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{{Short description|Self-proclaimed psychic & medium}}
{{Short description|Self-proclaimed psychic and medium}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2019}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
|name = Chip Coffey
|name = Chip Coffey
|image = Susanna and Chip Coffey.JPG
|image = Chip Coffey.png
|imagesize = 180px
|imagesize = 180px
|alt =
|alt =
|caption = Chip Coffey (on the right)
|caption = Coffey in 2014
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1954|08|21}}
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1954|08|21}}
|birth_place = [[Elmira, New York|Elmira]], [[New York (state)|New York]]
|birth_place = [[Elmira, New York|Elmira]], [[New York (state)|New York]]
Line 14: Line 14:
|nationality = [[United States|American]]
|nationality = [[United States|American]]
|other_names =
|other_names =
|known_for = ''[[Paranormal State]]'', ''[[Kindred Spirits]]'', ''[[Psychic Kids]]''
|known_for = ''[[Paranormal State]]'', ''[[Kindred Spirits (TV series)|Kindred Spirits]]'', ''[[Psychic Kids]]''
|occupation = [[Mediumship|Medium]]
|occupation = [[Mediumship|Medium]]
}}
}}
{{Paranormal}}
{{Paranormal}}
'''Chip Coffey''' is an American self-proclaimed [[psychic]] from [[Elmira, New York|Elmira]], [[New York (state)|New York]], currently living in [[Atlanta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]].<ref name="presskit">{{cite web|url=http://www.chipcoffey.com/presskit.html|title=Chip Coffey's Press Kit}}</ref> He appeared as a [[Mediumship|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 [[ghost]]s. Coffey's claims of being able to communicate with the dead have been subject to criticism by [[scientific skepticism|skeptics]]. Coffey will be joining ''[[Kindred Spirits (TV series)|Kindred Spirits]]'' as the third official castmember alongside Adam Berry and Amy Bruni for the fourth season.
'''Chip Coffey''' (born August 21, 1954) is an American self-proclaimed [[psychic]] from [[Elmira, New York|Elmira]], [[New York (state)|New York]], currently living in [[Atlanta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]].<ref name="presskit">{{cite web|url=http://www.chipcoffey.com/presskit.html|title=Chip Coffey's Press Kit}}</ref> He appeared as a [[Mediumship|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 [[ghost]]s. Coffey's claims of being able to communicate with the dead have been subject to criticism by [[scientific skepticism|skeptics]]. In 2019 it was announced that Coffey will be joining [[Travel Channel]]'s ''[[Kindred Spirits (TV series)|Kindred Spirits]]'' as the third official cast member alongside Adam Berry and Amy Bruni for the fourth season in 2020.


==History==
==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"<ref name='AJ1'>{{cite web | url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AT&p_theme=at&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=10696635DFD8ADE1&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM | title = 'God-given talent' is channeled in mysterious ways | accessdate = 2012-12-13 | date = 25 Nov 2004 | work = Atlanta Journal-Constitution}}</ref> 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."<ref name='WFP'>{{cite web | url = http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/rare-medium-93182394.html | title = Rare Medium Psychic Chip Coffey can communicate with the dead, but he has a degree of skepticism about paranormal activity | accessdate = 2012-12-13 | last = Vesely | first = Carolin | date = 8 May 2010 | work = [[Winnipeg Free Press]]}}</ref>
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"<ref name='AJ1'>{{cite web | url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AT&p_theme=at&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=10696635DFD8ADE1&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM | title = 'God-given talent' is channeled in mysterious ways | accessdate = 2012-12-13 | date = 25 Nov 2004 | work = Atlanta Journal-Constitution}}</ref> Coffey said that when he reached adulthood, he began to see full-body apparitions. He also defines what he feels to be the difference between a ghost and a spirit, "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."<ref name='WFP'>{{cite web | url = http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/rare-medium-93182394.html | title = Rare Medium Psychic Chip Coffey can communicate with the dead, but he has a degree of skepticism about paranormal activity | accessdate = 2012-12-13 | last = Vesely | first = Carolin | date = 8 May 2010 | work = [[Winnipeg Free Press]]}}</ref>

In 2019, it was announced that Coffey would be joining the main cast of ''[[Kindred Spirits (TV series)|Kindred Spirits]]'' for the fourth season. This comes after Coffey appeared in the ''Haunted Salem'' 2019 live special with both Berry and Bruni from ''Kindred Spirits''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Paranormal Professionals Amy Bruni and Adam Berry - Along with Medium Chip Coffey - Kick Off New Year with Old Haunts in Fourth Season of Travel Channel's "Kindred Spirits" on January 3 At 9 P.M. ET/PT|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2019/12/05/paranormal-professionals-amy-bruni-and-adam-berry-along-with-medium-chip-coffey-kick-off-new-year-with-old-haunts-in-fourth-season-of-travel-channels-kindred-spirits-on-january-3-at-9-pm-et-pt-105011/20191205travel01/|work=[[The Futon Critic]]|date=December 5, 2019}}</ref>


==Criticism==
==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".<ref>{{cite web|last1=JREF|title=The 2009 Pigasus Awards|url=http://archive.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/928-the-2009-pigasus-awards.html|publisher=James Randi Educational Foundation|accessdate=1 March 2015}}</ref> According to skeptical investigator [[Joe Nickell]], Coffey has been accused of hoaxing and "outright deception" involving the television series ''[[Paranormal State]]''.<ref name="Nickell2012">{{cite book|last1=Nickell|first1=Joe|authorlink=Joe Nickell|title=The Science of Ghosts: Searching for Spirits of the Dead|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oGS67QhECywC&pg=PT264|date=3 July 2012|publisher=Prometheus Books|isbn=978-1-61614-586-6|pages=264–}}</ref>
Mediumship is considered to be [[pseudoscience]], and Coffey specifically has been roundly 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".<ref>{{cite web|last1=JREF|title=The 2009 Pigasus Awards|url=http://archive.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/928-the-2009-pigasus-awards.html|publisher=James Randi Educational Foundation|accessdate=1 March 2015}}</ref> According to skeptical investigator [[Joe Nickell]], Coffey has been accused of hoaxing and "outright deception" involving the television series ''[[Paranormal State]]''.<ref name="Nickell2012">{{cite book|last1=Nickell|first1=Joe|author-link=Joe Nickell|title=The Science of Ghosts: Searching for Spirits of the Dead|url=https://archive.org/details/scienceofghostss0000nick|url-access=registration|date=3 July 2012|publisher=Prometheus Books|isbn=978-1-61614-586-6|pages=[https://archive.org/details/scienceofghostss0000nick/page/264 264]–}}</ref>


In September 2014, members of the [[San Francisco Bay Area|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.<ref name="PretendRadio">{{cite podcast|url=https://pretendradio.org/s407-the-psychic-vampires/|title=The Psychic Grief Vampires|host=Javier Leiva|publisher=Pretend Radio|date=2 July 2019|access-date=3 July 2019}}</ref> 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".<ref name=CSICOP>{{cite journal|last1=Gerbic|first1=Susan|authorlink=Susan Gerbic|title=Operation Bumblebee|journal=Skeptical Inquirer|date=February 5, 2015|url=http://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/operation_bumblebee}}</ref><ref name=Ohlone>{{cite journal|last1=Walther|first1=Mitchell|title=Ohlone professor 'stings' TV psychic|journal=Ohlone College Monitor|date=October 30, 2014|url=http://www.ohlone.edu/org/monitor/20142015/20141030/page4-5.pdf}}</ref> In March 2018, Gerbic published an article in ''[[Skeptical Inquirer]]'' summarizing a number of techniques which she says are used by psychics, such as Coffey, to achieve their effects.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gerbic|first1=Susan|title=Ten Tricks of the Psychics I Bet You Didn’t Know|url=https://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/ten_tricks_of_the_psychics_i_bet_you_didnrsquot_know|website=CSI|publisher=Committee for Skeptical Inquiry|accessdate=23 March 2018}}</ref>
In September 2014, members of the [[San Francisco Bay Area|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.<ref name="PretendRadio">{{cite podcast|url=https://pretendradio.org/s407-the-psychic-vampires/|title=The Psychic Grief Vampires|host=Javier Leiva|publisher=Pretend Radio|date=2 July 2019|access-date=3 July 2019|archive-date=July 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190703235006/https://pretendradio.org/s407-the-psychic-vampires/|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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".<ref name=CSICOP>{{cite journal|last1=Gerbic|first1=Susan|author-link=Susan Gerbic|title=Operation Bumblebee|journal=Skeptical Inquirer|date=February 5, 2015|url=http://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/operation_bumblebee}}</ref><ref name=Ohlone>{{cite journal|last1=Walther|first1=Mitchell|title=Ohlone professor 'stings' TV psychic|journal=Ohlone College Monitor|date=October 30, 2014|url=https://issuu.com/ohlone-college/docs/allpages_9fb80cc2cbabe4?e=8017878/9990874}}</ref>


In October 2013, Coffey appeared on the [[KFXN-FM]] morning show ''The Power Trip''. Host Cory Cove confronted Coffey with skepticism regarding his alleged psychic powers. Coffey reportedly "stormed out of the studio".<ref name="KFAN">{{cite web|title=Cory Cove got into it with a Psychic this morning...|url=http://kfan.iheart.com/onair/the-power-trip-12367/cory-cove-got-into-it-with-11735524/|website=KFAM-FM 100.3 Minneapolis-St. Paul|publisher=iHeart Radio|accessdate=6 March 2017}}</ref>
In October 2013, while appearing on the [[KFXN-FM]] morning show ''The Power Trip'', Coffey was confronted by host Cory Cove, who voiced skepticism over Coffey's alleged psychic powers. Coffey reportedly "stormed out of the studio" following Cove's confrontation.<ref name="KFAN">{{cite web |title=Cory Cove got into it with a Psychic this morning... |url=http://kfan.iheart.com/onair/the-power-trip-12367/cory-cove-got-into-it-with-11735524/ |website=KFAM-FM 100.3 Minneapolis-St. Paul |publisher=iHeart Radio |access-date=6 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828002325/http://kfan.iheart.com/onair/the-power-trip-12367/cory-cove-got-into-it-with-11735524/ |archive-date=28 August 2016}}</ref>


==References==
==References==

Latest revision as of 21:27, 20 November 2024

Chip Coffey
Coffey in 2014
Born (1954-08-21) August 21, 1954 (age 70)
Elmira, New York
NationalityAmerican
OccupationMedium
Known forParanormal State, Kindred Spirits, Psychic Kids
Part of a series on the
Paranormal
Main articles
Skepticism
Parapsychology
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Chip Coffey (born August 21, 1954) is an American self-proclaimed psychic from Elmira, New York, currently living in Atlanta, Georgia.[1] He appeared 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. In 2019 it was announced that Coffey will be joining Travel Channel's Kindred Spirits as the third official cast member alongside Adam Berry and Amy Bruni for the fourth season in 2020.

History

[edit]

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 to be the difference between a ghost and a spirit, "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]

In 2019, it was announced that Coffey would be joining the main cast of Kindred Spirits for the fourth season. This comes after Coffey appeared in the Haunted Salem 2019 live special with both Berry and Bruni from Kindred Spirits.[4]

Criticism

[edit]

Mediumship is considered to be pseudoscience, and Coffey specifically has been roundly 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".[5] According to skeptical investigator Joe Nickell, Coffey has been accused of hoaxing and "outright deception" involving the television series Paranormal State.[6]

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.[7] 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".[8][9]

In October 2013, while appearing on the KFXN-FM morning show The Power Trip, Coffey was confronted by host Cory Cove, who voiced skepticism over Coffey's alleged psychic powers. Coffey reportedly "stormed out of the studio" following Cove's confrontation.[10]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Chip Coffey's Press Kit".
  2. ^ "'God-given talent' is channeled in mysterious ways". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. November 25, 2004. Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  3. ^ Vesely, Carolin (May 8, 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 December 13, 2012.
  4. ^ "Paranormal Professionals Amy Bruni and Adam Berry - Along with Medium Chip Coffey - Kick Off New Year with Old Haunts in Fourth Season of Travel Channel's "Kindred Spirits" on January 3 At 9 P.M. ET/PT". The Futon Critic. December 5, 2019.
  5. ^ JREF. "The 2009 Pigasus Awards". James Randi Educational Foundation. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  6. ^ Nickell, Joe (July 3, 2012). The Science of Ghosts: Searching for Spirits of the Dead. Prometheus Books. pp. 264–. ISBN 978-1-61614-586-6.
  7. ^ Javier Leiva (July 2, 2019). "The Psychic Grief Vampires" (Podcast). Pretend Radio. Archived from the original on July 3, 2019. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  8. ^ Gerbic, Susan (February 5, 2015). "Operation Bumblebee". Skeptical Inquirer.
  9. ^ Walther, Mitchell (October 30, 2014). "Ohlone professor 'stings' TV psychic". Ohlone College Monitor.
  10. ^ "Cory Cove got into it with a Psychic this morning..." KFAM-FM 100.3 Minneapolis-St. Paul. iHeart Radio. Archived from the original on August 28, 2016. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
[edit]
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