why?
It struck me as unusual since crystals typically recalibrate themselves in their natural state. Later that night, I received insight into what might have caused the imbalance. Crystals work with your energy, and prolonged exposure—especially over years—can cause their frequency to amplify significantly. In my friend’s case, wearing the pendant so close to her heart chakra for a decade without a break had caused the energy to intensify. From my experience, the heart chakra, along with the palms which are also connected to the heart chakra, is a key activator and amplifier of crystal energy.
I suggested she take off the pendant, cleanse it in sea salt water for a day, and then store it in a dark drawer for at least a week to allow it to recalibrate. In the meantime, I recommended she wear her mother’s crystal bracelet, which carried a calming and serene energy suited to grounding and translating ideas into concrete action.
The next day, my friend told me she felt a shift. She was noticeably calmer—when someone cut her off on the highway, she didn’t react with anger or impatience. The constant sense of urgency and pressure to accomplish something had subsided.
Extremely High Vibrational Crystals
Rarely, crystals or objects may carry an extremely amplified frequency due to specific rituals. While this can be beneficial in some contexts, it can also cause physical imbalance, especially for individuals who aren’t spiritually prepared to integrate such high frequencies. For example, I once encountered a mala made of seeds (not crystals, but still applicable) that had undergone a ritual by Buddhist monks to hold an intense amount of light energy. When I meditated with it, I immediately felt its overwhelming intensity and realized that for most people, its frequent use could potentially cause discomfort or even sickness if their physical bodies are not ready and still too dense.
However this phenomenon would be extremely rare and typically associated with specific spiritual practices.
Crystal Points: A Lesson in Energy Work
Early in my crystal journey, I had an experience which I almost forgot about, that taught me a valuable lesson about working with energy and crystal points. At the time, I was meditating and could feel a persistent block in my throat chakra. This block was a regular issue for me, and I had grown quite frustrated with it. Determined to address it, I decided to use one of my crystal points to clear the energy.
Initially, I thought the pointed end of the crystal would be the most effective tool. I aimed the point at the block and attempted to move it along. However, in my eagerness to force the energy shift, I instead placed the flat base of the crystal directly onto the blocked area. With intense mental focus, I tried to push the block out of my system through the pointed end.
To my relief, I felt the energy around the blockage finally move. Satisfied, I went to bed, believing I had resolved the issue. However, the next morning, I woke up to an unexpected consequence: my neck was completely stiff and immobile. For about two weeks, I couldn’t move it properly. It was an incredibly uncomfortable and frustrating time.
Reflecting on this experience, I learned an essential lesson: never FORCE energy to move within your body. Energy work, especially with crystals, requires patience and alignment. Forcing energy or attempting to clear blocks when your body isn’t ready can lead to adverse effects, as it did for me. This is particularly true when working with crystal points, as their pointed ends focus energy intensely. Combining this with mental force can create an overwhelming release that your body might not be prepared to handle.
In hindsight, I believe my stiff neck was the result of moving a large amount of stuck energy all at once. My nerves, fascia, and muscles simply weren’t ready to process such a significant release.
The takeaway? Always approach energy work gently and with intention. Allow yourself to align gradually with the crystal’s energy, day by day. Patience is key to achieving lasting and harmonious results.
How to Use Crystals & Avoid Side-Effects
This experience taught me an invaluable lesson about crystal energies: it’s crucial to understand the actual frequency of the crystals you’re working with, especially when wearing them as jewelry near the heart chakra. Ask yourself: What frequency do I truly need?
Keep in mind that the energy descriptions you read online are generalizations. Each crystal, even of the same type, can have a unique frequency. For example, while smoky quartz is commonly described as grounding, I’ve encountered ones that are the opposite—high vibrational and stimulating to the psychic senses.
If you choose a smoky quartz expecting grounding and stability but instead encounter one with opposite properties, you are inadvertently using the wrong tool for your needs. This misalignment can hinder rather than help, as you’ll be tuning into frequencies that don’t support your current state. Always take the time to feel and understand a crystal’s true energy before incorporating it into your practice. At my crystal shop, I describe the true energies of each stone by tuning into them via mediation.
Just as importantly, crystal needs breaks to recalibrate, especially those that have more stimulating qualities and worn around the neck. Without rest, such crystals can amplify to the point where their energy feels overwhelming, creating imbalances in our frequency—not because the crystal itself is out of balance, but because its amplified energy interacts with ours in an intensified way.
For those on their crystal journeys, this is the only caution I wish to share: even the most beneficial energy, when over-amplified, can become too much of a good thing. Be mindful, give your crystals a rest, and stay attuned to the energies they bring into your life.
Lastly NEVER attempt to force stagnant energy out of your body. Allow your crystal to gently guide it out through gradual alignment and natural flow.
Wishing you all the best on your crystal path and spiritual journey.