The danger in the word is that it can give people the idea that a crystal is a mechanical object to which you do a mechanical thing. When I ask a crystal to help me with something I feel as I'm entering into a relationship with a being which has its own intelligence and consciousness. I'm asking it to become my partner in creation. In programming we put the energy of chosen thoughts and feelings into the energy pattern of a crystal. Modern physicists now recognize that both thoughts and matter are made up of energy particles.
Thought vibrates at a high and light rate of speed.
Matter vibrates in a slow, dense manner. The energy pattern of humans tends to be erratic and sometimes scattered. You'll notice this pattern if you drink one more cup of coffee than was good for your nervous system or if you hear a car backfire. This is one of the reasons we're attracted to them. Their energy helps to smooth out our own.