In 1930 a young physician in London abandoned his medical practice to concentrate on what he believed was the undeniable connection between the physical health of the body and the emotional health of the mind.
This young doctor's name was Edward Bach and a year later, after "discovering" the first of his 38 flower remedies, he founded what has gone to become one of the most popular and most controversial alternative medical systems in the world. Based on dilute botanical tinctures, this is the system we know today as Bach Flower Therapy.
Guided only by his own psychic abilities, Edward Bach eventually identified 38 natural remedies that he believed corresponded to 7 negative emotional states:
- Fear
- Uncertainty
- Loneliness
- Over-Sensitivity
- Over-Empathy
- Despair
- Disassociation
Toward the end of his work, he created his most popular remedy, a combination product known as Rescue Remedy. Made of a combination of Cherry Plum, Clematis, Impatiens, Rock Rose and Star of Bethlehem, this emergency remedy is, by far, the best-selling of all Bach's concoctions.
He initially based his research on the work of another famous (and controversial) figure in alternative medicine--Samuel Hahnemann. But Bach eventually came to believe that disease was more than just "disharmony" in the body. He believed that every disease was the body's way of asking for help with deeper emotional conflict.
Bach believed that disease is "solely and purely corrective". It is a way, he claimed for our "souls to point out to us our faults" and put us back on the path toward our life's Higher Purpose.
Edward Bach died in 1936 but the controversy surrounding his work didn't. Critics scoffed at his notion that all disease is ultimately rooted in emotional upheaval while true believers contend that he was a man well ahead of his time.
Though not a single scientific study has ever proven any Bach flower remedy effective for any known medical condition, millions of believers spend millions of dollars every years on these tiny bottles of flower-based tinctures.
Regardless of where you fall on this topic--true believer or confirmed skeptic--we hope you will enjoy this historical look at Edward Bach's Flower Therapy and the Flower Remedies it offers.