Henry M. Mason and Brittani Petrofsky: Crystal Grids

I had great hopes for this book.  The idea of using crystals to enhance one's life and experience is appealing on a human level--everyone wants to believe that it is so simple--and a personal one; I am particularly drawn to crystals and their energetic properties, both aesthetically and philosophically.  The conceit of this book, namely that the internal chemical structure of the crystals and the arrangement in which they are lain are an important part of their power, promised to clear up the general vagueness and hearsay that has always been an obstacle to me.  

Alas, it did not live up to its promise.  The scientific inquiry and analysis that it promised were merely a veneer of nacre over yet another inconsistent, contradictory casserole.  Assertions about the properties of various crystal structures made here are not only unsupported by even anecdotal evidence, but also in conflict with the effort to make the color and lore of each crystal part of the equation. The descriptions of the various properties come across as entirely arbitrary, and unreliable.  It is no wonder that my efforts to apply the ideas in this book did not seem to bear any fruit.

Of course, the argument could be made that it is my own skepticism that is blocking me from achieving the sort of spiritual development that I seek.  It is a problem I encounter with most ideas in this genre; every psychic, healer, or mystic has a different idea about the nature of reality, and speaks with absolute conviction on the subject.  It feels little different from the casserole of religions that are offering themselves as guides to the unknown.  How easy it would be to just pick one and run with it! Easy and impossible.