Chip Coffey
| Chip Coffey | |
|---|---|
| Born |
August 21, 1954 Elmira, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Medium |
| Known for | Paranormal State, Psychic Kids, Exorcism: LIVE! |
Chip Coffey is an American psychic from Elmira, New York, currently living in Atlanta, Georgia.[1] He appears as a medium on various paranormal television programs, primarily Paranormal State and Psychic Kids. On Psychic Kids he acts as a mentor towards children who claim to have psychic abilities, primarily seeing ghosts. Coffey's claims of being able to communicate with the dead have been subject to criticism by skeptics.
History
According to Coffey, when he was a child, he would tell his parents when the phone was about to ring and who was calling; referring to his ability to read the past, present and future as a "God given talent"[2] Coffey said that when he reached adulthood, he began to see full-body apparitions. He also defines what he feels is the difference between a ghost and a spirit is that "the latter has completed the journey between the world of the living and the world of the dead. Ghosts, on the other hand, are souls that, for whatever reason, have chosen to stick around. They may not know they're dead, or they may fear judgment on the other side."[3]
Criticism
Coffey has been criticized by scientific skeptics. In 2009, the James Randi Education Foundation awarded Coffey a Pigasus Award "For the psychic who tricked the most people with the least effort".[4] According to skeptical investigator Joe Nickell, Coffey has been accused of hoaxing and "outright deception" involving the television series Paranormal State.[5]
In September 2014, members of the Bay Area Skeptics attended one of Coffey's seance sessions as part of what they termed a "sting operation" intended to reveal the falsity of his psychic claims. According to Ohlone College professor Sheldon Helms, skeptics posing as fans planted stories of fictitious dead family members with Coffey's staff. According to organizer Susan Gerbic, "Coffey claimed to be clearly communicating with our nonexistent family members".[6][7]
Popular culture
On October 30, 2015, Coffey appeared on Destination America Channel's two-hour special event, Exorcism: LIVE!.
References
- ↑ "Chip Coffey's Press Kit".
- ↑ "'God-given talent' is channeled in mysterious ways". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 25 Nov 2004. Retrieved 2012-12-13.
- ↑ Vesely, Carolin (8 May 2010). "Rare Medium Psychic Chip Coffey can communicate with the dead, but he has a degree of skepticism about paranormal activity". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2012-12-13.
- ↑ JREF. "The 2009 Pigasus Awards". James Randi Educational Foundation. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- ↑ Joe Nickell (3 July 2012). The Science of Ghosts: Searching for Spirits of the Dead. Prometheus Books. pp. 264–. ISBN 978-1-61614-586-6.
- ↑ Gerbic, Susan (February 5, 2015). "Operation Bumblebee". Skeptical Inquirer.
- ↑ Walther, Mitchell (October 30, 2014). "Ohlone professor 'stings' TV psychic" (PDF). Ohlone College Monitor.
External links
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