Bach Flower Database

Botany: Mimulus guttatus
Preparation: Sun Method
Represents: Trust

The bright yellow flowers of mimulus correspond to our soul's capacity for trust. The very nature of the mimulus personality makes them calm, steady souls. They are deeply in tune with their environments and extremely sensitive to any threat to their being. In a positive state, these individuals are courage, happy people who inspire those same feelings in others.

By contrast, those in the negative mimulus state are constantly threatened by fear. This fear is not a blinding panic nor is it a vague feeling that "something" is out there. For the negative mimulus souls, the threat is very real and very tangible.

Several Bach personalities are influenced by fear but the mimulus soul, in particular, struggles with fears that many of us might consider childish or unsophisticated. The fear of dogs--even small dogs--is a common mimulus fear, as are the fears of elevators and being in dark places. Finally, mimulus personalities tend to manifest their fears as physical symptoms like headaches, stomachaches or tight shoulders.

Imagine a capable, intelligent young woman. She is good at her job and considerate to all those around her. But she is also afraid of meeting new people so at business meetings or luncheons, she often withdraws. Her coworkers describe her handshake as "weak". Sometimes she becomes so nervous she giggles as inappropriate times.

Her mimulus personality drives her to create astounding works of art. She paints beautifully but will never show her work to anyone. She has volumes of poetry dating back to her elementary school days. Many of those poems reflect her difficulty at overcoming her fears and, just as with her art, they will never see the light of day.

Our young woman is in a negative mimulus state. And like other mimulus personalities, she will likely never seek help for her fears. She will keep her fears locked inside and hidden from the world. Like the art she hides in the back of her closet, her fears reflect her heightened sense of caution and her inability to trust that the world really is a nice place to be.

The Positive Mimulus State

In the positive mimulus state, souls trust that they possess all the skills necessary to face the world with courage and peace. They are composed, dignified personalities who inspire others to reach down and find that same level of self-trust and confidence.