The chemical composition of quartz is SiO2 (silicon dioxide). When this molecule connects with other SiO2 molecules, it forms tetrahedrons [see Fig. 2]. A tetrahedron is one of the Platonic solids. Characteristically, for Platonic solids, all faces, all sides and all angles are the same. In the case of a tetrahedron, there are four sides, four faces, and the angles are 60 degrees. In many esoteric traditions, the tetrahedron is seen as the most basic form of the matrix through which all physical forms are created.
Fig. 2. The molecular structure of silicon dioxide (left), the basic element for quartz crystals, has the shape of a tetrahedron (right). Image © Joyha Baker
In a quartz crystal, the molecules order themselves in a certain way [see Fig. 3]. The ordering results in the physical form of a six-sided crystal. This ordering can be clockwise or counterclockwise around the vertical axis of the crystal. This results in two types of quartz crystals rotating in opposite directions [see Fig. 4]. These molecular characteristics create the crystals that people love so much, but this also forms the basis for their function as a medium for storing information, as we will see later. Every type of crystal has its own chemical composition and atomic matrix, resulting in the many forms, colors and special energies that we enjoy.
Fig. 3. The molecular structure of quartz. Image © Joyha Baker
Fig. 4. There are two types of quartz: one in which the tetrahedrons form a spiral that goes clockwise (left), and another in which the tetrahedrons spiral counterclockwise (right). Image © Joyha Baker
The Five Characteristics of Crystals and Crystal Skulls
The characteristics of crystals can be summarized into five different categories. Every crystal and thus every crystal skull has these five characteristics, although the ratio differs for each crystal and crystal skull. Crystals and therefore crystal skulls:
are reflectors.
are refractors.
are transmitters.
help us to attune.
store information.
Let us look at these five characteristics in more detail. What do crystals and crystal skulls reflect to us? They reflect to us ourselves. They are like a mirror in which we can see ourselves or at least aspects of ourselves. As I just mentioned, crystals can be seen as solidified consciousness. When we connect with crystals and crystal skulls, we connect with consciousness that helps us to see who we are. In this way, crystals reflect aspects not only of our unconsciousness but also of our higher consciousness.
As we will see in Part 2 of this book, crystal skulls and crystals take on the electromagnetic energies of their environment. If the strongest energy in the environment is our energy — which happens typically when we hold the crystal or crystal skull — they will take on aspects of our energy. So by connecting with the crystal or crystal skull, we literally connect with aspects of ourselves. If we are willing to be open to what is reflected to us, we can use this reflection for growth and expansion.
While working with and meditating with crystal skulls, people sometimes mention experiencing past lifetimes or other-dimensional realities. These experiences are related to the characteristic of refraction. Like a prism that refracts white light into many colors, crystal skulls and crystals can break the energies of our total system, our total beingness, into different fractions. These fractions may be related to other-dimensional aspects, to past lives or even future lives. This is not a characteristic many people consciously experience.
When we meditate with a crystal skull, we receive a lot of energy (information). Most of this energy/information is received without our being able to translate it into something we can understand. When we do receive images, we may not realize that these images are often symbolic and we are therefore not always able to understand or interpret them. For these reasons, most of the energy connected with the characteristic of refraction is not recognized as such.
Being a transmitter means that crystal skulls and crystals are able to receive and send energy/information. This characteristic is widely applied by crystal healers and by those who use crystals to facilitate their healing sessions. They program their crystal, and when they activate the crystal to use it, the information/energy that they programmed into it is “broadcast” by their intention to the intended recipient.
Crystal skulls can also be used by other consciousnesses such as angels or extraterrestrials. They can use crystal skulls to transmit information and/or energy to the crystal skull’s caretaker or the person who meditates with the crystal skull. Some people report that they receive messages or even channel information. In order to receive these types of transmissions, we need to relax and be open and receptive to the frequencies that are transmitted. We can attune ourselves as receivers to the “station that is broadcasting.”
During the many group meditations with crystal skulls at our home, I have noticed two different transmission systems. In some cases, the beings who use a crystal skull as a transmitter are able to adjust the frequencies so that the recipient can receive the energy/information. The second system is a transmission that sends a defined band of frequencies. The person working with the crystal skull is either able or not to receive (or perceive) that frequency range.
Crystals and crystal skulls also help us attune. By meditating with crystals and crystal skulls, we can more easily bring our minds from an active state of awareness (beta) to a more relaxed state (alpha) and then to go even deeper allowing us to go into meditative states (theta and delta). In these deeper states of consciousness, it becomes possible for us to connect with and attune to other beings and consciousnesses.
Many people have a longing to connect with angels, dolphins, beings of light, devas and even with higher extraterrestrial consciousnesses. Crystal skulls can help us to do that. By holding a crystal skull or by sitting in a crystal skull energy field and setting our intent to connect with or attune to a certain consciousness, the crystal skull’s transmitter qualities send out an energetic beacon to that consciousness, inviting it to connect with us. Many beings or consciousnesses are eager to accept this invitation. The angels are a good example of a consciousness that desires to connect with us. Once we are connected with or attuned to the being or consciousness, we may receive a download of information, or energetic transmission.
Every crystal skull has its own range of possible attunements. Certain crystal skulls are very suitable to connect to certain archangels; others are more suitable to attune to extraterrestrial consciousness, and others to devas. Many crystal skulls are even suitable for multiple types of attunements. Only through meditating or working with a crystal skull repeatedly can you explore and discover the many possibilities it has.
The previous four characteristics can only be known through human experience, although there is some measurable evidence that supports the idea of reflection, as we will see in chapter 5. With the last characteristic, the storing of information, we find that there are two methods to consider. The technology industry has a deep interest in exploring the possibilities of storing information in crystals. Many people have seen holographic images in movies and Disney theme parks. Using laser technology to create holographic images, it is possible to store a tremendous amount of information in crystals.
Technological applications need artificial crystals (crystals grown in a laboratory under controlled conditions), such as lithium niobate, to minimize the flaws in the crystallization process because these flaws influence the storage and retrieval of information. A piece of crystal the size of a sugar cube can store a whole library of information, yet the technique is still being perfected to ensure accuracy.
Besides the possibility of storing information in a technological way, we can also store information through intent. Our thoughts are electromagnetic frequencies that contain information. Through “setting our intent,” this information can be stored in the crystals in a similar way to how lasers store holographic images.
Crystal skulls also seem to take in information from their environment and thus record th
e history of the place they are located. Many believe that the ancient skulls contain information of ancient times. We are not yet able to access this information, however, most likely because this information was stored by using certain protocols that we do not yet know.
This brings us to an important point: Storing information in a crystal skull is one thing, but retrieving the information is another. The only way to retrieve information from a crystal skull or crystal is by using a similar if not the same system that has been used to program that information. With holographic imaging, this is very clear. The laser that retrieves the information needs to be of the same frequency as the one that programmed it. In the same way, any information in a crystal skull that is programmed with a certain intent needs to be retrieved with a similar intent. Protocols can make the retrieval even more complex.
There is an increasing belief that a lot of information was programmed in crystal skulls using sound and light. We have quite a bit of experimenting to do before we can truly access all information in crystal skulls, especially in those crystal skulls we call ancient. Working with contemporary crystal skulls can help us to develop skills that can help to access the stored information. We will look in later chapters at the role contemporary skulls can play in the expansion of our interaction with crystal skulls in general.
The Skull Shape Opens Us to the Information They Hold
Why do people carve a crystal into a crystal skull? I have been asked that question many times. One reason has to do with the special energies that are connected with crystal skulls (we will look at these energies in the chapters of Part 2). But there are other reasons for using the shape of a skull. The shape is meant to remind us of our own skull. Our skull holds our brain, and our brain processes information. Crystal skulls are believed to hold information, and the shape unconsciously invites us to open ourselves to the information they hold.
In that sense, it is interesting to refer to a Native American saying: “Stones and bones contain all information.” The shape of the crystal skull reminds us that the bones of our own skull contain information. Tibetan lamas have been aware of this, and certain monasteries keep the skulls of the lamas who had lived in the monasteries on shelves in rooms. Whenever they are in need of information that they do not have readily available, they visit these rooms. Some lamas meditate, whereas others produce sounds. Through the sounds, the information is unlocked from the skulls and the meditating lamas are able to retrieve it. More generally, it seems that sound is able to unlock information that is stored in systems with a certain molecular structure. According to some people, sounds can be used to unlock information that is contained in the crystal skulls.
The skull shape acts as a reminder, both of the fact that there is information stored and that we need to use our own head and brains to discover ways to access this information. Perhaps the shape tells us that only when our brain works in resonance with the information stored in the crystal skulls will we be able to access this information.
The skull may remind us of death and decay, which our culture often views in a negative or fearful way. But death also represents change, transformation, an opportunity to pass into another dimension. Similarly the crystal skull acts as a doorway into other dimensions. (We will look at crystal skulls as doorways in more detail in chapter 7 in the section about Bashar.)
* * *
1 Darryl Anka (Bashar), “Crystals and Electromagnetism,” November 16, 1987, Encino, California, audiotape. For more information, see http://www.bashar.org/HOMEMAIN.html. (In the catalog, this channeling is called “Crystals.”)
Chapter 2
Categorizing Crystal Skulls
Most people working with crystal skulls tend to categorize them into three groups: ancient, old and contemporary. I prefer to categorize them differently. However, since the terms “contemporary,” “old” and “ancient” are commonly used, I will describe these terms. Then I will describe the categorization system I prefer, which separates crystal skulls into four categories, and I will explain why I have this preference.
The Ancient, the Old and the Contemporary
Contemporary crystal skulls are considered to be carved within the past hundred years. Old crystal skulls are those that have been carved between one hundred and fifteen hundred years ago. Finally, ancient crystal skulls are those that were carved more than fifteen hundred years ago. Joshua Shapiro, who is at the moment one of the most active crystal skull researchers, uses these definitions.1 They were also used on the website for the Crystal Skull Festival in the Netherlands in 2006, for which Joshua Shapiro was one of the main organizers.2
As clear as these definitions might seem to be, there is no scientific method that can determine when a crystal skull was carved. Crystalline material and stones are by definition ancient and may be millions of years old. So when we talk about the age of a crystal skull, we mean the period of time that it has existed in the form of a crystal skull. One way we can estimate a probable age is through the clues provided by the anthropological location where they were found. However, a crystal skull may be much older than the ruins, graves or other locations where they were discovered. Another way of estimating age is by looking at whether modern tools were used for the carving of the skull. When tool marks are found, most people believe that we are dealing with an old or contemporary skull. This may be true; however, a skull may have been reworked to make it more esthetically appealing to increase its value.
Skulls that do not have tool marks are considered ancient. Again, this is not necessarily true. Nowadays, carvers are so skilled that they are able to fake an ancient crystal skull. When we decide to accept that a crystal skull is ancient, we do not have any scientific techniques that can tell us exactly when it was carved. In summary, we currently have no way of verifying with absolute certainty how old a crystal skull is.
In many cases, psychics “feel” into crystal skulls and provide a guess of a time frame. When several psychics independently define the same time frame, the label given is generally accepted. My wife Jeanne and I have one small skull that we consider to be old (around 750 years) and one that could just be considered ancient (1700 years) [see Plate 8]. Of course, we do not know this for sure. These estimations of age are based on what we perceived and what several psychics sensed.
Whenever we psychically sense into the age of crystal skulls, we may want to take into account the information that Bashar has passed on through his channel Darryl Anka. Bashar comments that due to the specific matrix that underlies the form of crystal skulls that connects each crystal skull with the “original model,” almost all crystal skulls may feel much older than the date they were physiologically carved.3 We tend to connect more easily with the ancient “original model” than with the actual age.
The Society of Crystal Skulls International was founded in 1945 by Nick Nocerino. He devoted over fifty years of his life attempting to understand crystal skulls. Nocerino and the Society have been the major authority to determine which crystal skulls are ancient and which ones are not. Over many years, the Society gathered information that has helped in making these determinations. They used different systems of testing, including psychic methods. Unfortunately, a lot of the information the Society has gathered is not available to the public. Since Nocerino died in 2004, it is unlikely that his research will be published soon.
The Four-Group Categorization
After many years of working with crystal skulls, I have concluded that I prefer to use four categories rather than the three just mentioned. The categories that I use are based upon the energies of the crystal skulls rather than on their estimated physical age. Nonetheless, I continue to use the terms “old” and “ancient” because these terms are used in many books and articles.
The first group I call the original skulls. (We will look at this group in the chapters of Part 3.) I believe that none of the original crystal skulls exist on Earth in physical form.
The second group I call the singing crystal sk
ulls. They are called singing skulls because it is believed that they emit frequencies that can be heard clairaudiently. For that reason, it is said that they “sing.” The Mitchell-Hedges crystal skull is in my opinion an example of this group. I believe that all these skulls have a detachable jaw. These skulls were probably the first crystal skulls in physical form and in my opinion were created in Atlantis around twelve thousand or more years ago.
The third group I refer to as the completely or fully activated crystal skulls. Almost all crystal skulls that are now called ancient or old belong to this group. It seems to me that all the skulls referred to as “ancient” were made after the destruction of Atlantis. In my opinion, several groups of thirteen crystal skulls but also many individual skulls were carved to allow the scattered Atlantean groups of people to store and access the knowledge of the Atlantean world. I believe they stored the information from the Atlantean civilization in order to have a record of their past knowledge. However, by the time these crystal skulls were carved, much of that knowledge had already been lost.
I believe the crystal skulls that are considered ancient require that some kind of protocol be used to retrieve the information. The protocol acts like a kind of password. This was probably done to protect the information that was downloaded into the crystal skulls but also acts as a barrier to us fully understanding them. In order for us to connect with these skulls, we need to know or perhaps to intuit these protocols.
Crystal Skulls Page 3