I’ve been getting a lot of hate mail due to the article that I posted here in GhostTheory about the Paranormal state letter from a former client of theirs. You can read the article Here.
Now, I want to dispel some misconceptions about that post. I did not write the letter in question.
I am not saying that Kirby Robinson is correct in his letter, but it does make you question the entire show. I got the letter from EyeonTheParanormal and just reported about it here.
Let’s take a look at some comments made about the post.
Magie said:
I read all of this and watched the episode of the messenger… You are wrong on many accounts. Hate to break it to you. That woman, Kelli Ryan, she is making wild accustations when there is no proof, and you seem to be jealous. How about you grow up and stop hating on ohter paranormal investigators just because they are more well known than you. And who cares if Ryan Buell was looking at himself in the mirror its not against the law and Kelli Ryan is saying that Ryan Buell and Chip Coffey are picking on her, well she’s making accusations about them. You are sad, and so is Kelli Ryan.
To which I responded:
Magie,
The show “Paranormal State” is based off the research from the PRS team. Maybe the PRS team (before the show) was a humble ‘Ghost Hunting’ team. It seems that after A&E network created the show, all we ever see in the episodes is a 30 minute long reality show that is cleverly edited to have a cliffhanger before every commercial break and sometimes in between.
There is no real scientific investigating done through out the show. By A&E adding sound effects when there were no sounds during the taping, is to be considered a slap in the face to a more intelligent audience.
I’m not “hating” nor am I “jealous” because they are more well known than GhostTheory since GhostTheory is not a ‘Ghost Hunting’ team. That is not the point of this website.
Ryan Buell decided to put his work (PRS team) on the air and sell out his beliefs. There is no research team out there in the name of science that would let a couple of producers add special effects to their work, just to embellish the truth in order to score a bigger audience.
I’m sure the people who believe in the evidence that is presented by these shows, to be the same people who watch “Most Haunted” or “Ghost Adventures” on the Travel channel.
Thanks for your comment
Yes, I think Most Haunted and Ghost Adventures are both horrible shows that try to exploit the paranormal.
The second comment I received was from Elizabeth:
Elizabeth said:
First of all I would like to start out by asking where is the proof that Chip Coffey recieved all the information prior? You have no proof that shows he did. So there is your first lie among many others. You say “The PRS team represented themselves as being part of Penn State University, which was only the beginning of their deceptions.” What deception is that? Are you saying they don’t attend school there? Because that is ANOTHER LIE. I went to Penn State and guess what, THEY DO. People know their lives will be exposed on this show, so did this “psychic” woman. She still choose to make the phone call. And if she is such a great psychic, why couldn’t she get the ghost out of her house? No she had to call someone on the other side of the country to help GET HER PUBLICITY. Stop attacking these people and the HIGHLY RESPECTED Chip Coffey and go get a life.
My response:
Elizabeth,
I think you are misunderstanding the article here. The letter/article was not written by me. It was from Kirby Robinson of http://eyeontheparanormal.blogspot.com/
I copied the letter here on GhostTheory because I found it interesting. So no, I didn’t write it.
I do however still believe that the PRS team’s ‘Paranomal State’ is a farce.
The show does not approach the paranormal in a scientific method. Take for example the scene of the “ghostly handprint” in the episode “Coal miner’s ghost”.
The first 36 seconds of the video is proof enough that these guys do not care for the true scientific method. Here you have an investigation taking place in a home of people who are reaching out and asking for help with their haunting. You then have the investigators, with their hi-tech equipment, pan around a room that is full of investigators, a psychic, the home owners and the production crew all bunched together in a small room and they spot a heat signature of a hand that is on the wall behind the psychic using their IR camera.
Paranormal State Coal Miner’s Ghost: “Ghost hand print”
I don’t know if you are familiar with how these cameras work, but when you place your hand on a cold or room temperature surface, it radiates your body heat and you will easily see the heat signature of your hand. It’s seen through the camera as a bright red/yellow/green image respectively to the heat composition of the object. In this case a human hand that has most of the heat concentrated in the palm area. Within a few seconds to minutes of the initial contact with the surface, the heat signature starts to cool down, the image will change from yellow/red to a more blueish image. Losing heat and starting to cool down, the heat signature will go from a strong red/yellow to a more cool blue. It will take a few minutes for the signature to fully go away.
PRS investigator putting his hand on the wall for comparison
Investigator’s fresh hand-print
In those images, the investigator claimed that there was no way the psychic could have produced the hand print at the time since:
A) Her hands were at her sides the whole time.
B) If she would have done it, it would be as brightly colored as his imprint.
The point of this post is not to deduce the PRS team as being a bunch of charlatans. The point of the post is to point out to the public that critical thinking is necessary. Especially when we have people who are seeking help in a case where mainstream science cannot help. The PRS’ conclusion that this was in fact a ghost print will have adverse effects. It could potentially traumatize the home owners and especially the children. Psychological scars can play out throughout their lives.
The PRS team never really analyzes the evidence. Take for example the show ‘MonsterQuest’. Every shred of evidence that is gathered and presented to the audience is put through several tests. Scientists from all walks give their professional analyses of the samples. It provides the viewers with 2 sides of the coin. Where as the ‘Paranormal State’ show never examines the evidence.
They cleverly edit the shadow in the corner that was just seen on camera, or the sound they heard and cut to a commercial break for the cliffhanger effect.
Now, about Chip Coffey.
You said: “Stop attacking these people and the HIGHLY RESPECTED Chip Coffey and go get a life.”
Again, I did not write the article. But I do have some reservations about Mr. Coffey. First off, I didn’t know him to be “Highly Respected”. I’m always amazed of how dead-on he is about his readings when he first steps into a house. Before I go that route, let’s look at your first statement:
“First of all I would like to start out by asking where is the proof that Chip Coffey recieved all the information prior?
Well I do not have solid proof of how the ‘Paranormal State’ crew handles their investigations, but my Guess is that it goes something like this:
Ryan: “OK, we have a case that involves a ghost of a little girl and a man”
PRS team: “OK, sounds like a cool case..”
Ryan (calling Chip): “OK so we are heading out to so-and-so’s place. They are reporting a haunting of a man and a little girl…”
Chip: “Alright, sounds good. “
When Chip Coffey arrives, Ryan Buell makes sure the cameras capture him arriving and him meeting with Chip, so that the audience can witness that he did not give out any information at that point. Chip goes into the house and starts to “read” the environment.
Chip: “I think I sense a scared little girl….and a mean man”
I’m not saying that’s what happens but doesn’t that sound like a more logical explanation of what really goes on behind the scenes? Doesn’t that sound like a more plausible thing the “Highly Respected” Chip Coffey might do? Again, critical thinking is in dire need.
The fact that Chip Coffey got a spinoff show called ‘Psychic Kids’ is proof that he is in it to exploit the exploitable. Here is a man who chooses to put kids on network television and feed them lies about their psychic abilities and try to help them by walking them through their newly found gift. Chip Coffey chose to ridicule most of these kids on network television for his own gain.
The Amateur Scientist has an excellent post about Chip Coffey and his shenanigans.
There were some emails and comments that understood what the post was about.
Take for example this comment:
nakuicalo said:
I have to admit that I did have these shows tivo’ed just to see what happened, and after reading all of this deception going on, you can tell when you watch the shows of all the fake sounds and fake editing that goes on… I will never watch again!
So to summarize, GhostTheory did not write this letter, but we still believe Paranormal State and Psychic kids to be a farce.
Let the hate-mail commence!
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