, the belief that mediums can communicate with the dead, also fall under the metaphysical umbrella.
Albanese ascribes four characteristics to metaphysical traditions: a preoccupation with the mind and its powers; “correspondences,” or the idea of hidden connections between things; a tendency to think in terms of energy and movement; and a yearning for salvation understood as “solace, comfort, therapy, and healing.”Metaphysical ideas about crystals exhibit each of these characteristics.
While crystals are physical objects, not thoughts, many crystal enthusiasts recommend “cleansing” and “charging” crystals and other meditative techniques. So the mind plays a key role in crystal spirituality, as it does in other forms of metaphysical religion. Correspondence refers to the belief found in many occult traditions that ordinary things possess secret qualities or connections to other things. A classic example is