There are numerous claims to be found behind the �crystal skull� phenomenon. In 1927, a man by the name of Mitchell-Hedges took his daughter on an expedition to the area that is now Belize, in search of evidence of the mythical city of Atlantis. While there his daughter unearthed a crystal skull that was missing the lower jaw. Several months later she found the lower jaw and apparently the two fit together perfectly. The skull is highly prized because of its craftsmanship. The many origins that have been given for the skull include both Mayan and Aztec civilizations, unknown civilizations before the Mayans and Aztecs, the work of 19th century carvers, aliens with advanced technologies, and a product of the artifacts kept in Tibet that were originally created by advanced peoples from the lost city of Atlantis. The powers of the skull are also many and varied. Claims include the ability of the skull to provide visions of the future through it�s eye sockets, the containment of evil properties that can be used in rituals to bring death to an enemy, the power to heal people who touch it, its ability to channel and emit energy as well as emit a restoring aura that brings comfort and well-being to people, its ability to act as a camera and record photographs from the past and images from people�s minds, and so on. More prosaic properties include making people thirsty, accelerating heartbeats, emitting noises, and inspiring the feeling that your eyes are coming out of their sockets. A second crystal skull and a much cruder version is kept in the British Museum and is apparently a big tourist draw.
Skeptical Perspective
It has been proposed that the crystal skull was actually planted in Belize by Mitchell-Hedges as a gift to his daughter and that it was created by an accomplished artist of the 19th century. Neither daughter nor father ever admitted to this, however, and no artist was ever found. Because crystal cannot be dated like rocks and fossils and no proper archaeological dig was performed that would provide clues to its origin, the skull could be from any time before 1927. It should certainly be prized for its aesthetic quality but it is not possible for us to know its origin. Should it be an Aztec or Mayan artifact, it is reasonable to conclude that the necessary abilities and tools to create such an object were possible in ancient times � especially considering the rich civilizations that were built, the practical knowledge that had been accumulated and the great accomplishments that many ancients had made. The idea that the skull holds magical and/or supernatural powers, however are rather suspect. All shiny, reflecting surfaces have been used at one time or another for divination purposes but none have shown any hard evidence of their alleged ability to tell the future. Instead, the surfaces are well documented as reflecting pictures from their surroundings and having a hypnotic effect when stared at for any great length of time � producing similar images as those in dreams. Sounds that are claimed to emanate from the skull cannot be recorded and have not been heard by control groups. Instead, the magical, mystical properties that have been associated with crystals throughout history likely have more to do with the beauty of crystal, its seemingly perfect symmetry and structure, and the hypnotizing qualities that can inspire our minds to wander, relax and imagine things. Fires can do the same and both are examples natural phenomena.
- Brian Godfrey (Teacher) |
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