Bach flower remedies: Encyclopedia - Bach flower remedies

Bach flower remedies

Bach flower remedies or Flower Essence Therapy are 'diluted sun infusions' of flowers discovered and developed by Dr.Edward Bach. They are similar to homeopathy in many respects and form a part of alternative medicine. In general, they are believed by western medicine to exert their effects via the placebo effect.

The diference between homeopathy and Bach flower remedies is the method used to produce them, called "potentization", a method invented by Bach, and also called the "sun method". Another difference is that Bach remedies are used to treat the mental symptoms believed by practitioners to be the cause of the disease treated. There are thirty-eight original Bach remedies, each prescribed for certain mental and emotional problems, but other remedies have been added by practitioners who have access to flowers that are indigenous to other regions, and that were therefore unknown to Bach.

Bach flower remedies - Production method

The remedies consist of diluted sun infusions of wild-growth flowers. Flower buds are exposed to the sun for several hours in a bowl of spring water. This creates the mother tincture, which is then diluted to a great extent to form the solution sold commonly in stores. Bach flower remedies contain no artificial preservatives or additives. Unpreserved, the tinctures are perishable, and are therefore mixed with a grape-alcohol or other alcohol carrier (usually brandy or cognac mixed with water) as a preservative.

Bach flower remedies - Use

Each remedy is used alone or in conjunction with other remedies, and each flower is believed by advocates to impart specific qualities to the remedy. They are typically specially prepared by a naturopath or other healer for each patient to meet his/her individual needs. These remedies are used primarily for emotional and spiritual conditions, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, insomnia and stress.

The best-known Bach flower remedy is "Rescue Remedy," a pre-blended combination of Rock rose, Impatiens, Clematis, Star of Bethlehem and Cherry Plum remedies. The ingredients are believed to relieve acute stress, anxiety, and panic attacks, especially in emergencies. Rescue Remedy is taken as needed, and is available either in a small spray-bottle, in a glass bottle with an eye-dropper, or as a 'rescue cream' to be rubbed onto the skin. Drops are generally taken under the tongue.

Rescue Remedy and other Bach flower remedies are used on household pets and domestic animals, and have been claimed to be effective in calming them and improving problem behaviours. No controlled studies support these claims. Some people claim that they are also useful for the treatment of diseased plants.

Bach flower remedies - Additional flower remedies

Makers of "flower remedies" all over the world have created thousands of additional remedies based on the original principles invented by Bach. The term "flower essences" is also commonly used these days, especially when referring to the non-Bach flower essences being made. Along with the sun-bowl method of preparation pioneered by Bach, a few other techniques have been developed which have been found effective, including some non-cutting methods. Currently over 400 small (i.e., one or two people) to medium (i.e., up to fifteen or so employees) flower essence makers are active around the world, from Alaska to Australia, Brazil and India. In Britain alone over sixty different makers are registered with the British Association of Flower Essence Producers (BAFEP). Bach's work has inspired a tremendous area of research worldwide. Some makers are producing other "vibrational essences," using sources such as minerals/gemstones, nonflowering plants, sea life, mushrooms, cacti, metals, intuitive methods, and natural environments.

Bach flower remedies - List of Bach flower remedies

The Dr. Edward Bach Centre, which established the Bach Flower Research Programme, presents this list of the thirty eight remedies discovered by Dr Bach and directed at a specific characteristic or emotional state.

1. Agrimony – mental torture behind a cheerful face
2. Aspen – fear of unknown things
3. Beech – intolerance
4. Centaury – inability to say 'no'
5. Cerato – lack of trust in one's own decisions
6. Cherry Plum – fear of the mind giving way
7. Chestnut Bud (made with horse chestnut buds) – failure to learn from mistakes
8. Chicory – selfish, possessive love
9. Clematis – dreaming of the future without working in the present
10. Crab Apple – cleansing remedy, also for self-hatred
11. Elm – overwhelmed by responsibility
12. Gentian – discouragement after a setback
13. Gorse – hopelessness and despair
14. Heather – self-centredness and self-concern
15. Holly – hatred, envy and jealousy
16. Honeysuckle – living in the past
17. Hornbeam – procrastination, tiredness at the thought of doing something
18. Impatiens – impatience
19. Larch – lack of confidence and self-steem
20. Mimulus – fear of known things
21. Mustard – deep gloom for no reason
22. Oak – the plodder who keeps going past the point of exhaustion
23. Olive – exhaustion following mental or physical effort
24. Pine – guilt
25. Red Chestnut (a type of horse chestnut) – over-concern for the welfare of loved ones
26. Rock Rose – terror and fright
27. Rock Water – self-denial, rigidity and self-repression
28. Scleranthus – inability to choose between alternatives
29. Star of Bethlehem – shock
30. Sweet Chestnut – Extreme mental anguish, when everything has been tried and there is no light left
31. Vervain – over-enthusiasm
32. Vine – dominance and inflexibility
33. Walnut – protection from change and unwanted influences
34. Water Violet – pride and aloofness
35. White Chestnut (made with horse chestnut blossoms) – unwanted thoughts and mental arguments
36. Wild Oat – uncertainty over one's direction in life
37. Wild Rose – drifting, resignation, apathy
38. Willow – self-pity and resentment

See also

• Naturopathy
• Homeopathy

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Bach flower remedies", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki