I have sought the services of a medium before and have turned my hand to runes and tarot. I put on a protective bubble of light before I go out to guard me from clingy spirits and I light candles to cleanse the atmosphere so, I think that my experiences of alternative therapy and spirituality will serve me well on my maiden Quest 2002.

Newton Abbot Racecourse is not the obvious choice for such an event but the wafting sound of an acoustic guitar on the approach neatly signals the mood within the main gates.

Anyway, the regulars seem to like it, faithfully returning year after year since the show took off in 1996. It is easy to see why, there really is nothing else like it – a marquee, stalls and exhibition halls bustling with healers, spiritual guides and craftspeople, wafts of incense, pots of potions and lotions of this or that.

It is inviting – if a little overwhelming – even to non-believers but because everyone else there is full of love and light, you are persuaded to open your mind. feel free to reveal your inner self.

Okay, it is this sort of talk that puts most people off but thankfully, I am reliably informed that most of the group hugs and dancing comes later in the evening. As it is, I arrive on Friday afternoon, day one of the event and everything is very calm and I am not the only one to experience the tranquillity.

I enter the main marquee while musicians Caitlin and Sika perform sounds of 'love and nature' and am greeted by people merrily dancing and clapping along.

Fran Harding, a trainee masseuse and aromatherapist from Newton Abbot, is one of the crowd: 'It's like a spiritual solace in the centre of Newton Abbot and it brings together complementary practitioners from around the globe.'

'It engages everyday people into experiencing an alternative way of being in the world.'

It is not surprising then, that post September 11, people are beginning to revaluate their lifestyles and change their priorities.

Local organiser Richard Rogers said: 'There is a lot of interest in trying to get a deeper understanding of ourselves, a connectedness to the earth and what's around us.

The Natural Health Show 'has exploded into many forms yet it seems less wacky. Complementary healing techniques seem more mainstream and increasingly appeals to a wide range of people who are looking for better health and thinking about different ways to live their lives.

First time Quest visitor, Andrew Turner, from Kingsteignton, is not quite convinced: 'I'd say that I'm a hardened sceptic to all things spiritual but it's Okay. Quest showed me though that most of the therapists were not all the hippies I thought they would be.'

Quest speaker, William Two Feather, attracted a full audience to his debut appearance at the festival. A former military soldier, the Apache spiritual warrior and medicine man is standing at the front of the hall complete with leather and feathers – I am struck by how surreal this is – an American Indian discussing Native American healing as 'working for the light side instead of for the darkness.' in a post war building at Newton Abbot racecourse in the middle of the afternoon. How bizarre.

The main exhibition space is a hub of activity with palmists, reiki healers and practitioners who can depict your personal spirit guide sprawling through the hall. It is an eclectic mix of natural sound CDs, organic soap, examination tables and incense – something that the Singarams of Zen Europe know much about.

Logan and Patricia Singaram stand behind pots of fragrant crystals and powder with a plate of incense burning on charcoal wafting a blue smoke screen. It is their first time at the show and are enjoying it so far, Logan grabs at the powders and explains that the tradition began when we lived in caves. Spices were burnt to fumigate and cleanse the environment. Frankincense, vital for the skin, is present in most creams and makes up the milky white bath powder while inhaling the smoke of charchra cleanses the airwaves, ultimately allowing the intake of more oxygen – a union of heart and mind and spirit. Ideal, so I buy a packet of saffron balls to enjoy a long and happy life full of love and light.