"Former Star Pressman Deals in Supernatural" by Kerstin Ring

This article originally appeared in the Orangeville (Canada) Hurontarian, November 17, 1982

In his own words Doug Cottrell is an ordinary man with an unique gift.

He is married with four children and lives in a large rambling house near Shelburne. His living room is filled with family memorabilia and photographs. As well as being a part-time farmer he also dabbles in the business world.

Mr Cottrell is also a clairvoyant.

“I’m basically an ordinary guy who is a part-time farmer, business man, inventor and involved a bit in the movie business,” says Mr Cottrell.

He has been having clairvoyant sessions with people from all over the world since 1974. He used to give two sessions a day six or seven days a week but has since cut down. His clientele is very select.

“The good Lord sends people to me seemingly when I need them and they need me,” he says.

Mr Cottrell is a very religious man but belongs to no denomination.

“I have always believed in God and I always went to Sunday school when I was a child,” he says. “I have a staunch religious background.”

Mr Cottrell moved to the Shelburne area in 1977 because it has always been a lifelong dream of his to own a farm.

“I remember my farm days from my childhood,” he says. “It’s in my blood to have a farm and be close to the earth.”

He moved to the country because he had been told from numerous sources that severe times were ahead.

“I had been told by friends, had read books, and my own intuition told me that hard times were ahead,” he says. “I moved to the farm because I liked the security of it. It’s a wholesome life and good for the children.”

Prior to moving to Shelburne Mr Cottrell had been a press man at the Toronto Star for 10 years.

“I was set for life and making a good salary,” he says. “But I felt I was in a rut.”

He had also been extremely successful in the business world.

“Being intuitive helps in the markets I always had a lifelong goal to be financially independent at 30. I achieved it.”

Mr Cottrell has not always been a clairvoyant. In fact, before 1973 he was highly skeptical of anything related to psychic ability.

Then a few things occurred in his life that made him start to question and analyze his skepticism.

He became interested in Edgar Cayce, a clairvoyant whose primary goal was giving health readings.

“Cayce would identify a problem in the human body and remedy or relieve the situation,” says Mr Cottrell. “He believed when there is a problem in the physical body it was the end result of something wrong in the mental or spiritual end of people. I believe wholeheartedly that attitude is the key to health or ill-health.”

He started to read about Cayce and was impressed because all of Cayce’s clairvoyant sessions were documented and verified by doctors and scientists.

Another big influence in Mr Cottrell changing his outlook had to do with his first-born daughter Cherri-Ann [sic].

Cherri-Ann was born 14 years ago with many difficulties. Among other things she was diagnosed as severely retarded and would have convulsions.

When she was two-and-a-half the Cottrells placed her in a home near Belleville.

Then one day in 1973 Mr Cottrell turned on his television and saw Ross Peterson, a clairvoyant, on the Allen Spraggett show.

“I saw this miraculous thing on television,” he says. “But it wasn’t until a few months later that I was able to meet and have a session with Ross Peterson.

“Being a true skeptic I investigated Mr Peterson and tested him subtly during the session. He came through with flying colors.”

One of the things Mr Peterson mentioned was Cherri-Ann. He recommended remedies for her that were in complete opposition to what everybody else had told the Cottrells.

In 1974 the Cottrells brought Cherri-Ann home to live with them.

“Cherri has gained weight since she has returned home. Speech is coming. She will achieve speech control,” says Mr Cottrell. “She can’t converse with us but inside she has the spark of life. Unfortunately she has no outward development of the inward intelligence.”

Since then Mr Cottrell has been investigating and researching the phenomenon of the mind and developing his ability.

“I’m attempting to understand the subconscious in relation to the conscious mind and consider the spiritual part of man as a truly tangible, living thing.

“It’s becoming more and more commonplace for people to understand miracles, to understand the spiritual gifts from telepathy or premonition.

“A realization that anything that deals with the supernatural can be rationalized by some capability that the mind has to influence matter. That the mind, again in conjunction with the spiritual force, can be in communication with other entities. It’s being understood to some degree. We cannot or will not understand everything about the spirit.”

Mr Cottrell says that during this time he became aware of how he reacted in relation to other people.

“You have to examine yourself and what bothers you about other people and realize that this is actually an inadequacy in yourself.”

Mr Cottrell says that he is definitely not infallible.

“I have been wrong many times,” he says. ” I can give an indication of what will take place. Truly and surely nothing is for sure.”