Bach flower therapy

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history

Edward Bach (1886 - 1936, British physician and surgeon) conducted research in immunology and discovered previously unknown, non-lactose-fermenting bacteria in stool samples from patients. These seven „Bach nosodes“ he named as

1. Proteus (Proteus mirabilis / Proteus vulgaris)
2. Dysentery Co. (Shigella dysenteriae (dysentery pathogen))
3. Morgan (Morganella morganii), made from Proteus morganii)
4. Faecalis Alkaligenes (made from Alcaligenes faecalis, alkaline reacting (all others acidifying)
5. Coli Mutabile (Escherichia coli, unstable type, can change from non-lactose-fermenting to a lactose-fermenting type)
6. Gaertner (Salmonella enterica, named after the bacteriologist August Gärtner)
7. Bacillus No. 7 (taxonomically unclear, not yet identified by molecular biology)

As it was not yet possible to isolate pure cultures from the bacteria at Bach's time, the Nosodes Mixed cultures of different bacterial strains that have not yet been DNA-sequenced or by means of 16SrRNA* were determined in more detail.

*16S rRNA gene sequencing is one of the most widely used methods to determine the taxonomic distribution in bacterial communities such as the gut microbiome. The 16S rRNA gene, which encodes part of the bacterial ribosome, contains highly conserved and highly variable regions, the latter of which can be used for taxonomic determination. source.

Development of the therapy

Bach developed his idea of a therapy in the years after 1930:

He believed that every physical illness was due to a mental imbalance. The cause of the health disorder was a conflict between the immortal soul and the personality. Healing could only be achieved through harmonization on a spiritual and mental level.

For years, Bach searched for herbs and plants that could be assigned to a negative emotional state. He „felt“ almost every plant intuitively and tried to sense whether it could represent a counterbalance to one of the previously defined emotional states in order to neutralize this negativity and restore balance.

The result was 38 plants, which he divided into three groups from 1930 to 1936.

The „Twelve Healers“

1. Impatiens (Himalayan balsam)
2. Mimulus (Spotted juggler flower)
3. Clematis (White clematis)
4. Agrimony (Odermennig)
5. Chicory (Chicory)
6. Vervain (vervain)
7. Cerato (Leadroot)
8. Scleranthus (one-year-old ball)
9. Water Violet (marsh water feather)
10. Gentian (Herb gentian)
11. Rock Rose (Yellow sunflower)
12. Centaury (Centaury)

The „seven helpers“

13. Gorse (gorse)
14. Oak (oak)
15. Heather (Scottish heather)
16. Rock Water (Water from holy springs - not a plant!)
17. Wild Oat (Woodruff)
18. Olive (Olive)
19. Vine (Vine)

The „second nineteen“

20. Cherry Plum (cherry plum)
21. Elm (Elm)
22. Pine (Scotch pine)
23. Larch (larch)
24. Willow (Yellow Willow)
25. Aspen (aspen/trembling aspen)
26. Hornbeam (hornbeam)
27. Sweet Chestnut (sweet chestnut)
28. Beech (copper beech)
29. Crab Apple (Holzapfel)
30. Walnut (Walnut)
31. Chestnut Bud (Horse chestnut bud)
32. White Chestnut (Horse chestnut)
33. Red Chestnut (Red horse chestnut)
34. Holly (holly)
35. Honeysuckle (Honeysuckle)
36. Wild Rose (dog rose)
37. Star of Bethlehem (umbellate milk star)
38. Mustard (field mustard)

Combination preparation

Rescue Remedy (Emergency drops as a combination of 5 flowers)

• Star of Bethlehem
• Rock Rose
• Impatiens
• Cherry Plum
• Clematis

Production methods

Bach developed two different methods for producing flower essences. The location of the plants should be as untouched as possible, only wild plants should be picked and a high level of water purity should be ensured in the immediate vicinity. The location should be surrounded by positive energy and the maker's intuition should be important when choosing the plants.

Solar method

The Solar method is used for 20 of the 38 flowers, the mainly delicate flowers that bloom in spring and summer. The process in detail:

Harvest in the morning of a cloudless, sunny day

• the flowers must be in full bloom and in perfect condition
• traditionally takes place between 9 and 12 o'clock in the morning
• picking should be done without touching the flower, with stem/leaves

Pour spring water from near the plants into a thin-walled glass dish with a capacity of about 300 ml, place the flowers on the surface of the water without overlapping and leave them in full sunlight for 3 - 4 hours.

If cloud cover disrupts the process, the process must be repeated from the beginning.

Once the process has been successfully completed in accordance with the instructions, the flowers with stems/leaves are carefully removed from the water bath and the water is poured over filter paper into another glass container.

For the purpose of preservation, the so-called „flower essence“ is mixed 1:1 with 40% brandy, resulting in the mother tincture.

Cooking method

The cooking method is used on woody plants and flowers of shrubs and trees.

Pour 1 liter of spring water into an enameled pot. The water is covered with flowers and plant parts in the usual way and the water is brought to the boil. It is then kept simmering for 30 minutes before being removed from the heat to allow it to cool. All the flowers and plant parts are then removed, filtered and, as is known, mixed 1:1 with 40% brandy.

Ingestion essence

The essence is obtained by further dilution by adding 2 drops of the mother tincture to 30 ml of water or water-brandy mixture, of which 4 drops are taken 4 times a day.

The concentration of the essence is about D6 - D8.

Commercialization

Bach himself intended neither patent protection nor commercialization. His aim was to make it possible for everyone to produce and use his or her own medicine.

After Bach died in 1936, interest in his Bach flower therapy also waned. At the end of the 1970s, Wulfing von Rohr (*1948, Austrian television journalist, astrologer, yoga teacher and author) took up Bach flower therapy again.

Hamburg-based alternative practitioner Mechthild Scheffer (*1938, alternative practitioner, author) was the first person to introduce Edward Bach's work to Germany, Austria and Switzerland. She developed the world's first structured training program for Bach flower therapists and thus contributed to the re-establishment of Bach flower therapy.

Since the mid-1980s, sales of Bach Flower Remedy products in Germany have been boosted by reports in the tabloid press and the presentation of Bach Flower Therapy in three consecutive editions of the Sat.1 talk show Schreinemakers Live Demand increased three to tenfold after the shipments in pharmacies.

Theoretical foundations

Intuition

Bach followed his personal intuition, not any kind of scientific basis, when selecting the plants.

Mode of action

As already outlined above, Bach assumed that it was not the active plant substances themselves that were effective, but the „vibrations“, the „healing energy“, that were released into the water.

Scientifically recognized studies

The study situation paints a very sobering picture.

The abstract on Pubmed and published in full text on Swiss Medical Weekly study von Ernst E. (2010) Bach flower remedies: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials comes to the conclusion that seven randomized clinical trials, six of which were placebo-controlled, were unable to demonstrate any differences between Bach flowers and placebos.

Another placebo-controlled, double-blind study by Thaler et al. (2009) Bach Flower Remedies for psychological problems and pain: a systematic review comes to the conclusion: „Our analysis of the four controlled trials of BFRs for test anxiety and ADHD shows that there is no evidence of benefit compared to a placebo intervention.„