Thisis a complex topic and cannot be addressed on this website in great detail. In order to understand the differences between flower essences and otherforms of alternative therapies, it's important to understand that floweressences are liquid remedies typicallymade using water, sunlight, and fresh flower blossoms.  They are infusionsof the fresh blossoms in water, and, after the making of the essence iscompleted (usually in several hours), the blossoms are removed.  Whatremains is the mother essence or mother tincture, typically preserved withbrandy, from which 2-7 drops are used to make a one-ounce stock bottle. Dosage bottles are further dilutions.  Commonly, 2-7 drops of thestock essence are used to make a dosagebottle.  Flower essences are energetic remedies andcontain only the energy of the flower and no actual plantconstituent.  Please keep this basic information in mind as you readabout the following alternative therapies.  Also remember that thegeneralities given below may not apply in some cases, such as specificplants and flowers which may tend to work on levels not generally commonfor a particular healing modality (such as flower essences which commonlyaffect physical issues, essential oils and herbs which tend to impact themind and emotions primarily, etc.).

FlowerEssences compared to Herbs:  Herbs are made from many partsof the plant by a number of methods.  They generally work morewith the body and then impact mental/emotional levels, whereas flower essencesgenerally work more with the energy field and mental/emotional levels andthen impact the body.  Another way to state this is to say that herbswork primarily with the lower tones of a plant, while flower essences eliminatethe lower tones and work on a higher level.  One may powerfully combineherbs and flower essences in order to address multidimensional levels ofa problem.  For example, chamomile tea will help a stomach ache atthe physical level, and chamomile flower essence will address the emotionswhich may be causing or contributing to the stomach ache (the chamomileis the first photo shown on this page). 

FlowerEssences compared to Aromatherapy (essential oils):  Essentialoils, which are used in aromatherapy, are extracts from various parts ofa plant, and they have a scent.  They are extremely powerful, andmost essential oils must be diluted before using on the body or they maybe dangerous.  Flower essences have no scent, are gentle, and arewater infusions of the flower.  Essential oils are generally usedfor physical conditions (they are 95% effective for infections) and secondarilyfor conditions related to the psyche, nerves, and hormones, where theyhave been found to have a 75% success rate.  By contrast, flower essenceshave been used traditionally for emotional conditions with secondary effectson the physical body (however, this approach is changing with some of thenewer essences; click to read about physical usesof flower essences).  Essential oils and flower essences combine wellin sprays and creams for topical application. 

The science of aromatherapy, aswe know it today, had its beginnings within the established medical communityin France between the 1930's and the 1970's.  Essential oils in theirpure, unadulterated form (which are rare in the commercial marketplace)represent a very potent form of phytomedicine and may be used to addressa vast array of physical problems (see Medical Aromatherapy andAdvancedAromatherapy by Kurt Schnaubelt, Ph.D.).  Those who consider aromatherapyan "airy-fairy New Age fad" (as I've heard some call it) are completelymisinformed about the knowledge of chemistry which undergirds medical aromatherapyand about the scientific validity of carefully created (not mass-producedfor volume), high-quality, and botanically accurate essential oils appliedin a knowledgeable manner based on research and experience. 

FlowerEssences compared to Homeopathy:  Flower essences are closestto homeopathy.  Both are vibrational remedies, although differentpreparation methods are used; both use diluted substances and both areholistic in orientation.  However, there are many differences. Homeopathy is a complex science of healing with a strong orientation towardalleviation of bodily suffering (taking away disease) which is symptom-orientedin its prescribing methodology.  It is not uncommon for high potenciesof homeopathic remedies to be used in the treatment of emotional issues,and this can result in aggravations or the creation of new symptoms (called"proving" a remedy).  Homeopathic remedies at high potencies are verypowerful and should not be used by the inexperienced.  They may beused most safely under the direction of an experienced practitioner, whilelower potencies are safer for use at home.  Flower essences, by contrast,are not potentized as are homeopathic remedies.  They work on a deeplevel and address mental and emotional issues at what would approximatea very low homeopathic potency, and they are therefore very safe. 

Flower essences help us to developlatent, dormant gifts and potential that we have so that we can use them. They strengthen the positive qualities present within a person.  Floweressences are used more commonly for mental and emotional issues, for peoplewho want to make a life change, or forfeeling "stuck" (flower essences help put one in touch with the higherself or true self so that an opening or pathway may emerge).  Floweressences help people find their purpose, their creativity, and their essentialidentity, and they help people move toward self-actualization.  TheEnglish homeopath Ian Watson, an internationally-known lecturer and authorand co-founder/course director of the Lakeland College in England, statesthat he began exploring flower essences because of the limitations he experiencedin using homeopathy with his clients.  He found that clients keptreturning, seeking homeopathic remedies to help them reach what they desired,but in many cases the homeopathic remedies were not able to help them movebeyond certain points.  When he began using flower essences in hispractice, he was able to help many of his clients make the changes andachieve the forward movement that they desired.  He also found floweressences helpful when clients had to deal with cathartic effects producedby a homeopathic remedy (flower essences may be used concurrent with homeopathicremedies, although some very conservative homeopaths would be opposed tothis).  As a result of his clinical experience, Watson now uses floweressences extensively in his practice and has produced an excellent setof tapes entitled Flower Essences for Homeopaths. 

Watson states that he typicallyuses flower essences for mental and emotional issues but uses herbs, homeopathy,and supplements if a client is suffering from a physical pathology. However, he has found in his experience as a practitioner that some clientsdon't improve with these modalities but instead do improve when floweressences are used.  He has also found cases where clients do not respondto flower essences for mental and emotional issues but do respond to homeopathicremedies.  His experience again confirms what I mentioned earlier: there are no absolute rules in the realm of vibrational medicine, and,while one may state generalities, the response of each individual is unique. 

Homeopathy is based on the Law ofSimilars ("like cures like," i.e., a diluted and potentized substance isused to cure in an ill person the state which the substance causes in ahealthy person).   Dr. Bach, the originator of floweressences, was a homeopath who was exploring a new approach to healing. Instead, he emphasized flooding the patient's being with the upliftingvirtues which flowers impart.  Flower essences are not based on theLaw of Similars.  It is extremely rare for a flower essence to beresearched in the same way that homeopathic remedies are researched: by a classic homeopathic proving.  During this process, healthy individualstake the homeopathic remedy and carefully write down the symptoms thatare "artificially produced" in them temporarily by the remedy.  Whenthe symptoms that the remedy produces in healthy individuals are known,the remedy may be given as a cure to ill persons suffering from those samesymptoms.  This is the the basis of the Law of Similars:  whentwo similars "meet," they annihilate each other.  The body's own healingcapabilities are set in motion, and self-healing begins.  Since "moreof the same" is being given to an ill individual in the form of a medicine"similar" to the client's illness, there may be a temporary escalationof symptoms (called a therapeutic "aggravation"), before the symptoms subside. 

As a general rule flower essences,compared to homeopathic remedies, are not known to produce new symptomsor an "artificialdisease" in a healthy person.  I know of no such cases.  However,there are thousands of flower essences being produced today (I cannot speakfor all of them), and each individual's sensitivity is unique.  Itis possible, on the other hand, that in some cases flower essences maybe working according to the Law of Similars.  At times during floweressence therapy, there may be a temporary escalation of symptoms beforehealing occurs.  On the emotional plane, this may take the form ofpast experiences or unconscious material being brought to consciousnessso that it may be acknowledged and worked through before it is released. On the other hand, often flower essences uplift and calm the individualwithout eliciting any cathartic emotions.  The effect of each essenceis determined by the individual's response to that particular flower; floweressences do not affect everyone in the same way.  If some flower essencesare working according to the Law of Similars, we only surmise it as a hypothesisbased on what we can observe in the experiences of clients.  Sinceflower essence research is very rarely conducted via a classical homeopathicproving, it is impossible to know with certainty if the Law of Similarsis operative or not. 

Some individuals and homeopathstend to "lump" flower essences and homeopathic preparations together, whichI believe is inaccurate.  For example, the Bach flower essences havenow been "potentized" and may be bought in various homeopathic potencies. These are not true flower essences; they are homeopathic "hybrids." Because they are similar in so many ways, the interface of homeopathicmedicine and flower essence therapy is a complex topic.  At this pointin time, when we are still struggling with our current technology to understandjust how both of these energetic healing systems work, there are many blurringsof boundaries which we will hopefully be able to clarify in the futureas our technology becomes more sensitive and our understanding deepens. 

FlowerEssences compared to Allopathic Medicine:  Allopathic medicineis based on drug therapy which has chemical effects upon the bodily systems,and it may have side-effects.  It has its place, but it is, metaphoricallyspeaking, at the opposite end of the healing spectrum from vibrationalmedicine.  Those who are taking drugs to deal with psychological issues,such anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medications, may experience a suppressionof symptoms.  Flower essences do not dampen symptoms.  They providesupport while bringing to consciousness what must be seen and addressedin order for balance and health to be re-established.  One may useflower essences while using any form of drug therapy, but drugs which dullconsciousness may impede the benefit of flower essence therapy to somedegree.  Some people, with professional help, have been able to reduceor eliminate their use of drugs by following a health-enhancing lifestylewhich includes flower essence therapy. 

Those desiring additional informationon this topic may see The Complete Book of Flower Essences by RhondaPallasdowney (New World Library, 2002, Chapter 2). 

First photo:  Chamomile calms barkingdogs as well as moody and irritable people (courtesy of FES). 

Second photo:  Dandelion is helpfulfor stress, tension, conflict and manifestations of these in the physicalbody (courtesy of Steve Johnson, Alaskan Flower Essence Project).

Third photo:  Paw paw helps us intimes of overwhelm and indecision (courtesy of Ian White, Australian BushFlower Essences).

Fourth photo:  Forsythia helps onebreak addictions and negative habits (© Pacific Essences®).

Fifth photo:  Glass hyacinth facilitatesrebirth after profound trauma and upheaval (courtesy of FES).

Sixth photo:  Isopogon is helpfulfor memory problems and an inability to learn from past experience (courtesyof Ian White, Australian Bush Flower Essences).

Seventh photo:  Hawthorn is an aidto the aggressive, "type A personality" (courtesy of FES). 

Eighth and ninth photos:  The Joshuatree flower (both shown) helps one to become free from unconscious damagingpatterns emanating from one's genetic heritage (courtesy of FES).