darwinia
I was just sifting through ABE and amazon.com looking at the descriptions of books on crystals and I came across the name of an old book called:
Crystal Power: The Ultimate Placebo Effect
by Lawrence E. Jerome
Publisher: Promethean Books; ; (April 1989)
ISBN: 0879755148
From the back of the book jacket:
"Crystals have become the ubiquitous energy tokens of the New Age, Claims about the power of crystals run the gamut from medical (healing) to psychic (increasing ESP abilities) and are often simply wishful thinking. The book critically examines crystal power from a variety of viewpoints: historical, scientific, theororetical, experimental.
Jerome evaluates the placebo effect in medicine and psychiatry and its realtion to crystal effectiveness. To test claims of crystal "energy." Jerome turned to the laboratory. In this book he reports the results of his experiments and also discloses the findings of a national survey of crystal-power advocates. His study of these fascinating, mysterious gems shows that the much-vaunted powers of crystals are not in the stones themselves -- but in the minds of those who "believe."
Well, I suppose the same could be said of tarot cards. (shrug)
Because it's so old, there wasn't much of an analysis of the book, I'm not sure if he's wildly skeptical or merely looking at it from a scientific point of view or what.
If you have a comment on this book I'd like to hear it. Generally though, what do YOU say to people who scoff and say it's merely a placebo effect?
Crystal Power: The Ultimate Placebo Effect
by Lawrence E. Jerome
Publisher: Promethean Books; ; (April 1989)
ISBN: 0879755148
From the back of the book jacket:
"Crystals have become the ubiquitous energy tokens of the New Age, Claims about the power of crystals run the gamut from medical (healing) to psychic (increasing ESP abilities) and are often simply wishful thinking. The book critically examines crystal power from a variety of viewpoints: historical, scientific, theororetical, experimental.
Jerome evaluates the placebo effect in medicine and psychiatry and its realtion to crystal effectiveness. To test claims of crystal "energy." Jerome turned to the laboratory. In this book he reports the results of his experiments and also discloses the findings of a national survey of crystal-power advocates. His study of these fascinating, mysterious gems shows that the much-vaunted powers of crystals are not in the stones themselves -- but in the minds of those who "believe."
Well, I suppose the same could be said of tarot cards. (shrug)
Because it's so old, there wasn't much of an analysis of the book, I'm not sure if he's wildly skeptical or merely looking at it from a scientific point of view or what.
If you have a comment on this book I'd like to hear it. Generally though, what do YOU say to people who scoff and say it's merely a placebo effect?