Editorial

It was the year 2011 that we met Harry van der Zee in Mumbai for dinner. The spark followed when the issue of contemporary classical homeopathy surfaced. Seemingly there is a divided perception between classical homeopaths as to what homeopathy is and what it should be. In our opinion their languages differed as did their paths, but the homeopathic goal remained the same.

As the discussion progressed, we expressed our opinion upon having a single platform wherein all the homeopaths (practising traditional and contemporary classical homeopathy) are gathered together to discuss their methods in depth, where each will honour the other.

The case taking process has been a subject close to our hearts. Dinesh has worked for a decade and more upon the subject and has come up with a model of case taking which we term the Case Witnessing Process. This, in our opinion, is the most pivotal point of homeopathic learning and practise. We expressed our dream of gathering all the homeopaths from the traditional to contemporary classical homeopathy with their work on case taking, case receiving, case witnessing and case observing under a single roof. We concluded our conversation with Harry by expressing that there is a need for an issue in the homeopathic journal that discussed “the case taking methods” practised around the globe and to bring forth a missing link that unites all these diverse methods.

After a couple of months, it came as a joyous surprise and a challenge when Harry proposed us as guest editors for this issue. The seed was thus sown; and here we are with an ever-growing plant!

Today we perceive many schools of case taking, receiving, witnessing and observing methods being developed and practised by homeopaths all around the globe. They offer ever deeper and more promising healing possibilities for their patients and the healers alike.

Our focus with issues (4/13 and 1/14) on “Case taking” is to bring forth:

1. “How to” for each presented method: to make each an easy and reproducible affair and to expose each one in depth from a single platform.

2. “How” each method, although diverse in appeal, carries its unique weight and individualised flavour and is thus essential.

3. “How to” arrive (most importantly) at the pivotal point that proves that each method ultimately follows the same fundamental principles of homeopathy laid down by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann and other stalwarts. The language and the paths followed sound different but the ultimate goal is the same: to find the simillimum by identifying the holistic individualised expressions of the patient and thus these case taking methods are intricately interrelated and integrated. Dineshʼs article – Integrating Homeopathy at the Holistic Level – attempts to do that.

For the present issue we have articles by Alastair Gray, Dinesh Chauhan, Rajan Sankaran, Rajesh Bhide, Jane Tara Cicchetti and Maarten Spaargaren. In the following issue we will have Dinesh Chauhan, Manoj Patel, Robert Bannan, Alastair Gray, Misha Norland and Harry van der Zee with their case taking methods and views. It is beautiful to witness the spread of articles over two issues: if viewed closely, one can witness a point of integration that gradually diverges as different methods unfold and then again converge to a point…a point that leads to a pathless land as Harry van der Zee rightly puts it.

We want to thank Harry for his trust in us that we will bring justice to this issue, and his unconditional support throughout and, most importantly, for giving us this opportunity to integrate homeopaths on the pivotal point of homeopathy (case taking). And, we also thank all our authors for their generous contributions.

With this issue we intend to convey that the need of the hour in homeopathy is to honour the integrity of each and every method, to identify with one or more, walk the path, find our own and carry the development further in contrast to feeling stressed, disheartened, frustrated, overwhelmed and despairing, by their diverse appeal.

We like these words a lot:

“Behind it all, Is surely an idea so simple, So beautiful, So compelling that when In a decade, a century, Or a millennium, We grasp it, We all say to each other, How could it have been Otherwise? How could we have been So stupid for so long?”

John Archibald Wheeler ~ Physicist

Drs. Urvi and Dinesh Chauhan