I am reminded again and again that the terms which we all use frequently to delineate ourselves from orthodox medicine, are wholly inadequate. These include the alphabet soup comprised of Alternative Medicine, Complementary Medicine, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), Holistic Medicine, Natural Medicine. Even my current favourite Integrated Medicine is also in danger of becoming a hackneyed cliché. These terms are all correct, yet when put into the semantic mix, have become a bit of a nightmare.

The notion that the individual, i.e. you or I, can make a difference to the world, has become familiar, yet sacred within the spiritual as well as the broader mainstream world. This is what we are taught as children, within our families and schools, this is what the media inculcates to us through  numerous charity appeals: cancer patients raising money, families raising money for crusades against miscarriages of justice, or closure of hospitals, or aid to developing impoverished countries. The strength of the individual is the foundation of charities, NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and organizations too numerous to list.