In 1942, the Harvard physiologist Walter Cannon published a paper called "'Voodoo' Death," in which he described cases of death from fright in people who believed they had been cursed, such as by a witch doctor or as a consequence of eating taboo fruit.
Di tahun 1942, ahli fisiologi Harvard, Walter Cannon menerbitkan makalah "Voodoo' Death", di mana dia menjelaskan kasus-kasus kematian karena rasa takut pada orang-orang yang percaya  mereka telah dikutuk, seperti karena disantet dukun atau  akibat memakan buah terlarang.