Welcome back to the Eye on the Paranormal.
A NEW YEAR’S EVE MESSAGE FROM UP HIGH
I believe in the power of prayer. I practice prayer numerous times every day. I also believe in simply talking to God and I know He talks back to me either through mental impressions, chance encounters with strangers, dreams of angels, and an occasional message directly from Him. On New Year’s Eve I was meditating about the subject of what I needed to do differently in 2009. An angel’s voice came to me and said, “Let go of being angry and upset with people in the paranormal field who are being less than ethical in their conduct. In the end they are only hurting themselves. Yes, they will continue to gather fame, fortune, and celebrity status in this life. But this life is only brief and temporary. And once this life is over and the race is done they will be judged by those who are perfect in nature. And none of their schemes, pleadings, or arguments will save their souls in the end. The future negative karma that they will have to endure will teach them the lesson that they refused to learn here on earth.
“The innocent that they take advantage of, those who blindly placed their trust in them because they are a celebrity, they are on TV, and have that trust broken and end up being used, will be rewarded in the heavens. For if one conducts negative actions towards another the victim in the end is not punished nor do they lose but they will be rewarded in the end.”
EDITORIAL COMMENT
There is an eye-opening book that everyone should try to read this year. It’s called “The Psychic Mafia” by M. Lamar Keene. The title may give you the impression that it’s a book to be taken lightly. It isn’t. It concerns the misconduct and the tricks of the trade that numerous psychics employed for many years while they were part of the Spiritualist church and readers at one of the biggest Spiritualist camps, Camp Chesterfield located in Indiana. A very interesting story is shared at the beginning of the book. A gentleman attends a service at a Spiritualist church where the reader who’s leading the service, an elderly man with failing eyesight, is obviously peeking through the blindfold and holding up the questions within an inch of his eyes so he could read them. The problem is a spirit guide was supposed to be telling him what was on the paper inside the envelope. The gentleman looks around the packed church and is amazed that no one else is seeing this. Other attendees are looking at the floor or the ceiling, or they see the reader doing it but they refuse to acknowledge the deception.
This is a great example of what’s going on in the paranormal community today. There are those that see the truth, know that there are others engaging in acts of dishonesty and trickery, and are making an effort to bring it to other people’s attention. But there are those who believe so strongly in whatever paranormal mockery is shown on TV simply because they need to believe in something. They refuse to see the deception. In the end not only is the entire paranormal community going to be devastated when someone, not on Blogger or hosting an internet radio talk show, but some larger power with letters like ABC, NBC, FOX or CNN begins to expose the truth.
TOPHER YOUNG CALLS RYAN BUELL AND OTHER PARA-CELEBRITIES FRAUDS
One of Ryan Buell’s personal assistants, Topher Michael Young who has been an outspoken critic of my efforts to expose the lies and fakery that his boss and Paranormal State engage in, must have experienced a Freudian slip while posting his comment on a previous blog.
“The fact still remains Kirby that you yourself are just as unethical and fraudulent as the people you attack and claim are.”
Now, if Mr. Topher Young would just reveal to the world his connection to Warren Peace on Blogger...
THE CHIP COFFEY V. BEATRICE MAROT SAGA - OR A WEEK OF LOVE & COMPASSION IN THE PARANORMAL COMMUNITY
You would have either not logged onto MySpace, received an email or read a previously posted blog concerning the Chip Coffey v. Beatrice Marot saga, which continues to rage across the Internet. I’m not going to rehash the whole sad episode. Google it and you can read it for yourself.
Before I go any further, let me say this about both Beatrice and Chip. I’ve never met either individual. With Beatrice I’ve exchanged emails. With Chip I’ve only posted a few comments on his blogs. He posted on mine and I’ve sent him two emails but never got a response. I don’t dislike either Beatrice or Chip. I have no axe to grind against either one nor am I interested in promoting one over the other.
In actuality, I feel sorry for both people. You see Chip is entering his senior years and there is no retirement plan for psychics. When you’re hot you’re hot but as soon as the iron of publicity and popularity begins to cool, the fame begins to wane, the readings become less numerous and the lucrative rates that you charge eventually have to decrease. In the psychic world every single day there’s a new crop of psychics popping up on the ‘net and other various forms of media. They all have the new hip phrases that the public is often clamoring for and their youthful appearance makes them media friendly. But I do have a few points I wish to make.
~1 Beatrice claims that she never intended to call Chip Coffey a pedophile. Let me say this here and now I may find Chip Coffey wanting in numerous areas of ethical conduct and being truthful about certain matters but let me make it clear: CHIP COFFEY IS NOT A PEDOPHILE. Beatrice claims that she was attempting to say “how would you like it if I called you a pedophile?” The passage that I’ve read that Beatrice wrote doesn’t come across it that way to me. But that’s the problem with emails you often push the send button faster than you should, or you don’t take time to proofread it. Emails may not be as clear on a topic as you would wish.
~2 Mr. Coffey claims he got the pedophile email when on the set of shooting the scripted paranormal show, Paranormal State. He was so outraged that he waited an entire week, returned home to Atlanta, posted a Merry Christmas blog, wishing love and kindness to all, and then days later he posted a blog where he proceeded to attack Beatrice for calling him a pedophile.
~3 I can understand Chip being upset concerning such allegations; being called a pedophile is a no-win situation. If you say you’re not people will say that he has to say that. But that being said, numerous individuals who felt that Mr. Coffey should have conducted this in a manner solely between him and Beatrice, and not post this sad saga on MySpace, contacted MySpace in droves that Saturday, asking for the offending blog to be removed, which MySpace did. Not Mr. Coffey removing it on his own, as he implies in his Blogger post, but it was MySpace’s decision. Earlier on that Saturday, I had posted a comment on that MySpace blog where I said there’s no room to be calling people pedophiles or questioning people’s sexual orientation. When Mr. Coffey reposted the blog over at Blogger, I kindly posted a welcome to Blogger message on his blog, which led Mr. Coffey to post a comment over here at the Eye on the Paranormal, inviting me to have a phone conversation with him. I was busy on a case and as soon as I had the opportunity, within 24 hours, I did email him. Here is Chip’s comment followed by my email:
Chip Coffey said...
Kirby,
Thanks for your kind comment to my blog here on Blogspot.
Perhaps it is time that we talked by phone? If you will send me an e-mail to chipcoffey @ aol.com, we can make arrangements to speak, if you choose to do so.
-Chip-
December 20, 2008 9:09 PM
From: Kirby Robinson (freeallspirits @ live.com)
Sent: Sun 12/21/08 5:59 PM
To: chipcoffey @ aol.com
Dear Chip,
Thank you for your kind post. Yes, I would be interested in talking with you over the phone. I am going to be out of town until Christmas. What day after Christmas would be convenient for you?
Hope to hear from you soon.
Your friend in spirit,
Kirby
To date, I have not received a response from Mr. Coffey. I know he and John Zaffis discussed my conversation that I had with Mr. Zaffis over the phone, so Chip knows I’m not a raving lunatic. I don’t appreciate Mr. Coffey dragging me into this Beatrice v. Chip situation.
~4 The week of Christmas, the week that Mr. Coffey posted a message of hope and love and the reason for the season, he continued to attack Beatrice throughout that time period. But was it only Chip that was attacking Beatrice? His faithful followers proceeded to send her such kind emails as the following:
“From: name deleted [mailto:xxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Tuesday, December 23, 2008 9:47 PM
To: bea@goddesscentral.com
Subject: .....
i truely think you need to be bludgeoned to death
You're honestly the most hipocritical c**t i've ever had the misfortune to come across.
please
please
PLEASE
Jump infront of a bus for all our sake.
That blog isn't coming down and i truely hope you do end up killing yourself over it.
Thanks,
GetALifeFraud”
“Leave Chip alone, you s*** ****er.”
”I JUST WANTED TO WRITE AND TELL YOU WHAT A DISGRACE YOU ARE AS A HUMAN BEING. TO ACCUSE SOMEONE OF BEING INTRESTED IN CHILDREN IS AS LOW AS YOU CAN GO. I BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE JEALOUS OF CHIP BECAUSE HE IS DOING SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE UNABLE TO DO. HE HAS THE RESPECT YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE.YOU ARE SUPPOSE TO BE A GROWN WOMAN HOW ABOUT ACTING LIKE IT!!!!!!!”
”Beatrice Marot So your the bitch who is hating on Chip you know what F*** YOU C**T!!!”
“YOU SUCK! JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW MORE PEOPLE HATE YOU THEN LIKE YOU.”
~5 When Beatrice contacted Chip concerning these posts and asking him to post a comment on his blog to ask his followers to stop sending hate mail, Mr. Coffey refused to do so. Instead, Mr. Coffey and some of his followers proceeded to go to a site entitled RipoffReport.com and opened up a dangerous door that I think Chip and other para-celebrities are going to regret ever being opened. For those who don’t know, Ripoff Report is a respected web site. Anyone that has been wronged in a business type situation can go over and post a report of such activity and it can never be removed. There is no research conducted by Ripoff Report on whether the allegations are true and they have a very high ranking with Google. Chip and his followers proceeded to post numerous complaints against Beatrice on this site. Again, I got dragged into the situation by having one of Chip’s followers post a report as she was upset that I allowed Beatrice to post on my MySpace and Blogger blogs!
Like my granddaddy said, “once you open the barn door you ain’t ever getting the chickens back in.” I can see now, for example, somebody who doesn’t like a program, like Paranormal State, going through each and every episode and filing Ripoff Reports against every para-celebrity who appears on that show as being con artists. It’s a dangerous precedent that should never have been started and I don’t need tarot cards to tell me what’s going to happen next.
~6 My final comment on this whole situation is how do supposedly busy para-celebrities have time to sit on MySpace, blog, make comments, file Ripoff Reports, etc., etc., Aren’t para-celebrities out there supposedly helping people?
THE FIRST ANNUAL EYE ON THE PARANORMAL INDUCTION INTO THE PARANORMAL HALL OF SHAME
It’s time to induct the first group into the Eye on the Paranormal Hall of Shame. These para-celebrities and para-scoundrels have led the pack in acts of lies, distortion, deception, and manipulation that are going to lead to the downfall of the paranormal field’s credibility. These people are just examples of the greed, ignorance, lack of scientific evaluation, jumping to conclusions and the need to find those pesky demons behind each and every door.
~1 Laura from Paranormal State’s I AM SIX episode who attempted to foil the world into believing that she was demonically possessed by the same demon who was used in the film “The Exorcism of Emily Rose.” But the only thing this girl was possessed by was a bad case of the wannabes. Her acting will forever make Linda Blair’s performance in “The Exorcist” rank up there with the likes of Meryl Streep in any of her films. Laura’s “acting” ability was so weak that the only thing she could spontaneously come up with during the staged exorcism is “she’s so sleazy!” And the voice wasn’t modified at all. The only thing that was amazing about the performance is that A&E allowed it to be televised.
~2 Christopher Moon, the man behind the Phone to the Dead. If anyone does any kind of research concerning the claims about the history of such a device, it will only lead to dead ends. There’s no valid proof that Thomas Edison was ever connected to the Phone to the Dead, nor is there any valid proof that the spirit of Thomas Edison is the operator on the other side that Mr. Moon claims to contact. Only after the individual coughs up hundreds of dollars will Mr. Moon tell you the static is saying something that it’s not.
~3 Darkness Radio and its host Dave Schrader who attempts to pass off his radio show as a valid news program but this is nothing more than a glorified infomerical. It’s prerecorded, no calls are ever taken, and the para-celebrities that parade onto his show are never asked the tough, probing questions. The other sides of the issues are never discussed. It is laudable that is criticizes Christopher Moon for being a fake and a fraud, yet he refuses to do the same when it comes to numerous para-celebrities like Ryan Buell, Chip Coffey, and the shows they are affiliated with: “Paranormal State” and “Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal.”
~4 Lorraine Warren. Her deceased husband, Ed, was a good man, and sometimes good people end up doing things they regret to please the bad people in their lives. She is one of those responsible for helping to promote the Amityville Horror Hoax back in the 1970s and even after books, court cases, and signed statements have debunked the myth, she still travels the country charging several thousands of dollars selling the falsehood of the Amityville Horror.
~5 The first TV program to be inducted into the Hall of Shame is “Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal” which beat out a strong contender, “Most Haunted.” But the exploitation and endangerment of young children and families with emotional and psychological issues gave it the edge. In addition, they have their own Demon House episode, which has been proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it was staged and scripted.
TAPS LIES…
…if you believe that TAPS is deceiving you, here’s a petition you might want to sign.
We, the undersigned, are tired of being deceived by Sci-Fi Networks television reality show "Ghost Hunters" featuring paranormal superstars, The Atlantic Paranormal Society also known as TAPS. Furthermore, we the viewing audience pledge to cease watching the show indefinitely until paranormal occurrences portrayed on the show are proven (beyond a reasonable doubt) not to have been fabricated by the Ghost Hunters production team, namely Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/tapslies/
PARANORMAL STATE’S “I AM SIX” EPISODE REMOVED FROM YOUTUBE
Anyone that monitors Paranormal State’s activity over at YouTube has noticed a sudden disappearance of all five parts of the I AM SIX episode. Why is this? In addition, A&E has put the Paranormal State community board on comment approval. Are too many people becoming wise to the acts of deception and distortion that Paranormal State has engaged in? Particularly the lies and distortion they engaged in with the I AM SIX episode.
THE PHONE TO THE DEAD: 0% CREDIBILITY
Over the past few weeks we at the Eye on the Paranormal was given unlimited access to a Frank’s Box, or what Christopher Moon loves to call the Phone to the Dead. He claims on his web site an 88% accuracy rating for results. So, Eye on the Paranormal wanted to put such a claim to the test. An 88% accuracy rating is amazing, your average psychic barely can do 60%, and the really good ones are at 70%. Oh wait, there’s one exception -- when Chip Coffey does a walk-through on Paranormal State -- he has an amazing 100% accuracy rating! Then again, anyone can do that if fed the information before the reading. That being said, we came up with a test. For 48 straight hours we’d ask the box 20 questions allowing for a two-minute period between each question, which was recorded and checked for accuracy of the answers. Here are the 20 questions that we asked over and over:
~1 What year is it?
~2 What is the name of the holiday that is celebrated by most Christians on December 25?
~3 Who is the current president of the United States?
~4 What was the name of the team who won the World Series in 2008?
~5 What is the brand name of the bottle of soda that is sitting on the table in front of us?
~6 How many candles do we have burning in the room right now?
~7 Los Angeles has 2 NBA teams – what are their respective names?
~8 What is the name of the person who will be taking over the office of the president in 2009?
~9 What was the name of the team that won the Superbowl in 2008?
~10 Two leading actors died in 2008 – one had the first name of Charlton and the other’s first name was Paul – what are their last names?
~11 Who was the president who was assassinated in office during the Civil War?
~12 Los Angeles is located in what state?
~13 The name of this planet is ________?
~14 What was the name of the school that won the Rose Bowl in 2008?
~15 What nation held the summer Olympics in 2008?
~16 How many hands does a normal person have?
~17 How many toes does a normal person have?
~18 John Wayne, the famous actor, his nickname was “The ____”?
~19 The Tower of London is located in what city?
~20 Who is buried in Grant’s Tomb?
Out of these 20 simple questions the phone to the dead gave us 0 accurate responses. So anyone who tries to peddle this device as being anything more than just a sham piece of equipment is engaging in acts of fraud and should be reported to authorities as such. Trying to use the tagline “for entertainment purposes only” doesn’t relieve one from a moral responsibility for their actions.
CLOSING COMMENT
This will be the last Eye on the Paranormal for a while. I feel that we’ve accomplished what we set out to and my time right now would be much better served being available to my clients who are in need.
We have effectively shown that Paranormal State, and the numerous para-celebrities connected to it have engaged in a campaign of lies, distortion and deception to keep the public in the dark by carrying out a thorough analysis of each and every episode exposing the truth. They have yet to show beyond a reasonable doubt that any of my analysis has been wrong.
Kelli Ryan, who was a victim of Ryan Buell, Paranormal State, and Chip Coffey, had the courage to speak out and yet none of her allegations have been disproven to date.
No para-celebrity has had the courage to take up the Paranormal Moment of Truth Challenge because they know they can’t pass the lie detector test. But the offer still stands.
Neither Chip Coffey nor Christopher Moon ever responded to our challenge concerning the phony Phone to the Dead. They know it’s a sham and they know that it doesn’t do what they claim it does.
The world is not found on MySpace, Blogger, YouTube, Google, A&E TV, etc. The world is out there. That’s where people who are in need of help can be found. It’s not about fame, wealth, power, prestige, or ratings. All those are brief and fleeting and will one day return to dust. Does this mean that the Eye is closed for good? Who knows when the Eye will open again? I don’t know.
I leave you with a quote. I hope numerous people out there take it to heart and truly understand what it’s saying.
“And if I have prophetic powers,
and understand all mysteries and all
knowledge, and if I have all faith,
so as to remove mountains,
but have not love, I am nothing.”
1 Corinthians 13:2
and understand all mysteries and all
knowledge, and if I have all faith,
so as to remove mountains,
but have not love, I am nothing.”
1 Corinthians 13:2
CALL TO ACTION
Just tell A&E you won’t watch them as long as Paranormal State is on the air. And share with them all the lies and deception that are taking place. Here’s the contact information:
A&E Television Networks
235 East 45th Street,
New York, NY 10017
212-210-1340
1925 Century Park East, Suite 900
Los Angeles, CA 90067
310-201-6060
It seems some folks just can’t learn to tell the truth and their lies just get sadder and sadder. The people over at PRS/PS have been caught red-handed. It’s time to ‘fess up.
For those who are unaware, during the investigation that was part of Paranormal State’s THE MESSENGER episode, it seems that the participants from PRS decided to plant a cold can of Budweiser on a bed to get Bill the ghost to appear.
Ryan and Chip enter the room and Ryan claims he picks up a cold spot and when the intrepid pair flip on the light they claim they see an outline of a person on the bed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyHjjDR9JBQ&feature=related The Messenger, Part 2
There are 3 things everyone can do in the effort to get the truth out to the general public and proper authorities. They’re free, and will only take a few moments of your time. But they can pay off big in exposure.
1) Call, write, and/or email Anheuser-Busch, Inc. and tell them that their product is being used without their permission and in an act of deception. Tell them it is reflecting badly on the image of such a respected corporation. Also, you might pitch some new taglines for their Budweiser Beer product. Mine are:
~ FORGET ABOUT MILLER TIME – IT’S DEAD TIME!
~ TAKE A SIX PACK OF BUD TO THE GRAVE WITH YOU!
~ THE KING OF DEAD BEER – BUDWEISER
~ BUD – THE BEER FOR THIS LIFE AND THE AFTERLIFE!
1 800 DIAL BUD
(1 800 342 5283)
Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
One Busch Place
St. Louis, MO 63118
Copy and paste this into your browser:
http://contactus.anheuser-busch.com/Email/email.aspx?Site=IB
2) Lakeshore Entertainment is the production company behind the film “The Exorcism of Emily Rose.” It’s very clear that PRS/PS and/or Laura’s family is ripping off the story from this fine motion picture for the sake of 15 minutes of fame. Even Paranormal State puts to use the 1,2,3,4,5,6 from the film. So the production company should both be warned and compensated, or have the I AM SIX episode yanked. Here is the contact information:
Lakeshore Entertainment
9268 West Third Street, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 USA
Phone: [310] 867-8000
Fax: [310] 300-3015
info@lakeshoreentertainment.com
contact@lakeshoreentertainment.com
www.lakeshoreentertainment.com
3) Penn State is an established institution with a spotless reputation for serious research and above board practices. The president of the university needs to know how PRS is using and abusing its image. Call, write, and/or email them about what is happening.
Graham B. Spanier
Office of the President
0201 OLD MAIN
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA 16802
(814) 865-2507 or 814-865-7611
E-mail: president@psu.edu
THE PARANORMAL MOMENT OF TRUTH CHALLENGE
Dear Ryan Buell, Chip Coffey, Lorraine Warren, Sandra & Keith Johnson, Dr. Ron Milione, Tony Spera, Shannon & Jeff Sylvia, C.J. Sellers, Chris Moon, Michelle Belanger, Chad Calek, Michael & Marti Parry, Mark & Debby Constantino, Kim Russo, David Schrader, Reverend Andrew Calder, Reverend Bob Larson, Grant Wilson, and Jason Hawes:
I have expressed concerns about how you conduct your investigations and the validity of those investigations, where anyone with a clear and discerning eye can see that they are not authentic. I have also witnessed heavy-handed tactics being used against people who question your alleged authority within the paranormal community and dared to raise questions concerning the validity of appearing on the A&E shows, Paranormal State, and Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal. I can no longer sit by in silence. That is why I came up with The Paranormal Moment of Truth Challenge, which will benefit you, your organization, the paranormal field, and a charity that would be assisted from the donation of the prize money.
1 ~ It would silence your critics if you are determined to be telling the truth about all your claims and how they are presented. There can be no one left to challenge your honesty and integrity.
2 ~ It would not only benefit your organization, but it would also help the entire paranormal field. Because if such evidence is true, it will be brought to a much wider audience, which hopefully would fuel additional legitimate investigations. So it’s a win-win situation for everyone.
3 ~ The charity of your choice would have the prize money donated to them. If the truth is being told, that prize money could reach $500,000.
So, what is The Paranormal Moment of Truth Challenge? I am sure you’ve heard of the Fox Network program entitled The Moment of Truth. This is where a contestant is hooked up to a lie detector test and asked 50 questions, of which 21 of them are used on the actual show. As long as you tell the truth, you keep on winning money -- up to $500,000. The production company, Lighthearted Entertainment Inc., would jump at an opportunity of doing a show with the two of you. And I will put my personal credibility on the line and appear, as well. For if you visit my Free All Spirits page (www.myspace.com/freeallspirits), you’ll notice that I personally make what some would call outlandish claims concerning my work as a Demonologist/Exorcist/Paranormal Investigator/Caring Spiritual Adviser.
If you would like to be "one step closer to the truth" then this is a way to achieve your goal. If interested, please contact me at this email address and I will get the ball rolling as soon as possible.
Your friend in spirit,
Kirby
To date, this is the response that I’ve received from them.
Why not do the show? Only you, the paranormal field, and a charity of your choice would benefit.
INFORMATION REQUEST: If anyone wants to share any information with their experiences involving the PRS, Ryan Buell, Chip Coffey, and any other para-celebrity that has made an appearance on Paranormal State, whether it is good or bad, I would like to read it. Your confidentiality is 100% guaranteed.
NOTE: Please feel free to copy and paste this and place it all over the web. And, unlike any of my other blogs, you can even repost this under your own name!
14 comments:
i completely agree with your #5 pick for the PN hall of shame - the whole chip/psychic kids fiasco.
though i would have moved it higher on the list - since exploiting children seems far more shameful than exploiting willing gullible adults ( like lorraine and chris moon do )
you know how chip won't admit to where he recieved his "advanced degree in psychology" ?
according to the following excerpt, it's elmira college. it's well known that he claims to have attended this college for his degree in theater.
--------------------------------
http://www.psychicvista.com/chip.htm
Chip exhibited psychic abilities at any early age; gave readings to family members and friends as a young child; and began reading Tarot cards at age 14. He attended Elmira College, where he earned a Bachelor's degree with majors in Psychology and Theatre Arts, and has had successful careers in a variety of different fields, including counseling, social work, travel and the entertainment industry.
--------------------------------
i would think it would be easy enough to get elmira college to verify whether chip received a psychology degree from them. actually, i think the amateur scientist already tried with no luck.....
==================================
http://www.amateurscientist.org/2008/07/ocr-mysterious-masters.html
Just for shits and giggles (mostly giggles), I paid a degree verification service $6.50 of my hard-earned money to check up on just Chip’s undergraduate degree. Maybe he double majored in psychology and demonology? Turns out I might as well have saved the cash for the Subway discount menu, however, since no one could turn up any record of Chip having graduated from Elmira College at all. Now, there could be a reasonable explanation for this. Maybe “Chip” is a nickname (god, I hope so). Maybe there’s some kind of clerical error.
Chip, if you’re reading this, could you drop me a line and let me know just what kind of counseling training you have? I’d really like to know which of your esteemed predecessors originated the therapeutic method of telling kids the reason they’re scared of the dark is because ghosts are trying to catch them.
==================================
check out this blog entry about chip and psychic kids:
############################
It’s sad when adults think they possess psychic abilities, but it’s really sad when they project these ideas onto little kids. Some of the children referenced in posts are only two or three years old.
This phenomenon isn’t limited to the InterWeb. A show called “Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal” aired recently on A&E (that stands for Arts & Entertainment…not exactly the first place I look for scientific commentary). According to the show’s Web site, a medium named Chip Coffey “utilizes both his abilities in the paranormal and his Masters Degree in Psychology when he deals with children who are showing signs of possessing psychic and medium abilities.”
Hmm… Where do I start? The first thing I wanted to know was where Coffee was educated. Unfortunately, I was unable to determine the validity of Coffee’s education claims because he doesn’t cite, at least any where I could find, where he earned his degree. In fact, he doesn’t mention his degree in most descriptions about himself. The best I could find was a claim from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Coffee is “every bit as accurate as John Edward” and the oh-so-respected scientific periodical, InStyle, which says “Chip Coffey is a cross between John Edward and Dr. Phil.” These are dubious claims to begin with, and hardly comprise a laudable list of Coffee’s achievements. Even Wikipedia–itself often questioned as a credible source of information because virtually anyone can edit its contents–has deleted pages about Coffee no less than five times for reasons such as “biographical article that does not assert significance.”
Many believe that these types of programs should be given a pass because they have entertainment value for those who choose to watch them. At the same time, however, it’s really hard to stomach some of the claims made by these shows when they pretend to be scientific about their investigations...When children are in the mix, this is particularly sad. The “psychic” kids make claims of extraordinary abilities and their parents encourage it. The kids sense the approval and excitement of their mom or dad when they talk about seeing a “spirit” or having a conversation with Grandma. This is Little-League-Dad gone mad. We all want our kids to be special and unique. (What else can we brag about at the playground?) But, sacrificing rationality for competitive advantage and the chance to live vicariously through your child’s experiences or, much worse, encouraging a belief in something that has no basis in proven reality, makes the result a very questionable “gift.”
Remember, we are not discussing tea service at playtime or the imagined lives of stuffed animals. We’re talking about educated adults that are encouraging children to communicate with the dead. Parents need to realize that children learn most of what informs their development from home, and the power of suggestion from elders is very enticing to a child. If every parent put as much focus into awakening a child’s interest in reading, art, math, music, science, history, or any other truly educational pursuit, we might end up with more literate, accomplished, and rational future generations.
http://www.rationalmoms.com/2008/10/06/you-dont-see-dead-people-and-neither-do-your-kids/
##############################
"Lorraine Warren - She is one of those responsible for helping to promote the Amityville Horror Hoax back in the 1970s and even after books, court cases, and signed statements have debunked the myth"
There were no court cases which debunked Amityville, unless you think William Weber winning an out-of-court settlement counts for anything.
The only book which has a real pop at Amityville is Steven Kaplan's... Which when you analyze it, is really just his opinion, or taken apart written accounts the Lutzes had no involvement in.
So what are these "signed statements"..?
Jason Pyke
http://www.amityvillefaq.com/
http://www.amityvillefaq.com/truthboard/index.php
amityville horror has been debunked time and time again. here are some of the many signed statements from various people who were involved in the hoax from the beginning.
http://www.amityvillemurders.com/reference/mishler_decision.html
http://www.amityvillemurders.com/reference/diocese.html
http://www.amityvillemurders.com/reference/priest1.html
http://www.amityvillemurders.com/reference/dela.html
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http://www.amityvillemurders.com/facts.html
lots of hate here eh people. and to this kellie, a lawsuit being waged over what, a faulty paranormal investigation..are you serious. How's about we all take a moment and look at the world today and see what issues are really important. Why don't we let all this paranormal business, whether it be true or false, sit by the wayside and focus on some real-world issues here. Why should we focus attention on a faulty spirit diagnosis when children in around the world, including in your own country, america, are starving losing health-care because of global economic slow-down. Lets make a difference to lives that still dwell in this world before we try to take care of the dead ones.
I am Six isn't on Youtube because it's right on the A&E website. Didn't do much research on that one, did ya? While I agree with some of your points about I am Six, I wouldn't trust Kelli Ryan as far as I can throw her. She's more full of shit than anyone. Your work could almost be honorable if you weren't such a cheeky bastard about it and if you didn't have a moron like Kelli Ryan backing your claims up.
Tanks, lots of info!
"Why not do the show? Only you, the paranormal field, and a charity of your choice would benefit."
I honestly don't understand why you expect them to respond to something like this... I understand what you are trying to accomplish, but I think it's ridiculous to expect them to even think about doing something like this. If I were a tv personality who, more likely than not, received many many emails from fans etc. every day, and I received an e-mail, out of the blue, from some random internet person, asking me to compete on family feud or something, you know what I would do? First I would wonder why the hell this random internet person seems to think that he can just barge into wherever they film family feud and say "Stop everything, I want to play this game with the cast of paranormal state, a show that is completely unrelated to family feud, and if they win, you, the producers of family feud, must pay them 500,000 dollars!" And then, after pondering this, I would hit the delete button.
Great post! Thanks for this one.
heya
let me point out a few things i have noticed while surfing this here information super highway.
i was wondering if you could answer them for me. these "few things" are being asked in a questionable manner, and i want ya to be honest.
numero uno: the majority of "para-normal" sites i have landed on seem to think that "they" are the definitive on what is real and what is fake in the field of paranormal research.
why is this?
numero dos: the same "majority" of said sites "yours included" trully worry if the syndicated ghosts shows are real or fake. why?
in defense of question two i must add a dose of reality. in the united states the normal joe honestly does not care if these said shows are a hoax or not. they are on cable, and we all know that those cable companies have a bottom line. so,in all honesty, they being shitty shows does not show the "paranormal" community in a positive nor negative light. the truth? 95% of the viewer ship does not give a rats bee-hind, sorry to bust you guys bubbles.
do not get a brother wrong, i believe in the spirits that surrond me. as my family believes in the ones that surrounded them. i also want to point out that a couple of the cable "ghost" shows are lame too,but come on.
but to get to point, no matter how real the evidence, there will always be the skeptic or that person who thinks they can always de-bunk anything.
finally, my last question goes to every single "para-normal" researcher out there,
numero tres: why don't all you fuckers in the "para-normal" community (tv to the weekend warrior a-like)just pool all your resources and actually give us something definitive. something for the "normmie" that has never experienced anything. dig?
you guys could get serious about this and actually form a true and honest "society".
damn, why cant all yall just get along?
i just feel that the whole "ghostly-scene" needs an outside "reality check".
oh,when you read a word in "parenthesis", please go ahead and make that "arraogant" bunny ear motion people make when they are conveying an important message. this is to get the "full-effect" of the knowledge that has just been proverbially "dropped". think dr. cox. so go ahead and re-read everything now using this method.
anyways, i have kept it "anonymous" as to show you just how "insignificant" i am/we all are. as in the end, we all die.
good day.
well damn, does the "mod" have the guts to post my "thoughts"?
probably not!
if he/she has a "noodle" in that noggin they would!
Hi;
I just found your site by Googling 'is Paranormal State staged or real'. When I first saw the show when it was new, I was enthralled as it was very dramatic and riveting. Much more 'entertainment' oriented than most of those type shows.
But after watching since then, I seriously started doubting the authenticity of the show.
At first, I kept telling myself that it has to be real. Otherwise, if anything were fake or being covered up it would inevitably leak to the Internet (as all such things do) and it would ruin the credibility of the entire series. So why would they take that chance on ruining a popular TV show?
That made sense for awhile, but the more I watch it the more skeptical I get. Common sense dictates that a lot of the so called 'drama' and 'specific events' couldn't happen as frequently, and as conveniently as it seems to.
The odds of having just the right noises, thumps, movements, lights flashing, etc. at just the right moments in the show are not realistic. The odds of having all that activity in every single episode, and every single case they investigate on the air, is ridiculous. Also-they always seem to find just the right research, stories, history, etc. to give them the exact answers they need, rather conveniently. It all just seems 'too good to be true' or contrived, having all these dramatic events happen within a single 30 minute episode on Paranormal State.
I am glad I found your Blog, because as much as I didn't want to admit to myself that this show could be falsely staged, I was becoming more and more suspicious due to common sense and intuition. What are the odds that all those highly entertaining, spooky things that keep us riveted to our screens actually happen everywhere they go? And at such an intense pace?
I have watched some of the 'civilians' carefully on camera, and they don't appear to be acting or following scripts as they probably aren't professional actors. So that threw me. But Ryan has a particularly dramatic 'performer' type personality that seems more than just coincidence, and I noticed they keep replacing some of the regular 'crew members' perhaps because they weren't 'acting' well enough.
Paranormal State does an excellent job of editing their episodes to be extremely dramatic and entertaining, especially with the use of heavy atmospheric background music. But that also makes it seem less authentic, and more contrived as the music often makes it seem as more is happening than actually is. (The build up of tension by the ambient music is rather deceiving, since the music was added post-production.) It can also be highly confusing as to what we are actually hearing, and what is the background soundtrack. Perhaps that is intentional to make things seem more real..since at times we can't tell the difference.
Although it seems odd all these 'ordinary' people are reading from scripts or acting, I do suspect at this point that the show itself is probably staged to a certain extent and many of the really loud, obvious 'ghost' noises are faked. They are too frequent in every single show, and too obvious.
Paranormal State seems like an extremely realistic show, and that caught me up for awhile. In fact, watching that show late at night creeped me out, because at the time I thought it was real. Very disturbing, but also very effective in viewer ratings. Now, I suspect a lot of that drama is artificially created. But again-why would they risk losing their entire credibility with obvious fraud on screen?
It just seems this show is far too convenient to just be coincidence, so my hunch is that it's comprehensively staged and scripted. But if that is the case, and a popular TV show is such a hoax, than how on earth have they managed to get away with it for so long? Wouldn't something have leaked out to the Internet/world by now from people working there?
Barbara
Hello,
Just wanted to introduce myself.. Im Sean... glad to be here! Does anyone have any recommendations / advice on using this site?
really?
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