In the past, I have been skeptical of flower essences, not knowing if they worked or not.Flower essences are alleged to be subtle in nature, and carry the homeopathic-type energy of the flowers. I wasn’t sure if it was the flower essences changing a person, or a person thinking about the changes they want to make, through the taking of the essence four times a day over several weeks. I’ve just read a fascinating book about the creator of flower essence medicine called The Medical Discoveries of Edward Bach, Physician by Nora Weeks. (info at end) His journey was quite amazing!
Dr. Bach was a Welsh doctor and bacteriologist. He was born in 1886, and had Welsh in his background (The book emphasized this a LOT, perhaps associating it with rural nature). He did love nature and being outdoors throughout his lifetime.
He was very sick early in his career, suffering a brain hemorrhage after tending many, many patients during World War I. Though many expected him to die, he recovered through his dedication to helping others and love for his work. He realized that, to quote the author,
“an absorbing interest, a great love, a definite purpose in life was the deciding factor of a man’s happiness on earth, and was indeed the incentive that carried him through his difficulties and helped him in the regaining of his own health.”
Would you like to explore the beauty of Flower Essences? Contact me now to schedule: email, phone: (970) 988-5413. We can meet in person or via HIPPA-approved video calls.
During the Influenza Epidemic of 1918, Bach studied World War I trenches; some were ravaged by disease, but others were barely touched. He found and isolated bacterial strains, grew them, and then used them to unofficially inoculate some of the war camps against disease. What’s interesting to me is that he injected these good bacteria directly into the soldiers’ bloodstreams, instead of having them ingest it. Somehow the good bacteria got to where they were needed and this method worked. (These were not named, and I wish they were. But the book did list his published medical papers.)
He was able to cure some illnesses through “autogenous vaccines”: growing the bacteria a person had, raising their numbers, and give it to the same person again by mouth. This somehow cured them. I am wondering if it was merely showing the immune system, 70-80% found in the gut, the big problem?
Other vaccines were a mixture of five problem bacteria strains, and these were called “nosodes.” Eventually Dr. Bach ended up with Seven Nosodes. (A nosode is a homeopathic remedy made from a disease piece. it is so dilute (greater than 10 to the 12 power) that the person cannot get the actual disease.)
Would you like to explore the beauty of Flower Essences? Contact me now to schedule: email, phone: (970) 988-5413. We can meet in person or via HIPPA-approved video calls.
Later he found that he could isolate seven different problem bacterial strains, and match the patients’ presenting personalities to the correct bacterial strain that had infected them. He played a game where he tried to match the person to the correct strain as they walked from the waiting room to the check-up room. Apparently they were very distinct and separate [emotional?] types. (I would love to read more about this.)
Then he went to work at the London Homeopathic Hospital, where his theories agreed with Hahnemann’s, the founder of homeopathy, who had lived a long time earlier. Dr. Bach ended up devouring Hahnemann’s book all night.
Hahnemann theorized that there were three types of disease, the third called “psora.” Dr. Bach felt that psora was having bad bacteria in the digestive system, and that Hahnemann saw this pretty clearly, even though he lived so much earlier. (Bad bacteria in the gut can release toxins that affect body and brain, and lower the stomach acid in order to live there more easily.) Dr. Bach ended up writing some papers to confirm the theories of Hahnemann.
Dr. Bach had been in search of a better system of medicine for a very long time. Some people were not cured, even after going through surgery or long treatment. Dr. Bach decided to leave his lucrative practice. The noise and chaos of big city London had been a burden to this sensitive man for a long while, too, so he went to live in smaller towns around England, especially near beaches. He travelled around the countryside looking for certain flowers from plants and trees that could be used for medicine. According to the book, he became more sensitive as time went on, suffering greatly with each serious ailment until he came to the curative plant. He could feel the energy of the flowers, even before taking it back to be tested.
He wanted a simple system of medicine that could be used by everyone, that would be inexpensive and also easy to get. His flowers were not from far away places, for the most part, but common and easy to find.
Would you like to explore the beauty of Flower Essences? Contact me now to schedule: email, phone: (970) 988-5413. We can meet in person or via HIPPA-approved video calls.
How Flower Essences Are Made
Flower essences are made by placing flowers into a bowl of clean water and letting them sit in full sun during summer, for 4-6 hours. Then the water is poured into a clean bottle, and preserved with alcohol. Then the mixture is diluted twice to a great degree, which does seem similar to homeopathic medicines. During the whole process, one tries to keep the flowers and water from touching the medicine maker, which would add one’s own energies to the medicine.
Usually they are taken 4 drops four times daily for 2-3 weeks. However, Dr. Bach used them for three months or more with patients.
What’s interesting to me is that as he found and worked with the flower essences, he started treating long-standing chronic cases as well as acute cases with these. And he did it at no charge to the patients, and with great success, for over seven years.
He felt that the patient’s main mood or emotional issue must be treated first. When the mind became peaceful and happy again, then the body would then be able repair itself.
How is this possible? I am wondering if this is like brain balancing therapies (Geddes is one person who talks about this in his book, that reads like a sales brochure. Another one involves sounds (Robert Monroe Institute.) Or if it is bringing the brain naturally back into the “rest and digest” state of calm.
But if this worked so well, why do we not use it today? Some of his cases sounded quite serious: acute or chronic. People sought him out and followed him around the country, so he must have been helping them. Or was it the free medical care?
Would you like to explore the beauty of Flower Essences? Contact me now to schedule: email, phone: (970) 988-5413. We can meet in person or via HIPPA-approved video calls.
As he saw patients again, the flower essences had to be adjusted. This was because the emotional state of the patients had changed over time, with different things appearing and disappearing. He often used the flower essences in groups together.
Later, Dr. Bach experienced great physical illnesses in rounds before finding the flower essence medicines. These were usually for the tree-sourced medicines. (This was different from previously.)
Having seen the importance of keeping the mind well to avoid disease, he often helped organize social events in his small town.
He died in his fifties, around 1936. I was wondering if there would be anyone still alive who had actually worked with him personally. I gues they would be 100 years old now. There is a Dr. Bach institute in England that I plan on looking up in the future.
I feel like I have to give flower essences a second look now, and see if they work well for clients. First, heal thyself, right?
What are your thoughts on flower essences?
How Flower Essences are Used
Usually they are taken 4 drops four times daily for 2-3 weeks. However, Dr. Bach used them for three months or more with patients.
What’s interesting to me is that as he found and worked with the flower essences, he started treating long-standing chronic cases as well as acute cases with these. And he did it at no charge to the patients, and with great success, for over seven years. He felt that the patient’s main mood or emotional issue must be treated first. When the mind became peaceful and happy again, then the body would then be able repair itself.
How is this possible? I am wondering if this is like brain balancing therapies (Geddes is one person, and his book reads like a sales brochure. Another one involves sounds: Robert Monroe Institute.) Or if it is bringing the brain naturally back into the “rest and digest” state of calm.
But if this worked so well, why don’t use it today? Some of his cases sounded quite serious: acute or chronic. People sought him out and followed him around the country, so he must have been helping them. Or was it the free medical care?
As he saw patients again, the flower essences had to be adjusted. This was because the emotional state of the patients had changed over time, with different things appearing and disappearing. He often used the flower essences in groups together.
Would you like to explore the beauty of Flower Essences? Contact me now to schedule: email, phone: (970) 988-5413. We can meet in person or via HIPPA-approved video calls.
Later, Dr. Bach experienced different great physical illnesses in rounds before finding the flower essence medicines. These were usually for the tree-sourced medicines. (This was different from previously.)
Having seen the importance of keeping the mind well to avoid disease, he often helped organize social events in his small town.
He died around 1936 in his fifties. I was wondering if there would be anyone still alive who had actually worked with him personally.
I feel like I have to give flower essences a second look now, and see if they work well for clients. First, heal thyself, right? I did try these over nearly ten months, and was told how much I had changed in that time.
How do you feel about flower essences? Do you use them, and what has been the result?
Would you like to explore the beauty of Flower Essences? Contact me now to schedule: email a note to me, call me: (970) 988-5413. We can meet in person or via HIPPA-approved video calls.
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(My book has a last publish date of 1969. the publisher is C. W. Daniel Company, Ltd. Ashingdon, Rockford Essex England.)