Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Toto · 11-15-2002, 12:41 PM

<a href="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.12/prayer.html" target="_blank">The Astonishing Story of a Doctor Who Subjected Faith to the Rigors of Science - and then became a test subject herself</a>.

Elizabeth Targ ran a famous experiment that seemed to show that distance healing might work. This article, while obviously sympathetic to her as a person, finally details how the study was not double-blind and showed nothing of the sort. Targ herself died of a brain tumor after listening to her psychic healing friends.

Hubble head · 11-15-2002, 01:43 PM

Top's for a Darwin Award, I'd guess. No one's positive feelings can heal anyone other than themselves.

[ November 15, 2002: Message edited by: science ]

Ab_Normal · 11-15-2002, 01:59 PM

I read the article last night. She had a grade 4 glioblastoma, which is pretty much a one way ticket to dead in my understanding. She did do conventional therapy, plus the wacky new age stuff. This quote seems to describe her attitude:

Quote:

Targ tried. She didn't believe that any particular one of these healers had the power to cure her, but she believed in the general notion that her life was in the hands of a mystical force.

It's like she walked the line between the two worlds.

edited to add: I was rather disappointed in the article - it seemed one sided in favor of the paranormal - until I got to the parts where the writer explained the flaws in Targ's famous study.

[ November 15, 2002: Message edited by: Ab_Normal ]

11-15-2002, 06:20 PM

I'm sure she will come back to her sensors soon enough and come out with a theory of how this healing was done. Afterall, she's a psychiatrist, and last I checked, those bunch doesn't believe in any supernatural stuff.

crocodile deathroll · 11-16-2002, 12:54 AM

I inclined to think it is all a lot of bunk
If you like to view a properly controlled scientific experiment on the power of prayer then have a listen to this: (just click on the tomato image two thirds the way down the page)
<a href="http://exn.ca/Stories/2001/11/20/52.asp" target="_blank"> Healing Power on Tomato Plants </a>

Here is another very extensive test here that was done on people which found there was no statistically significant difference
<a href="http://www.csicop.org/articles/20010810-prayer/" target="_blank">The Power of Intercessory Prayer </a>

[ November 16, 2002: Message edited by: crocodile deathroll ]

Toto · 11-16-2002, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Seraphim:
I'm sure she will come back to her sensors soon enough and come out with a theory of how this healing was done. After all, she's a psychiatrist, and last I checked, those bunch doesn't believe in any supernatural stuff.

? She's dead. The brain tumor was fatal. She might have had a better chance if she had not relied on a psychic viewer who told her to go off the chemotherapy, or maybe not.

11-17-2002, 03:23 PM

"She's dead. The brain tumor was fatal. She might have had a better chance if she had not relied on a psychic viewer who told her to go off the chemotherapy, or maybe not. "

My reply : She is? Oh well ... good for her ... at least she won't suffer anymore.

What is the use of having Faith when life about to extinguish?

11-15-2002, 12:41 PM	#1
Toto Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Los Angeles area Posts: 40,549	Nothing fails like distance prayer and psychic healing <a href="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.12/prayer.html" target="_blank">The Astonishing Story of a Doctor Who Subjected Faith to the Rigors of Science - and then became a test subject herself</a>. Elizabeth Targ ran a famous experiment that seemed to show that distance healing might work. This article, while obviously sympathetic to her as a person, finally details how the study was not double-blind and showed nothing of the sort. Targ herself died of a brain tumor after listening to her psychic healing friends.

11-15-2002, 01:43 PM	#2
Hubble head Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Corn rows Posts: 4,570	Top's for a Darwin Award, I'd guess. No one's positive feelings can heal anyone other than themselves. [ November 15, 2002: Message edited by: science ]</p>

11-16-2002, 12:54 AM	#5
crocodile deathroll Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Darwin Posts: 1,466	I inclined to think it is all a lot of bunk If you like to view a properly controlled scientific experiment on the power of prayer then have a listen to this: (just click on the tomato image two thirds the way down the page) <a href="http://exn.ca/Stories/2001/11/20/52.asp" target="_blank"> Healing Power on Tomato Plants </a> Here is another very extensive test here that was done on people which found there was no statistically significant difference <a href="http://www.csicop.org/articles/20010810-prayer/" target="_blank">The Power of Intercessory Prayer </a> [ November 16, 2002: Message edited by: crocodile deathroll ]</p>

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11-15-2002, 06:20 PM	#4
Seraphim Guest Posts: n/a	I'm sure she will come back to her sensors soon enough and come out with a theory of how this healing was done. Afterall, she's a psychiatrist, and last I checked, those bunch doesn't believe in any supernatural stuff.

11-17-2002, 03:23 PM	#7
Seraphim Guest Posts: n/a	"She's dead. The brain tumor was fatal. She might have had a better chance if she had not relied on a psychic viewer who told her to go off the chemotherapy, or maybe not. " My reply : She is? Oh well ... good for her ... at least she won't suffer anymore. What is the use of having Faith when life about to extinguish?

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