Guest guest Posted August 2, 2002 Report Share Posted August 2, 2002 SEARCH THE TIME ARCHIVE: Magazine All of TIME.com Friday, August 2, 2002 Topical Searches Sept. 11 Stock Market Covers HOME NATION WORLD BUSINESS ARTS SCI-HEALTH PHOTOS MAGAZINE ARCHIVE COLUMNISTS Margaret Carlson Corliss Elliott Mitch Galley Girl Gibney Leon Jaroff Tony Karon Mom at Work J. Poniewozik TIME.comix Waller SPECIALS HELP SUBSCRIBE LIFE Magazine Does Body Chemistry Make You Gullible? A new study finds that dopamine can make you dopey Friday, Jul. 26, 2002 Over the years, as a confirmed skeptic, I've not been too charitable to purveyors of the paranormal. Israeli " psychic " Uri Geller has felt the sting of my columns, as has medium , who claims he is in touch with our dearly departed. I've ridiculed believers in Therapeutic Touch and Alien Abductions, and made light of those who insist that UFOs are visitors from other worlds. Now I'm feeling a little guilty. It turns out that these poor souls, as well as the millions who hold similar beliefs, really can't help themselves. It's their body chemistry that makes them so gullible. At least that's the conclusion reached by a group of Swiss neurologists who had previously suggested that those who believe in the paranormal seem to be more willing than skeptics to see patterns or relationships between events. To discover what might be triggering these irrational connections, the researchers report in the British journal New Scientist, they persuaded 20 admitted believers and 20 adamant skeptics to take part in an experiment. First the scientists briefly flashed faces and scrambled faces on a screen, then real words and pseudo words. It quickly became evident that the believers were much more likely to see a real word or face when there wasn't one. The Swiss scientists then gave all of the volunteers a dose of L- dopa, which is widely used to relieve symptoms of Parkinson's Disease by increasing the levels of dopamine in the brain. The drug caused both groups to make more mistakes, but the skeptics became more likely to interpret the scrambled faces and words as the real thing. To the researchers, these results suggest that paranormal thoughts are associated with high levels of dopamine in the brain and that L-dopa makes skeptics less skeptical. I guess, then, that the assumption can be made that my levels of dopamine are abysmally low. But the Swiss experiment may have other implications. It has been observed that treatments with L-dopa often seem to lead elderly Parkinson's patients to make aggressive passes at their nurses, behavior attributed to the effect the drug has on the libido. In light of the Swiss experiments, however, that theory may now have to be revised. May I suggest instead that the L- dopa causes the patients to believe, gullibly and irrationally, that the nurses would encourage and welcome their advances? Gee, I like that theory. Perhaps it's time to prove it out with a large-scale clinical trial. An Ironic Twist for Dr. Targ In my January 16, 2002 column entitled " Investigating the Power of Prayer, " I looked askance at the Federally-funded National Institutes of Health for granting nearly one and a half million dollars to Dr. Targ for two studies she was conducting. Now her story has a troubling new twist. Targ was investigating " distance healing, " a technique that involved healers from various faiths praying for patients with serious illnesses, healers who were far removed from the patients and never encountered them. Furthermore, the patients were unaware that prayers were being offered on their behalf. One group being studied by Targ consisted of AIDS victims, the other of those afflicted with a kind of brain tumor known as glioblastoma multiforme. As her studies progressed, Targ said that the prayed-for patients were doing considerably better than those in a control group with the same illnesses, but who were not the recipients of prayers from afar. My column cast a skeptical eye on such claims. Last week I belatedly learned that Targ herself, in a most ironic twist of fate, had surgery in April for a brain tumor. Yes, it was diagnosed as a glioblastoma multiforme. The operation left Targ with difficulty swallowing, her speech mildly impaired and her voice an octave or two higher. As part of her rehabilitation, she has been meeting with spiritual healers and alternative medicine specialists. And, according to a website set up by her friends, she is " open to hearing about alternative and complementary treatment and healing strategies. " One of those strategies is being employed by Targ's friends on the web site, where they have requested that readers send " very focused healing intention for the alleviation of her condition and for her complete recovery " in the form of written prayers. The response testifies to the adulation of Targ's many admirers, who have sent hundreds of E-mailed prayers as well as some ordinary get-well wishes. While I am still convinced that the results claimed by Targ are illusory, I gather from the comments of her friends that she is a loving, generous person, and I join those friends in wishing her well and hoping for a speedy recovery. [Note: Just days after this column was published, we learned that Dr. Tarq died of glioblastoma] SEARCH THE ARCHIVE Search Magazine All of TIME.com Search all back-issues of TIME since 1985 for TIME's unique perspective on history, people, and the most important events of the day. GO TO THE ARCHIVE See our most-popular articles TIME Book Selections LIFE Year in Pictures LIFE: One Nation LIFE: The U.S. Military TIME: Great Images of the 20th Century TIME 2002 Annual Opportunities Join TIME's Affiliate Program Free Product Info Media Kit Free Internet Try AOL for 1000 Hours FREE! Copyright © 2002 Time Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Subscribe | Customer Service | FAQ | Site Map | Contact Us Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Reprints & Permissions | Press Releases Does Body Chemistry Make You Gullible? A new study finds that dopamine can make you dopey Bamboozled on Long Island An exotic plant takes over Wasting Big Bucks On Alternative Medicine Why are the feds spending millions studying questionable treatments? There's Nothing Dangerous About 'Silver' Fillings But some in Congress continue to insist there is More Stories > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thanks for the Mammaries Part 2 of our Russ Meyer tribute A Lawsuit to Choke On You're a junk-food junkie? You oughta sue somebody! Making Policy Without Politicians Voter referenda are taking over the political process. Where are the people we pay to make these decisions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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