Flower remedies

Encyclopedia of Medicine by Leonard C. Bruno

Definition

Bach Flower Remedies are a set of 38 different herbal remedies, each of which claims to rebalance a particular negative state of mind and promote well-being through vibrational healing.

Purpose

Flower remedies are used to relieve emotional problems and mental disharmonies that are believed to be the cause of many physical ailments. They are not aimed at any particular disease or condition but rather at such states of mind as fear, anxiety, loneliness, and depression.

Precautions

Flower remedies are liquid and most often taken by mouth, although they can be applied to the skin. They are highly diluted and are neither addictive, toxic, nor dangerous when taken in normal dosages. The primary precaution is against persons treating a serious, persistent condition on their own with flower remedies instead of seeking medical attention from a physician.

Description

Flower remedies are the creation of the English physician, Edward Bach (1886-1936). During his medical practice in the 1920s, Bach (pronounced "Batch") noticed that many of his patients' complaints and conditions seemed linked to their state of mind. Following this idea, he eventually concluded that as a doctor, he was treating only the effects of a disease and not its cause. The cause, he decided, lay in the person's negative emotional or psychological state. Bach then linked his theory to homeopathic medicine, which is a holistic approach that uses tiny doses of diluted substances to counteract health-threatening imbalances. This led him to categorize his patients' negative state of mind or inner imbalance and to search for the specific flower that would restore their balance or harmony.

Like his choice of flowers as the source of his herbal remedies, Bach's method of determining which specific flower worked to correct which negative mind set was intuitive rather than scientific. Bach claimed he could literally "feel" the vibrations each flower sent out, and after testing them on himself, he arrived at thirty-eight separate natural remedies to cure each negative state of mind he had identified. His remedies were all made from plants with flowers in full bloom, which were then either soaked in spring water for several hours while exposed to full sunlight or boiled for about 30 minutes. This water was then cooled, filtered, mixed with unflavored brandy as a preservative, and then bottled. This created the concentrate called "Mother Essence" which was further diluted when dispensed. Bach's followers prepare each of the 38 remedies the same way today.

Since Bach flower remedies are geared to the emotional state of individuals and not to what sickness they have, two people with a headache will most likely receive two very different remedies. Also, since the determination of one's nature or emotional state is so important to prescribing, consultation with an experienced therapist is often advised. This is not essential, however, as Bach remedies allow and even encourage self-prescribing. To do this, one need only obtain a list of thirty-eight remedy indications that describes the emotional state and personality trait for which each flower essence is intended. Patients then select the remedy that most closely approximates their condition and either put a few drops in a beverage or place it directly under the tongue four times a day. Symptoms are supposed to disappear in one to twelve weeks, although minor ailments are said to respond sooner. Flower remedies are available in most health food stores. If this method is more than simply a placebo, it still cannot be explained scientifically. It does not work biochemically, since no physical part of the plant is found in the remedy. Some argue that flower remedies act as catalysts, alleviating the cause of stress and allowing the body's natural immune system to function properly. Flower remedies are a vibrational medicine, acting to rebalance the vibrational state of those who take them.

Risks

Since they are highly dilute, flower remedies are neither toxic nor addictive. Used properly, there are no known risks.

Normal results

Bach flower remedies are intended to help with the mental and emotional problems that cause physical illness. As a self-help system that stresses self-awareness and does not depend on counselors or therapists, it asks individuals to take an honest look at themselves and to do something concrete to improve their emotional state. This type of positive action, with its strong empowering aspects, can often result in happiness and self-confidence taking the place of depression and fear.

Key Terms

Biochemically

Pertaining to the chemistry of living matter or organisms.

Catalyst

A substance usually present in small amounts that influences the rate of a chemical reaction without being itself changed in the process.

Diluted

A liquid that has been weakened in concentration or strength.

Holistic

That which pertains to the whole body or whole body/mind/spirit.

Homeopathic

The system of treating diseases based on the use of small doses of a drug that in large doses is capable of producing symptoms in healthy people which are similar to those of the disease being treated.

Immune system

An individual's natural defense against foreign organisms or substances.

Placebo

An inactive substance for treating diseases or conditions that works by suggestion and not by its actual effects on the body.

Further Reading

For Your Information

Books

• Bach, Edward. The Bach Flower Remedies. New Canaan, CT: Keats Publishing, Inc., 1979.
• Bradford, Nikki ed. Alternative Healthcare. San Diego, CA: Thunder Bay Press, 1997.
• Burton Goldberg Group. Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide. Puyallup, WA: Future Medicine Publishing, Inc., 1993.
• Mansfield, Peter. Flower Remedies. Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc., 1995.
• McIntyre, Anne. Flower Power. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996.

  Periodicals

• McCutcheon, Lynn. "Bach Flower Remedies: Time to Stop Smelling the Flowers?" Skeptical Inquirer. (July/August 1995): 33-35, 55.
• Melville, Joy. "Flower Power." Country Living. (January 1992): 68, 109-110.

  Organizations

• Ellon USA, Inc. 644 Merrick Road, Lynbrook, New York 11563. (516) 593-2206.
• Flower Essence Society. P.O. Box 459, Nevada City, California 95959. (916) 265-9163.