Bach Flower Database

Botany: Helianthemum nummularium
Preparation: Sun Method
Represents: Courage

Rock rose corresponds to our ability to cope in the face of paralyzing terror. Whether the threat is real or imagined is irrelevant, as is the nature of the threat. Either physical or mental, this sheer panic of a negative rock rose state can be traumatic and emotionally scarring.

That's why Bach based his Rescue Remedy around rock rose. He called rock rose the "remedy of emergency" and recommended it for "cases where there even appears no hope". Today rock rose is most often used in children, whom Bach believed were psychically less stable than adults.

Imagine a young woman on her way home from work. In the car with her are her 3 young children. Suddenly, out of nowhere, comes an oncoming vehicle speeding wildly out of control and weaving from one side of the road to another. Our young woman panics, slams on the breaks and skids off the road.

The panic that our young woman felt--both for herself and for her children--is a perfect example of a negative rock rose state. Jamming her foot on the brake and jerking the steering wheel was done out of pure instinct. She was neither thinking about what to do or considering the consequences of her actions. All she knew at that moment was sheer terror for her family.

The Positive Rock Rose State

In a positive rock rose state, the fear response is quieted and the soul is allowed to "reset". Panic is replaced with calm peace. Future crises are met with self-assurance and confidence. The fear response isn't completely muted; it is simply dealt with in a more appropriate manner.