Elisabeth Fischer Targ (August 4, 1961 – July 13, 2002) was an American psychiatrist, specializing in psychic phenomena and the role of spirituality in health and healing.
Targ produced a series of papers investigating the effects of prayer on AIDS patients, attempting to test the theory with a high degree of experimental rigor, with questionable results that eventually were not confirmed by a study published after her death.
[2][better source needed] According to late-life and post mortem accounts, Targ participated in many games and experiments, primarily relating to remote viewing and precognition, while growing up - guessing what her birthday and Christmas presents were before opening them, as well as the outcomes of horse races and presidential elections.
[4][5] Targ received nearly $1.5M in grant funds from the National Institutes of Health to test the effectiveness of prayer on AIDS and breast cancer patients.
Targ's decline and death were watched with great interest by the community of remote healers she worked with, who prayed for her, often arriving at her house to offer their assistance while she was undergoing treatment.