subject: Ear Candling -- Removing a Life Time of Debris [print this page] Thought to have originated with the Egyptians, it was used for spiritual cleansing as well as physical cleaning. It was believed to open and clear the spirit centers and refresh the auras.
Original style coning by the Egyptians utilized hollow reeds. Today, coning/candling uses a hollow candle, much like a large straw. Although they differ, most candles are made of 100% unbleached cotton (muslin) fabric coated with purified paraffins and/or bees' wax. There are also some specialty candles which contain herbs and oils.
Candling applies simple laws of science. The flame of the candle (when the candle is properly seated in the ear) creates a draw or vacuum which pulls the wax, fungus, candida, yeast, and other particles of debris out of the ear and up into the bottom of the candle. The vacuum is caused by the warmed air from the flame and the colder existing air moving through the hollow chamber of the candle. The movement and compression between the ear canal and the candle chamber generate air flow with increasing velocity, thus producing the "sucking" vacuum.
As the particles are drawn from the ear and into the bottom of the candle, the air flow becomes disrupted. This is why it is important to remove the candle and "tap out" the contents.
Why candle? The purpose of candling is to remove wax buildup, especially the heavy impacted wax that normal cleaning cannot remove. Candling is a more comfortable and less expensive alternative to the traditional cleaning method of forcing water into the ear canal. Candling is also believed to remove candida, yeasts, fungus, and remnants of past infections.
