The Crystal Children

I'm working on the section in my dissertation on Idigo/Crystal children, so here's some notes that I've gotten from:

Virtue, Dorren. The Crystal Children: A Guide to the Newest Generation of Psychic and Sensitive Children. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, Inc., 2003.

(Bar none, one of the most ridiculous books ev-er)

"new 'breed' of kids who are rapidly populating our planet"--"Indigo Children" who will "point to where humanity is headed...and it's in a positive direction!" (1).

Indigo children (ages 7-25) are "highly sensitive and psychic" (Virtue 1). They have "a warrior spirit" (sic) and Indigo children are "here to quash governmental, educational, and legal systems that lack integrity" (Virtue 2). They are often misdiagnosed as ADD or ADHD because they are often misunderstood by adults that value conformity and resist change (Virtue 2). Indigo children's auras or "third eye chakras" are "indigo blue" so that they are clairvoyant and have the ability to see energy, spirits, and visions (Virtue 3).

Ingido Children posses the ability to "sniff out dishonesty" and they recognize instantly when they are lied to, patronized, or manipulated (Virtue 6). They are unable to conform to dysfunctional situations at work, home, and school because of their warrior spirits, which leaves many adults feeling threatened (6).

Crystal Children on the contrary are much more even-tempered, forgiving, and easy going (Virtue 2). They have "beautiful, multicolored, opalescent auras, in paste hues like a quartz crystal's prism effect" (3). Crystal Children were born after 1995, have large, piercing eyes, magnetic personalities, are affectionate, start talking later than other children, are musically orientated, are telepathic, are highly sensetive and empathetic, are connected to animals and nature, possess healing qualities, discuss angels, spirit guides, and past-life memories, are artistic, and explore their surroundings fearlessly with no sense of danger (Virtue 3-4).

Crystal Children existed before 1995; however, they served as scouts to "check out the situation and report home during dreamtime transmissions" (Virtue 5). After 1995, many more Crystal Children were born and "each year's crop of freshly born Crystal Children reveals increasingly profound spiritual abilities" (Virtue 6).

Crystal Children's spiritual abilities are also misunderstood. Since they communicate telepathically ("mind-to-mind") with the world around them, they often do not begin to speak until they are much other than other children, usually around three or four. However, Crystal Children are often "judged by medical and educational professionals to have 'abnormal' speaking patterns. It's no coincidence that as greater numbers of Crystals are being born, the number of diagnoses for autism is at a record high" (Virtue 7-8). Virtue argues that the "diagnostic criteria for autism is quite clear: The autistic person lives in his or her own world and is disconnected from other people. The autistic peson doesn't talk because of an indifference to communicating with others" (Virtue 8).

Virtue believes that Crystal Children are misdiagnosed with autism and demonstrate very different behaviors. Unlike autistic children who are "disconnected" from and indifferent to the world, Crystal Children are "among the most connected, communicative, caring, and cuddly of any generation" (8). Crystal Children are also enormously "philosophical and spiritually gifted" and possess an "unprecedented level of kindness and sensitivity" (Virtue 8). Crystal Children are misdiagnosed and do not "warrant a label of autism. They aren't autistic--they're awe-tistic!" (Virtue 9). Crystal Children are "worthy of awe, not labels of dysfunction" (9). Virtue notes, "Crystal Children are very empathetic, connected, and loving with other people. Truly autistic kids exhibit no sense of connection at all with the outside world" (47). [Throughout Virtue's book, she compares Crystal Children with autistic children and identifies how awful autism is and how disconnected and unemotional autistic children in comparison to Crystal Children.]

Crystal Children possess "an authoritative air about them, as if they're wise adults in little bodies. Even more, they seem like seasoned sages...little sorcerers and high-priestesses" (Virtue 21).

Crystal Children are often diagnosed with autism because they do not communicate in verbal or written discourse until late in childhood (Virtue 32); however, "[d]oes speaking or reading later than expected warrant such a serious diagnosis? Why not call these sensitive children "late-talkers" instead of pathologizing them with psychiatric diagnoses and making them feel ashamed of themselves?" (Virtue 33).

Crystal Children are also diagnosed with autism because they often go into trances and because they have no sense of danger. However, Virtue argues that these Crystal Children are not autistic but are "channeling or receiving information" from forces that we cannot know or perceive. Crystal Children, like autistic children, are very sensitive to external stimuli like loud noise, crowds, temperature, clutter/disorganization, chaos, and artificial ingredients and chemicals (Virtue 56-8).