- There is no scientific evidence
that crystals and gemstones are able to treat ailments
based off their color and chemical make.
- Yeah, but it's like what else is healing us?
Certainly not science, so.
- Woooo! (air horn blasts)
Shots fired at science!
(tinkling music)
- Hi, I'm Kelsey! - And I'm Lara.
- And our lives fucking suck.
- Pretty much, yeah.
- A lot of the time. - Yeah.
- We both live with chronic pain.
And we're not just talking about like,
"Ooh, my shoulder hurts a lot, 'cause I'm getting old."
I have a neuropathic pain called trigeminal neuralgia.
- And I have endometriosis,
among many other pelvic floor dysfunction issue.
- The difference between the two chronic pains that we have
was that yours is possibly from just genetics.
- This is just something you were born with.
- Yep.
- And mine came from a mistake that a doctor made.
But I've never tried crystal healing, have you?
- I have not.
I have a crystal dildo (laughs), to be honest,
that someone recently gave me
because they felt like it was gonna heal me, but--
- Were you just supposed to to shove--
- Yeah, that's the thing, like - It up there like a fuckin...
We use things like comedy as a defense
(laughs) to get through the day.
(new age music)
- [Kelsey] After I did a video a couple weeks ago
where I tried medical marijuana for my chronic pain,
I thought, what else could we try?
- Absolutely. - Because--
- I'll try anything. - Right?
At this point if someone told you
to stand on your head and sing the ABCs you'd do it, right?
- Probably already have, honestly. (laughs)
- Hi, my name is Julianna Davis. I'm a Reiki master,
crystal healer, sound healer, spiritual teacher,
psychic medium, and the owner of Auralux.
- Oh my gosh, how long is your business card? (laughs)
What is crystal healing?
- Crystal healing is using crystals, which come in
all various different kinds, forms, colors, for healing.
They have one of the most pure geometric structures
in all of nature.
You actually can put an intention into a crystal
or program a crystal to do something,
and it will vibrate in that energy.
- It's hard to get in that mindset of not being like,
"What the hell are we doing here?" (laughs)
And take it seriously. - Yeah.
- Though I don't want to disrespect the practice in any way,
I want to take it seriously, but--
- But you gotta admit, it's fuckin weird. (laughs)
- It's hard, yeah-- - It's fuckin a weird thing.
- It's like, what are we actually doing?
Sometimes I wonder who I would be
if I didn't have chronic pain? - Mm. Oh my god.
- I think I would be a different person.
I'd be less angry, and--
- Irritable. - Yeah.
- Are you ready?
- Yeah. I'll try anything.
(oriental string music)
- I'm just feeling into the endometriosis
and everything that you've been through,
with the surgeries, and the pain, and the frustration.
And I'm feeling some hopelessness as well.
- Penn Medicine warns, "Be wary when someone says
that oils and crystals can cure chronic medical conditions.
Since those claims have not been proven,
oil and crystals should be used as complementary medicine,
used in addition to, rather than instead of,
regular treatments.
- So why is crystal healing something that you would
prescribe to people over regular medicine.
- Like Vicodin.
- I wouldn't prescribe it in lieu of anything.
I think that's the mistake
or misinformation that's out there,
because it can very much complement Western medicine.
This is lapis lazuli which is great for our third eye,
and I'm gonna put it there for you.
- Penn Medicine also points out that crystal healing
may have a placebo effect on people,
because patients a positive outcome.
I am highly susceptible to suggestion.
I have taken a test before where it actually says
that I would be a really good candidate
for placebo medication.
- Visualize yourself
walking through a beautiful forest
on a bright, warm,
sunny summer day.
You might feel it in a way where you feel heat
or cold sensations moving through your body.
You might feel electrical pulses
or waves of energy moving through your body.
You might just get into a very deeply relaxed state,
and almost fall asleep
so you're in this deep meditative state.
Some people have actual physical releases.
Their central nervous system will release--
(record scratch) patterns of energy.
- I'm not gonna shit my pants, right? (laughing chatter)
I don't wanna shit on the table.
- More of like a twitch or something.
- Oh, got it. - Okay.
Does it ever not work for people?
- I think that, once you get on the table
and are actually receiving the treatment,
(crystalline hum) it's hard to deny
that something is happening. (resonant crystalline hum)
- [Lara] I've tried Botox, I've had surgery,
I've had things stuck to me that shock my muscles,
I've tried changing my diet
approximately 3 million different times (laughs).
At the end of the day there is no cure.
- I think I've tried every pill known to mankind, which has
(crystalline tone) terrible side effects.
I've had needles stuck into my brain stem,
I've done every kind of scan,
every (laughs) kind of weird
Eastern pill mix of spices (laughs)
and changing my diet, massage therapy, physical therapy.
- I think it's important to be realistic--
- Yes. - You know, as well.
- Of course. Yeah.
There's no magic pill that I'm gonna take
that's gonna cure me, but to me being cured isn't so much
never having pain again,
'cause I don't think that's realistic for my life.
I think it's coming to terms with it
and being better equipped at how to deal with it.
And I guess that's my goal.
That would be a cure, to me.
- I can feel it a lot in my hands.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
It literally feels like something's vibrating in my hands.
- Feel the grass and the earth beneath your body,
supporting you as you gaze up into the sky.
Gaze up into the sky
and see beautiful white fluffy clouds.
And as you're gazing up at these clouds,
you notice this beautiful beam of light
begin to shine down towards you.
(swiftly descending music)
- I've never experienced anything like that before.
I just feel really relaxed and at ease.
- So I was incredibly uncomfortable
pretty much the entire time.
I was itchy,
and my foot was twitching.
- Maybe it's wishful thinking, but it felt like
she was pulling some of my pain out of my stomach.
I don't have any right now, and maybe it's a placebo effect,
maybe it's the meditation, but going into this,
I had felt like shit all day, my stomach hurt really bad
when I laid down, and I feel better now.
- The coolest part, though, was with the sound therapy.
(crystalline hum) I could just feel
that vibrating on all these muscles,
and because I don't have any feeling in my face,
I was able to feel it in other areas, that felt really good.
The pain, where it normally is, is not as severe right now.
So I definitely think there's some sort of connection
between the crystals and the relaxation that it brought.
But I can't stay this relaxed.
I gotta fuckin function as a human and boss-ass bitch
and take over the world and shit.
So it's like where's the compromise.
I can't just be taking an hour out of my day every day
to get to this level of relaxation to not feel pain.
- To just take that weight off my chest was just
one of the more freeing experiences that I've had.
And it's hard to do that
'cause you don't wanna burden people,
and you don't wanna burden yourself,
but it gets really heavy.
And it was like I felt the weight coming off.
- I think anyone who has a chronic pain
should come at least do this, at least once.
So that someone can read you and feel places
that your body is trying to tell you something.
And we can't always be in tune with our bodies the way
that someone who's practicing this every day can be.
- I absolutely wanna do this again, even if it's just
to take an hour for myself every couple of weeks
and allow myself to feel exactly what I'm feeling.
It'd be worth it.
I'm not gonna stop going to physical therapy,
I'm not gonna stop seeing my doctor,
and I'm not gonna stop seeing my psychologist,
but I think adding this in and giving myself another outlet
to just deal with the shit that comes with chronic pain.
It's important to do that for yourself.
(gentle hopeful music)