In recent centuries, one of the longest wars in the world has been that between religion and science. Occasionally, however, there is an attempt to bring the two closer together. Elizabeth Targ was a scientist who tried to do this, but eventually became a tragic and controversial figure. We used Forefront and ChatGPT to tell us about the scientist whose faith killed her.
Targ, a psychiatrist and researcher born in 1961, rose to prominence in the 90s with groundbreaking research into the possible role of prayer in healing the sick. Her research, often recognized as pioneering, sought to investigate the impact of prayer on the condition of AIDS patients, who at the time were terminally ill. She selected about 1,000 patients with AIDs and similar diseases, and randomly divided them into two groups, one of which she asked different parties to pray for and the other not. After examining the condition of these patients over time, she concluded that prayer could indeed contribute to positive health outcomes, since they spent much less time in the hospital and, allegedly, died much less than the control group that did not receive prayers.
Elizabeth's father, Russell Tarrag, recounts her life and research:
Ironically, Targ's own life took a tragic turn when she herself was diagnosed with an irremovable brain cancer—one of the diseases she tried to prove prayers could cure. Targ was supported by the community of spiritual healers she worked with, who prayed for her non-stop – but in her case it didn't help, and she died in 2002, about three weeks before her 41st birthday.
Almost simultaneously, an article was published analyzing Targ's research, arguing that her methodology was flawed and did not take into account various developments and factors. This paper was not the first of its kind, as many in the scientific community tried, and failed, to reproduce or explain Targ's conclusions. As a result, the study records were opened and re-examined, and it was found that the patients they prayed for did not have lower mortality rates or symptoms, although there was a marked difference in hospitalizations.
Elizabeth Tarrag's story remains a complex narrative, weaving together scientific inquiry, religious belief and personal tragedy. To date, researchers have not been able to reconstruct her conclusions, and her own death is a big pin stuck in her research balloon.
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