Questions
(and maybe even some answers)

Welcome.

This is a new page we've added to address specific questions visitors often have. You can participate by submitting questions for information you haven't found on our site or issues for which you are wanting clarification. Thanks to those who've sent questions so far.

QUESTIONS:

Choosing a crystal     Choosing number of facets      Clearing a crystal      Charging/Programming         Can I harm someone with the crystal?      Studying with the crystal        Creating an ambient field      Protection

How do I choose a crystal?

    When a custom crystal is prepared for you by Lifestream Associates, your name and an outline of your hand is taken into consideration as witness to your vibration or need. By tuning in to you as the crystal is faceted, the cutter is able to match the geometry of the cut to your particular frequency. You decide the number of sides on the crystal. We seldom recommend the number of sides your crystal can have as this tends to be disempowering. It is key to remember that a Vogel-cut® crystal is a wonderful tool that can enhance the work you do, but you are the empowering source of energy for the crystal. Marcel's research showed that in and of itself the crystal does very little. This is somewhat disturbing for those who would like to give their power and responsibility away to others.

How do I choose a crystal if I am presented with several?

    The easiest way is to choose the crystal that you like the best. It doesn't need to be any more complicated than this. You can trust your initial intuition. If this isn't possible you can also use pendulum dowsing or muscle testing (kinesiology). Our recommendation is that the least effective method of choosing is to let someone else choose for you. When you do this you give your power away to another. This is ultimately counter productive even if you do so because you believe that the other person is an expert and you are not.

    As mentioned, selecting a crystal can be as simple as choosing the one you like. Consider how you select your friends and/or life partners. There is usually some kind of attraction. This may be purely physical at first and this is fine. As you spend time with this person, your relationship grows deeper and you discover more and more about each other.

    Sometimes the attraction isn't primarily physical, yet something within draws you to a person. As you spend more time with this individual, you find more and more qualities that you appreciate and enjoy. Any so-called flaws or imperfections become distinctive qualities that you love; sometimes they become the qualities you appreciate the most.

    This metaphor can be applied to crystals as well. Trust your intuitive attraction regardless of the apparent cause. The mental ideas and rationale are secondary considerations at best. If you have to rationalize why you are in love, guess what? You're probably not in love. Similarly, if you have to rationalize why you are drawn to a crystal, guess what?

    Trust yourself. You are at source.

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How can I determine what  number of facets on the crystal is best for me?

    You can consult the article about the Lifestream Prana Crystal for information about the possible uses for the various number of sides. Melissa Applegate gives a wonderful overview. Apart from this, there are other factors that one might consider.

• go into meditation and ask what is the most appropriate. Sometimes the answer will come immediately, but more often than not, one begins to notice a particular number appearing again and again in one's daily life. This often shows up as numbers in addresses, prices, dates, time, and so forth.

• some individuals use numerological considerations

• price can also be a determining factor
   

   As more sides are added, the energetic spin within a crystal has the potential of being faster or more intense. The intensity of spin will allow the energy emitted from the crystal to have a greater or lesser degree of penetration through the various subtle bodies of a person. A four sided crystal is useful for physical aches and pains, a six sided crystal will perform in much the same way but is able to penetrate more deeply into the energetic bodies allowing one to work more easily in the emotional aspect of the field. The eight sided crystal allows one to remove multiple layers of patterning which may not be accessed by the four or six sided crystal. It is useful to release deep shock and trauma, and releasing patterning that is at a soul level of consciousness. All of this, of course, is contingent upon the capability of the user.  

    In general, as more sides are added, the crystal has a greater potential energetic output. We use the word potential because the actuality is determined by the user. Marcel used the model that the four-sided crystal was suited to physical treatment, the six-sided for emotional/mental, and the eight-sided for mental/causal. Although this has validity, one can also think of the number of sides as a measurement. A four sided crystal might be like a four ounce glass of water, a six-sided like a six ounce glass of water and so on. As the volume increases so does the amount of water or energy the glass can hold. It depends on what one wishes to do as to what is most appropriate. Remember that the volume of a six ounce glass can hold four ounces, but a four cannot hold six; an eight can hold four, five, six or seven ounces, but the reverse is not true.

    It is crucial to consider also that more is not always better. Frequently more can be done with less. It is the skill level and being of the individual using the crystal that often determines outcome.

     Often people think that if they have a crystal with a very high number of sides, this is better. Not necessarily so. Sometimes these choices are made from a limited ego or personality perspective without any consideration as to use. Why do you choose to use a crystal in a given situation? Why use a crystal at all? What is your intent? Frequently we are not aware of our specific intent. When dealing with the amplified and cohered forces that can be produced using a Vogel-cut® crystal, awareness of our intent is very important. One intent of our teaching work at Lifestream Associates is to provide information with which informed decisions and choices can be made.

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Once I choose a crystal, how do I clear it?

    When you first acquire any crystal, it needs to be cleared of any influences that might be harmful or limiting to you. Over years of research two basic methods have been found to be effective in clearing a crystal. The first is to use a de-magnetizer. These are usually available from Radio Shack®. The field generated by this instrument will strip a crystal completely. A preferable method is to use your own breath and consciousness.

    Despite what many have indicated, please never use salt, dried or in solution, to clear your crystal. We have found that, in addition to the difficulties this may create for your crystal, it has no clearing capacity at all. In addition, it creates a dependence on an external agent for a task that can be easily accomplished by your own consciousness. It is important to realize that you are at source in this work and that your consciousness is a more powerful agent than salt.

    The same dynamic applies to other ritualistic methods offered by many:

• passing the crystal through the smoke of burning sage or cedar
• leaving the crystal out in the moonlight
• burying the crystal in the earth for a period of time

    These are methods that we are asked about regularly and our research shows that none of these have any efficacy. An exception to this would be if you have a  very strong belief in the ritual. Your belief or intention will act to clear the crystal, not the ritual itself. It is important to understand that it is you who empower the ritual.

    Although the last three methods do not serve to clear the crystal, they don't harm the crystal. Using sea salt can be harmful.  A salt water solution can leave a film on the surface of the crystal that will reduce the efficacy of charge transfer.

    To release or clear the energies in a crystal there is a simple method that does not involve any external agent. It involves only you and your consciousness.

• Hold the tips of the crystal between the thumb and second finger of your dominant hand.
• With you non-dominant hand hold opposing sides on the body of the crystal.
• Slowly breathe in with the thought to clear the crystal of any harmful or limiting influences.
• When the breath is fully inhaled, hold for one or two seconds to allow a charge to build up and then forcefully exhale the breath through the nostrils  in a short burst or pulse. The process of pulsing is somewhat like sneezing or a single round of the yogic breath of fire or kabalabathi.

    Repeat this process for each pair or faces on the body of the crystal.

    When a crystal is too large to hold in your hand, simply hold an image of the crystal in your mind’s eye, breathe in with the intent to clear it and pulse the breath as described above. This can be done over any distance although a certain degree of mastery and confidence is required. Slowly, slowly one can release conventional ideas of time and space.

    It is loving intention that creates the charge to clear and it is breath that carries it. You are at source.

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After having cleared the crystal, how do I charge or program it?

    To charge your crystal, hold it in your dominant hand and roll or rotate it clockwise (to the right) while at the same time squeezing each of the facets of the body of the crystal. In a short time the surface of the crystal will begin to feel somewhat sticky. This is a superficial piezo-electric charge build up.

    When this primary charge has been induced, hold the crystal with your index finger over the tip, if possible. Have the more acute angled tip pointing away from you. Draw in the breath with the intent of filling the crystal with all the Love in your Heart and pulse the breath. The pulsing action of the breath transfers the energy into the crystal and a fragment of consciousness occupies the lattice space within the crystal. The basic carrier wave and cohering factor of your consciousness is Love. Once this is done, another more specific frequency can be added onto the basic carrier wave.

    Again,  it is loving intention that creates the charge and it is breath that carries it. You are at source.

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Can I inadvertently cause harm to a person while using the crystal?

    Yes. The crystal is simply a tool that we use to harness the energies of our consciousness/mind. In the case of a Vogel-cut® crystal we are amplifying and cohering these forces to achieve a desired outcome. Sometimes, because our intent is not clear or our skill level is not sufficient, we can create difficulties and possibly harm another. Because of this possibility, we install a permanent programming into each crystal.  

    Very early in his research, Marcel saw the need for this. The potential power of the Vogel-cut® crystal is such that he felt it important to create a fail safe so that people wouldn't accidentally be hurt by using the crystal either for themselves or another. this is something he passed onto me in the last few times we spent together. He had told me that he wanted me to continue his work when he was gone, and that this particular aspect of working with the crystals was critically important. He also said that the actual capacity of the crystals was only beginning to be realized and it was necessary to put in a permanent programming that would prevent the crystals from ever being used in a harmful way either by intent or accidentally. Should one of our crystals be used in such a way there will be a disharmony between the intent of the user and the programming installed into the crystal. The result will be that the crystal breaks. This a usually a flaking off of the operating tip rendering the crystal less powerful, sometimes completely useless. This is an information that I install in each and every crystal that we create.

    Unfortunately there are other crystals in the marketplace bearing the name "Vogel" that are from other sources and do not have this programming created by Marcel. I cannot speak to the possibilities of these crystals.

    There is another consideration to point out: if a crystal is faceted improperly, the energy emission can become skewed or distorted, and this can cause difficulties. Sometimes imperfections in the faceting can be seen simply by paying close attention to the lines. If the girdle (the area where the body or cylinder of the crystal meets the facets that slope to form the tip) is not straight, this will cause distortions. If the facets that comprise the tip are not balanced or equal, this can also create problems. Finally, if the crystal is not cut along the C or growth axis of the raw quartz, this will cause problems ranging from distortion of the energy emission to no emission at all. This can be a very serious problem if very intense fields are projected through such crystals by means of mechanical or radionic devices. I have seen all of the these faceting errors in the 50 or so "Vogel copies" with which I have been presented. Caveat Emptor.
 

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What about the possibility of uncut crystals being harmful?

    Certainly this is possible, but it is less likely with an uncut crystal, as they do not have the same capacity to amplify and cohere energetic fields as does the Vogel-cut® crystal. Any harm from an unfaceted crystal is either intentional, due to the user programming the crystal in a particular way, or the result of an unskilled operator. Fortunately, unfaceted crystals cannot build up a very intense field so the risk is minimized. This, of course, is a generalization and each crystal much be respected and treated as a unique individual.

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Can I use my crystal for learning or to study for a test?

    Yes, definitely. There are a couple of ways one can utilize the crystal for learning.

1)    Beginning method:

• clear and charge your crystal as described above
• imagine yourself within the crystal
• read the material you want to learn just as you would normally
• when finished, close the book and write down all the points of importance that you remember
• when complete, have the intent to come out of the crystal by using the pulsed breath method described in the question about clearing and charging the crystal

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• at a later time, go into the crystal with the intent of recalling the material you have read earlier (you may even see yourself reading the book again)
• again, write down all the material that comes to mind as you "mentally review" the material you had read earlier
• when complete, have the intent to come out of the crystal by using the pulsed breath method described in the question about clearing and charging the crystal

    Repeat this exercise without using the crystal at another time  and compare the results. Understand that you made need to practice the method of using the crystal before being able to honestly assess its efficacy.

2)    A second and more advanced method:

• clear and charge your crystal with intent to store the information you seek to learn
• open your study material to the appropriate page
• skim your crystal down the page(s) you need to learn either by using the tip of the crystal or the flat plane of the body (this is somewhat like using a hand scanner)
• when you've completed this, project your mind into the crystal with the intent to see the material that the crystal has "recorded"

    I witnessed Marcel do this on a couple of occasions with books of my choosing. Not only could he recite the information I could ask for page number, paragraph and line. Marcel would be able to give me the information I asked for with no difficulty. I have yet to duplicate this!

Let us know your results.
 

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Can I raise the vibration in my meditation room/healing studio with the crystal?

    Yes. This is a simple process, once one has mastered the basics of clearing and charging the crystal. Once the crystal has been charged with love and well being, project your consciousness into the crystal. This can be done simply by knowing or imagining that you are one with the crystal.

    The next step is to ask that either the frequency you want to imbue to your space or the highest appropriate frequency be present in the crystal. A shift or change in the energy of the crystal will happen. This is something that you will be able to feel.

    When you have felt this shift, have the intention that your meditation/healing space be included within the field of the crystal. This often happens immediately and will continue to influence the room until you choose to stop it. Everyone who comes into the space will be affected. Those whose vibration is lower than the field you have created will either "rise to the occasion" or choose not to be in the room.

    You may need to periodically clear the crystal of influences that are detrimental to the original intent you set for the room. This idea alone, when pulsed into the crystal by breath, will remove any harmful or limiting influences while leaving your original programming intact. This is done by simply holding the thought to remove influences that are harmful or limiting to the overall intent you want for the room, focusing on your crystal(s) and pulsing your breath.
 

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Can the crystals be used for protection of the home or business environment?

    Yes, and first it is important to consider the nature of protection and why one would choose this. The idea of protection is a fear-based thought; and if one instills the intent of protection within the crystal, the fear also becomes part of the crystal. Many individuals wear or use crystals for protection, and they are inadvertently generating fear. On the levels we are discussing here, the idea of protection invites attack. For some, it is also indicative of an ego position that someone or something is even interested in attacking them. To take steps against this often invites the interest of the very energies you seek to avoid. Basically it is based on the thought of fear, avoidance, and the perception of separation.

    We have found it much more useful to program a crystal with the intent of Love and Well-Being. This vibration will transmute all frequencies of a lower vibration. It is important to acknowledge the higher reality of oneness even if one is in the midst of perceived duality.

    One can charge a crystal with the intent of Love and Well-Being with the thought that the space you wish to influence be included in this field. Place the crystal anywhere in the room or location you wish to influence. If you are using uncut crystals and you have several available, you can charge them as described above and place one in each corner of the rooms you wish to affect.

    Each time you think of it (perhaps daily), you can recharge the crystals. An easy way to do this is simply to thank them for doing such a wonderful job. It is your intent that is creating the affect and genuine gratitude is a very deep heart-based energy. If you love the crystals, they will be influenced by this and hold that energy until you choose to discharge it.

    With your work or personal space filled with the energies of Love and Well-Being, it is quite likely that you will attract more of the same.

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