Shungite Healing Properties

Shungite Healing Properties

On a psychological level shungite is believed to clear old emotional and physical behaviours replacing them with new positive patterns.

It boosts physical wellbeing, strengthens the immune system and restores emotional balance.

Shungite has in the past been referred to as "the miracle stone" or "stone of life".  The late Judy Hall author of the Crystal Bible series claims it may even have been instrumental in creating life on Earth.

When using shungite for its healing properties it's important to keep an open mind.  Whilst there may be anecdotal evidence and personal experiences to support its healing ability, limited scientific evidence exists to back it up. 

A small scale study was carried out on rats in 2003. Results showed the severity of damage to skin caused by exposure to electromagnetic fields could be reduced with shielding from shungite.  No further testing has been carried out since. 

In 2017 a significant improvement was seen in the skin of hairless mice when exposed to radiation.  Shungite was found to have effective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties compared to other screening control treatments.

The healing ability is believed to come from fullerenes.  Shungite was used because processing pure fullerene is difficult and expensive.

Shungite is an interesting material that's found predominantly in north west Russia.  It's relatively rare, virtually unknown and the finest grade is known as elite or noble shungite.

As well as being surprisingly lightweight it's naturally lustrous and has a black residue caused by carbon.

With the world's original and largest deposit being in Karelia in north west Russia, it can be expensive.

I first encountered shungite whilst buying rocks and minerals in South Africa.  Having caught my eye I was immediately curious about what it was.

After doing some research I learnt it was a non crystalline solid formed mostly from carbon.  For that reason alone it's widely used for its healing properties.

Having selected a few pieces I was surprised at how expensive it was.  Then again, it came from Russia and I was buying it in South Africa.

Once home I took some photographs and listed each piece individually on the Stone Mania website.  It didn't take long for them to sell.  On our next trip a few months later we bought more.

When they sold just as quickly I decided to find a supplier in Russia.  After receiving two parcels of low grade shungite despite being told it was elite grade, I finally received some really nice stones at a fair price.  In fact they were much nicer than what I had bought in South Africa and were also cheaper.

With shungite being a non crystalline solid it's not a mineral, it's correctly known as a mineraloid.  This word describes the group of mineral-like substances that include jet (similar to coal), moldavite, pearl and obsidian.

These materials are amorphous or non crystalline solids which means they have no significant crystal structure.  In other words they're not made up of crystals.

The Appeal of Crystal Healing

Although conventional medicine can be traced back 5,300 years, the use of crystals for healing can be traced back at least 6,000.

Whilst a great deal of scepticism surrounds the practice of healing with crystals, many people including myself remain open minded.

Although scientific evidence to support the practice is limited, crystals are without doubt an integral part of many peoples lives.

Scientific testing that has been carried out over many years suggests the ability of crystals to heal comes from the placebo effect.  A placebo is a substance or treatment believed to be genuine but contains no active medicinal ingredients.

Trials have shown a placebo has the ability to stimulate a genuine physiological response.  This can range from a change in heart rate or blood pressure to chemical activity in the brain.

In cases involving pain, depression, anxiety, fatigue and even in some symptoms of Parkinson’s disease a significant improvement has been achieved. 

Rocks and minerals have played a crucial role in creating and shaping our planet.  With that in mind, who can say for certain they don't have some kind of healing ability that we're yet to fully understand?

I have been working with rocks and minerals for more than twenty years.  Although I don't use them for their healing properties I am without doubt drawn to them in a way I can't really explain.  When working with and around them I feel a sense of calmness and they often lift my mood.

It’s widely documented that shungite is at least two billion years old.  That sounds impressive but the oldest rocks on the planet date back around four billion years.  That makes shungite seem quite young in comparison.

My interest in rocks and minerals is not only geological.  I'm also interested in learning about how they've been used and studied by humans throughout history.

I'm fascinated by their colours and characteristics and the fact that I'm handling something whose formation began millions or in some cases even billions of years ago.

I think people sometimes forget how old rocks and minerals are and what they've been through to become what they are today. 

Using crystals for their healing properties is not for everyone but these curious and fascinating objects have so much more to offer.

I did markets and retail shows for many years.  During that time the reactions from people who had never taken much interest in rocks and minerals always fascinated me.

They were captivated by their shapes, colours and textures.  Some would struggle to understand what it was they were looking at and how it came about. 

When I explained some of these minerals were millions or even billions of years old they'd look at me with scepticism.

I remember one customer scratching a piece of orange calcite with his nail.  When I asked what he was doing he said he wanted to see if it was real.

Some natural minerals are very soft and can be easily scratched by a fingernail. 

One question I was asked time and time again was "what do you do with them?"  It was a question I always found difficult to answer.

My Personal Experience with Crystals

I have three beautiful pieces of elite shungite in my personal collection.  It's a stone that still fascinates me.

Opinion regarding the use of shungite or any crystal for its healing properties varies widely.

I work with rocks and minerals because I enjoy being around them.  Each one interests and fascinates me for a different reason.  I can't say what impact shungite or any other stone will have on my life.  What I can say however is that I believe it's definitely worth keeping an open mind.

I once went to a psychic who had been highly recommended to me.  I've always been sceptical about people who claim to have psychic abilities.

After walking in and before I'd even sat down she blurted things out about me that she could not possibly have known.  I hadn't given her my real name and she knew nothing about me.

Although subsequently she didn't tell me a great deal, what she did say was very personal.  She kept seeing the letter J and wasn't getting much else.  She said she didn't understand why or what it meant.  It was the first initial of my partner's name who was sitting on a bench at the end of the road.  

So could it be that crystals are similar to psychic ability in that only some people can tune into them?  Maybe for everyone else they're nothing more than rocks and minerals.

I’ve read extensively about the healing properties of crystals for many years and have heard countless stories.  Some I take with a pinch of salt but you can't dismiss everything.

I've also had a few experiences of my own that can't logically be explained.  One of those involved obsidian which is believed to be exceptionally powerful.

It's said black obsidian brings issues to the surface and can be very confrontational.  Healers say you need to be ready for a full onslaught before using it.

In the years before I became involved with rocks and minerals a piece of black obsidian came into my possession.  It wasn't something I chose and I had no idea what to do with it.  I put it in my bedside drawer and forgot about it.

In the months that followed a monumental change took place that changed my life.  It came out of the blue and wasn't something I expected.  To say it was a full onslaught was an understatement.  Was that just coincidental?

Further experiences have shown me that if crystals are destined to be part of your life they'll make an appearance when the time is right.