What are crystal & indigo kids?

[Shirley Ujest]

Does any one have any experience or knowledge about crystal or indigo children?


And, what does a black aura mean on a person?



(This is for my friend who is sitting right here and apparently cannot type this herself.)

[jayjay]

If you hadn't thrown in the New Age-y aura thingie, I'd have assumed that "indigo" was some new type of drug and went hand-in-hand with crystal (meth), and told you that crystal kids were folks using crystal meth and whatever drug that indigo thing is.

Now, of course, I have to throw that hypothesis out of the window with the "black aura" (ooh, scary!) addition... Grrr...

[jayjay]

Oh, Jebus...

Here is an "Indigo Children" website. Apparently it's a very spiritually-conscious, New Age-y, aura-seeing way of saying, simply, "gifted". I'm assuming that it's from the "fact" that their auras show a lot of deep blue/violet to those who think they can see such things.

Here, from the same site, is an article "channeled" by the author on Crystal Children, who are apparently the Saviors of Our World (tm)...

[Primaflora]

Indigo kids are a new spiritual type of child who need special types of parenting. It is really quite sickmaking the whole thing.

http://www.psykids.net/ is a charming introduction to the whole theory. the books are a laugh as well.

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by jayjay

Oh, Jebus...

Here is an "Indigo Children" website. Apparently it's a very spiritually-conscious, New Age-y, aura-seeing way of saying, simply, "gifted". I'm assuming that it's from the "fact" that their auras show a lot of deep blue/violet to those who think they can see such things.

My bad...on further reading, it is apparently a distinction that makes absolutely no distinction except by age. ALL children born since 1992 are apparently "indigo children" to these folks.

[EmeraldGrue]

Well, there's this Skeptic's Dictionary entry; "indigo" refers to the colour of their auras. To sum it up, indigo children are supposed to be wilful and nonconformist, and may have been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. Crystal children are the generation after indigos. I think if I read any more of this I'll OD on saccharine and light.

[astro]

My kids are spiritually aware "Indigo children" .... wait a sec... Dammit! .. They're just playing with the Easter egg dye again.



See also

The colourful history of Indigo Blue

[Jenaroph]

After googling and reading a bit, I found this interesting excerpt on this page:

The following is an excerpt from the new book, The Indigo Children: The New Kids Have Arrived by Lee Carroll and Jan Tober

What is an Indigo Child? And why do we call them Indigo? First, the definition:

An Indigo child is one who displays a new and unusual set of psychological attributes and shows a pattern of behavior generally undocumented before. This pattern has common unique factors that suggest that those who interact with them (parents, in particular) change their treatment and upbringing of them in order to achieve balance. To ignore these new patterns is to potentially create imbalance and frustration in the mind of this precious new life. The subject of this chapter is to identify, qualify, and validate the attributes of an Indigo Child.

There seems to be several kinds of Indigos, and we will describe them later in this chapter, but in the following list we can give you some of the most common behavioral patterns. Do these fit anyone you know?

The ten most common traits of Indigo Children:

1. They come into the world with a feeling of royalty (and often act like it).

2. They have a feeling of "deserving to be here," and are surprised when others don't share that.

3. Self-worth is not a big issue. They often tell the parents "who they are."

4. They have difficulty with absolute authority (authority without explanation or choice).

5. They simply will not do certain things; for example - waiting in line is difficult for them.

6. They get frustrated with systems that are ritual-oriented and don't require creative thought.

7. They often see better ways of doing things, both at home and at school, which makes them seem like "system busters" - (nonconforming to any system).

8. They seem antisocial unless they are with their own kind. If there are no others of like consciousness around them, they often let no other human understand them. School is extremely difficult for them socially.

9. They will not respond to "guilt" discipline - (Wait till you father gets home and finds out what you did").

10. They are not shy in letting you know what they need.

Why yes, they DO fit someone I know. This is a dead-on description of "Calvin and Hobbes." Conceived pre-1992. Which, by the way, was such a well-loved comic partly because nearly everybody saw a bit of themselves in this kid.

Then there's the sections about superhuman DNA. I'm not even going to touch that.

Some people needed a paranormal new-agey way to explain "why my kid is soooo special." No, Mrs. Teacher, Jimmy hasn't been doing his math problems, but he's an Indigo and homework is beneath him. And don't try to discipline him, he doesn't handle authority well. (Of course, the idea that up to 90% of children under 10 are Indigo kinda gives the lie to the "special" part.) Ugh.

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by Jenaroph

Why yes, they DO fit someone I know. This is a dead-on description of "Calvin and Hobbes." Conceived pre-1992. Which, by the way, was such a well-loved comic partly because nearly everybody saw a bit of themselves in this kid.

This was my reaction to that list, as well. "Indigo children" sound pretty much like ALL children have throughout history before the mores and customs of their particular society have been imprinted on them. The only difference between children prior to 1992 and children since is that more parents are adopting parenting styles that allow children to retain their real personalities instead of requiring them to subsume them into "normality" or conformity.

In other words, it's not the kids that are different, it's the parents. And that ain't "mystical" or "spiritual" at all.

[Mr. Blue Sky]

Shhhh..what's that sound?

Yep, it's P.T. Barnum laughing his ass off.

[Danalan]

I have it from a good source that a black aura is very bad -- it means that the person is near death. Dark grey is not much better.

[Shirley Ujest]

Hey, thanks for such a fast turn around!

My friend is a teacher and had a parent bring up the " My child is an Indigo Child" on her and also said that this child mentioned she saw a black aura around this one particular very problematic child.

So I showed her this place, hoping to lure her in with the crack that is here and you dopers did not let me down. It is hard, is it not, to try to explain this place to Outsiders?

Astro, your line about egg dye I think was just what she needed to possibly suck her in deeper and sell her soul to this place.

[Wile E]

The ten most common traits of Indigo Children:

1. They come into the world with a feeling of royalty (and often act like it).

2. They have a feeling of "deserving to be here," and are surprised when others don't share that.

3. Self-worth is not a big issue. They often tell the parents "who they are."

4. They have difficulty with absolute authority (authority without explanation or choice).

5. They simply will not do certain things; for example - waiting in line is difficult for them.

6. They get frustrated with systems that are ritual-oriented and don't require creative thought.

7. They often see better ways of doing things, both at home and at school, which makes them seem like "system busters" - (nonconforming to any system).

8. They seem antisocial unless they are with their own kind. If there are no others of like consciousness around them, they often let no other human understand them. School is extremely difficult for them socially.

9. They will not respond to "guilt" discipline - (Wait till you father gets home and finds out what you did").

10. They are not shy in letting you know what they need.

Back in my day we called those kids "brats".

[Polycarp]

...and if they decide to play baseball, and can run fast but not hit well, the coach may signal them to take a bunt and try to run it out to get to first successfully. This technique, of course, is called....

[Zsofia]

So, all children born after 1994 are badly behaved brats?

Well, okay, I'm with you on that.

[papergirl]

My local paper recently published an article about a local woman who believes her child to be an Indigo Child. One way we know he's Indigo: When he was small, she reports, and someone told him "No" he would fall down screaming, because he just couldn't tolerate his freedom being restricted. Very sensitive, apparently.

My child was that sensitive, once. I worked very hard to DEsensitize him, using both punishment-reward techniques as well as aversion therapy. It worked remarkably well, considering how very sensitive his little pysche was.

I SO want to develop a line of teeshirts and bumper stickers that say things like "I'm SO Indigo" and "My kid is Indigoer than your kid." Heh.

[jayjay]

Heh. I so want to get a t-shirt that says

When the Bible said "And a little child shall lead them..." it wasn't talking about YOUR child

[pinkfreud]

Auggh. Just what we need: yet another excuse for badly-behaved kids.

I haven't yet gotten over the last wave of excuses.

[kittenblue]

Originally Posted by Wile E

Back in my day we called those kids "brats".

I still call them "brats". Just back then, we parents thought it was something bad. These days some parents can't admit their kids are brats, so they have to make them "special". Which means these poor kids will never develop into caring adults, because their parents will believe they are a new step in evolution and treat them like little gods, who will become little despots. I caught a few minutes of "SuperNanny" the other night, and the 4-year-old twins featured must be "indigoes".

I fear for the world.

[Mr. Blue Sky]

Originally Posted by pinkfreud

Auggh. Just what we need: yet another excuse for badly-behaved kids.

I haven't yet gotten over the last wave of excuses.

A friend of mine has two young boys. She and her husband aren't into to discipline too much. The boys, especially the older one, would act up in school. She took him to a pediatrician who told her just what she wanted to hear: "Your son has an attention deficit disorder, so I'm going to have you pump him full of drugs and that will solve your problem."

Guess what? It didn't help one iota. As the other boy got older (both are under the age of 7), he, too, developed the same problem. Off to the doctor for more drugs.

Again, no change.

She then took them to another doctor who was more interested in helping the boys than his wallet. After much deep discussion on the subject of discipline, he told her, "Your sons don't need drugs, they need discipline and routine. The longer you wait, the worse it'll get."

One year later: the boys are off the drugs and now have a more structured home life filled with rules and boundaries every child needs. They are now well-behaved in school (and elsewhere).

I'm sure they'd be Indigo children or whatever else New Age crap these charlatans can come up with.

[Guy Incognito]

Originally Posted by bodypoet

My local paper recently published an article about a local woman who believes her child to be an Indigo Child. One way we know he's Indigo: When he was small, she reports, and someone told him "No" he would fall down screaming, because he just couldn't tolerate his freedom being restricted. Very sensitive, apparently.

Yeah, nothing quite beats the crap that the H-T prints on a slow news day. I read the article and couldn't believe that they dedicated that many lines to such utter garbage. In a way I sort of felt sorry for the kid. I imagine that, even at Harmony School, he's probably in for a little bit of ass kicking in the near future after that piece.

I'm thinking that a lot of people are mis-diagnosing their kids as "indigo children" when they should be diagnosing themselves as poor parents. Luckily there aren't too many people who believe in this -- I hope.

[Guinastasia]

Why "indigo?" Because that's the color on the brat's face when someone tells them "No?"

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by Guinastasia

Why "indigo?" Because that's the color on the brat's face when someone tells them "No?"

It's allegedly the color of their alleged aura, apparently...

[pinkfreud]

This gives a new coloring to the word "indignation."

[DocCathode]

Originally Posted by Danalan

I have it from a good source that a black aura is very bad -- it means that the person is near death. Dark grey is not much better.

Robert R McCammon Mystery Walk?

[SteveG1]

Originally Posted by bodypoet

My local paper recently published an article about a local woman who believes her child to be an Indigo Child. One way we know he's Indigo: When he was small, she reports, and someone told him "No" he would fall down screaming, because he just couldn't tolerate his freedom being restricted. Very sensitive, apparently.

That's not indigo, that's just the Terrible Two's.

[clairobscur]

I think I remember a TV broadcast about these "indigo" children. If I'm not mistaken, that's not just yet another new age bullshit, it's also a scam involving mostly separating parents from their money.

So, beware...

[Squink]

Related GQ thread from 2002: Indigo Children

[papergirl]

Originally Posted by Guy Incognito

Yeah, nothing quite beats the crap that the H-T prints on a slow news day. I read the article and couldn't believe that they dedicated that many lines to such utter garbage.

Heh. At least THAT one was in the middle of the paper somewhere. Today's was on the front page, and was about a "certified intuitive counselor" and pet psychic. He charges $25 for 15 minutes and he had about 12 appointments the day they interviewed him.

I'm in the wrong business.

[JRDelirious]

clairobscur, that definitely looks so from here -- and from the shelf-space dedicated to it in the "self help" section.


If I observed this one...

8. They seem antisocial unless they are with their own kind. If there are no others of like consciousness around them, they often let no other human understand them. School is extremely difficult for them socially.

...I'd hope it just meant they're headed for full-blown geekdom; I'd be terrified it could signal Asperger's, and be untreated under cover of indigosity.


I was definitely not Indigo. I responded to guilt- and fear-based control from the parents with, well, guilt and fear, in abundance.

[cuauhtemoc]

I used to be really into the Indigo Kids. Rites of Passage and Swamp Ophelia are probably my favorite albums of theirs, because they came out just as I was getting into IK, but for something a little edgier, check out Nomads, Indians and Saints. There are also a few gems on their eponymous debut (don't judge it by the vastly overrated Closer To Fine).

[Guinastasia]

Originally Posted by jayjay

It's allegedly the color of their alleged aura, apparently...

I know, but I think my explanation makes more sense.

[DoctorJ]

My local paper recently published an article about a local woman who believes her child to be an Indigo Child. One way we know he's Indigo: When he was small, she reports, and someone told him "No" he would fall down screaming, because he just couldn't tolerate his freedom being restricted. Very sensitive, apparently.

I would occasionally do this when I was a kid, and my aura was definitely indigo for while afterwards.

Now that I think about it, though, it was more of a black and purple than an indigo. And it wasn't my aura, it was my ass. Same thing, though.

[Shirley Ujest]

Originally Posted by bodypoet

Heh. At least THAT one was in the middle of the paper somewhere. Today's was on the front page, and was about a "certified intuitive counselor" and pet psychic. He charges $25 for 15 minutes and he had about 12 appointments the day they interviewed him.

I'm in the wrong business.

Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.....lets open up our own pet phychic business.

Mr. Tibbles is mad at you for switching his kitty litter again.

Roscoe is suffering terribly when he is not allowed to come on the family car trips. He feels excluded and not a member of the family anymore.


I think I am on to something here.

[Danalan]

Originally Posted by DocCathode

Robert R McCammon Mystery Walk?

Um, no. Never heard of him, or his book.

I'm not at liberty to reveal my source, but suffice it to say that not everyone who can see aura's is entirely comfortable with, or exploits that ability.

[DocCathode]

Originally Posted by Danalan

Um, no. Never heard of him, or his book.

Great read It's a very hard book to describe without making it sound like crap. A boy discovers that he is the latest in a long line of mystics. A haunted carnival ride demands human sacrifice. A mad billionare watches snuff films, obsesses over germs, and hungers for power over death itself. And all of that is written extremely well.

I'm not at liberty to reveal my source, but suffice it to say that not everyone who can see aura's is entirely comfortable with, or exploits that ability.

That would help explain why we have no scientific proof that anybody can see aruas.

[Guy Incognito]

Originally Posted by bodypoet

Heh. At least THAT one was in the middle of the paper somewhere. Today's was on the front page, and was about a "certified intuitive counselor" and pet psychic. He charges $25 for 15 minutes and he had about 12 appointments the day they interviewed him.

I'm in the wrong business.

I saw that one, too. This time I did the right thing and avoided reading the article entirely. I think our local paper gets a little too infatuated with the minor celebrities and eccentrics that live around here.

Anyway, back on topic. The list that Wile E. posted sounds like what you would expect out of a typical kid regardless of when they were born. The difference is that parents of "indigo" children don't understand that while each child is unique and special (to their parents, anyway), it doesn't imply that they are necessarily on some higher path of human development. Encouraging your kids is fine, but you should also temper that with discipline and common sense.

[Wile E]

Originally Posted by Guy Incognito

I saw that one, too. This time I did the right thing and avoided reading the article entirely. I think our local paper gets a little too infatuated with the minor celebrities and eccentrics that live around here.

Anyway, back on topic. The list that Wile E. posted sounds like what you would expect out of a typical kid regardless of when they were born. The difference is that parents of "indigo" children don't understand that while each child is unique and special (to their parents, anyway), it doesn't imply that they are necessarily on some higher path of human development. Encouraging your kids is fine, but you should also temper that with discipline and common sense.

Give credit where crdit is due. I just quoted Jenaroph's previous post. Jenaroph actually looked up the information for us.


I will agree with the common theme that these kids just need discipline and not coddling or drugs for ADD. I wonder though if the lack of discipline is due to the trend for people to suspect anyone they see in public disciplining their child as child abusers and butt in and tell them so.

When I was a kid, this was unheard of, no one would presume to butt in to tell a parent how to raise their child. If a parent gave their child a swat on the behind in public it was assumed the child deserved it (or known that they deserved it if one had witnessed the child's bad behavior). But now everyone assumes that anyone who gives the child a swat (on a well-padded diapered behind) or even yells at them is a potential abuser and they must butt in to "save" the child. It doesn't matter that the little monster may have just walked up to an old lady and bitten her on the ankle, set the store on fire or thrown a 5 minute screaming temper tantrum. No, you should speak softly and reason with the child otherwise you are a bad parent.

[Guy Incognito]

Originally Posted by Wile E

Give credit where crdit is due. I just quoted Jenaroph's previous post. Jenaroph actually looked up the information for us.

Sorry about that. I think I found this same list on the Skeptic's Dictionary web site, too. Props to Jenaroph, though.

[The Great Sun Jester]

All of my kids are Inigo's. I don't see what all the flap is about

Ok...I've heard of these Indigo Children. The wife read a couple books on 'em (borrowed--nobody has seperated us from our money yet in this matter) and I'll be damned if this ... what do you call it, "condition?" ... doesn't describe my boy to the letter.

I'm just some guy, so in the spirit of ignorance-fighting I really can't say whether or not ANY spiritual approach to life is BS--no more or less than I can say the same about other more "mainstream" spiritual approaches. Certainly I'd be reluctant to slam a system based on a couple quick message board reads, some fertile snarks and a link or two. I don't know a lot about Quantum physics, which even the pros agree doesn't work with common observation, and I'm not going to call BS on that system. But whoever came up with Indigos, how to spot 'em and how to deal with 'em is on to something and it's been a terrific help with getting through to my kid. Brat? No, doesn't come NEAR to describing the disruption he can cause. But while it's fun to pile on with the skeptics in this thread, I'd just like to point out that Jenaroph's list omits nothing from this kid's behavior patterns. Yeah, all kids act up sometimes, but I'd say that few exhibit all of these qualities, all the time.

I know a thing or two about discipline. My old man taught me. I was a good kid & my brother was not--apparently you have to use different approaches for different kids. With my kid I tried everything from patience, to age-appropriate negative & positive reinforcement, to letting him cut his own switch. He was still pretty much out of control. Yeah, and probably could wear the "gifted" label. Mrs. Montoya and I are VERY involved with our kids' schooling and spend a lot of time just hanging out during school & watching the kids interact. All kids are NOT Indigos, nor do most of them act a lot like them much of the time.

My kid is the youngest in his class, the smallest in his class, and he runs the thing. I have managed to convince him that his teacher needs to be the one in charge of the overall program and scheduling, but outside the scope of her authority, he calls the shots among the kids. And the kids fight for the right to be near him. Roaylaty in a prior life? I dunno about that but he's got instinctive charisma like no other adult or child I've ever met. He's a six year old that owns the admiration of any adult who meets him. And after five minutes of speaking with him, he'll know exactly what to expect, how to get it, how to use it, and how to combine it with any other adult resources he's previously acquired. The guy's a little politician and a world-class diplomat. And not entirely for his own gains. On several occasions he's identified an issue at school, figured out a solution and motivated the parents to action. He's got a vision of how things work and how they can be improved upon. And he's only six. This kid can not be disciplined with any gradient of spanking--he cries it off and carries on with his mission, guilt or depivation only make you look small and manipulative to his superior intellect--which he calmly demonstrates after you've finished your threat; and even bribery has little effect, unless you've taken the time to figure out what he's up to and offer him something that will genuinely help him accomplish the goal. Candy? He's nuts about it but it won't get the behavior you're looking for. But if he's got an old appliance or lawnmower engine to take apart--he'll do whatever you say for a tool set.

I have two other kids who do respond predictably to different kinds of discipline, but the only way to get through to my boy is to approach him as you would approach an adult of respectable position, and stike a compromise between what he wants and what you need him to do. He's an angel and model citizen if you do this but he'll have your lunch if you try to treat him like a kid.

[Snickers]

Brats? Sounds like teenagers, more like. Wonder what they'll call the kids when they hit 13.

[Kythereia]

Wasn't there a quote by P.T. Barnum floating around, cited by Cecil, to the effect of "After the post-war era, there were two born every minute"?

[Malacandra]

Nope, they're called Indigo children because, when they act up, you take 'em up to their room, open the door, and with a curt jerk of your thumb you mutter "Indigo!".

[Dung Beetle]

Originally Posted by DoctorJ

I would occasionally do this when I was a kid, and my aura was definitely indigo for while afterwards.

Now that I think about it, though, it was more of a black and purple than an indigo. And it wasn't my aura, it was my ass. Same thing, though.

I just burst out laughing at work.

[DocCathode]

Originally Posted by Inigo Montoya

. . . .

His name is Inigo Montoya.

I don't see what all the flap is about . . .

He can't see why we're bothered.

I'm just some guy.

He's just some guy.

[Mr. Blue Sky]

These are not the Indigo children you're looking for.

[The Great Sun Jester]

these are not the indigo children we're looking for

[Danalan]

Originally Posted by DocCathode

That would help explain why we have no scientific proof that anybody can see aruas.

Actually, it may be that seeing auras is purely a personal phenomenon. From here:

"Synesthesia research offers an explanation for a phenomenon that has been described by psychics.

Many self-proclaimed psychics say they can detect a person's aura, often described as a colorful energy field given off by certain people. But Jamie Ward, head of the Synesthesia Research Group at University College London, said some people can experience colors in response to people they know -- a condition called emotion-color synesthesia.

"The ability of some people to see the colored auras of others has held an important place in folklore and mysticism throughout the ages," said Ward. "Rather than assuming that people give off auras or energy fields that can only be detected by rigged cameras or trained seers, we need only assume that the phenomenon of synesthesia is taking place."

[ianzin]

Originally Posted by Danalan

I have it from a good source that a black aura is very bad -- it means that the person is near death.

The two parts of this reply are incompatible. Any 'good' source (a source that is well-informed and worth heeding) would tell you that so-called 'aura reading' is nonsensical superstitious crap which has consistently failed any empirical testing, and that to assign any significance to supposed auras is, by definition, to see significance where none exists. Any source that tells you anything different may be a source, but cannot be a good source.

[Guinastasia]

Actually "auras" do exist-for us migraine sufferers, we sometimes see flashes of light, bright colored patterns-the same sort of thing you see after you stare at a bright light and then get an after image. It's usually a sign that a bad one is going to hit.