We had a question from a reader about Life Bracelets, which are all the rage among the teenage population these days. Is there anything wrong with these bracelets?

Life Bracelets are indeed problematic because they are based on a pseudo-scientific and pagan belief in the power of stones and crystals to heal. 

The bracelets, which are sold by Twin Tiger Brands, come in a variety of categories such as “Peace, love and success bracelet”, “Inspiration & Creativity”, or “Yogi”, and claim to contain elements of earth, stones or crystals which are believed to have certain powers.

For instance, the “Hopes & Dreams” bracelet contains Amazonite which is “believed to be lucky for all your hopes and dreams,” the site claims. “It helps balance emotions, gives physical stamina, and is a stone of courage.”

The “Peace, Love & Success” bracelets contains Jade stone which is “known to bring inner peace and has the ability to calm and mellow one’s inner existence.” (Again, no proof of these claims is given.) The site goes on to say that “It has also been known to attract love and wealth” which is essentially another way of saying “good luck charm”.

The Catechism strictly forbids us to put our faith and trust in talismans such as these, which is considered to be a form of sorcery. “Wearing charms is also reprehensible,” we read in No. 2117. Belief in objects such as these is a form of idolatry which “consists in divinizing what is not God” (No. 2113).

However, others Life Bracelets are harmless, such as the “Protection & Healing” bracelet which allegedly contains the Amber resin from trees which over time hardened and became fossilized. “This resin is a plant’s natural protection mechanism and is formed to heal a wound such as a broken branch. Each yellow bead on the bracelet contains a piece of Amber to remind the wearer to live a well and balanced life.” It’s okay to wear it as a reminder, but it’s not okay to wear it as a talisman or because we believe in a scientifically unfounded claim that a particular stone or crystal contains the power to heal, strengthen, etc.

As this blog explains “there is no scientific evidence to support the efficacy of crystals [or stones] in any of these applications. Scientific studies have found nothing more than a placebo effect as the cause of any supposed healing through the use of crystals”, stones, or other similar objects.

The bracelets are the brain child of twins Troy and Rory Coppock who immigrated to Los Angeles from Vancouver Canada in 2007 to “seek adventure and embrace the culture”. Their company, Twin Tiger Brands, also include the Rad Tatz, Boobies Rule and Ketchup and Mustard clothing lines.

The bottom line is that a talisman is a talisman, no matter how trendy or artfully it's packaged.