Chip Coffey
Birth dateAugust 21, 1954 (age 72)
Birth placeElmira, New York, U.S.
Known forParanormal State, Kindred Spirits, Psychic Kids
OccupationMedium

Chip Coffey (born August 21, 1954) is an American self-proclaimed psychic from Elmira, New York, currently living in Atlanta, Georgia.[1] He appeared as a medium on various paranormal television programs, primarily Paranormal State and Psychic Kids. On Psychic Kids he acts as a mentor towards children who claim to have psychic abilities, primarily seeing ghosts. Coffey's claims of being able to communicate with the dead have been subject to criticism by skeptics. In 2019 it was announced that Coffey will be joining Travel Channel's Kindred Spirits as the third official cast member alongside Adam Berry and Amy Bruni for the fourth season in 2020.

History

Coffey was born in Elmira, New York.[2] He was raised a Roman Catholic and identifies as a Christian.[3] Coffey spent his early life in Elmira and South Carolina.[4] He graduated from Elmira College in 1976.[5]

According to Coffey, when he was a child, he would tell his parents when the phone was about to ring and who was calling; referring to his ability to read the past, present and future as a "God given talent"[6] Coffey said that when he reached adulthood, he began to see full-body apparitions. He also defines what he feels to be the difference between a ghost and a spirit: "the latter has completed the journey between the world of the living and the world of the dead. Ghosts, on the other hand, are souls that, for whatever reason, have chosen to stick around. They may not know they're dead, or they may fear judgment on the other side."[7]

In 2019, it was announced that Coffey would be joining the main cast of Kindred Spirits for the fourth season. This comes after Coffey appeared in the Haunted Salem 2019 live special with both Berry and Bruni from Kindred Spirits.[8]

Criticism

Mediumship is considered to be pseudoscience, and Coffey specifically has been roundly criticized by scientific skeptics. In 2009, the James Randi Education Foundation awarded Coffey a Pigasus Award "For the psychic who tricked the most people with the least effort".[9] According to skeptical investigator Joe Nickell, Coffey has been accused of hoaxing and "outright deception" involving the television series Paranormal State.[10]

In September 2014, members of the Bay Area Skeptics attended one of Coffey's seance sessions as part of what they termed a "sting operation" intended to reveal the falsity of his psychic claims.[11] According to Ohlone College professor Sheldon Helms, skeptics posing as fans planted stories of fictitious dead family members with Coffey's staff. According to organizer Susan Gerbic, "Coffey claimed to be clearly communicating with our nonexistent family members".[12][13]

In October 2013, while appearing on the KFXN-FM morning show The Power Trip, Coffey was confronted by host Cory Cove, who voiced skepticism over Coffey's alleged psychic powers. Coffey reportedly "stormed out of the studio" following Cove's confrontation.[14]

References

  1. ^ "Chip Coffey's Press Kit". Archived June 30, 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
  2. ^ "Chip Coffey". TV Guide. Archived March 20, 2025 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ^ Flick, A.J. (April 30, 2015). "Famous psychic Coffey finds joy in the paranormal". Tucson Sentinel. Archived February 4, 2024 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ^ "PARANORMAL PROFESSIONALS AMY BRUNI AND ADAM BERRY -- ALONG WITH MEDIUM CHIP COFFEY -- KICK OFF NEW YEAR WITH OLD HAUNTS IN FOURTH SEASON OF TRAVEL CHANNEL'S 'KINDRED SPIRITS' ON JANUARY 3 AT 9 P.M. ET/PT". Warner Bros.. Archived March 20, 2025 at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ^ "Alumnus Chip Coffey Recognized for Business and Leadership Success". Elmira College. February 8, 2024. Archived February 29, 2024 at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ^ "'God-given talent' is channeled in mysterious ways". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Nov 25, 2004. Archived from the original on December 31, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  7. ^ Vesely, Carolin (May 8, 2010). "Rare Medium Psychic Chip Coffey can communicate with the dead, but he has a degree of skepticism about paranormal activity". Winnipeg Free Press. Archived September 15, 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 13, 2012.
  8. ^ "Paranormal Professionals Amy Bruni and Adam Berry - Along with Medium Chip Coffey - Kick Off New Year with Old Haunts in Fourth Season of Travel Channel's "Kindred Spirits" on January 3 At 9 P.M. ET/PT". The Futon Critic. December 5, 2019.
  9. ^ JREF. "The 2009 Pigasus Awards". James Randi Educational Foundation. Archived August 30, 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  10. ^ Nickell, Joe (3 July 2012). The Science of Ghosts: Searching for Spirits of the Dead. Prometheus Books. pp. 264–. ISBN 978-1-61614-586-6.
  11. ^ Javier Leiva (2 July 2019). The Psychic Grief Vampires. Pretend Radio. Archived from the original on July 3, 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  12. ^ Gerbic, Susan (February 5, 2015). "Operation Bumblebee". Skeptical Inquirer
  13. ^ Walther, Mitchell (October 30, 2014). "Ohlone professor 'stings' TV psychic". Ohlone College Monitor
  14. ^ "Cory Cove got into it with a Psychic this morning...". KFAM-FM 100.3 Minneapolis-St. Paul. iHeart Radio. Archived 28 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 March 2017.