or, or similar
object, which serves principally to concentrate the psychic visual
powers to a focus, and thus to enable the psychic to raise his or her
psychic vibrations at that concentrated focused point.

Crystals and Bright Objects.

The use of crystals and other bright objects for this purpose has been
common to occultists and psychics at all times, past and present, and at
all places, oriental or occidental. The earlier races employed shining
pieces of quartz or other clear crystal rock for this purpose. Later
polished metals were used in the same way. The native soothsayers of
barbaric lands employ clear water, glowing embers, or sparks, for this
purpose. In some places the soothsayers hold drops of blood in the
hollow of their hands for divining purposes. Others bore a hole in the
ground, and fill it with water, and then gaze into it. Some tribes use
dark polished stones. A writer on the subject has said: "They stare into
a crystal ball, a cup, a mirror, a blot of ink, a drop of blood, a bowl
of water, a pond, water in a glass bowl, or almost any polished surface,
etc." In fact, it may be said that almost every object capable of
presenting a polished surface has been employed by some race as an aid
to psychic vision. In Europe and America, at the present day, quartz or
glass crystals are so used; but others obtain quite satisfactory
results from the use of watch crystals laid over a black cloth,
preferably a piece of black velvet cloth. Others use highly polished
bits of silver; while others content themselves with the use of a little
pool of black ink lying on the bottom of a small saucer, while others
have cups painted black on the inside, into which is poured water.

The Care of the Crystal.

There is no particular virtue in any particular object used for this
purpose, as such object acts merely to focus the psychic power of the
person, as has been said. Certainly the student should not fall into the
error of supposing that the crystal, or similar object, has any
miraculous or supernatural power whatsoever, it is simply an instrument,
like the microscope or telescope, nothing more or less. But, at the same
time, it must be admitted that there is much truth in the claim of
certain crystal gazers, to the effect that the use of a particular
crystal seems to have the effect of polarizing its molecules so as to
render it a more effective instrument in time. In fact, the phenomenon
seems to bear a close rel