Allison DuBois - Don't Kiss Them Good-bye

After a month of waiting, the day finally came for me to go to Tucson and meet Dr. Schwartz. Because of his academic accomplishments, I felt awkward about calling him anything but Dr. Schwartz. After all, he didn’t invest years in obtaining his doctorate for nothing. But he would not allow such formality and insisted that I call him Gary. Besides being modest, he was warm and personable.

As we sat down, Gary began explaining that my timing was interesting because he had lost someone close to him two days before. While Gary was talking I saw a male spirit standing next to him.

“Great!” I thought. “What if he doesn’t want to hear from a relative right now?” Sometimes those on the other side can be impatient.

The male spirit pulled out a wrench and started tapping Gary on the head with it. It was so funny I could hardly keep a straight face. I was also trying hard to listen to Gary’s words of wisdom. Finally, I couldn’t concentrate any longer.

“Gary, there is a man that is with you, either your uncle or your great-uncle. He’s not an academic like you. He’s holding a wrench in his hand and he’s tapping you on the head in a teasing manner. He’s mechanical. He works with tools and is good at fixing things. He’s a down-to-earth kind of guy.”

Gary said, “Yes, that’s fine. We’ll talk about that after I test you.”

I took a deep breath and we continued. Gary was interested in testing me to see whether I could bring through any messages or details about the recently deceased person that he had mentioned earlier. He provided no other information—not age, gender, or circumstance.

After a short pause I said, “I see an old woman. She’s petite with white hair and she has a small dog with her.” I felt a little unfulfilled, because a lot of old people with little dogs die. I guess I wanted to say that it was a kid with a nose ring or a man wearing a purple polka-dot dress shirt, something unusual. But there are only two genders and many human generalities. It’s the little details that define the person and add impact to a reading.

Dr. Schwartz sat silently for a moment and then said, “Go on.”

I was really nervous; Dr. Schwartz is Harvard educated and taught at both Harvard and Yale. He is a well-respected scholar and I wanted to exceed his expectations of me. He also works with some of the best-known mediums in the world and I wanted to leave a lasting impression on him. This would not be easy. I was flashed a picture but I didn’t want to reveal it, it seemed so insignificant.

Apparently my facial expression betrayed me because Dr. Schwartz encouraged me. “Just say whatever you get. It’s okay to be wrong.”

“I see a paperboy selling newspapers on a street corner, he’s in New York City. He’s holding up the newspaper and showing it to me. The person on the other side is saying, ‘I do not walk alone.’ ”

Dr. Schwartz jotted this down.

“Flowers are important to your friend,” I added. Dr. Schwartz didn’t respond.

I continued, and we carried out the rest of the session while I shared many other personal details.

When the session was over, Dr. Schwartz said, “Let me tell you what your information means.”

I couldn’t wait to hear. I could have been wrong on the gender, age, and a hundred other things. How nerve-racking! Now was not the time to be wrong.

He started off by telling me that the person who had just died was named Susy Smith and was in fact an old woman. She was eighty-nine, just shy of her ninetieth birthday. They had been colleagues and good friends. She was petite and had white hair, and had once been a newspaper reporter in New York City. And, indeed, she had a little dog she had loved that had died years ago.

The statement “I do not walk alone” was also of significance to Gary. Susy had stated before she died that she hoped she’d be able to walk again on the other side. She had relied heavily on a wheelchair at the time of her death. Susy was letting Gary know that she was whole again. Also, she had always loved children but had had none of her own. I had described her as standing beside a male child. Susy was now taking care of children; she was mothering them. She was letting Gary know that she walks among children on the other side.

The reference to flowers was right on, because Susy used to paint pictures of different types of flowers. There were many other details that let Gary know that she was alive and well on the other side. Gary then gave me feedback concerning the male spirit that stood beside him, the spirit I had commented on earlier.

Gary let me know that he had an uncle who used to joke around with him when he was a child. His uncle had owned a hardware store and was very mechanical. Apparently Gary’s uncle is still teasing him from the other side. Confirmation is sweet to a medium; it allows us to share a personal moment with the people we are reading. I feel blessed to meet the colorful spirits who communicate their messages to those who still long for them.

In April 2001 I had another test placed before me. Dr. Schwartz had asked a question of his late friend Susy. He wanted Susy to hear his question and send her answer through any of the mediums participating in his study. We were not allowed to know what the question was and we were all tested independently.

Dr. Schwartz asked me if I knew the answer. (There’s some pressure!) I kept getting that it was something that Susy wanted to bequeath to Dr. Schwartz. I repeatedly saw a scene from The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy is holding her little dog, Toto, in a handbasket. I described this and Dr. Schwartz asked me to elaborate on what I was seeing.

While Dr. Schwartz was talking to our secretary-recorder about the notes he was taking, I whispered, “Her dog.”

His ears perked right up. “What did you say?”

I said, “Her dog. Who has her dog? She wants you to have her dog, she says no one will love her dog like you will.”

I continued, and at the end of our session I was told that the question that Dr. Schwartz had asked Susy was, “Who do you want to take your dog?” That’s what I refer to as a psychic high-five. Score!

People ask me how I feel about Gary. We have a multifaceted relationship. He is an impressive man and an advanced scientist. I respect his foresight, his humor, and his strength. You get the picture: I really admire him.

Being Gary’s research medium has given me great focus with my gift. I had raw ability when I met Gary, but I lacked a frame of reference that would help me push the boundaries of my ability. As a result of my lab testing and the challenges posed to me by Gary, I have become more bold in my readings. There is a big difference between being able to receive the name of a deceased relative and being able to answer a specific question posed to the other side without being privy to the question. I really had to work on being focused to accomplish something at this level of difficulty.

One reason is that a question posed to the deceased and requiring an answer from a lab medium can be seen as a demand on the deceased. It’s not necessarily an emotionally based reading, it’s academic. A deceased scientist like Susy might be interested in participating, whereas someone else may not. Also, mediums are simply secretaries to the dead. We’re just telling you what the deceased says.

Lab readings are different because we are not able to make an emotional connection with the spirit on the other side through their emotional connection to the sitter. When I do a reading, I feel what the spirit feels for my client. I receive memories that connect the two, and images of objects that may bind them. Having both energies physically present (the lost loved one and the sitter) allows me to facilitate a physical connection between the two parties by acting as a medium.