Another form of card reading is based on genuine mediumistic abilities. The word medium is derived from the Latin word “medium”. Mediumship refers to the mysterious, hard-to-describe ability of some people to initiate or perceive processes that seem to go beyond the realm of the five senses. When questioned, one fortune-teller explained that she was controlled by a strange force at the moment oft the fortune telling. A strange spirit would come over her. She would have to say things that she did not know. The feeling would take over her, as if she were being possessed at the very moment of the fortune-telling. Afterwards she would be completely normal again.

Experiences from the book “Christian Counselling and Occultism” by Dr. Kurt E. Koch:

Some examples from pastoral care are intended to illustrate the psychological effects of passive and active participation in card reading.

1) A young woman came to a Bible week and shared the following experience: She had been brought up in a Pietist home. At the age of 16 she moved to another town to take a job as a housekeeper. On a free Sunday afternoon, a friend took her to a fortune-teller in a neighbouring town. It was the first time the two girls had ever seen the woman. The fortune teller read the cards and said to our reporter: “In eight days your father will die. The girl laughed out loud and said: “My father is perfectly healthy. I don’t believe it.”

The girls returned home. In the evening, the the reporter picked up her Bible to read and pray, as she had done at home since childhood. Suddenly, she felt an oppressive feeling and pressure in her throat. She could neither pray nor read the Bible. At the same time she heard humming, buzzing and rustling in the room around her bed. She left the light on out of fear. These strange, haunting phenomena repeated every night. The climax came after eight days, when she received a telegram from home summoning her to her father’s coffin. Her father had been suddenly torn from his work and life by a heart attack.
Shaken, she rushed home, thinking that the fortune teller had been right. After her father’s death, more apparitions began. Every night, her late father would appear in her dreams and reproach her for what she had done to him by listening to a fortune teller. For six months her father appeared regularly in her dreams until one night he said: “That’s enough now. After that she could read the Bible and pray again.

2) At the beginning of the war, a bride wanted to know if her groom would return from the field. She went to a fortune teller, who told her that her wish would be fulfilled. The young man did indeed return from the war in good health. The bride, however, had been depressed since her visit to the fortune teller and was suffering from life-weariness. When the bridegroom returned one day, she cut her wrists and the veins in her thighs. Fortunately, she was saved. From a medical point of view, there are no findings in this example. The girl comes from a healthy, good Christian family. Parapsychologically there is nothing unusual. From a pastoral point of view, the typical picture of occult attachments and effects emerges again.

3) A young woman whose husband had been missing in the East went to a fortune teller to find out if her husband was still alive. The fortune teller told her: “Your husband is dead.” The woman waited a quarter of a year and then went to another fortune teller to find out about her husband’s uncertain fate. Again she received the answer: “Your husband will not return.” In despair, she went home and poisoned herself and her two children with illuminating gas. The next day, the husband returned from Russian captivity to find the three bodies of his loved ones. It is a harrowing example from the post-war period that demonstrates the unreliability of fortune-telling and calls for a state ban on this dark trade.

From a pastoral point of view, the curse of occult activity becomes visible here once again. The young woman did not receive precise information from the fortune-teller, but rather the decision to commit a triple murder.

These examples of passive occult activity are now followed by an example of active chiromancy.

4) A man who worked as a fortune teller and card reader fell into a deep depression, during which he lay down in front of a train one day. His wife and daughter, to whom he had also often read cards, were both depressed. In counselling, the psychological effects of Manticism repeatedly manifest themselves in the form of suicidal thoughts, thoughts of blasphemy against the Trinity, outbursts of rage, fits of rage, suicide, complete dissolution of concentration of thought and the feeling of going mad. Kurt E. Koch was repeatedly told in counselling that the visit to the fortune teller had been out of ignorance or curiosity. They didn’t believe her and didn’t take her seriously. In response to these arguments, he used to summarise his pastoral observations in a parable: “Whether I drop a hand grenade out of ignorance or curiosity, in jest or in earnest, the effect is always the same.”

5) An 18-year-old girl was told her love fortune. The fortune teller said to her: “You will not live to see your 20th birthday.” For two years the girl lived in fear of her early death. As her 20th birthday approached, a tremendous tension grew within her. The date set by the fortune teller passed without incident. However, the girl did not survive the mental stress test. She was admitted to a psychiatric hospital the next day and died two years later.
From a psychological point of view, the case is clear. The girl fell under the spell of the fortune-teller’s suggestion and, obeying the unconscious compulsion, helped to fulfil the prophecy. What happened here was also analysed by Schmeïng in his study: The recipient of a prediction or prophecy sets himself a date by his willingness to believe the prophecy. A reversio causae et effectus takes place. The fortune-teller does not recognise the impending death, but contributes to its occurrence through her psychological influence. From a legal point of view, many cases of manticism, such as manslaughter, belong before the courts.

From a pastoral point of view, this reveals the curse of divination – or, more precisely, of lying. The lie that is believed becomes true. The words of Jesus: “It shall be done unto you according to your faith” are also fulfilled in their reversal. The so-called revelation of the future by the mantics only proves to be an enormous emotional burden that many are unable to cope with, especially as the fortune-telling usually turns out to be arbitrary fantasy products or the subconscious wishful thinking of the person seeking advice.
It is quite remarkable when an experienced neurologist reports that up to 60% of mental illnesses of all kinds are triggered cum grano salis, i.e. somehow in connection with fortune-telling and the interpretation of the future. If the alleged revelation of the future through magical practices has such an effect, then the veiling of the future is the wisdom and mercy of the one who has placed an opaque veil over the future.

Observation at the World Karate Championships: The vice world champion was given a board about 4 cm thick, concentrated for a second on this material and then chopped it up with an edge strike from his right hand. He immediately added a second experiment. Three bricks measuring 7 x 12 x 24 were placed on top of each other on a solid stool. A single blow with the edge of the hand and all three bricks broke apart. An amazing performance by the human body. The arms and legs of karate fighters are murderous weapons. A flat edge strike to the root of an opponent’s nose and he is dead.

Karate took a metaphysical turn in the first century through its fusion with Zen Buddhism. The fusion between the physical training of karate and the mystical background of Zen was so intense that descriptions of karate include the equation: karate is Zen, Zen is karate.

What ideas has Karate adopted from Zen Buddhism? First of all, the basic principle of the unity of mind and body, even with the superiority of the mind over the material. This echoes concepts found in modern medicine in psychosomatics. The total union and fusion of mind and body is achieved through meditation. For this reason, meditation exercises play an important role in karate training centres. The training programme begins each day with a full hour of Zen meditation.

In karate, for example, there are 1,000 points on the human body where a little pressure can cause painful or even serious reactions.  A perfect knowledge of the anatomy of the body is by no means the end of the lesson. The essential and uncanny thing about karate is the fighter’s contact with the metaphysical. Zen Buddhism teaches that human consciousness is one with the universal world consciousness. The human mind is a part of the great cosmic mind. The main part of karate training is to strengthen contact with the supersensible world. A Zen textbook states: “Zen also creates the conditions in which one can transcend the limitations of the flesh and enter a realm that is closer to the divine. In other words, Zen creates a condition in which man can transcend the limitations of the flesh and enter a realm that is more nearly divine. Here we are at the heart of karate training. The fighter must develop psychic, metaphysical and mediumistic powers during his many years of training, which can last 20 years or more.

Almost all Asian martial arts, apart from the physical training, have a medial side. For example, Chinese Kung Fu or Kempo, Japanese Jiu-Jitsu or Aikido (source: “Okkultes ABC”; Dr Kurt E. Koch).

“Today, karate is often taught in conjunction with transcendental meditation and yoga in order to develop psychic, mediumistic powers in the student. Meditation is the essence and places these exercises in the group of occult religions. In ways that we do not fully understand, the training opens the way for the penetration of demonic spirits, which then burden the trainee”. … “Because karate is heavily mixed with the occult, practitioners come under a curse that can affect them into the third and fourth generations.” (Source: “Battling the Hosts of Hell”, Win Worley)

1. Principle: “Like heals like”.
2. Principle: Dilution Theory

Samuel Hahnemann believed that the smallest amount of medicine was enough. He labelled dilutions with the letter D (= diluere: to dissolve, to make a solution). A dilution of D 10 means 1 cubic centimetre to 10 billion cubic centimetres. Homeopaths know dilutions up to D 1000, sometimes even up to D 5000.

Physicists say that at a dilution of D 23 there is not a single molecule of the original substance in the mixture. Dilutions of D 1000 mean a power with a thousand zeros. In simple mathematics, a quadrillion has 24 zeros, a centillion 600 zeros. Numbers with a thousand zeros only exist in astronomy or perhaps nuclear physics.

3. Principle: exponentiation or dynamics

Both terms have the same meaning. Potentia and potestas mean power in Latin. The Greek word dynamis means the same. The essence of homeopathy is charging with cosmic power. The basic homeopathic substances are charged with forces from the universe through vibration, shaking or rubbing. These are the actual healing factors. Cosmic forces are the general gateway for all magical processes. Homeopathy is thus at least related to magical healing methods.

Hahnemann is a younger contemporary of Mesmer. The basic attitude of both is the same. Mesmer explained that people could recharge themselves with the power of the earth’s magnetic field. To do this, you should place your bed exactly in the north-south direction. Then you can recharge yourself with new energy as you sleep at night. However, it should not be the geographical north-south direction, but the magnetic north-south direction. – Hahnemann, on the other hand, does not want to use the power of the earth’s magnetic field, but the cosmic power of the stars.

In both cases, we are dealing with medial processes that do not remain without consequences for the patient. (Source: Christian Counselling and Occultism, Dr. Kurt E. Koch)

Recommended reading: “Gesundheit um jeden Preis?”, Dr Samuel Pfeifer, M.D.

Can Christians use hypnosis actively or passively?

A member of the congregation asked Dr Kurt E. Koch about the justification for hypnosis, or more specifically, whether believing Christians are allowed to use hypnosis actively or passively. He replied:

Even doctors disagree. There are doctors who radically reject hypnosis as an intervention in a person’s personality. There are those who argue that it is justified in diagnosis. There are also doctors who use hypnosis for diagnosis and therapy. I do not impose my views on anyone. Based on my experience in counselling, I myself reject hypnosis in any form because it reduces people to passive test subjects. When people are passive, it is easy for strange powers to creep in, especially if the subject is psychic.

The fact that in the East I always found hypnosis associated with magic, spiritualism and similar dubious currents strengthened my defence against hypnosis. Of course, a distinction must be made between the hypnosis of charlatans and that of medical specialists. But there are also doctors who reject hypnosis in any form because they have observed the long-term damage to the soul caused by hypnosis.

Examples from the book “Occult ABC”:

In Argentina a woman was brought to Dr Winther. She was suffering from a spider complex. This tormented woman saw spiders everywhere in her flat, day and night. On the floor, on the walls, on the ceiling. And she suffered terribly. All the best persuasion was useless and of no value. Dr Winther hypnotised her. During the hypnosis he spoke to her: “When you wake up, you won’t see any more spiders.” The therapy was successful. When the woman woke up, she breathed a sigh of relief. All the spiders were gone. So far, the experiment had been a success. But now the downside. Dr Winther told me that from that day on the woman became a very strong, extreme alcoholic. She had got rid of the spiders, but now she was totally addicted to alcohol. This experience and another made Dr Winther decide not to use hypnosis in the future. He said that in both cases it was only a shift and not a deliverance.

Exhibitions featuring magic tricks and hypnosis experiments are to be strongly opposed. Even experts in the field of hypnosis say that these shows are nonsense and should be banned. And yet there are still headmasters who organise such school events and cause serious harm to their pupils.

Some examples of school events.

B 129 A girl in Tokyo was hypnotised by a charlatan at a school party. He was unable to get her out of the hypnosis. The girl emitted animal noises, developed a high fever and could only be brought back to consciousness after several days by specialised doctors.

B 130 A woman came to me for counselling and told me the following. The headmaster of the school had organised an entertainment evening. Various tricks were performed. The entertainer also tried hypnosis. He managed to hypnotise my reporter’s thirteen-year-old son. From that day on, however, the boy had terrifying dreams. He would often scream in his sleep: “The black man is coming, the black man is coming. Why don’t you get the black man away from me? The boy’s nightmares continued for years. His mother was terribly angry with this showman.

You should never invite entertainers to an evening of entertainment who also practise hypnosis.

A young spiritist confirmed this fact to Kurt E. Koch after a lecture in Frankfurt. The young woman admitted that she had been conversing with spirits for years. She had started with table-tapping and glass-moving. Later she no longer needed these aids, but was able to put questions to the spirits directly. They answered her. When Kurt E Koch pointed out to her that these spirits would destroy her life, she openly admitted it.

The cult of spirits and demons belongs to the realm of spiritism. All those who participate fall under a terrible spell.

Another example from Lismore in Australia: A woman told Kurt E. Koch in the counselling session about her severe fears. Her uncle was a spiritist. Before he died, he gave his niece his mediumistic powers. It often happens with mediums that they cannot die until they have transferred their magical powers to someone else. Since this young woman had taken over the mediumistic powers from her dying uncle, she had experienced terrible anxiety. She saw demons, heard knocking signs, rumbling noises and other disturbances. In her distress, she went to a doctor instead of an experienced counsellor. The doctor naturally thought she was suffering from a form of schizophrenia and admitted her to a clinic. There, too, she received psychiatric treatment, that was unsuccessful. She was discharged again and continued to have the apparitions. Not only could she see the spirits, she could also talk to them, ask them questions and receive answers. Her nervous system became more and more disturbed.

History: Channeling is a phenomenon with ancient roots in various cultures. In the 1970s, the term ‘channeling’ became established as part of the US New Age movement, and it also arrived in Germany in the 1980s.

Methodology: To prepare for receiving messages, the medium enters a trance state using techniques such as self-hypnosis, hyperventilation, breath-holding, or meditation. After establishing a connection with the spiritual world, the channeller can answer questions or transmit messages, often in a semi-trance state. If the medium enters a full trance, the spirit being called upon speaks directly through them. Occasionally, the transmission may also occur through writing, known as ‘automatic writing’. Some entities, such as Kryon, Ramtha, Seth, Metatron, and Saint Germain, are frequently channelled by different mediums. There are individuals who identify as ‘Christian’ mediums and claim to transmit messages from (arch)angels, saints, or Mary.

It is important to note that these services often come with a high price tag. Some may even resemble a school-like structure, such as the Kryon School, which offers a 48-step program to awaken and recognize one’s divinity. The Kryon School is a consciousness school that guides individuals through 48 steps towards awakening and the recognition of their divinity. The cost of the Kryon School is 110 euros per month for three steps.

Genesis 3:4,5: …the serpent said to the woman: “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Assessment from a scientific perspective:

Many scientists reject the idea that spiritual beings can be contacted due to the materialistic view of the world and the lack of provability. Even from an objective point of view, it is recognised that channeling can pose considerable psychological dangers. For instance, a person seeking help may hand over responsibility for their life and actions to the medium, and as a result, become unable to make independent decisions. Additionally, these practices can create psychological dependencies and fears.

In his book ‘The Demission of Scientific Materialism’, the late Christian scientist Arthur-Ernest Wilder-Smith († 1995) argues that experiences which cannot be explained by scientific materialism should not be dismissed simply because they do not fit into the scientific materialist ideology and cannot be repeated at will. Wilder-Smith points out that phenomena such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and telekinesis cannot be explained by radio waves or the physical laws that we currently understand. Therefore, it is necessary to postulate a cause that exists beyond our space-time continuum. To be scientifically objective, we cannot outright deny these phenomena simply because they are considered ‘metaphysical’. In his book, Wilder-Smith demonstrates the existence of realities beyond the space-time continuum that cannot be investigated using conventional methods.

Assessment from a Biblical Perspective:

The Holy Scriptures clearly state that there is a spiritual world and personal spirit beings. However, it is important to note that ‘channelled messages’ can also be fraudulent or deceptive. It is crucial to maintain objectivity and avoid subjective evaluations. The Bible distinguishes between God’s good angels, whom humans cannot contact on their own, and evil angels or unclean spirits (demons, Satan) who have fallen away from Him. In His Word, God expressly forbids people from making contact with spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12) and describes such actions as idolatry and a serious offence. This prohibition applies to all forms of fortune-telling, clairvoyance, necromancy, and communication with the dead. Biblical evidence supporting this can be found in the list below. The spiritualistic activities mentioned can lead to nervous disorders, delusions (such as hearing voices and seeing visions), disorientation, and even demonic stress (such as obsession or possession). It is also possible to develop mediumistic psychosis.

These practices involve attempts by occult powers to influence those seeking advice or help, leading them into spiritual dependence and ultimately apostasy from the living God. Note that there are covert forms of channeling, such as connecting to ‘power animals’ or ‘inner helpers.’

It is important to renounce these practices and other recognized sins and turn completely to Jesus Christ (the Word of God) to break free from occult ties. The use of objective language is necessary to avoid any biased or emotional language. It is important to be aware that strong spiritual forces are at play.

Source: Netzwerk-Esoterik-Ausstieg

Reiki is said to increase general wellbeing, maintain health and strengthen the body’s ability to heal itself in the event of illness. It also aims to promote mental and social health and has a similar effect to relaxation exercises such as autogenic training. The treatment is carried out as “therapeutic energy work” through the laying on of hands. This refers to a “universal life energy” that is passed on and flows to where it is needed, including animals and plants. This alone makes it clear that a) this “healing method” is entirely a child of East Asian philosophy and religion and therefore b) works with occult powers and methods, i.e. the “therapists” are actually mediums who pass on an occult power, “energy” or “channel” through which this energy flows after their “initiation”. This “initiation” through a special ritual is necessary because otherwise the channel is not “open” for the energy to flow. This makes it clear that this healing method is particularly dangerous and can put people under the influence of occult powers. It is related to Qigong, a traditional (esoteric) Chinese healing method, and to shamanic methods. The “energy of life” is an integral part of East Asian philosophy and religion, as is the assertion of a human “bio-energy” that needs to be rebalanced. There are many parallels here with the other alternative healing methods presented.

Despite numerous studies, the effectiveness of Reiki in healing has not been scientifically proven. Many effects can be attributed to the placebo effect, as shown by the 2010 study of 100 fibromyalgia patients by Assefi et al. No difference in effect was found whether they were treated by a Reiki healer or an actor pretending to be a healer.

Source: Online article “Health at any price”, Roland Sckerl

This led to the ‘four noble truths’ (Sanskrit catvāri āryasatyāni), which he proclaimed in his first public discourse in the Indian town of Sarnath:

* Life in the cycle of existence is ultimately suffering.

* The causes of suffering are greed, hatred and delusion (‘mental poisons’).

* When the causes cease, suffering ceases.

* The Noble Eightfold Path leads to the elimination of suffering

Many people followed Siddhartha Gautama and called him “Buddha”. Buddha did not see himself as a god, nor as the bearer of a god’s teachings. He did not receive the teachings (Dharma) through divine revelation, but came to an understanding of the nature of his own mind and the nature of all things through meditative contemplation. In this view, Buddhism is more like a tradition of thought or philosophy, but a closer look at Buddhist practice reveals that it is a path to salvation or a religion of works righteousness, one that has been continually “expanded” with esoteric and occult magical elements.

All branches of Buddhism adhere to the “Four Noble Truths” of suffering, its origin, its overcoming and the “Eightfold Path” leading to the overcoming of suffering (understood as liberation from the “shackles of delusion and attachment”).

According to Buddhist teachings, all “unenlightened” beings are subject to an endless cycle of suffering (samsara) of birth and rebirth (= false doctrine of reincarnation). How one behaves in one’s present life should determine as what (human, animal, bodhisattva, ascended master…) one will be reborn in the “next life”. The aim of Buddhist practice is to get out of this cycle of otherwise perpetual suffering. This liberation from suffering is called Nirvana as the “extinction” of greed, hatred and delusion, which is the goal of salvation common to all Buddhist denominations. The only differences are the paths taken to reach this goal. The Eightfold Path, for example, describes the Buddhist path of practice by which people should gradually transform themselves and ultimately transform all aspects of their lives.

The goal and ‘salvation’ in Buddhism is therefore to leave the cycle of rebirth and enter Nirvana. In truth, Buddhist teachings are anti-God ways of attempting self-redemption. According to this teaching, salvation is not given to man by grace – as God intended – but must be “worked for” step by step (i.e. a typical system of works righteousness).

Buddhism has many faces. It appears, for example, as a cult that deifies Buddha, builds temples and altars to him, depicts him in figures and worships him in numerous rituals (from a biblical perspective, this is nothing other than idolatry), or it is mixed with elements of folk religions (such as ancestor worship) and other religious traditions. The incorporation of occult practices and elements such as the invocation or appeasement of demons, divination, astrology, the wearing of amulets, numerology, sacrificial rituals or magical acts unfortunately also play an important role, especially in rural areas.

In Thailand, for example, miniature ‘spirit houses’ are built into new buildings to appease local spirits by offering them food. Meditation monks” are also known to be the source of certain supernatural powers.

Judgement from a Biblical Perspective:

Buddhism is a doctrine that does not believe in a Creator God, it is a “godless religion” or a-theistic. As a result, its followers do not believe that there is a world created by God, but rather “view the creation of the world and the cosmos on the basis of a dynamic, progressive and self-regulating development without divine intervention” [quoted from Lit. 4]. In Hinduism, on the other hand, Buddha is regarded as the 9th incarnation of Vishnu, a “form of the divine”.

Buddhism is a man-made philosophy.

Source: Netzwerk-Esoterik-Ausstieg

Ex 211 During my lecture tour in Jamaica in 1973 at the Theological Seminary in Kingston, I learned about the main form of sorcery practised in Jamaica. lt is called Pocomania. Pocomania is a mixture of religious ideas and African witchcraft. lt would take a book to describe Pocomania in detail. However, the movement is little known in North America and Europe, so I will only make a few comments about it here. Experts on Pocomania say that this form of witchcraft is a mixture of the Methodist revival movement and African witchcraft. The Bible is used as a book of white magic. The “sixth and seventh books of Moses” are given equal status. I was surprised to find this book, which originated in Germany, in Jamaica. Everything that is practised in spiritist circles is practised in pocomania: the cult of the dead, table-lifting, demon worship – including speaking in tongues, mental healing, exorcism: in short, everything associated with extreme Christian groups. Even death magic is practised. The three- or four-week trance practiced by the yogis of  Asia, is also practised in Pocomania. Those who are caught up in this movement are in the hands of Satan and have little chance of being set free unless they experience complete deliverance through Christ. The trend of our times is evident in all these syncretistic movements. There is a definite strategy behind them, controlled from below. The devil mixes occult and religious elements; he obscures clear distinctions and millions of victims fall into his trap. The spirit of the age is controlled from below.

But what is the purpose of this therapy, how did Edward Bach envision it? Well, he said that it was not the disease that had to be treated, but the patient. And the atmosphere is important, the patient must be given peace, hope and joy so that he forgets his illness and strives for health, because it is about correcting the faults in his nature. According to this theory, the diagnosis does not depend on the physical condition, but on the patient’s “ability to correct”. The patient must have the desire to live in harmony with the precepts of the soul, for man is divine. This alone and the goal of “harmony with the commandments of the soul” should make us sit up and take notice, as these are clearly anti-biblical, esoteric approaches that believe that salvation lies within us.

According to Bach, it is our fellow human beings, the circumstances, that cause illness. Disease is the result of external interference. Health is achieved through the “true knowledge of what we ought to be”, because we are perfect as human beings, children of God (this contradicts his assertion that illness comes from outside; but above all it contradicts the Bible, which analyses us human beings in such a way that we are deeply corrupt, that evil comes from our hearts, Matthew 15:19). The long-term goal is “purity of soul”. What is right about his analysis is that many physical illnesses have psychological causes. Only so-called ‘flower essences’ are used as medicines, supposedly imbued with ‘divine healing power’. They are said to open vessels in the body that allow more “light of the soul” to enter, so that the patient is flooded with “healing quality”. The method used to produce these “essences” is clearly shamanistic. Two methods known in this field are used: the sun method and the cooking method.

In the sun method, the flowers are picked in the morning on a cloudless day, with a leaf placed between the thumb and index finger as a “protection” so that the flower does not come into contact with the skin. Only so-called “wild plants” may be used, as cultivated plants no longer have the “healing powers”. The flowers are then placed in a bowl of spring water and left in the sun until the “subtle essence” of the flowers (their “soul”) has been transferred to the spring water. This is then bottled. This “flower essence” is said to have an effect not only when ingested, but also by simply possessing it or carrying it around in one’s pocket.

The cooking method is used for plants that flower at a time of year when it is not yet very warm. Astrology and environmental factors also play a role in the use of flowers. Comparing this with genuine herbal remedies, it must be said that these ‘flower essences’ can in no way be described as herbal remedies. This is because they are very different in terms of the principle of action and the extraction process. In true herbal remedies, the plants are crushed and then infused in water, alcohol or a water-alcohol mixture and boiled. The crushing is necessary to release the active ingredients of the plant – this is exactly what does not happen with ‘Bach flowers’. The Bach Centre itself admits that there is no scientifically satisfactory explanation for the action of ‘Bach Flowers’. In fact, not a single molecule of the plant-based active ingredient can be detected in the ‘flower essence’.

So how can the effect of the remedies be explained? There are two basic explanations: Firstly, a number of diseases heal themselves through the immune system, without the need for medication. So if Bach flower remedies were used in this context, they had nothing to do with overcoming the illness. The other explanation is the placebo effect, which is all the greater the greater the belief in the effect of the ‘medicine’, especially when both the therapist and the patient believe in it. Bach claimed that the effect of the flowers did not depend on the patient’s belief, but today’s advocates of Bach Flower Therapy say the exact opposite. Bach claimed that his therapy was also for “mental health care”, “character development”, self-help with everyday psychological problems and the mental co-treatment of psychosomatic illnesses that would otherwise be treated by a doctor.

It is clear from the above that Bach Flower Therapy is not really a special form of medical treatment, but a world view that clearly borrows from Hinduism, spiritualism and shamanism as well as psychotherapy. For Bach, God was merely a “powerful vibration of energy”, a “universal principle of life”. Visualisation (clearly shamanistic), yoga, breathing exercises and reading the I Ching, which is clearly occult, are also used to support Bach Flower Therapy. Ultimately, the aim is “self-healing”. Bach Flower Therapy is definitely part of the New Age and its environment and cannot be practised by a Christian, firstly because there is no real effect in the sense of positive healing through the essences, and secondly because it is a form of esotericism.

Source: „Gesundheit um jeden Preis“, Samuel Pfeifer