Doris Stokest
She never trained as a medium but gradually became known in the Spiritualist church circuit, passing on messages from voices that became increasingly clear. Sometimes she earned a little money by giving private sittings. The death of her baby son when he was only five months old made her more conscious of her psychic gift. She was to lose three other children before she finally adopted her son Terry, and the sadness she experienced made her especially sensitive with regard to bereaved parents.
Doris Stokes
It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when she started to become a household name, but it was probably after her stunning success in America in 1978 when she went through a series of tests on television. Suddenly she was in demand everywhere. Her books became best- sellers, her public appearances great occasions. The waiting list for private sittings with her ran into thousands. She went on gruelling tours, and in Sydney the traditionally sceptical Aussies queued for hours just to get a ticket.
People were amazed at her down-to-earth attitude to the spirit world. It seemed to be as real to her as this one. Her utter belief in life after death communicated itself to her audience. Describing herself as being like a telephone exchange putting the spirits in touch with their loved ones, she performed as a clairaudient, hearing rather than seeing spirits. Sometimes she saw spirit children because she had a special empathy with them. She never promised to ‘get through’ to any particular person but would simply create a quiet, serene atmosphere and wait for things to happen.
The messages she gives are usually made up of trivial details, but the accuracy of these exchanges is usually enough to convince people that they are experiencing a paranormal event. Some people, trying to find a rational answer for what is going on, have suggested she is using extrasensory perception (ESP).
Those who attend her performance expecting a weird experience are disappointed. ‘Hello, my loves’ she greets those who have come to see her. She claims that she can see flickering blue lights above the heads of those she puts into contact. The longer a person has been dead, the stronger the voice. The newly dead tend to sound faint, sometimes fading away altogether. She has learned to cope with these awkward silences, though earlier in her life she was at times tempted to ‘fill in’.
Doris Stokes recorded her contact with some very famous spirits in her book A Host of Voices. George Orwell, author of Nineteen Eighty Four, talked with her at some length. John Lennon and Marc Bolan, superstars of the pop world, came through, and so did the young actor Richard Beckinsale, who died from a heart attack when he was only thirty-two. He wanted her to tell his parents that he had taken up music, something he had always wanted to do on earth.
Perhaps the most poignant conversation she reported was with comedian Dick Emery. She has endured some traumatic physical illnesses in her life and was in hospital after her thirteenth operation for cancer when he came through. Trying to make her laugh, he joked that the spirit world wanted her so much they were taking her bit by bit.
Doris Stokes has always said there is no need to fear death. She has spent a lifetime trying to get that message over to as many people as possible.
