Many features herein concern healing – transformation, healing with music and meditation and healing from cancer.

Sadly, however, we also report with sadness the deaths from cancer of Sally Baldwin, The Countess Baldwin of Bewdley, in June 2001 and one year on, Rysia Ziendalski (Editor of Coffee and Carrots, newsletter of the Gerson Therapy organization). Both these wonderful women, through their own personal struggles with cancer, have contributed immensely and been inspirational to many cancer sufferers and professionals in the wider community.

Whenever someone with cancer who has been following complementary therapeutic approaches dies, the media and sometimes individuals within the complementary community lambaste and criticize that individual, broadcasting these deaths as proof of the failure and an indictment of that complementary medicine therapy.

I recently read the report of the death of Aveline Kushi, wife of Michio Kushi, major figures in the macrobiotic world. One bulletin, published by a prominent nutritional practitioner, had the cheek to suggest that Aveline Kushi's death from cancer proved that the macrobiotic diet was not an effective anti-cancer regimen. That particular practitioner is an advocate of another dietary regime, so his agenda was clear to me.

But when the 150,000+ UK cancer sufferers die each year following conventional cancer treatment, there is sympathy, but no criticism of their regimes. In the December issue of Positive Health, we will be publishing an authoritative account by Nicholas Calvino DC and Stephen Levine PhD of the ongoing political and media battles about vitamin C for cancer treatment. Don't miss it.

The many disciplines of complementary medicine are not devoid of frictions and conflicts, as has often been reflected within this column. Over the years, several extreme comments received at Positive Health have illustrated the diametrically opposed mindsets within complementary medicine and the greater public:

* An astonishing letter published in Issue 9 captioned Heretics! We! wherein the proprietor of 'retail outlets' complained that the contents of Positive Health deviated so far from his ethics as a Christian that he would be unable to sell it. Although he joked that he was not suggesting we burn homeopaths as witches, or that homeopathic medicines are 'demonic', he objected to the beliefs expressed in Positive Health "…that man is his own god and carries in his body the ability to become what he wants, i.e. 'you are your own destiny'." This conflicted with his belief that God is the only being that could heal.

* Disparaging, and usually erroneous allegations are relayed over the telephone, suggesting that products may be dangerous, practitioners may be unqualified, or that certain personalities may have a criminal record. In fact, several years ago we were informed that Positive Health had gone out of business! We take such allegations seriously and attempt to verify their veracity or otherwise; however, the origin of the huge majority of these comments are usually founded on the baser human traits, such as greed, envy, or hurt following the breakdown of a business or personal relationship;

* While we were preparing a special feature about Aromatherapy in Issue 15 which was to have included an Aromatology (therapeutic ingestion of essential oils) article, there was an outcry from aromatherapists, concerned that professionals and the public were not provided adequate training or information about ingestion. We subsequently published a feature about Aromatology in Issue 27, with further relevant articles in Issues 55 and 67;

* Following the publication of Issue 29 (Music as Therapy) which had a Lichtenstein illustration, we received a comment that the magazine was too 'tarty' and not spiritual enough; and following Issue 32 (Antibiotic Resistance), which had an image of an armoured soldier fending off virulent bacteria, we received a note from a health food store saying that they didn't wish to stock Positive Health anymore, as it was too militaristic.

These communications may be grist to the mill for publishers and journalists of large titles, but they have usually come as astonishing revelations to myself. I do hope that the uplifting and inspiring features throughout this issue will make some positive waves in our presently troubled world.