Believe it or not, I am not a fan of psychics.  I never have been.  In my (relatively short) life, I have come across too many flakes; too many self-proclaimed Blessed Be's who have the gift of a Third Eye that tells them all.  Too many a psychic has given destructive and irrational advice, but because they are linked with the Higher Power, they believe they aren't bound to the basic laws of human morality and decency.

Case in point.  The PRS gang headed to Duffy's Tavern to celebrate with fans and supporters of the show.  We watched the new episode with them.  Later, I was introduced to a woman who claimed to have psychic ability.  She did a walk-through of the restaurant and claimed she felt the presence of spirits on the second level.  I was polite and seemed intrigued by the whole matter.  I decided I wanted to tour the upstairs just for historical purposes and the psychic-in-question offered to tag along and show where she felt the spirits.  We were followed by a very small crowd of people who wanted to check it out also.  One young man was already up there.  The psychic-in-question immediately said, "oooh, do you feel that?  The cold spot?  That cold energy?"  Both Heather and I looked up to a vent that was right above us and said in unison, "it's the vent."  She looked like she had just ate something sour.  "No, I'm not talking about VENTS, I'm talking about ENERGY."  I just shrugged and walked off.  In truth, I was more interested in checking out the upstairs.  The young man, however, continued to be lectured by this psychic-in-question about the energy she was feeling.  She stressed that he needed to let go of his perceptions and open himself up to the feelings around him. 

As I walked around, I suddenly heard this lady getting really testy with this young man.  "Are you getting smart with me?" she asked, and the man, who looked like a guy one wouldn't want to mess with in the first place, was genuinely apologetic and said that he just wasn't feeling anything.  But then I heard her again, this time accusing him of being a "smart-ass."  I finally had to intervene.

She goes on a tirade about how she doesn't have to prove herself to anyone and that people need to leave their ego's in check.  I looked directly at her and told her that the only ego causing a scene was hers.

She looked a little blasted and began to get defensive, saying how she was being attacked.  I sat down on a rocking chair and explained that the only attacks I've heard were coming from her.  The young man who was giving her the time of day was asking what sounded to me as very innocent and curious questions.  But to her, she was taking it as something else.  She continuously said that she didn't need to prove herself and that if people didn't agree with her that she didn't care.  I said that this was fine, and that I didn't agree with her.  But I wasn't the one causing the scene.  She was.

Eventually, she calmed down and began to discuss the spirits she was seeing.  She asked me if I sensed anything and I honestly said no, but as I explained to her, I also didn't feel that I had any psychic ability.  I then left the upstairs.

I later heard her apologize to the young man, which made me feel better about the situation, but overall, this is a wonderful example of how psychics and I don't get along.

I'm amazed how Chip and I can get along.  I suppose it's because Chip knows and understands that I do not give psychics carte-blanche.  Chip understands that, no matter how many times he "wows" me, each episode the slate is cleared and he has to earn us trusting his information. 

When I first met Chip, I fear that I wasn't very hospitable towards him.  Most psychics walk in with their ego's.  They demand special consideration for their "senses" and to question their information is to question their integrity and their being.  So, naturally, I like to test them.  I like to push their buttons to see how far they'll let me go.

I put Chip under a small level of scrutiny and he was surprisingly comfortable with that.  I also questioned his information.  "Do with the information as you wish," was his response.  In short, Chip Coffey is by no means insecure about his abilities, at least to me and my team. 

Have I put Chip Coffey through the ringer?  Have I demanded that he put on a monkey suit and take the "Amazing" $1 Million Challenge?  No.  And I understand that makes me a piss poor researcher in some people's books.  But I also have ethics.

What concerns me about psychics actually has nothing to do about their abilities.  It's how they are as human beings.  My current take on the whole matter?  Who the heck knows if psychics are real or not?  There's SCIENTIFIC research that suggests the possibility, and then there are SCIENTIFIC individuals who have debunked self-proclaimed psychics.  What concerns me is not who the greatest psychic is. 

In my short life, I have met only a handful of psychics who have demonstrated an amazing ability that could be called "psychic."  Half of them were flakes; idiotic individuals who felt they are above the law of humanity because they're special.  Oh, they're special all right. 

Just because you're a psychic doesn't mean you can spout out anything and everything and not be held accountable for it.  Just because you're a psychic does NOT mean we shouldn't be allowed to question your abilities.  I'm willing to sympathize that hearing and seeing things that other's cannot can make you a little crazy, especially if they talk to you all the time, but you are still a human being.  One must remain rational and understand that the rest of the world does NOT perceive things as you, the psychic, may be perceiving.  A psychic is an interpreter.  They possess a gift that should be used, yes, but not worshipped. 

Why I like Chip Coffey has nothing really to do with his psychic abilities.  He's quite capable to function and help others as a human being without his psychic gifts.  There are too many people out there who look as if they've built their entire lives based off of the fact that they are psychic.  Instead of "Hi my name is Linda," it's "Good Day, I am Linda the Psychic, and while I shake your hand I just received a Message From the Beeeeyoooooonnnd."  Cut the crap, please.

Chip Coffey can sit with a client and talk to them as a human being.  Him being a psychic is secondary to the entire process; he's there to help people as an investigator.

On occasion, I get an email or remark from my fellow Christians asking why I choose to condone psychics when it clearly says in the Bible that it is wrong?  Let's be honest about something.  As we've learned over the past few centuries, the Bible isn't always clear.  We don't always know what God is saying.  We do our best to follow our hearts and any divine advice we get.  My heart tells me that there's some good use a psychic can be of on my investigations.  Chip has helped me resolve many situations and helped bring peace and understanding to my clients.  I like the way he chooses to use his gift, and the way he holds himself as a human being.  He is very careful about the advice he gives to not only my clients, but to his as well.

And for the record, although I don't think I can ever be fully sold that Chip Coffey is a psychic, I believe he has some extraordinary talent, whatever that may be called.  My belief in psychics can never be 100%, so long as I retain that one ounce of skepticism that forces me to wonder if it was guesswork or coincidence.  Maybe this is an irrational insecurity of mine because I fear of being duped or punk'ed.

Many people have dogged Chip Coffey over the year.  Chip Coffey stands for what he believes in and he'll take criticism, so long as its done to his face and fairly.  And that gives Chip Coffey class.

Concerning psychics, the jury is still out for me.  Concerning Chip Coffey, I'm a fan.  God love him.

Edit: After reading a letter from a woman, I've decided to tone down the language in this blog.  It's a very heated subject for me, but I do apologize for being strong.  I also foresee this as a blog that may have a second part, a lot like "Whom Shall I Send?" just because its a very important topic for me.  I am not, however, apologetic about my position towards these types of psychics.  The point that I'm trying to discuss in this blog/editorial is that I am very skeptical of some psychics because of how they mistreat, mislead and act.