Bach flowers: what are they?

Bach flowers, also known as Bach Flower Remedies, represent a holistic and alternative approach to health, widely used in the field of complementary therapies. Developed in the 1930s by the British doctor Edward Bach, these plant-based preparations aim to restore emotional and mentalbalance to individuals. Unlike traditional herbal remedies, which act primarily on a physical level, Bach flowers claim to have a subtle effect on disturbed emotional states, such as fear,uncertainty, sadness or stress.

Who was Dr Bach?

Edward Bach, born on 24 September 1886 in Moseley near Birmingham, was a British physician and homeopath who pioneered the development of flower essences, known as Bach flowers. He graduated in medicine and surgery from University College Hospital in London in 1912, and initially worked as a surgeon and emergency doctor. Very early on, he questioned the traditional medical approach, which he considered ineffective when faced with the diversity of his patients’ emotional responses to the same illness.

In 1917, a serious haemorrhage caused by a tumour turned his life upside down. His colleagues gave him three months to live, but he survived for nineteen years. Inspired by the homeopathy of Dr Samuel Hahnemann and by his own vision, Bach believed that the emotions played a fundamental role in health. He developed the theory that negative emotional states were the cause of physical illness.

In the 1920s, he became a renowned bacteriologist and devised Bach’s seven nosodes, homeopathic remedies based on intestinal bacteria, which he associated with specific personality traits. In 1930, he gave up conventional medical practice altogether, concentrating instead on research into wild flowers designed to rebalance emotional states.

Between 1928 and 1935, he created 38 flower remedies, each corresponding to a specific negative emotional state. These remedies, designed to harmonise the psyche, are known today as Bach flowers. Bach died in 1936 at the age of 50, leaving behind a healing method that is still practised and debated today.

How did Bach flowers originate?

Edward Bach created Bach flowers using a purely intuitive approach. He claimed that all he had to do was hold or taste a flower to perceive its therapeutic properties. Convinced that physical illness stemmed from emotional imbalance, he dedicated his career to finding natural remedies that could restore a positive state of mind in his patients.

In the 1920s, Bach developed the seven nosodes, homeopathic vaccines based on the relationship he identified between intestinal bacteria and emotional states. However, in 1930, he decided to devote himself entirely to researching wild flowers, believing that they could heal emotions at their source.

Between 1930 and 1936, he developed 38 flower essences, each corresponding to a particular negative emotional state. These elixirs are grouped into seven families, such as the flowers of fear, uncertainty and loneliness, which soothe specific emotional conflicts. Its most famous remedy, Rescue Remedy, combines five flowers to treat emotional emergencies.

Edward Bach prepares Bach flowers by macerating the petals in water exposed to the sun, a technique known as solarisation. This method extracts the healing quintessence of the flowers, which Bach considered capable of balancing emotional energies. Despite the absence of rigorous scientific proof, these elixirs still treat emotional blockages, according to their users.

Bach wanted his system of healing to remain intact after his death, a mission continued today by the Bach Centre.

What is Dr Bach’s philosophy?

Dr Edward Bach ‘s philosophy is based on the idea that physical illness is a direct consequence of emotional imbalances. He believed that in order to heal a patient, it was first necessary to treat his or her negative emotions. In his view,inner harmony is essential for restoring overall health.

Bach developed 38 flower essences, each corresponding to a negative emotional state, divided into seven groups: fear, uncertainty, lack of interest in the present, loneliness, hypersensitivity, despondency and excessive concern for others. He believed that these remedies, derived from nature, had the capacity to rebalance the emotions and restore the patient’s state of mind.

For Bach, every human being possesses a divine spark. By rebalancing this spiritual dimension through the flowers created by nature, we allow the soul and body to heal each other. This holistic approach sees the individual as a whole, taking into account his or her emotional, mental and physical aspects.

Bach believed that the energetic vibration of flowers could interact with the unconscious to restore deep balance. He rejected the excessive commercialisation of his elixirs and insisted that these remedies should remain accessible to as many people as possible. For him, healing should be a sacred art, focused on understanding the emotions and not just on treating physical symptoms. This approach, although scientifically controversial, continues to be popular in many countries.

How are these elixirs obtained?

The process of creating Bach flowers is based on two main methods: solarisation and boiling. These methods make it possible to extract the healing properties of the flowers in a simple way, in accordance with the principles established by Dr Edward Bach.

Solarisation involves picking the flowers on a sunny morning. The preparers pick the flowers and place them in a bowl of spring water, then expose them to the sun for 3 to 4 hours. The water captures the vibratory energies of the flowers. They then filter the solution and add alcohol, often brandy, to stabilise the mother elixir. This technique applies to 19 plants as well as to the Rock Water elixir.

On the other hand, for plants that don’t get enough sunlight, the preparers use the boiling method. They immerse the flowers in spring water and boil them for 30 minutes. After cooling and filtering, the macerate is stabilised withalcohol.

The plants used for the flower essences are carefully selected, only from unpolluted natural environments, and prepared according to Dr Bach’s traditional methods. The maceration of these plants captures their energetic essence, which is intended to rebalance the patient’s emotions.

Each flower elixir, derived from the mother elixir, is diluted before being packaged in dedicated bottles. Designed to be accessible to all, these natural remedies always follow Edward Bach’s holistic principles, without modification, guaranteeing their authenticity and perceived effectiveness.