More than 100 years ago, Chinese paleontologist and archaeologist Pei Wenzhong discovered an unusual artifact in the same cave near Beijing: the skull of an early hominin, the Peking Man. With relics from 700,000 years ago homo erectusWenzhong unearthed a collection of 20 quartz crystals, one of which was a “perfectly faceted smoky quartz.” researcher Juan Manuel García-Ruiz wrote in a 2018 paper. In 1931, Yuan Zhong brought quartz to Beijing. “After washing and displaying it, I invited my colleagues to observe,” Wenzhong wrote in the article. “One colleague looked very angry after examining it, and immediately picked up a piece and slammed it against another piece of stone, shouting, ‘You see this kind of broken stone everywhere on the road!’” But that fall, French archaeologist Henri Breuil examined the crystals and agreed with Wenzhong. Crystals were not just stones, they were artifacts collected by early humans who lived in caves.
Since Yuanzhong’s discovery, archaeologists in other parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe have unearthed quartz crystals at sites inhabited by early humans. clear homo erectus and sapient We collected crystals that were too small to be tools. Rather, these early hominins were attracted to stones for another reason. García-Ruiz, who studies crystallography at the Donostia International Center for Physics in San Sebastián, Spain, hypothesizes that crystals were the early catalysts for abstract thought, symbolism, and consciousness in hominins. Such a hypothesis would seem impossible to test empirically. homo erectus and other early humans. So Garcia-Ruiz turned to our closest relatives, chimpanzees, to see if they experience what he calls “crystal attraction.”
In a paper published today Frontiers of PsychologyGarcía-Ruiz and colleagues proved beyond a doubt that chimpanzees are attracted to decisions. Researchers gave crystals to nine chimpanzees living in two groups at a rehabilitation center in Spain. (Chimpanzees, most of whom come from circuses, are all familiar with humans.) In one experiment, researchers placed a transparent quartz crystal and a voluptuous sandstone slab, each larger than a human hand, on two stands. The researchers watched the chimpanzees approach the stands through feeds from video cameras and recorded when the chimpanzees interacted with the crystals or rocks. In another experiment, researchers offered chimpanzees stones and crystals scattered across the grass to see which ones they picked up and examined.
Chimpanzees easily distinguished between crystals and ordinary stones. But they also decided to study the crystals for hours at a time, examining their shape and transparency. Given all the culture we share with chimpanzees, this obsession with modifications is probably not surprising. But this raises important questions that García-Ruiz and his team did not include in their study. Which chimpanzee has the best potential to unleash the healing powers of crystals? Let’s discuss.
Manuela
Manuela, a 19-year-old chimpanzee, is the alpha female of her group. She is sociable, curious and not very aggressive. Manuela is the only chimpanzee born at the rehabilitation center. She is the strongest female in her group and uses sign language to communicate.
When Manuela’s group encountered a large quartz crystal and sandstone on the base of the enclosure, all the chimpanzees were attracted to both objects. (The stand had been placed in the enclosure several months earlier to allow the chimpanzees to become accustomed to the structure.) No chimpanzee spent more than two minutes on the sandstone. Everyone was much more interested in the crystal. Manuela, the strongest of the group, succeeds in pulling the crystal from the pedestal to the ground. Soon, Guillermo, a timid chimpanzee who was blind in one eye, slowly approached her, looking at the crystal. Manuela snatched the crystal and took it to the second level of the platform, played with it for a while, then left it there.
While Manuela certainly displays an affinity for crystals, the fact that she so quickly gave up such a prized possession makes one wonder if she exhibits roughly average crystal attraction. Manuela is just as fascinated by crystals as the average chimpanzee or human, but she doesn’t have what it takes to be a true crystal expert. Considering her busy schedule, this may be a blessing.
Ivan
Yvan, 50, who lives in a group run by Alpha Manuela, is a fairly well-adjusted chimpanzee. He is playful, cautious and sociable. He is not aggressive or fearful of others. He often comforts other chimpanzees in his group and displays a reciprocal attitude with them. He has a protruding mouth and is emotionally dependent on Manuela. As Manuela dumped the crystal on the second platform, Ivan approached it and carefully handled and examined it. Another chimpanzee, Yaki, a gregarious and arthritic 33-year-old, examined the crystals here, but Yvan eventually took them and brought them back to his group’s indoor dormitory.
The crystal stayed there for several days, and before researchers retrieved it, Manuela, Yvan, Yaki and another chimpanzee named Toti examined it. In fact, the researchers were only able to retrieve the crystals after bartering with the chimpanzees for yogurt and bananas, a valuable commodity “known to be highly valued by chimpanzees through daily observations,” the researchers wrote. Such a huge sum suggests that the crystal was highly regarded among chimpanzees.
Yvan clearly shows a higher level of crystal charm than Manuela. Because he took it upon himself to carry the fragments home. When Yvan was presented with a pile of pebbled quartz, he picked up a piece of clear quartz, held it close to his eye, and examined it for over 15 minutes. “from
Yvan is not myopic. These actions demonstrate a focused and sincere personality.
The researchers wrote that they were particularly interested in crystal transparency. Yvan held the quartz to his eyes for a minute.
Does Ivan have the crystal charm needed to become a crystal healer? He certainly has a crystalline curiosity. Consider another chimpanzee who is having an argument.
totty
Toti, a 40-year-old chimpanzee with honey-colored eyes, hairless shoulders and arthritis in her legs, belongs to the Manuela group. They are often found crawling on the floor. Toti interacted with the crystal in every way a chimpanzee can interact with a crystal. He was also observed engaging in the innovative practice of bumping the tip of the pyramid of a large crystal into another crystal. These hits were delicate and seemed to have no intention of breaking the crystal. This kind of crystal-crystal behavior demonstrated by Sandy is the most compelling evidence we have ever seen for the healing potential of crystals in primates. What vibrational properties can occur if you touch the tip of one crystal to another crystal? What are the crystals saying to each other and to Totti?
When Yvan brought the large crystal into the dormitory, Manuela, Yvan, Toti and Yaki examined it and even sat by the window to watch it sparkle in the light. But Totti paid special attention to the large crystal. He turned it in his hand and tilted his head to look at it from different angles. He was particularly interested in looking at the ends of the crystal. In this way, Totti seems to have appreciated the movement of light through crystal, focusing on its transparency and luster. Demonstrating the high allure of crystal means Totti has earned a reputation as a true crystal connoisseur. He’s definitely still in contention.
Guillermo
Do you remember Guillermo, the 28-year-old chimpanzee who was blind in one eye? They are quite timid chimpanzees that avoid contact, lack curiosity, and shake their bodies when nervous. When Guillermo approached the pile of crystals and pebbles, he sorted through the pile in seconds, selecting the quartz and calcite crystals. Speed is certainly an achievement, but it feels more like a penchant for pattern matching than a preference for crystals and their various mysteries. Indisputable low crystal charm.
Yaki, Gombe, Lulu, Pascual
Gombe, the alpha male, leads a group of three other chimpanzees, including Lulú, Pascual, and Sandy. Gombe, Lulú, Pascual and Yaki from the Manuela group certainly have good chimpanzee characteristics, but are rarely mentioned in the paper and therefore have low decision appeal. There is no room for debate!
boy name
Sandy, a 31-year-old chimpanzee from the Gombe group, has black hair and is very determined. She is very sociable, curious and not at all afraid. She often acts motherly towards her belongings, protecting them from others. When the researchers introduced the Gombe group to the two stands, they were unable to collect data on the chimpanzees’ interactions because Sandy picked up both the crystals and the sandstone and brought them back to the dormitory. Like Toti, Sandy knew how to touch the tip of one crystal to another. In fact, when she hit the crystals together, the tip of the large crystal broke. Was this an accident or intentional crystal modification? Only Sandy knows.
When Sandy received the pile of crystals and pebbles, she carefully analyzed each one. She picked up all the crystals and pebbles and transferred them to the wooden structure, but researchers later discovered that she had separated them into piles. One represents the gravel and the other represents each crystal type in the pile (calcite, quartz, pyrite). So Sandy was able to distinguish crystals based on their clarity, symmetry, luster, and shape, which are signs of high crystal attractiveness.
While examining the piles of pebbles and crystals, other chimpanzees, including Guillermo, also sorted through the piles. But only Sandy was able to move the crystals with her mouth from the pile to the wooden structure, where she could pick them up and examine them. Moreover, researchers observed Sandy carrying crystals in her mouth throughout the day. This kind of prolonged, intimate crystal contact is unprecedented among chimpanzees in rehabilitation centers. What can we learn from the texture of crystals? It’s definitely a big deal. Since chimpanzees don’t often put objects in their mouths, the researchers suggest that Sandy hiding objects in her mouth may indicate how valuable she found the quartz. The researchers suggested that chimpanzees may have been interested in smelling or tasting the crystals to see if they were edible, and the same may have been the case for Sandy.
However, another hypothesis that is still plausible is that Sandy has a special touch that only blesses some humans, such as new generation cafe owners or TikTok witches, allowing them to come together with crystals from another dimension. Maybe Sandy knew that to truly know the crystal, you had to taste it. The decision must be brought into your mouth so that your mind can open it. To me, Sandy is the clear leader among chimpanzees with crystalline charm. Take my word for it: If a chimpanzee could heal anyone with crystals, it would be Sandy. If Toti and Yaki were suddenly cured of their arthritis and Guillermo regained vision in his bad eye, there would be only one chimpanzee to thank.
