The revival of alternative healing methods in modern societies is by all meansa meaningful phenomenon. It appears inconsistent with the achievements ofmodern scientific medicine, as well as with new diagnostic techniques, medicines and therapeutic approaches. We present the results of the opinion survey conducted in Slovenia to establish people's attitude to various alternative healing practices. Next, we discuss wide social reasons and specific causes for the revival of alternative methods of treatment, reflectedin the dilemmas concerning the development of modern scientific medicine. Traditional healing methods as such do not pose a threat to scientific medicine. They represent an additional option of treatment that complements a wide range of medical services, with public health systems and scientific medicine retaining their dominant position in public health, as well as their responsibility for societal health and patients' trust in the medical profession. This trust, however, is not unconditional but comes with amandate. Patients who have had negative experience with formal health care services may lose their trust in scientific medicine.
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