Everyone knows PS is just plain silly. It’s more of a Religious show then anything else. IMO. Of course. But I still watch it

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Ron,

You definitely have the best website to expose these “paranormal” frauds – bar none – like it or not. Your site keeps these PT Barnum “There’s a sucker born every minute” advantage-takers in check. This is a James Randi-like debunking website for paranormal fakes! I love it. I applaud you for the time and effort in exposing their lies.

Where television and ratings are concerned, you can bet your bottom dollar these guys will be debunked as they have been for hundreds of years in the past. Nothing has really changed – just looking for new suckers.

I look forward to more on this story and people like Coffey whose career of ” Psychic, Medium and Spiritual Counselor” took off only after his TV success on A&E. One only has to look at his website..

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Hmmm…Chip Coffey, boots, and getting deep. I don’t think I even want to know!

Sorry, couldn’t resist VR

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@Victor:
Thanks I won’t sleep for a week now.

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Boots mmm should I wear a standard mid calf, or my thigh highs or should I dig out the hip waders for this???

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As I mentioned previously I appeared on the “Desperate Households” episode of Paranormal State this last season. The producers contacted me looking for new cases. I was hesitant at first since I wasn’t crazy about the show, but I asked my clients from one of my cases and they were open to doing it. I thought they’d just show up with a producer and a couple of camera guys. Boy was I wrong! They showed up with several equipment trucks and about 25 crew people and took over the entire neighborhood. So much for being discreet, it quickly devolved into a complete circus. They disrupted my clients’ lives for three days with cast and crew members trampling in and out of their houses and using them as a bathroom stop! At the time I thought that the PRS team behaved themselves, but in recent talks with my clients I found out some things that seriously piss me off about Ryan and his team.

As for their “investigation” they were unmotivated. My client overheard several of Ryan’s team members saying that they thought she was full of shit, so she confronted them directly and let them have it. Ryan himself seemed distracted and uninterested whenever I talked to him, like he’d rather be anywhere else. I actually liked Chad a lot, he was nice and seemed to take it more seriously than the rest of the team.

During “Dead Time” (don’t even get me started on that stupidity) Ryan’s team didn’t even try to investigate. They sat around and attempted to record EVP’s, but it was clear they were bored. Then they forgot their digital recorder and left it at the client’s house, so they never even attempted to review the evidence! I wound up eventually mailing the recorder back to Sergey, but not before I listened to it myself to see how they conducted their dead time and it was clear they didn’t care. The client was furious that they refused to take her situation seriously.

Then came the part where Ryan brought in their psychic-of-the-week. This time out we got stuck with Michele Belanger. Now I was not present when she (is she a She? I’m still confused) was there so I can’t say if the producers fed her information or not. But I can say that when she was out in the back yard she said that she felt something was buried under the ground. This was beyond laughable because the producers had brought in a ground penetrating radar team the day before to scan the back yard because of stories that human remains were found on the property when the house was first built. So she was standing in the middle of several dozen little red flags stuck in the ground showing where the radar may have found something. The producers were careful to film her from the waist up so that we couldn’t see the flags, then when they edited the show they made it appear that she did her reading in the backyard first, THEN they brought in the radar team, but it happened the other way around.

When my clients (there were two houses on the same street, so it was supposed to be a double investigation) agreed to do the show it was with the understanding that they would not use their last names on TV to have at least a small semblance of privacy. So when the show airs we were horrified when Ryan blurts out my client’s full name on the air in the first 30 seconds! We made angry calls to the producers and their response was, “Well, it wasn’t in the contract.”

Then they completely cut out one of my clients out of the show because she wasn’t “frightened” enough for the producers. They decided to focus only on one family, but they still disrupted the other family’s lives for three days and she got nothing for her trouble. On top of that the scene where I am presenting our evidence to Ryan and Chad was manipulated, and all that was shown on air was evidence from the house that was cut out of the show, but they made it seem like it came from the other house!

The final insult came about a month after the shoot when the producers wanted to film a follow-up interview with the clients to see how they were doing after the investigation. The producers kept trying to feed them lines to say that PRS did a fantastic job and solved their problems (i.e. scripted!). The one client totally refused, but they really didn’t care since they cut her out of the episode anyway.

Needless to say, I will never do one of these programs again and I’ve certainly learned my lesson. It’s all scripted and manipulated for dramatic purposes. It’s all about ratings and money folks, so don’t expect any of these TV teams to come in and solve your problems. You are nothing to them, they just want to use you to make money. Period. My advice to anyone wanting to be on one of these shows is don’t, but if you’re determined then you must get all of your conditions IN WRITING up front in the contract! Otherwise, you’re screwed.

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Funny, I was just thinking about this show for some oddball reason and turned on the TV. Sad to say, the show that was on was “Psychic Kids” and it was the last 10 minutes of an episode. (See, maybe I’m almost as psychic as Chip Coffey!) I felt the anger welling up in me again. Here were some girls on the cusp of their teenage years who obviously had some emotional issues. It was evident what they were “seeing” was made up people, like little children do. And Mr. Coffey was guiding them all the way…

I know this is about Paranormal State (how the University probably wishes it could distance itself further from them!) but a basic principal applies. Most of the people (or clients, if you like) are in the grieving process and/or have emotional (sometimes mental) issues. These IMO charlatans are both using these poor souls for gain and NOT helping to ease their emotional turmoil. It looks as though A & E has paid NO attention to the volume of protests that have been made against both shows.

BTW Ron, what do you think the significance of having to provide an SS number is? The only valid reason I can think of is that the participants are paid in one way or another, if only through possible residuals.

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Great post , very refreshing to see someone speak up from first person experience and expose what was truly going on.

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More to come.

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@DecayingAngel:

That “Psychic Kids” atrocity was despicable perhaps some of the most irresponsible “paranormal” programming I have seen to date …

…thanks for reminding me! Grrrrrrrrr!

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@DecayingAngel:

I love the irony of Michele Belanger making a psychic scan for buried bodies in the yard that was already probed by the penetrating radar team and she was standing in the middle of “little red flags” stuck in he ground where hits were already detected while she performed her reading that the camera made sure to only film from the waist up….

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that last reply was intended for “mark”

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Beginning to wonder if there is a place at all for ParaTV

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@Joseph J. Andrasi:
Yes, the recycle bin.

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Doesn’t Mr (Miss?) Coffey have an acting background, not a psychology or counseling one? VR

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Enigma (we miss Enigma), actually did some GREAT investigative work and found out Coffey does NOT have an advance degree in psychology at Elmira college as he made many to believe. Enigma phoned the college and contacted the appropriate people and was given the information.

SO …Coffey LIES! Yes, he lied!!!

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I’m just wondering what proof you have that Chip is conditioned and told any facts prior to filming any show? I’m assuming because you don’t use words like “opinion” or “speculation” that you have unrefutable proof of what you are stating.

And here is just a thought on your other accusation… Do you believe that “Chip” is a real name or a nick name? When you start calling colleges or anywhere that shuffle through 10,000 people a year and want to know who went there decades ago, you might need to be very accurate with a name.

“Enigma (we miss Enigma) actually did some GREAT investigative work….” By “great investigative work” you are referring to him/her picking up a phone? I think it takes a little more effort and knowledge to be considered great investigative work but I suppose it depends on what your standards are.

I was fortunate enough to be asked to tape an episode of Psychic Kids for season 2 this summer. I can attest to only what I saw during the two days that I was there. Everything I witnessed was above board, professional and honest.

I think it’s humorous that decayingangel states that it was obvious that the kids on a episode from season one had “obvious emotional issues” and that it “was evident they were seeing made-up people”. I know many people base their opinions on very little. That’s fine. I would think though, that when we are judging people we would require as much as we would ask be required before making a judgement call on ourselves.

Contrary to what you probably believe, I actually like SciFake. It makes for some fun reading. I also enjoy the Enquirer and Star magazines for the same reason, fun. They, like SciFake, want you to believe that they research their stories fully before publishing. That’s not the case however. SciFake relies mostly on heresay. Considering that the paranormal field is riddled with ego-filled, back-stabbing, immature, eccentric folks who have no life outside of this community, I would think that the chances of someone lying for no other reason than an attempt to humiliate someone, is pretty darned likely. I have never heard so many crazy accusations and seen so much finger pointing as I have since becoming involved in this field. In fact, in the last few years, the finger pointing and accusations have become a full entity in and of itself. SciFake, the “Divas” etc., have taken what they want others to believe is a “moral” stand. Remember the Paranormal Police? I can’t help but visualize a bunch of folks sitting behind their keyboards wearing tights and a red cape.

I would simply ask those who read stories compiled by folks who state they are here to expose fraud and fakery, to ask themselves where their proof comes from. To those who are not affiliated in the paranormal field but watch the tv shows and feel they have discovered some hidden truth here…. Look around. Are their any shows these folks like? Are there any folks involved in these shows that they haven’t bashed at one time or another? Should you rely on more than heresay?

Are these shows a true and accurate representaion of what happens on investigations? No. Just adding all the lights and camers and extra folks changes the dynamics completely. Do we get non-stop activity? Nope. Would you enjoy watcing a show week after week that shows investigators sitting i the dark in complete silence waiting for something to happen or would you appreciate the efforts of the editing crew to make the show exciting for you, the viewer? Do these shows claim to be documentaries?

So, before we thank SciFake and folks like the “Divas” for bringing the truth into the light let’s ask what they base their truth on. Perception, rumor, heresay, people who contact the “appropriate” people… Ask yourselves if this is really any different than the Enquirer and Star magazine. It’s not. Fun? Yes. Full of truths you can bet you paycheck on? No, not at all.

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Michelle,

Thank you for your input and “long” comment.

As Houdini emphatically stated, “It is not for us to prove the mediums are dishonest, it is for them to prove that they are honest.”

Keep in mind, I have spoken to Chip via phone and he told me himself it is TRUE the production crew receives information prior to the filming. BUT, he did make it clear he did not; however, when asked about driving to the location (you see him drive up in a car) it is ALL set-up prior. He does NOT drive there to the location as you probably thought! So, where does he drive from? A block up the street? Maybe?

After Enigma uncovered the truth about Chip – he removed his “Advance Degree” from his profile. We have the screen shots showing Advance Degree; however, now (pulled from his myspace page) # Student status: Alumni # Degree: Bachelor’s Degree. He once told me he graduated from the college of F.U. (F U C K You). Wow, pretty darn professional there huh Michelle?

If the man has nothing to hide, then why do you suppose he changed his profile to a lesser degree? Tell us who you are, unless of course you are NOT who you pretend to be.

Believe EXACTLY what you want Michelle and I’m okay with it! I’m sure if Enigma was writing he/she would offer more …for we have nothing to hide.

I’m not insinuating Chip is NOT professional; ohwever, I am

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It’s my opinion you are NOT Michelle; however, Mr. Coffey! Why? The I.P. address and the writing! Also, the style and the subject. Yes, Mr. Coffey and I had the EXACT conversation about the lighting and cameras.

Let’s make this clear too, I enjoyed speaking to Mr. Coffey. He was pleasant (most times) and articulate. Defensive? Yes and expected. He told me my mom passed away of heart failure. No kidding Chiparoo! She had cancer and she passed. I’m sure her heart gave out. NO revelation there!

In my opinion, Chip is the same as the John Edwards …skilled at the art of hustling!

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@Michelle:

Hi Michelle..
Did you see the “face” that appeared in the window condensation on “Psychic Kids”?…

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@admin:

The plot thickens lol ..

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Perhaps “Michelle” is Mrs Coffey? …

oh wait….

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Granted Chip Coffey had another name at birth, but this isn’t about Chip personal life here-

Its about the deception that psychics in general use to fool and take advantage of people

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True, but if he lies about his personal life???

Mr. Coffey put his personal life out there and people (like Enigma) are going to authenticate his information. After all, Coffey is the one who wants “us” to believe he has an advance masters degree! He put that information out there and not us! So, who’s guilty of deception? In my opinion, Coffey.

ALSO, keep in mind Coffey is th one who threatened scifake with law suites for digging!

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Careful GodofWar! NO personal attacks!

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@admin:

sorry, I’m only on my first cup of java ..

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Yes, it was a long comment. I was a little surprised by it myself once it posted but, just a little.
Of course the production crew knows where the location is, what the claims are, the names of the participants… In fact, I believe a crew goes to the location prior to filming to interview, meet with, etc. That’s no surprise. Do you feel the production crew need be blindfolded and dropped in by parachute in the dark of the night?
In regards to how Chip arrives to a location… Obviously he knows the city to which he is flying to. It’s on his ticket. They also announce it on the plane. I can tell you for a fact however, if the airport is not located near the location being filmed, a car will be rented for Chip and he will be given the name and address of the hotel they are putting him up in. Once there, he waits for either a phone call or a crew member to bring him to the location. So, yes he does indeed drive to the location many times. Is it from his home in Atlanta? No. Is it from a block up the street? Maybe. Does that matter? Would you be happier if they filmed him from the moment he leaves the hotel room? Is that your big revelation?
Chips education, degrees, past employment is not my business. He is on these shows as a psychic. As far as I know, you have to have a reason such as job application validation or be a school looking to verify credits to have a right to his records. I’m not surprised he said the college of F.U. to you. When you know some ones goal is to attempt to discredit you, when comments etc, have been made in regards to sexuality,… you just might expect an aggressive response. Just saying.
Okay, now on to who I am pretending to be… Yes, your incredible investigative abilities are at work again! Let me help you out. You could have looked at my email address. My email address contains the name of a website. The website states my general location which is Ga. Where does Chip live? Ga. I live about 15 minutes away from Chip. My full name is Michelle Griffin. The Griffin is new as I just got married. My former name is Michelle Babiarz. My nickname is Babs.
I didn’t insinuate you had anything to hide. I’m insinuating you have nothing of value to offer. I’m insinuating that your so-called investigative skills are lacking and based on nothing more than rumor, gossip and hearsay. Might you get lucky sometimes and actually post factual, truthful information? Sure. You did just that when you posted on sexual offenders. Kudos on that and the fact that you had legal documentation to back it up.
Godofwar; are you referring to the face in the initial pilot that took place at some cabin in the woods? If so, I saw what they showed.
Paraskep; It is about his personal life. Make no mistake about that. PsiFake are not talking about psychics in general. They are talking about Chip. Skepticism about psychic abilities in general is good. What is being said here is that Chip is knowingly and willingly defrauding clients and public in general. What is being said here are comments regarding sexuality.

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Ron, I think she’s on to a new website ideaa for you: PsyFake! Dedicated to taking down psychics. I’m sure they’ve already seen it coming though… VR

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@Michelle:

So what did you think of that face in the condensation?…

I have seen no comments here regarding his sexuality …

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Michelle,

I appreciate you long comment “again” and your articulate reply. Refreshing.

Allow me to lend you a hand in understanding my argumentation when addressing you as Mr. Coffey! Make no mistake that I have Chip’s ACTUAL IP labeled “Chip Coffey” and right from the beginning I knew you were not Chip; however, embedding doubt achieved my goal and my experiment worked. You identified yourself without me having to do unnecessary homework. Thanks. Sorry, I need to take a moment and pat myself on the back. Grab a cold drink and I’ll return. Hey, I’m back and I’ll bet you predicted I’d return.

I liked the bit about the parachute …that was cute and it made me chuckle. As a psychology major you know everybody needs a Chuckle …even you Michelle.

The perception is: Chip travels to the location by car (I see no plane Michelle), he meets Ryan, and Ryan doublespeaks about not giving Chip any prior information! Here’s a secret (can you keep a secret?), I believe Ryan; however, Ryan (in my opinion) is not the person (s) whom provides Chip with the information prior! In my opinion (and I have been told from people who have been on set) the producer (s) communicate this information to Chip …prior.

Riddlin moment: Why is your nickname Babs? I like it! Just curious.

In regards to sexually, please do NOT insult me for I would never poke fun at Chip’s (or anyone’s) sexuality and one person has already been warned.

Look, this has been fun and a treat for me. Maybe I should visit your comfy couch one day and tell you my life story. BUT, today it’s beautiful here in the NE and I am about to venture out and take advantage of the 50 degree day and go for a long mountain bike ride. You can join me and we can chat with our face against the wind!

Stop back again when you’re bored.

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@GodOfWar: there are a few comments here that could be interpeted that way – refering to the use of Miss or Mrs Coffey

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I thou@paraskep:

I seriously thought it may be his wife writing in his defense…then I remembered that I read somewhere he wasn’t married …

no innuendo intended so let’s move on ….

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The article had a reference to Michelle’s and it has been removed. NOT your bad.

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NOT Michelle Babiarz. There was a reference made about the psychic Michelle Belanger and her gender. NOTHING bad …just Mark was confused if Michelle may be a man or a woman? He met her so he was sincerely confused.

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“and right from the beginning I knew you were not Chip; however, embedding doubt achieved my goal and my experiment worked.” Oh, okay sure. It was all a set up that I fell for. Not buying that. Might I suggest that next time you ask. As you can see, I used my name. There was no need to explain who I am as I am simply offering an opinion. I’m thinking maybe it was you partaking of a few too many cold beverages while patting yourself on the back.
I have no more than an A.A.S. in Human Services and Psychology. I do not counsel anyone on a professional level. I do, however, have a comfy couch.
“The perception is that Chip travels to the location by car…” Really? Are you truly hung up on how Chip gets there?? We never see how Ryan and the gang arrive. Does that mean we should perceive them to arrive by teleportation? They show him pull up in a car. Big deal. I think maybe I will suggest that they show him hitchhiking in. Ah but then no. We’d be forced to perceive Chip as someone who can’t afford a car. Oh! I’ve got it. Chip works a great deal with animal rescue. Let’s suggest he arrive by dogsled!
So, I am to believe you when you say that “people” on the set have told you that Chip is given information prior to arriving to the location? Firstly, what information are you speaking of? An address? The current temperature? Which scarf will match the homes color scheme? Or are you insinuating that these “people” are saying Chip is given pertinent information regarding the claims of the clients and have instructed him on what to pick up on from a psychic sense? Who are these “people” that have entrusted you with this information? I know, I know. You can’t divulge that information. We should just believe it.
The nickname “Babs” came from my ex’s last name, Babiarz. I used to use the last name as a screen name on a forum and people shortened it to “Babs”. I liked it and it stuck.
Please do not insult my intelligence by stating that there are no comments regarding Chip’s sexuality. I’m not even going to bother to point them out. And the jab taken at Michelle Belanger’s gender was no more sincere confusion than yours was a sincere attempt to clarify it.

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Ouch! Good comeback Michelle! I love it when somebody can handle the pressure and you my friend (can I call you my friend?) are able-bodied to throw the punches.

In regards to knowing you were NOT Chip Coffey – are you insinuating I would lie to you Michelle? I knew form the beginning; however, I’m not here to convince you otherwise just like I’m not convinced Chip can see dead people. BUT, I do have some land in the Florida Everglades for sale!

Dog sled, now that would be cool and impressive.

In regards to Michelle’s gender, stop already! It was not meant to be an insult! Mark really didn’t know! He met her and he wasn’t sure. Simple.

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Yes Admin, I am insinuating that you would lie to me. I’m also insinuating that you would back track and say things like “you meant to” and “things worked out exactly how you planned it”. Ah, but no big deal. I’m just saying, next time just ask. It’s n ot good to start off a freindship like ours with mistrust and underhandedness.

You stop already with the lame excuse that Mark didn’t know Michelle’s gender. First clue, her name is Michelle. That is a female name. Now, if we were in France… Secondly, although Michelle is tall and has short hair, she also has breasts. It was meant as an insult so please spare me the BS. For whatever reason you are choosing to not admit the jab but, that’s okay. It was what it was and we can move on from there, seeings how we are friends and all.

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@Michelle:

So Babs what did you think of the face that appeared in the condensation of the window during the psychic kids pilot?

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GodOfWar, I’ll have to go find the video of it. Its been quite a while and I can’t recall for sure what I thought. Do you know if its online somewhere?

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Well, if we are friends then call me Ron but never late for dinner.

Maybe Mark was looking for a quick chuckle? Or, he seriously was not sure. After all, I have read some do change names with sex changes. Also, I didn’t write the original article and that fact was mentioned.

Oh, I failed to mention the unpersuasive show Psychic Kids! It’s my opinion that show is a lame attempt to legally exploit children! NOT (hence NOT) sexually of course. It reminds me of a cheap children’s beauty pageant.

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@admin:

Ron, I knew it was you. My plan to get you to tell me who you are worked!

You didn’t like Psychic Kids? I am shocked considering the paranormal based shows you do like. Oh wait, there are none. Are you an investigator? I have found that investigators in general are rarely pleased with any of these shows. Maybe that’s because we know that the word “reality” does not really apply to these shows. Reality would be people sitting in the dark with nothing happening for the most part.

I appreciate you using the words “it’s my opinion”. That is refreshing. people need to realize that opinions, even their own, are not always fact. It is nothing more than a point of view from a particular place. If you move to a different place you will have a different point of view.

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I’m NOT an investigator; however, I have respect for the work and for most of the people. Mmm. What qualifies a person to have the title “Paranormal Investigator”?

Ghost College, now there’s a joke!

How dare you say “reality” does not apply! Reality is relevant to circumstances surrounding the instance and therefore it may exist for a split moment or longer. You decide reality for it’s your experience. If a tree fell in the woods….?

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@admin:

I am not using it so much a title as I am a description of something one might do. I investigate claims of paranormal activity. Hence, you might call me a paranormal investigator. I’m also a mother, wife, and a number of other things I suppose, depending on what it is I’m doing at any given moment. Careful.

Yes, “your” perception IS “your” reality.

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I wouldn’t dare insult you Michelle!

Just to make this clear …I enjoyed speaking to the “Chiparoo” on the phone. He was nice and we had a few laughs. I must admit though ..he almost had me. Until Enigma stepped in and rattled my cage.

Tell Chip I said hello.

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@Michelle:

I’ll see what I can find …

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Here is a still of it along with a write up in a blog

screen shot:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1108/927967052_f23f50551d.jpg

quote from blog:
“They’re all sitting in the great room listening to Chip tell them how psychic they are when one little boy who isn’t Cooper walks to the window and points out a face that he sees on the glass door, and yeah, it’s kind of freaky.”
-end quote-

source/article
http://cacklinrose.wordpress.com/2008/08/18/psychic-kids-children-of-the-paranormal/

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@GodOfWar:

Thank you. I didn’t recall the face being so clear on the show.

It certainly does look like it might if someone put on greasy make-up and pushed half their face against the glass.

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@Michelle:

So the question is: did Chip know about this little hoax perpetration or not?…
Whether this was intended to elicit more dramatic responses from the kids, to entice the audience or both, a tactic that scares kids that may already have some emotional issues does not sit well with G.O.W. …and it sure does look like a greasy makeup print to me too…

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@GodOfWar:

GOW,

Let me be clear in saying that I never stated it was a greasy make-up hoax. I wasn’t there, I do not know if it was a hoax or not.

I can say that as an investigator, I occasionally experience things in real time that I can find no natural cause for. Is someone playing a trick on me? I don’t know, I didn’t see it done.

As far as these kids having emotional issues… decayingangels comment was nothing more than an opinion garnered without nearly enough evidence. She watched a show that had several children featured for about 22 minutes. The show had been edited and produced in such a way to garner the most “entertainment”. Remember that the average shoot lasts approximately 3 full days and most of what is filmed is left on someones cutting room floor.

Also, remember that these children were claiming to be experiencing a great deal of the supernatural already. That’s why they were chosen for the show. The producers never went into the local daycare, grabbing 3 or 4 kids and taking them on a ghost field trip.

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@Michelle:

I realize you are not committing on the face print and as none of us know what sort of ecto residue may be left behind resultant of a spiritual manifestation, I can only deem it as suspect ( extremely suspect) and as I have yet to read Decayingangel’s comments; I think we all have unilateral concerns and objections to what could be construed as children being used for exploitative sensationalism especially when there is such a fine and nondescript line between mental illness genuine PSI and you must admit the face print looks pretty damning…Conversely, being one that believes in mediumship conservatively, when all conventional medical/psychological screening fails to yield conclusively why these children are experiencing these visions and other extraneous sensations consistently and with uniformity; then this is when spiritual council is often considered.. if it is sought within the auspices of Christianity; the denominational limitations are confined to perhaps the Spiritualist Church or possibly one of the more liberal of the Pentecostal offshoots..
The approach with Mr Coffey was unorthodox but when you consider how many of us was sent to Sunday School as a child where we were exposed to a theology that is based on spiritual interaction, this is where it becomes a matter of faith and personal belief systems … sadly it does look to me like the desire for ratings by way of interjecting yet another parlor hoax has removed much of the credence that this endeavor may have had (imho) …

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Ditto! Look, when I was young my grandparents lived in this house that was at one time a barn where chickens etc were kept. The wood, the foundation and the EXACT location was used for the building of the house. It’s to my understanding some chickens were sacrificed in this barn and the energy carried over the the house.

I would see shadows, large black snake like creatures coming out of the walls, tigers and much more when I slept over. Sure, I was young and maybe it was my imagination; however, I witnesses these creatures and it was VERY frightening. The scariest part …I was awake. Maybe the house had residual negative energy?, maybe the wiring was not up to code? …I don’t know. I have yet to interview the current owners …but I would love too.

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[...] Paranormal State: Put on the boots because it’s getting deep! [...]

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In my opinon, if there’s such a thing as genuine psychics, they are so rare as to be undetectable. I have yet to see any self-proclaimed psychic who wasn’t a con artist. By the way, when P.T. Barnum estimated the rate at which suckers propagate, he was speaking about the Victorian era. After World War II, there were two suckers born every minute, and since the 60s, four or five every minute. Consequently, preying on gullible people is a lucrative trade for unscrupulous charlatans. And their rate of propagation seems to have increased as well.

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Mark, you’ve summed up what people have been saying since this show first aired:

“It’s all scripted and manipulated for dramatic purposes. It’s all about ratings and money folks, so don’t expect any of these TV teams to come in and solve your problems. You are nothing to them, they just want to use you to make money. Period. My advice to anyone wanting to be on one of these shows is don’t, but if you’re determined then you must get all of your conditions IN WRITING up front in the contract!”

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I could be on Springer or Maury Povich too if i wanted to degrade myself for attention that badly …

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Michelle:

“And here is just a thought on your other accusation… Do you believe that “Chip” is a real name or a nick name? When you start calling colleges or anywhere that shuffle through 10,000 people a year and want to know who went there decades ago, you might need to be very accurate with a name.”

This topic was already touched on by Brian at Amateur Scientist. He was the initial person to contact Mr. Coffey’s AM and the intitial person to “wonder out loud” on the internet about this little tidbit of Mr. Coffey’s ongoing online statements.

It’s quite obvious that “chip” could be a nickname. What’s very interesting, though, is that even the AandE network who made the online statement that Mr. Coffey has a Masters Degree in Psychology mysteriously *after all of this information started getting questioned* changed their statement.

Anyone who is a public figure (and makes money from being a public figure) who lies about their background is fair game for people eventually finding the truth.

Psychics are supposed to be all about the TRUTH, right Michelle?

Michelle: “I have never heard so many crazy accusations and seen so much finger pointing as I have since becoming involved in this field.”

Well, if you became involved in this field right along with Mr. Coffey, then I suppose you have your answer. Most sensible people really don’t like it when “psychic” actors exploit children for fame/money.

Michelle: “So, yes he does indeed drive to the location many times. Is it from his home in Atlanta? No. Is it from a block up the street? Maybe. Does that matter?…Really? Are you truly hung up on how Chip gets there?? We never see how Ryan and the gang arrive. Does that mean we should perceive them to arrive by teleportation? They show him pull up in a car. Big deal. I think maybe I will suggest that they show him hitchhiking in. Ah but then no. We’d be forced to perceive Chip as someone who can’t afford a car. Oh! I’ve got it. Chip works a great deal with animal rescue. Let’s suggest he arrive by dogsled!”

WOW, Michelle – that’s a great attempt at misdirection!

Yes, actually how Mr. Coffey arrives on set is quite important, particularly if he has to drive there and thus has an address to the location ahead of time. Google is (at least one of) a psychic’s friend, right? Psychics’ Friends Networks in this day and age include opportunistic people..er, psychics..doing online research and also their friends/family members who help out with the ole PR image. Right, Michelle?

Michelle: “What is being said here are comments regarding sexuality.”

Suuuure it is, Michelle. It has nothing at all to do with Mr. Coffey’s credibility as a public figure and/or a CHARGING psychic.

Funny how critiques against Coffey’s public image and TV shenanigans always get turned into “personal attacks” instead by the Chip Coffey Crew. Far from the truth.

Is “far from the truth” a familiar concept for Chip Coffey supporters?

Michelle: “It certainly does look like it might if someone put on greasy make-up and pushed half their face against the glass.”

Ya Think??!

Michelle: “he producers never went into the local daycare, grabbing 3 or 4 kids and taking them on a ghost field trip.”

Of course they didn’t! Didn’t they just advertise on Craig’s List and/or Myspace? Send out email blasts? Pretty sure that’s how it works. None of this “hundreds of serious cases previously investigated, like “Paranormal State” proclaims. Right, Michelle?

In closing, I like “Causticgnostic”‘s take on these Chip Coffey things:

“I have yet to see any self-proclaimed psychic who wasn’t a con artist.”

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A quick google search shows that Michelle – Ms. Babz – is a close friend of Mr. Coffey and that she also professes psychic tendencies — with a website, no less!

If you and Mr. Coffey are so psychic, Michelle, whyy can’t either of you see the fallout from perpetuating fraud?

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she also works with Mr Moon and his fake ” phone to the Dead” Mr Coffey is a fake as is Ryan Buell and all the fake para celebs that have worked on paranormal state Mr Coffey has said he is going to sue me to date he has not I really wish he would then he could not hide from the truth

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@kirby robinson:

Kirby was there some issue with your Myspace page getting shut down because of that or am I thinking of someone else?

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As far as my-space, from what I recall there have been blogs deleted, if my memory serves me right, Kirby had some of his Eye on the Paranormal entries, either deleted or threatened to be deleted for his series on Paranormal State, and Kirby isn’t alone, I also think the Ghost Divas have had some of their blogs removed as well as others, but I don’t recall all the details as to why !

Even I using my Paranormal Skeptic my-space had a blog removed, because I had a link to Kirby’s blog- insane huh?
My-spaces reason was that I had an external link, well if thats true anyone who embeds a you-tube video or anything would in a broad sense be guilty too, although no proof I do think that PRS supporters were searching blogs and reporting any that mentioned the show in a a negative way seemed to have a blog vanish -coincidence I think not

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@Michelle: Michelle huh? Aren’t you Chip Coffee’s and Christopher Moon’s chief flunky aka Babs? Didn’t you “become” psychic just a short few years ago after leaving Ghost Hounds? Let’s faces it Babs, your primary responsibility is to speak up for both Coffee and Moon because neither have the courage to address the thousands of accusations of fraud and you know they have absolutely no way to prove their abilities. The proof is in the pudding dear and even Bill Cosby wouldn’t be able to stomach what they’re attempting to sell. Perhaps it is time for you to hitch your wagon to yet another star or maybe for once try and make it on your own

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they tried many times to shut my site down but we had friends inside myspace that blocked them and we have copies of the e mails that chippie and his legal team sent myspace

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I like to see those emails for the same thing happened to me. I’m not suggesting it was because of Chip; however, my account was shut down too.

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@Michelle: @Michelle:

quote Michelle:
“Ask yourselves if this is really any different than the Enquirer and Star magazine. It’s not. Fun? Yes. Full of truths you can bet you paycheck on? No, not at all.”
-end quote-
————————————–

Apples and oranges Babs…
The most ineluctable evidence comes from footage of the shows themselves and when folks come forward with inside testimony that further substantiates our suspicions or even when these improprieties are semi validated when reviewing the shows, the allegations made by those submitting these reports seem far more culpable than the rebuttal offered by those on, affiliated with or fans of these shows (imho)…

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@GodOfWar:
heh heh @ maury…

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he has had many sites shut down a chippie insider reported to us that he spends hours everyday going thru google ,yahoo,msn etc looking for anything posted about him and his work and if he does not like it works at having it removed

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Here are Three things if you really want to be shocked at what you will find 1 what ties to the church does Ryan Buell really have and what work if any has Ryan ever done for the church2On chippies show in the 1st season they handled a case of a young girl in the state of Florida I think it was called the demon or the devil house ask John Zaffis about how this young girl showed up at a TAPS convention after the show aired and they had to perform a exorcism on the spot later it came out they asked chippie and the shows producers for help but got none 3 as anyone really ever checked on the background of Fr Andrew Calder you might be surprised what you will find

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@kirby robinson:

There was an exorcist at the TAPS convention?

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@kirby robinson:

I’ve been saying that for a while, you can’t trust Ryan, he’s a tool for his religion..what happens when he comes up against something that isn’t put of by Jesus Christ? Hmmm I’d like to see that.

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Michelle said: “Yes, “your” perception IS “your” reality.”

Problem is that our senses are highly unreliable and are easily fooled for a number of reasons. If one hears an unexplained sound and attributes it to a ghost when it was an animal their perception is flawed hence their reality is flawed. Many prefer their reality to be as real as possible and in order for that, one must be willing to admit that perhaps their senses were/are fooled and perhaps their perceptions are biased i.e. brought up in an abusive religious family, simply being prone to fantasy, mental disorder, actual physical impairments ect. The possibilities for our misconceptions are many.

To accept explanations to extraordinary claims without proof is irresponsible and naive as there are many people that would trick you out of your time and money. People like you, Chip Coffey, John Edwards, Sylvia Brown and many many others.

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@GodOfWar:

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As I understand it, it took place at last years TAPS convention in Florida the girls family needed help so bad and Chippie and crew refused to help due to the fact that there was no TV cameras present the family heard about the TAPS convention and that John Zaffis was there they rushed the girl there and got the help she needed the other young lady who was on the same show has had demon issues ever sense the show was taped

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@ kirby robinson,

What kind of ‘help’ could John Zaffis do for this girl? Did he run a “Exorcisms-R-Us” stand at TAPS Con?

If I had a daughter who was plagued by “demons”, I wouldn’t run to Florida to seek help from entertainers. I would worry about her health and welfare as a parent and take her in to see a medical professional! What’s wrong with these parents??!!

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@D Marie:

Finally, a person with common sense! NO parent in his/her right mind would seek help from these people! RUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNN and never look back!

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@D Marie: agree
first thing that springs to mind is a seizure disorder, or some type of psychosis, not saying it is not impossible to be possessed just in my line of work (nurse) I’ve seen countless of people that claim to see demons etc, and there was always medical cause for it
with the right medicine the demons do go away

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@paraskep:
yes seeking medical advise is prudent …

of course “the right medication” can make much of your personality go away as well..

Ive seen that countless times too

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that last reply was meant for D Marie …

I need some medication as too …

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The family lives in Florida in one of my issues of “eye on the paranormal” I took the case apart and showed how fake it was but if you invite demons in then you are asking for trouble, one should really take note of the demonologist and her helper they used on the show your find some interesting facts about those two as to John Z I was not endorsing him he told me he had issues with paranormal state and chippie yet he keeps working with chippie go figure

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Here is an even more despicable exploitation of children ploy based on the Psychic Children
model.
These twits should be publicly tared and feathered after receiving a full scale Sci Fake smack-down IMO

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kozmickids

Now they are involving children in a make shift attempt to copy Chip Coffee, when Children are the topic of encouraging psychic development and feeding them BS about being able to talk to ghosts,
I do believe this is very wrong to do, these people have attempted many different approaches to make money in this paranormal community and have been exposed before all they do is change platforms and begin with a new angle now its “cosmic kidz” sounds like psychic kids to me in a new package.

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Personally, I love Chip Coffey and John Edward…..I think they are both very talented and worth listening too. I don’t feel what they do is fake in anyway. There is only so much fakery you can do until you are truly busted. So to Chip and John…love you guys!

Now to Paranormal State…I’m am so disgusted with them as a professional team. There is a paranormal conference being held in Gettysburg during March 2010 called Phenomenology 102….held by NEPI….and the PS team decides they will also hold a conference in Gettysburg during March 2010, not only did they set one up for the same month, but the same exact dates! Why and how could you do that knowing there is already a conference being held there. I just don’t get it.

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Talented? Both are talented …at stealing your money. Chip is a nice guy and there is no argument there; however, there is NO proof the dead communicate through a medium. It’s my opinion, Allison Dubois is another money taking scoundrel looking to capitalize on one’s misfortune. If one criticizes these opportunist he or she is riddled with threats of lawsuits and personal attacks. Why? It’s obvious …it’s all about the money.

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admin…..they haven’t stolen my money…and you say there is no proof the dead can communicate through a medium….well, there is also no proof that they can’t.

I don’t know Allison Dubois….so I can’t comment on her.

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sorry…Michele and Aussie is the same person ….not sure how that changed…

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The burden of proof is with the medium and not the skeptic. Simple!

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Brace yourselves…
I noticed that A&E advertised a all new episode of “Psychic Kids” coming up next week (Tuesday?) ….

@ Big Johnson:
I checked out that link to the BTR radio called “Kosmic Kids” and you are correct; those two flakes are abhorrent and I encourage everyone to denounce these sub humans for using kids as props! …

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@GodOfWar:
Yes but before that program is a new episode and season of Paranormal State. I saw an ad last week that Paranormal State was traveling the country looking for stories. Wonder how many more fake people who will do anything to get on the show we will have to put up with. Maybe I am six part three will happen. I find it interesting that they say at the beginning of the show that PRS receives hundreds of requests but they only do the most serious, traveling the country and asking for stories one can only imagine what will appear on tv.

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@exposeparafraud:

We have already seen what people will do to get on shows like Jerry Springer and Maury Povich ….

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Yes its true against my wishes

A&E is bringing back Both Children of the Paranormal and another season of Paranormal State..new episodes start Tuesday December 15, @9 pm and 10 pm EST

years ago A&E used to a fairly good network
but now like so many others they have this reality TV which personally I think sucks

Id rather watch Animal Planet, no wait even they have jumped on the paranormal band
wagon with the new show “the haunted” different slant on the same thing

Hopefully the tide will turn and all of these woo type programs will start being canceled
but really I don’t think thats going to happen until 2013- right now I think the
Mayan doomsday hype is really steering the networks and a number of people, away from
common sense

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Paranormal State is purely entertainment and I think anyone who has ever watched the show realizes that. The idea that every house that they visit is not only haunted but demon possessed is silly and dramatic however that is what the show is designed to be. PS is like the show Supernatural made into a TV reality show. I don’t think it should be canceled because it is just entertainment. As far as the poor family who was humilated on national TV, I feel badly for them in the sense that they were exploited for TV ratings but what more did they expect when they agreed to have their story made into a primetime cable reality show? This couldn’t have come as a total surprise to them.

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whoa things are really heated in here. well i do happen to like the show Paranormal state and i think Chip is one funny guy. seriously people act your age not your i.q. its just a show and you all can argue about it as much as you want but it doesnt look like its going anywhere.

i like the comments made about chip. very good points made. i laugh at the silly comments you all are making about chip and michelle. other than that i also laugh at the fact that ya’ll are just jealous cause 1. theyre on tv 2. they are psychic and 3. cause theyre on a badass show.

argue all you want but really theres no satisfaction in any of this.

now whos going to comment back so i can laugh some more???

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oh and paraskep theres nothing wrong with animal planet;)

and the jealousy comment is made to all those that are acting like twelve years olds and arguing about how the show is fake.

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@GodOfWar:
you are one funny woman GodofWar

hahaha oh dear

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