\Bach Flower Remedies: Do They Work?
Bach Flower Remedies were created by the British doctor, Edward Bach, in the 1930s.
Although successful in his practice, Bach was disillusioned by the philosophies of orthodox medicine. He especially disliked the tendency of practitioners to focus on treating the symptoms of disease, rather than the unique holistic landscape of the individual patient. Bach so passionately believed that true healing could only be found in nature, he abandoned his practice and devoted himself instead to studying the restorative properties of wildflowers.
The 38 flower remedies that Bach discovered are used to treat negative emotional states.
Bach was guided by the philosophy that a person's mental state and emotions powerfully influence physical health. He believed that if deeply-rooted anger, jealousy, or sadness were alleviated in a patient, physical disease - the end result of long-term destructive emotions - would eventually be cured. When choosing an appropriate remedy, patients are advised to ignore physical symptoms and focus instead on personality traits or persistent emotional/mental conditions. For instance, those who have a tendency to blame themselves might choose Pine, while Honeysuckle might be a good choice for those who exist in the past and despair of future happiness. Children who are having a hard time adjusting to a traumatic life change, such as a big move or parent's divorce, might be given Walnut. Rescue Remedy is a combination of 5 different remedies to be administered in times of stress or crisis.
The ingredients in all 38 flower remedies are natural.
Bach Flower Remedies are made from spring water, infused with wildflowers, and preserved with brandy. The remedies are either taken as drops in water, to be sipped at intervals, or can be applied undiluted on the inside of the wrist or behind the ears. Rescue Remedy can also be taken in the form of a cream, pastille, or nasal spray.
Very few studies or experiments have been conducted on Bach Flower Remedies.
Before his death, Dr. Bach extracted a promise from his assistants never to change or expand on the 38 remedies he'd formulated. He firmly believed in the purity and wholeness of his work. This promise binds the current care-takers of the Bach Centre in England where the remedies are still produced today. There, the remedies are seen as a sacred and immutable trust. The Bach Centre has never conducted experiments on the remedies, nor does it document the help it provides to patients.
The scientific validity of Bach's methods is questionable at best.
Dr. Bach relied on intuition to guide him while studying the healing potential of flowers in the fields and lanes that surrounded him. He used himself as a guinea pig, creating within himself a negative mental or emotional state and then experimenting with an array of flowers and plants until he found the one that "cured" him. Not only does this method violate traditional scientific procedure, which endeavors to guard the experiment from the biases of subject and experimenter, but the question must also arise: is a conjured mind-set or emotion comparable to a long-term, deeply-rooted set of thoughts and emotions?
Many people believe that Bach's Flower Remedies are able to cure all emotional problems.
Although some contend that it is the generous amount of brandy in the remedies that contribute to the relaxed and happy sensations after use (27% alcohol in the Rescue Remedy Nasal Spray), many others are convinced from personal experience that these remedies have true healing power. Bach Flower Remedies are now even being produced to address problems of psychology and temperament in house-hold pets. Since Bach Flower Remedies are all natural with no known side effects, conducting your own personal experiments with them will not cause damage... except perhaps to your budget.
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