Beyond Goodbye - organ transplant consciousness transfer

Many studies have demonstrated the transfer of long-term memory between individuals by injecting RNA extracted from trained donors into naïve recipients. This remarkable finding suggests that RNA-mediated mechanisms could contribute to transmitting memories or behavioral traits from heart donors to transplant recipients. (Al-Juhani 2024)

The whole topic seems to encourage non-scientific thinking ..... There is no scientific evidence behind any of this. (Jonathan Jarry 2024)

The idea that transplanting organs transfers the coding of life experience is unimaginable. Most scientists believe psychological experience is stored in the brain. (Cardiologist John Schroeder, Stanford University Medical Center, 2008)

Kazu: I am here today as Yusuke.... (Beyond Goodbye 2024)

Contents

Beyond Goodbye 2024
Explanations
Consciousness exchange
Examples
References & Bibliography

------------------

Abstract: Can memories, personality traits and related emotions be transferred from one individual to another through the process of organ transplantation? Scientists generally say no, whilst the public says yes. The writer considers this issue and introduces the concept of localised consciousness as core to the origin of non-corporeal consciousness transfers, manifest physically through epigenetic changes and science-based concepts such as cellular memory. The scenario presented in the Netflix fantasy drama Beyond Goodbye (2024) is utilised to reveal aspects of consciousness transfer associated with organ transplantation, and specifically those involving the heart.

-------------------

1. Beyond Goodbye 2024

The Japanese 8-episode Netflix series Beyond Goodbye, released internationally in November 2024, presented a premise whereby the placement of the heart of a deceased young man (Yusuke) into another body through organ transplantation gave rise to the recipient (Kazu) then possessing some of Yusuke's memories, personality traits and related emotion (MPE), also referred to as memory, identity and consciousness (MIC). These similarities between donor and recipient are only revealed when the donor's fiance (Saeko) meets the recipient and corresponding elements of Yusuke's consciousness become evident to both. Beyond the mystery surrounding the whole process, one of the many questions arising is: Why is the consciousness of the deceased donor, or part (echo) thereof, still attached to the organ placed within the body of the recipient? This is seen in the final episodes of Beyond Goodbye, when both Saeko and Kazu are grappling with the reality of Yasuke's ongoing presence in some form.

Beyond Goodbye (trailer), Netflix, 26 October 2024, YouTube, duration: 2.27 minutes.

Such post-transplantation physical and psychological changes have been known to occur in real life, and have been discussed and investigated in depth since the 1980s within a number of memoirs, interviews and academic studies. Unfortunately the evidence is scant due to the fact that the vast majority of organ transplant recipients know nothing about the deceased donor, with protocols usually in place to protect the anonymity of the donor and their families. As a result, academic studies commonly reveal physical and psychological changes in recipients arising out of organ transplantation, but do not necessarily identify the commonality between those changes and the corresponding traits of the deceased donor, where they exist or manifest. Only a single study is known to the present author whereby a concurrent study was undertaken involving both recipient and donor information (Al-Juhani 2024). Interestingly, that study by a team of researchers from universities in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain was released in November 2024, around the same time as Beyond Goodbye. It discussed the concepts of heart memory and heart-brain, wherein the heart is given equivalency to the memory and personality storage capabilities of the brain, with its own distinct nervous system. The study notes:

The phenomenon of personality changes following heart transplantation has captured the imagination of scientists and the public alike, presenting a fascinating intersection of medicine, psychology, and metaphysics. While the concept of personality is influenced by the transplantation of a vital organ may seem unbelievable, numerous studies have lent credence to the idea that the recipient may exhibit traits and preferences reminiscent of their heart donor. These observations raise profound questions about the nature of memory, identity, and consciousness..... Many studies have demonstrated the transfer of long-term memory between individuals by injecting RNA extracted from trained donors into naïve recipients. This remarkable finding suggests that RNA-mediated mechanisms could contribute to transmitting memories or behavioral traits from heart donors to transplant recipients. (Al-Juhani 2024)

Along the same lines:

There is a lot of genetic engineering and a lot of upgrading going on. It has been going on for a long time. We can shoot a laser through a frog egg into a salamander egg, and the salamander will become a frog. We know how to transfer DNA with a laser. (Michael Salla & James Gilliland 2024)

A number of non-concurrent studies linking donor consciousness (MIC) with recipients post-transplantation have also been carried out (viz. Pearsell 2000). It should be noted here that beyond the inherent skepticism of the scientific fraternity towards aspects of reality that are not based on a physical or material state (i.e., metaphysical) there are social pressures not to link the two, or promote the idea of organ transplantation benefiting an individual beyond the sole aspect of prolonging their life in the face of a life-threatening medical condition. For example, the 2022 Netflix animated dystopian series Pantheon highlights the dangers of attempting to manipulate elements of individual consciousness through a physical variation of artificial intelligence (AI) therein called upload intelligence (UI), otherwise known as mind uploading. Therein a purely bioelectric process is used to transfer the MPE/MIC of an individual into a large mainframe computer for manipulation.

The subject of what the present author terms organ transplantation consciousness transfer (OTCT) has been discussed on the fringes of society by the public and scientific fraternity in modern times since the publication in 1818 of Mary Shelley's Gothic novel Frankenstein (Shelley 1818, Longbottom & Organ 2022). Therein, the brain of a killer is placed in a reanimated body by Dr. Frankenstein, and as a result 'Frankenstein's monster' goes on to kill, both intentionally and inadvertently, reflecting the various theories related to the modern concept of cellular memory. More recently, the first surgical heart transplant in 1967 raised within the scientific community the issue of associated consciousness transfer. It also gave rise to a future coterie of recipients for study.

As early as 2008 the controversial concept of non-local mind (i.e. consciousness not deriving or originating from the physical brain, and not localized therein) was used to link consciousness with the post-transplantation MPE/MIC phenomena (Dossey 2008). In 2011 it was noted that epigenetics and DNA studies brought science closer to a materialist explanation for the enigma that was consciousness or, at least, how consciousness operates in activation of the physical body (Hudson 2011). An example of recent academic studies around OTCT can be seen in the work of Mitchell Liester at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine (Liester 2024). An article published by Liester's team in the journal Transplantology noted, however, that

....our study is not designed to determine the cause of personality changes following organ transplants (Carter et al. 2024).

The authors of the article perhaps realise that science can easily deal with physical effects, but not necessarily with causes, which may include non-material (metaphysical) elements that are generally beyond the realm of scientific inquiry. Despite this, the article does mention some of the suggested reasons, or causes, both scientific and actual, based on first-hand accounts and popular analyses. According to Liester, these post-transplantation causes of disassociated flashbacks and the adoption of foreign personality traits can be broadly arranged into three categories. They are presented below, with comments by the present writer following:

Psychological - arising out of the delusional thoughts of the recipient, and therefore deemed not real in a scientific sense. The Carter et al. study actually mentions magical thinking and analogy as some of the possible drivers, whilst Jonathan Jarry of McGill University refers to the origins of belief in the connections as examples of selection bias and magical thinking (Jarry 2024). In other words, the scientists believe that the MPE/MIC phenomena are not real - they are magical - and Jarry goes on to ridicule it as such.
Biochemical - the phenomena are based on the storage of personal information (memories, personality traits and behaviours, emotions, etc.,) at the cellular level in organic matter such as heart, liver, kidneys and lungs. This is the most common scientific explanation. It has even been noted that the phenomena occurs in association with fecal enemas.
Electrical/energetic - similar to biochemical, in that the MPE/MIC of a deceased person are stored in organs in the form of electrical energy and then transferred on to the recipient.

Within the Al-Juhani study similar physical reasons presented for the phenomena include:

Cellular memory / heart memory (also called systemic memory)
Epigenetic (DNA and RNA) modifications via exosomes and neurotransmitters (Al-Juhani 2024, Gaudi 2016).
Energetic transactions

These three categories are similar to the manner in which science addresses so-called strange or abnormal realities, namely, it either ridicules them - as in Liester's category #1 - or provides a partial, science-based explanation, which almost invariably fails to address the core issues such as origins or source, and the complex reality as observed and experienced first-hand. This is seen in Liester categories #2 and #3.

The aim of the present article is to go beyond the science, and especially the psychological debunk of the numerous first-hand accounts of organ transplant recipients by commentators such as Jarry. This is done through the postulation of possible reasons for these occurrences, incorporating the hard problem of consciousness and the likely partial transfer of elements of individual consciousness from donor to recipient. The author had discussed the manipulation of consciousness elsewhere, though not in relation to organ transplantation (Organ 2024). Obviously the discussion will go beyond what is the current doctrine adhered to by the scientific fraternity and consider alternate possibilities, based on the evidence provided by first-hand accounts and related studies. There is ample evidence to support the reality of consciousness transfer associated with organ transplantation. In going beyond the limitations of hard science, causes can be found for this phenomena. It appears to be the only manner in which such consciousness transfer can occur amongst humans. So-called mind reading and other telepathic experiences are transitory and not relevant to the present discussion as they represent a third-party connection between separate individual consciousnesses.

-----------------------

2. Explanations

Everything we call real is made of things that cannot be regarded as real (Neils Bohr, atomic scientist, 1958)

Everything we call unreal is made of things that must be regarded as real (The present writer, 2024)

What is the explanation for the transfer of memory, personality traits and related emotion (MPE/MIC) during the process of organ transplant?

In the present writer's opinion, there are a number of possibilities - including the three listed below - outside of the three posited above by academic researchers Liester and Al-Juhani, though also in some instances closely related to them. In seeking an explanation for this phenomena, there is likely a close link between the metaphysical cause and the physical actualization through the body. Within the present discussion the focus is placed on the transplantation of the heart, as seen in the Netflix series Beyond Goodbye, though it should be remembered that other organs of the human body, either singularly or in combination, can initiate similar outcomes. Variants, such as the use of animal organs for trannsplant (xenotransplantation), are not considered within this article.

Localised effect. On a micro (individual body) scale, the MPE/MIC of the deceased donor can be present in the heart prior to death, stored therein, and transferred to the body of a recipient, where they are then connected to the brain and acted upon, becoming an integral, though at the same time disconnected, element of the recipient's post-transplantation localised consciousness. The MPE/MIC are then revealed through the normal activities of the brain. This is the most common analysis, incorporating both belief in the phenomena - which science does not usually do - and a possible, partial scientific explanation. It maintains a purely localized, physical cause for the OTCT phenomena. There is no metaphysical or out-of-body causation.

Consciousness connection. On a macro scale, the external, non-material, metaphysical spirit / essence / soul / life of the deceased - hereinafter referred to as the greater individual consciousness - is connected to the new living body (organic machine) through the presence of the beating heart, and therefore elements of the MPE/MIC are transmitted from the disembodied 'dead' consciousness into that of the living body and associated localised consciousness. It is important to remember that individual consciousness is non-material and does not originate in the brain. Within Beyond Goodbye, the localised, foreign MPE/MIC dissipate and disappear from the 'new', post-transplantation individual consciousness. No reason is given for this disappearance, apart from the imminent demise of the heart and the recipient, though it is evidenced by the fact that initially the new body can play the piano like never before, but when the deceased's MPE/MIC elements depart, the new body can no longer play. It is as though, to use a computer analogy, that aspect of the memory of the organic machine has been deleted from temporary storage, or overwritten as part of an update of that internal database of information that is the localised consciousness. The organic link to the greater, external, individual consciousness is severed as the organ begins to fail, resulting in the loss of the ability to play. The writer has not located any evidence for the temporary nature of MPE/MIC amongst academic studies encountered to date.

Not biological. The heart of the deceased has elements of MPE/MIC stored in it, both physically and metaphysically through a link to the greater, non-material, individual consciousness. These elements are carried through to the new body's brain, where they are received, perceived and acted upon to create the updated localised consciousness which now contains elements of two separate consciousnesses. This is perhaps a short-term, recurrent process. However, for those who support the proposition of an eternal consciousness and reincarnation, the continued existence of the donor consciousness in the transplanted organ is reasonable. The fact of the MPE/MIC being associated with a transplanted organ also provides evidence against the theory of consciousness deriving solely from the physical brain, as in this instance we have elements of consciousness associated with, and linked to, separate organs. It also does not explain the fact that consciousness, in the form of MPE/MIC, can be transferable via disconnected organic matter. According to such a theory, a full brain transplant, for example, could give similar results as presented in Shelley's Frankenstein. However, the complete, external, greater individual consciousness would not be transferred in such a case. Frankenstein's monster is not a reality, and neither is the Futurama head in a jar scenario, or the upload intelligence of Pantheon. According to various reports, non-physical consciousness transfer is a reality extra-terrestrially, just as near-death out of body experiences and abilities such as remote viewing are real and experienced terrestrially (Organ 2024). The discussion below will comment further on these aspect of consciousness transfer as they specifically relate to organ transplants.

Within Beyond Goodbye, the deceased Yusuke's selected memories are present in the recipient Kazu's body until the final episode, when they disappear, at least in part. Within Beyond Goodbye there is apparently no contemporaneous direct link between the consciousness of the two young males. That is, Kazu cannot directly communicate with the deceased Yusuke, but can only react to his past MPE/MIC which have come to him as a result of the organ transplant. The voice is always Kazu's. At one point Kazu expresses to Saeko confusion about whether the feelings he feels are his own or Yusuke's. They are now Kazu's, but there is also no doubt that they are the result, in part, of the memories and personality traits of Yusuke which are now part of Kazu's consciousness. The transplanted heart has embedded, to largely unknown and varying degrees, elements of Yusuke's memory, personality traits and related emotion into Kazu's body and localised consciousness. Those experiences in reacting to, and dealing with, Yusuke's MPE/MIC will now become part of Kazu's consciousness, but only be active elements as long as they are themselves active. As we see, at the end of Beyond Goodbye, and as Kazu becomes aware of his imminent death, elements of Yusuke's MPE/MIC become inactive. Whilst Kazu's ability to play the piano disappears, it is unclear whether his post-transplantation flashbacks and memories of Yusuke's life remain with him until the point of death shortly thereafter, and to what degree. If they, like the ability to play the piano, disappear completely, all that will remain is those post-transplantation memories which are now Kazu's, and he may not necessarily feel that he is living with two sets of localised, 'live', consciousnesses.

Will Kazu continue to drink coffee or feel love for Saeko whilst ever he is alive? The writer would suggest yes, as those elements of who Kazu is post-transplantation would likely have become embedded in his personality, or core localised consciousness, and then on to his individual consciousness. Furthermore, it is possible that the eternal consciousness which formerly manifest in Yusuke's body may be present in Kazu as a living entity, and therefore when he says to Saeko during the last visit to her that: ...I am here today as Yusuke.... he may be speaking the truth. Evidence one way or the other may be found in some of the studies referred to below of people who have had transplants and spoke of their life after.

The first human-to-human heart transplant took place in 1967. Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have had organ transplants, with almost 9,000 in 2022 (Statista 2024). As such, the phenomena discussed herein may be widespread, though it has been little studied due both to issues of privacy and reticence on the part of the scientific community to act the reality of the phenomena. Interest has nevertheless steadily increased.

Dr. Frankenstein and his reanimated human.

--------------------

3. Consciousness exchange

In browsing the numerous academic articles published in connection with the impact of organ transplant on the personality of the recipients, there does not appear to be any integrated consideration of the role of consciousness, apart from Dossey's 2008 article Transplants, cellular memory, and reincarnation. It is assumed that scientific - largely biological and psychological - explanations will be found for the post-transplantation effects of memories, changes in personality traits and related emotions. These sit alongside the obvious physical effects which are not discussed here and can include increased (normalized) physical abilities, along with associated feelings of euphoria, reduced anxiety and stress-related psychological conditions which arise due to the cessation of often debilitating illness experienced pre-transplantation.

Unfortunately science in its current state will not solve the hard problem of MPE/MIC transfer during organ transplants, as is tied to the physical realm, and looks to put every aspect of reality in a box, create a formula for it, and replicate it. The scientific fraternity largely refuses to deal with the non-physical realities every person experiences to varying degrees following birth. It labels this reality as metaphysical and subjects it to ridicule and derision with terms such as occultism and quackery, whilst at the same time recognising that it cannot solve the hard problem of consciousness, but still promising to do so at some point in the future. For it is within the realm of consciousness that a solution is to be found to all those non-physical elements of reality that are part of our everyday experience. Science has moved into the quantum realm in seeking an answer to the hard problem of consciousness. However, the quantum realm is in large part also tied to the physical realm, and despite the complex mathematical, theoretical and linguistic contortions applied by it to the non-physical realm, answers are not forthcoming, and never will be. Just as consciousness does not derive from the brain, so also microtubules and collapsing wave functions do not explain love.

The disconnected MPE/MIC arising out of organ transplantation are a hard problem for science. They contain, in the present writer's view, a complex mixing of both the physical and non-physical realms. But an understanding of the true nature of consciousness offers a path to a solution as to their origins. The present writer would see that path playing out as follows:

Consciousness is spirit, non-material, eternal and infinite. It is life. "Life does not die" (Rabbi Freeman 2023)
Consciousness does not derive from the brain, or the organic machine that is the physical body. The body is merely a transceiver.
Individual consciousness originates as a fractal element of the greater cosmic consciousness which is also known as Creator, Source or God.
Individual consciousness exists outside of the physical, material realm.
Individual consciousness transmits information to the body (an organic machine), which then enables it to exist physically in three-dimensions.
The sub-set of the individual consciousness that operates the physical body is referred to herein as the localised consciousness.
In operating in the physical realm at the cellular / DNA / quantum levels, the physical machine that is the body is embedded with the necessary information to exist in the 3D plane of Earth or elsewhere.
The localised consciousness can be said to operate at both physical and quantum levels within the body, through an active link to the external individual consciousness.
The localised consciousness remains active in the physical body whilst ever the physical body is alive.
Death may be variously defined as the loss of a heart-beat and/or the end of transmission of brain waves. At that point, the link between the physical body and the greater individual consciousness is severed.
Whilst alive, the localised consciousness is dispersed within the physical body, and not constrained solely to the brain.
When a major organ of the body is transplanted into another body, it takes with it embedded elements of the localised consciousness, along with a link to the individual consciousness.
These elements in the form of memories, personality traits and associated emotion (MPE) may remain with the transplanted organ/s temporarily or permanently.
The external, foreign MPE may also transfer beyond the organic body parts to the localised consciousness.
The external, foreign MPE may also then be transferred to the greater, external, non-material individual consciousness, in whole or part. If that occurs, they will likely remain permanent, though can be subject to adaptation and alteration going forward as the recipient comes to terms with their reality.
What remains in the recipient's body of the MPE of the deceased will be subject to the factors outlined herein. These can be transitory or eternal, i.e., they may persist or fade.

This scenario is an attempt to explain what happens in Beyond Goodbye and to all those people in various studies who have recorded their post-transplantation experiences. Those experiences are real, and should not be thrown into the metaphysical, unreality bin that science tends to defer to. The above scenario is just as real as any chemical formula for salt (i.e. Sodium + Chloride) and all the almost infinite varieties therein. The above scenario is also a gross over simplification of reality; an idiots guide to personality replication and transfer through organ transplantation, if you like. Consciousness is key to this phenomenon.

--------------------

4. Examples

* One transplant recipient in the 1990s reported suddenly developing a love for music after receiving the heart of a young male musician. "I could never play before, but after my transplant, I began to love music. I felt it in my heart," she told scientists in a paper published in 2000. (Pearsell et al. 2000)

* Clare Sylvia's experience post organ transplantation were presented in her book, and dramatised in the film Heart of a Stranger.

* Sonny Graham received a new heart in 1995 and his suicide 12 years later reflected the death of the original donor.

* Seven year old Carter received the heart of 16 month old Jerry and his post transplantation MPE/MIC reflected that of Jerry.

* A 56-year-old college professor received the heart of a police officer killed by a gunshot to the face. A few weeks after the transplant, the recipient said he had dreams of "a flash of light right in my face… Just before that time, I would get a glimpse of Jesus." "That's exactly how Carl died," the donor's wife told researchers. She said the main suspect looked "sort of like some of the pictures of Jesus." (Cassella 2024)

* Following a transplantation, a 25-year-old graduate student’s sex drive suddenly surged and his technique apparently improved overnight. “I make love like I know exactly how the woman’s body feels and responds,” he told researchers, “almost as if it is my body.” His girlfriend concurred: “He’s a much better lover now.” She also noticed other changes. Her boyfriend was now a hugger, and he loved to go shopping, and he carried a purse with him. And going to museums. “He would never, absolutely never do that,” she said. “Now, he would go every week.” What strange potion did her boyfriend drink? No potion at all, it turns out. He had cystic fibrosis and received a heart-and-lung transplant. The donor? A young lesbian woman who did landscape paintings. Did her vital organs remember who she was at a cellular level and did that essence transform the young man? (Jarry 2024)

The following James Kneller MD video presents a biochemical / biological explanation for MPE/MIC.

Can a heart transplant change your personality?, JamesKnellerMD, 15 July 2021, YouTube, duration: 9.14 minutes.

Whilst such explanations provide scientific information on how the physical body deals with the MPE/MIC, it does not explain their origin. For example, to explain that the sun is hot because of nuclear explosions does not explain its origin or its specific orbit; it only explains the current operational process. In the case of organ transplantation, when the consciousness signals are transferred from the donor to the recipient, the body reacts accordingly, and the aforementioned biochemical / biological processes take place. The donor signals (i.e. MPE/MIC) do not originate in the body of the recipient, but come via the donor organ and their consciousness just as the origin of the sun does not lie with the current energy producing processes. Kneller and others would suggest that MPE/MIC arise simply as a chemical or electrical energy transfer from donor organ to recipient body. Such relatively simple, material-based suggestions do not provide an appropriate solution to a complex and largely inexplicable process. Just as science cannot fully explain consciousness, neither can it fully explain the transfer of personality traits and memories from one organ to another and then on to the brain and external individual consciousness of the recipient. The above discussion often a plausible explanation for organ transplant consciousness transfer.

--------------------

5. References and chronological bibliography

The following list includes items referred to in the work of Carter et al. (2024) and the present author's research. Abstracts are included where available.

1818

* [Shelley, Mary], Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus, Lackington, Hughes et al., London, 1818, 280p.

1969

* Lunde, D.T., Psychiatric complications of heart transplants, Association of Operating Room Nurses (AORN) Journal, 1969, 10, 86–91. Abstract: As the psychiatric consultant to a cardiac transplant team, this author faced a unique challenge. He discusses the factors involved in the psychiatric screening of potential candidates for the operation and describes the preoperative and postoperative psychiatric complications observed among nine patients who have received heart transplants at his medical center. As surgery progresses in the direction of organ replacement, he concludes psychiatrists must prepare to meet the increasing need for their services in this area.

1984

* Freeman, A.M., III, Watts, D. and Karp, R., Evaluation of cardiac transplant candidates: Preliminary observations, Psychosomatics, 1984, 25, 197–207.

1988

* Jones, B.M., Chang, V.P., Esmore, D., Spratt, P., Shanahan, M.X., Farnsworth, A.E., Keogh, A., and Downs, K., Psychological adjustment after cardiac transplantation, Medical Journal of Australia, 1988, 149, 118–122. Abstract: Cardiac transplantation is viable therapeutic alternative for patients with end-stage heart disease, which offers a favourable short- and medium-term prognosis. The survival has improved from 20% of patients who survived at one year after transplantation in the 1960s to the present figures of 80%-85% of patients who are alive at one year, and 50%-70% of patients who are alive at five years, after transplantation. Therefore, it seems timely to focus attention on the psychological well-being of cardiac-transplant recipients. The medical literature is scant in regard to the psychiatric and the psychosocial impact of cardiac transplantation on recipients, and a systematic and prospective study of the psychosocial adaptation of recipients is lacking. Since 1984, we have been studying the emotional impact of cardiac transplantation on recipients and their families. This article presents the results for a group of recipients who have been assessed before transplantation, then followed-up at discharge from hospital and at four, eight and 12 months after transplantation. The study attempted to quantitate the recipients' anxiety, depression, body image and subjective quality of life by way of standardized self-assessment questionnaires. The recipients' satisfaction with relationships or their marital situation also was reported, as were their degree of rehabilitation at 12 months and their attitudes to various aspects of treatment after the transplantation. Before the transplantation, 53% of patients reported an increase in anxiety and 34% of patients recorded scores that indicated mild-to-moderate levels of depression. Thirty-seven per cent of patients showed a deterioration in the quality of their lives and 34% of patients had a negative body image. After the transplantation, significant improvements occurred in all parameters, which were maintained at follow-up.

1989

Shapiro, P.A. and Kornfeld, D.S., Psychiatric outcome of heart transplantation, General Hospital Psychiatry, 1989, 11, 352–357. Abstract: The authors evaluated 73 cardiac transplant recipients 1 month to 6 years after transplantation to determine the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and psychosocial problems after cardiac transplantation. Affective illnesses had occurred in 51%, chiefly as a steroid-related syndrome, with mood lability, irritability, and grandiosity (22%). Major depressive episodes occurred in 11%. Postoperative delirium occurred in 4%. Anxiety symptoms were frequent (26%) but generally transient. Other frequent problems included cognitive, family, marital, and sexual dysfunction and inability to gain employment. Further effort is needed to reduce psychiatric morbidity and improve outcome for heart transplant recipients.

1990

* Tabler, J.B., and Frierson, R.L., Sexual concerns after heart transplantation, Journal of Heart Transplant, 1990, 9, 397–403. Abstract: Sexual concerns after heart transplantation are commonly experienced yet seldom voiced. Forty-five patients approved for this procedure were surveyed regarding sexual issues. Twenty-one (47%) persons responded, of whom 16 had undergone heart transplantation, and five were waiting for a donor. Sexual dysfunction included impotence, ejaculation problems, altered libido, and avoidance of sexual opportunities. Contributing factors to these sexual difficulties were fear of death during coitus, effects of medication on interest and ability to function, body-image concerns, depression, uncertainty about the sexuality of the donor, and altered roles and responsibilities within the family. Recommendations for members of heart transplant teams include (1) obtaining a routine sexual history during the evaluation of candidates, (2) heightening awareness of the sexual concerns of these persons, (3) aggressively treating clinical depression, (4) establishing peer support groups for spouses of transplant patients, (5) presenting didactic material on sexual issues after transplant, (6) adjusting medications when sexual problems arise, and (7) addressing one's own level of comfort in discussing sex-related topics with transplant patients.

1992

* Bunzel, B., Schmidl-Mohl, B., Grundböck, A. and Wollenek, G., Does changing the heart mean changing personality? A retrospective inquiry on 47 heart transplant patients, Quality of Life Research, 1992, 1, 251–256. Abstract: Heart transplantation is not simply a question of replacing an organ that no longer functions. The heart is often seen as source of love, emotions, and focus of personality traits. To gain insight into the problem of whether transplant patients themselves feel a change in personality after having received a donor heart, 47 patients who were transplanted over a period of 2 years in Vienna, Austria, were asked for an interview. Three groups of patients could be identified: 79% stated that their personality had not changed at all post-operatively. In this group, patients showed massive defense and denial reactions, mainly by rapidly changing the subject or making the question ridiculous. Fifteen per cent stated that their personality had indeed changed, but not because of the donor organ, but due to the life-threatening event. Six per cent (three patients) reported a distinct change of personality due to their new hearts. These incorporation fantasies forced them to change feelings and reactions and accept those of the donor. Verbatim statements of these heart transplant recipients show that there seem to be severe problems regarding graft incorporation, which are based on the age-old idea of the heart as a centre that houses feelings and forms the personality.

1993

* Mai, F.M., Psychiatric aspects of heart transplantation, British Journal of Psychiatry, 1993, 163, 285–292. Abstract: There are many practical psychiatric, social, and ethical problems which accompany heart transplantation. These include pre- and postoperative anxiety and depressive conditions, postoperative delirium, and social and family dysfunctional syndromes. This paper reviews the literature critically in the following five areas: pre-transplant evaluation, coping with surgery, postoperative sequelae, rehabilitation, and management. Although most recipients have a good outcome from the physical and psychiatric points of view, a substantial minority experience family conflicts and sexual dysfunction after surgery. An average of 45% of patients from all studies returned to full-time employment. The distinctive role and contribution of the psychiatrist on the transplant team is discussed and important areas for future research are outlined.

1994

* Bunzel, B., Wollenek, G., Grundböck, A. and Schramek, P., Heart transplantation and sexuality. A study of 62 male patients, Herz, 19(5), October 1994, 294-302. Abstract: 119 adult male Austrian patients who had undergone heart transplantation between January 1985 and December 1990 were questioned on sexual functional disorders pre- and post-operatively. Questions dealt with perceived medication effects on sexual function and libido, fear of intercourse, their worries about the sexual habits of the donor, perceived changes in sexual attractiveness and body image. They were also asked how they felt about discussing sexual matters with their doctors. 62 patients returned fully completed questionnaires. 75% of the patients were more than 45 years old (45 to 67 years). Heart transplantation had been carried out at least once longest seven years before. The patients reported a significant postoperative increase of libido accompanied by a significant decrease of physical complaints at intercourse. Problems with potency (impaired erectile rigidity) persisted, however. 23% of the patients reported that since transplantation sexuality had become a problem for them. 42% wanted to undergo treatment if available. 29% stated that sexual matters had clearly improved. 31% suspected that medication adversely affected sexual functioning, and 23% stated that in their opinion it contributed to a lowered libido. 15% felt themselves much more sexually attractive after they had undergone surgery, and 13% were considered more sexually attractive by their spouses. Only four patients reported avoiding intercourse for health reasons. One patient confirmed that he was fantasizing about the sexual habits of the unknown donor of his heart. It seems that physicians often neglect to talk about sexual matters with their heart transplant patients, though the patients consider it a very important topic.

1995

* Bornstein, R.A., Starling, R.C., Myerowitz, P.D. and Haas, G.J., Neuropsychological function in patients with end-stage heart failure before and after cardiac transplantation, Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, 1995, 91, 260–265. Abstract (extract): ....These data indicate that in patients with end-stage heart failure there is a high prevalence of impaired cognitive function which is related to measures of cardiovascular efficiency. Preliminary evidence suggests that these impairments may be partially ameliorated by cardiac transplantation. [Comment: A new heart can improve cognitive brain function]

1996

* Punch J., Cellular memory - the transfer of characteristics and behaviors from the donor to the recipient via the cells of the transplanted organ, Transweb.org, 8 March 1996.

1997

* Sylvia, Claire and William Novak, A Change of Heart: A Memoir, Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1997. Abstract: After a heart and lung transplant operation, dancer Claire Sylvia discovered that new organs were not the only thing she inherited. Never having liked such foods as beer and chicken nuggets, she suddenly started craving them. After an extraordinary dream, she seeks out the family of her donor - a teenaged boy who died in a motorcycle accident - and learns that it is indeed possible for two souls to merge in one body. NB: Later made into the film Heart of a Stranger, starring Jane Seymour.

1998

* Pearsall, P.P., The heart’s code: Tapping the wisdom and power of our heart energy, in The New Findings about Cellular Memories and Their Role in the Mind/Body/Spirit Connection, New York, NY, 1998.

2000

* Pearsall, P.P., Schwartz, G.E. and Russek, L.G., Changes in heart transplant recipients that parallel the personalities of their donors, Integrative Medicine, 2(2-3), 2000, 65-72. Abstract: It is generally assumed that learning is restricted to neural and immune systems. However, the systemic memory hypothesis predicts that all dynamical systems that contain recurrent feedback loops store information and energy to various degrees. Sensitive transplant patients may evidence personal changes that parallel the history of their donors. Objective: To evaluate whether changes following heart transplant surgery parallel the history of the donors. Design: Open-ended interviews with volunteer (1) transplant recipients, (2) recipient families or friends, and (3) donor families or friends. Setting: Hospitals in various parts of the country. Patients: Ten recipients (7 males, 3 females; 7 months to 56 years old), received heart (or heart–lung) transplants (5 males, 5 females; 16 months to 34 years old). Main Outcome Measures: Transcripts of audio taped interviews quoted verbatim. Results: Two to 5 parallels per case were observed between changes following surgery and the histories of the donors. Parallels included changes in food, music, art, sexual, recreational, and career preferences, as well as specific instances of perceptions of names and sensory experiences related to the donors (e.g., one donor was killed by a gun shot to the face; the recipient had dreams of seeing hot flashes of light in his face). Conclusion: The incidence of recipient awareness of personal changes in cardiac transplant patients is unknown. The effects of the immuno-suppressant drugs, stress of the surgery, and statistical coincidence are likely insufficient to explain the findings. The plausibility of cellular memory, possibly systemic memory, is suggested.

2002

* Pearsall, P.P., Schwartz, G.E. and Russek, L.G., Changes in heart transplant recipients that parallel the personalities of their donors, Journal of Near-Death Studies, 2002, 20, 191–206. Abstract: It is generally assumed that learning is restricted to neural and immune systems. However, the systemic memory hypothesis predicts that all dynamical systems that contain recurrent feedback loops store information and energy to various degrees. Sensitive transplant patients may evidence personal changes that parallel the history of their donors. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether changes following heart transplant surgery parallel the history of the donors. We conducted open-ended interviews with volunteer transplant recipients, recipient families or friends, and donor families or friends, in hospitals in various parts of the country. Patients included ten recipients who had received heart or heart–lung transplants. Main outcome measures were transcripts of audio=taped interviews quoted verbatim. Two to 5 parallels per case were observed between changes following surgery and the histories of the donors. Parallels included changes in food, music, art, sexual, recreational, and career preferences, as well as specific instances of perceptions of names and sensory experiences related to the donors. The incidence of recipient awareness of personal changes in cardiac transplant patients is unknown. The effects of the immuno-suppressant drugs, stress of the surgery, and statistical coincidence are insufficient to explain the findings. We suggest that cellular memory, possibly systemic memory, is a plausible explanation for these parallels.

* Lowry, Dick, Heart of a Stranger [movie], Turner Classic Movies, 2002, duration: 89 minutes. Plot summary: After years of anxious waiting, a suitable heart becomes available for Jill Maddox. It isn't rejected by her body, but feels very strange and seems to change her character completely, mainly more adventurous. She gets visions with clues to trace down her donor, Matt, who died in a motor crash, and contacts the family. It's all too much for Jill's daughter, gifted violinist Amanda, who was okay playing the perfect nurse but now feels lost and betrayed, despite support from her boyfriend Billy.

2003

* Sanner, M.A., Transplant recipients’ conceptions of three key phenomena in transplantation: The organ donation, the organ donor, and the organ transplant, Clinical Transplantation, 2003, 17, 391–400. Abstract: Thirty-five heart and kidney transplant patients were interviewed on five separate occasions during the first 2 yr after transplantation. The aim was to explore their experiences of phenomena that distinguish the transplantation from other kinds of medical treatment. The selection of informants was designed to permit comparisons between recipients with heart and kidney transplants and with living and necro-transplants. The qualitative analysis of the informants' reactions was focused on three themes; nine categories emerged. The first theme concerned general aspects of the donation and the donor and was differentiated in four categories: joy and sorrow, gratefulness and indebtedness, guilt, and inequity. The second theme related to the donor as a unique individual and included three categories: recognition and identification with the donor, influences of the donor, and relationship to the living donor. The third theme pertained to incorporation of the transplant and included two categories related to the naturalness of having a transplant, and the benevolent transplant. The informants' reactions were discussed in terms of primary and secondary processes. All informants were in an emotionally charged situation after transplantation and warded off anxiety-provoking impulses, most intensively during the first 6 months. Avoidance, suppression, and denial were the most common defence mechanisms, all of which seemed to be supported by the medical context. Other, more constructive strategies are suggested. The recipients' own interpretations of causes to possible personality changes are discussed. There were few differences between heart and necro-kidney patients concerning the reactions to the donation, the donor, and the transplant; the dividing line was more prominent between recipients with living and necro-transplants.

2007

* Wolk, Andy (director), A Stranger's Heart [movie], Hallmark, 2007, duration: 100 minutes. Plot summary: Callie Morgan, a workaholic magazine editor who prides herself on having no emotional attachments in her life, changes practically overnight when she undergoes a life-saving heart transplant operation. Not only does Callie find herself strangely drawn to a young girl who happens to be the heart donor's orphaned daughter, but she also finds unlikely romance with another patient who also recently received a new heart. She soon discovers that the man, named Jasper Cates, received the heart from her donor's husband.

2008

* Dossey, Larry, Transplants, cellular memory, and reincarnation, Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing, 4(5), 2008, 285–293. Section snippets: Cellular Memory - Following Graham's suicide, the blogosphere lit up with chatter. Some wags cruelly observed that, since both the donor and recipient had married the same woman, she must have driven them both to suicide. The fact that she was a compassionate, caring hospice worker didn't seem to matter. Most commentators, however, offered the popular “cellular memory” hypothesis - the speculation that memories, habits, interests, and tastes may be stored not only in the brain, but in all the cells of the human...... Skeptics - Skeptics have strenuously attempted to stem the tide of belief in cellular memory. Robert Todd Carroll, author of the online Skeptic's Dictionary, has explored the origins of this idea. He suggests it came not from science but possibly from the movies. He cites the 1971 award-winning TV movie Brian's Song, in which Brian Piccolo (played by James Caan), a white Chicago Bears football player, receives a transfusion from his black teammate Gale Sayers (played by Billy Dee Williams)...... Why the Heart? - If cellular memory is real, why should it involve mainly the heart, as the burgeoning accounts seem to indicate? Kidney transplants and skin grafts have been done for decades longer than heart transplants. Why haven't we heard about cellular memory in these cases?.... Xenografts and xenotransplants - cells, tissues, and organs from another species, such as pig heart valves, have also been implanted in humans for some time; why don't these recipients take on characteristics of their donor animal?.... Why Now? - There is a plausible reason why transplant recipients have only recently come forward to reveal their experiences: it has only lately become respectable to talk about them. A similar situation existed with near-death experiences, which were largely unknown until psychiatrist Raymond Moody sparked interest in them in 1975 with his book Life After Life. Soon afterward, it seemed they were everywhere. Now, the Gallup Poll finds that around eight million Americans say they've had a near-death experience..... Reincarnation - The post-transplant phenomenon is being embraced as something new, but it is essentially an ancient idea whose origins are lost in history. It is a variation of reincarnation - the concept that someone who has died can reappear as a living person. The new twist is organ transplantation, which did not exist in the annals of reincarnation until the development of modern surgical technology. Can memories and personality traits be transferred from one individual to another without organ transfer?.... So What? - What difference would it make if reincarnation were accepted? The most important consequence, Stevenson believes, is that it would show us that our mind might exist separately from the physical body and survive its death. But how could a mind attach to a body, separate from it at the time of death, then reattach to another body later when reincarnation occurs? This, of course, remains a mystery. But equally mysterious are the confident claims of neuroscientists that the brain “somehow” produces consciousness...... Non-local Mind: An Alternative to Cellular Memory - I believe the transplant phenomena we have examined are best accounted for by non-local mind, a concept I've previously described at length in this column. Non-local mind is not localized or confined to specific points in space, such as brains or bodies, or to specific points in time, such as the present. Non-local mind is infinite in space and time; a limited non-locality is a contradiction in terms. I find the evidence for this picture of human consciousness compelling, as do many others.

* Janis P., Do cells remember?, USA Weekend, accessed 27 April 2008.

2009

* Harris, P.A., Taylor, R., Thielke, R., Payne, J., Gonzalez, N. and Conde, J.G., Research electronic data capture (REDCap) - A metadata-driven methodology and workflow process for providing translational research informatics support, Journal of Biomedical Informatics, 2009, 42, 377–381.

2011

* Hudson, Arthur J., Consciousness and cell memory: a dynamic epigenetic interrelationship, Canadian Journal of Neurological Science, 38, 2011, 681–688. Abstract: There have been great advances in the neurological sciences in recent years including some in the higher functions of the brain such as memory but one of the more critical of these with close ties to memory is consciousness which remains an enigma. Revolutionary developments in genetics during the last two decades, referred to as epigenetics, have provided opportunity for discovery. The chromatin in the cell nucleus consists mainly of DNA nucleotides and histone proteins and the DNA is dynamically and epigenetically altered by the local actions of enzymes and trans-acting factors on the adjacent histone amino acids. DNA is also directly activated or inhibited by methyl groups and by non-coding RNAs. Epigenetics is a determinant in long-term cell memory consolidation and, as recently demonstrated in animal and human studies and described here, these effects enable a rapid and extraordinarily complex cognitive matching of cell memory to experience during consciousness.

2015

* Mauthner, O.E., De Luca, E., Poole, J.M., Abbey, S.E., Shildrick, M., Gewarges, M. and Ross, H.J., Heart transplants: Identity disruption, bodily integrity and interconnectedness, Health, 2015, 19, 578–594. Abstract: Of heart transplant recipients, 30 per cent report ongoing or episodic emotional issues post-transplant, which are not attributable to medications or patho-physiological changes. To this end, our team theorized that cardiac transplantation introduces pressing new questions about how patients incorporate a transplanted heart into their sense of self and how this impacts their identity. The work of Merleau-Ponty provided the theoretical underpinning for this project as it rationalizes how corporeal changes affect one's self and offer an innovative framework to access these complex aspects of living with a transplanted heart. We used visual methodology and recorded 25 semi-structured interviews video-graphically. Both visual and verbal data were analyzed at the same time in an iterative process. The most common theme was that participants expressed a disruption to their own identity and bodily integrity. Additionally, participants reported interconnectedness with the donor, even when the transplanted heart was perceived as an intruder or stranger. Finally, transplant recipients were very vivid in their descriptions and speculation of how they imagined the donor. Receiving an anonymous donor organ from a stranger often leaves the recipient with questions about who they themselves are now. Our study provides a nuanced understanding of heart transplant recipients' embodied experiences of self and identity. Insights gained are valuable to educate transplant professionals to develop new supportive interventions both pre- and post-transplant, and to improve the process of informed consent. Ultimately, such insights could be used to enable heart transplant recipients to incorporate the graft optimally over time, easing distress and improving recovery.

2016

* Gaudi S, Guffanti G, Fallon J, and Macciardi F., Epigenetic mechanisms and associated brain circuits in the regulation of positive emotions: a role for transposable elements, Journal of Comparative Neurology, 524(15), October 2016, 2944-54. Abstract: Epigenetic programming and reprogramming are at the heart of cellular differentiation and represent developmental and evolutionary mechanisms in both germline and somatic cell lines. Only about 2% of our genome is composed of protein-coding genes, while the remaining 98%, once considered "junk" DNA, codes for regulatory/epigenetic elements that control how genes are expressed in different tissues and across time from conception to death. While we already know that epigenetic mechanisms are at play in cancer development and in regulating metabolism (cellular and whole body), the role of epigenetics in the developing prenatal and postnatal brain, and in maintaining a proper brain activity throughout the various stages of life, in addition to having played a critical role in human evolution, is a relatively new domain of knowledge. Here we present the current state-of-the-art techniques and results of these studies within the domain of emotions, and then speculate on how genomic and epigenetic mechanisms can modify and potentially alter our emotional (limbic) brain and affect our social interactions.

2019

* Anthony, S.J., Nicholas, D.B., Regehr, C. and West, L.J., The heart as a transplanted organ: Unspoken struggles of personal identity among adolescent recipients, Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 35, 2019, 96–99. Abstract: In adult heart transplant recipients, a transformation of the self has been observed simultaneous to the "emotional integration" of the heart following transplantation. However, the experiences of adolescents following heart transplantation are virtually unexplored within the current literature. Our qualitative findings address this gap and explore struggles with personal identity in adolescent heart transplant recipients. Twenty-seven heart transplant patients (67% female, age range: 12 to 18 years) from a large teaching hospital participated in 1-on-1 interviews, which were transcribed verbatim and coded, using methods of constant comparison within a grounded-theory approach. Emergent themes were identified and refined through team consensus. Many participants identified emotional and psychological concerns regarding accepting foreign hearts as their own. This manifested in a range of experiences such as sadness or guilt regarding the death of the donor. Adolescent participants also pondered the potential acquisition of personal qualities or characteristics of the donor. Many participants speculated extensively about the donor and "longed for" donor information. Findings point to the meaning-making processes that adolescent heart transplant patients endure as they grapple with the presence of a foreign, life-giving organ within their bodies and the potential impact on their psychosocial well-being. This paper encourages health care professionals to initiate discussions before and following transplantation that address adolescents' concept of self and offers recommendations for clinical care.

* Golfieri, L., Gitto, S., Vukotic, R., Andreone, P., Marra, F., Morelli, M.C., Cescon, M. and Grandi, S., Impact of psychosocial status on liver transplant process, Annals of Hepatology, 2019, 18, 804–809.

2020

* Liester, Mitchell B., Personality changes following heart transplantation: The role of cellular memory, Medical Hypotheses, 2020, 135, 109468. Abstract: Personality changes following heart transplantation, which have been reported for decades, include accounts of recipients acquiring the personality characteristics of their donor. Four categories of personality changes are discussed in this article: (1) changes in preferences, (2) alterations in emotions/temperament, (3) modifications of identity, and (4) memories from the donor's life. The acquisition of donor personality characteristics by recipients following heart transplantation is hypothesized to occur via the transfer of cellular memory, and four types of cellular memory are presented: (1) epigenetic memory, (2) DNA memory, (3) RNA memory, and (4) protein memory. Other possibilities, such as the transfer of memory via intracardiac neurological memory and energetic memory, are discussed as well. Implications for the future of heart transplantation are explored including the importance of reexamining our current definition of death, studying how the transfer of memories might affect the integration of a donated heart, determining whether memories can be transferred via the transplantation of other organs, and investigating which types of information can be transferred via heart transplantation. Further research is recommended.

2021

* Lakota, J., and Jagla, F., Pechá ˇnová, O. Heart memory, or can transplanted heart manipulate recipients brain control over mind body interactions?, Activitas Nervosa Superior Rediviva, 2021, 63, 49–51.

2022

* Longbottom, Marlene and Michael Organ, Alexander Berry, grave robbing and the Frankenstein connection [blog], blogger.com, 1 February 2022.

2023

* Cleveland Clinic, Heart Transplant, 2023.

* Elflein, J., Estimated Number of Organ Transplantations Worldwide in 2021, Statista, 2023.

2024

* Al-Juhani, Abdulkreem, Muhammad Imran, Zeyad K. Aljalli, Meshai M. Azhrani, Rawan A. Alsalman, Marwah Ahmed, Dana K. Ali, Mutaz I Fallatah, Hamad M Yousuf and Leena M. Dajani, Beyond the pump: A narrative study exploring heart memory, Cureus, 16(4), April 2024. Abstract: The field of organ transplantation, particularly heart transplantation, has brought to light interesting phenomena challenging traditional understandings of memory, identity, and consciousness. Studies indicate that heart transplant recipients may exhibit preferences, emotions, and memories resembling those of the donors, suggesting a form of memory storage within the transplanted organ. Mechanisms proposed for this memory transfer include cellular memory, epigenetic modifications, and energetic interactions. Moreover, the heart's intricate neural network, often referred to as the "heart brain," communicates bidirectionally with the brain and other organs, supporting the concept of heart-brain connection and its role in memory and personality. Additionally, observations from hemispherectomy procedures highlight the brain's remarkable plasticity and functional preservation beyond expectations, further underscoring the complex interplay between the brain, body, and identity. However, ethical and philosophical questions regarding the implications of these findings, including the definition of death and the nature of personal identity, remain unresolved. Further interdisciplinary research is needed to unravel the intricacies of memory transfer, neuroplasticity, and organ integration, offering insights into both organ transplantation and broader aspects of neuroscience and human identity. Understanding these complexities holds promise for enhancing patient care in organ transplantation and deepens our understanding of fundamental aspects of human experience and existence.

* Carter, Brian, Laveen Khoshnaw, Megan Simons, Lisa Hines, Brandon Wolfe and Mitchell Liester, Personality changes associated with organ transplants, Transplantology, 5(1), 2024, 12-26. Abstract: Personality changes have been reported following organ transplantation. Most commonly, such changes have been described among heart transplant recipients. We set out to examine whether personality changes occur following organ transplantation, and specifically, what types of changes occur among heart transplant recipients compared to other organ recipients. A cross-sectional study was conducted in which 47 participants (23 heart recipients and 24 other organ recipients) completed an online survey. In this study, 89% of all transplant recipients reported personality changes after undergoing transplant surgery, which was similar for heart and other organ recipients. The only personality change that differed between heart and other organ recipients and that achieved statistical significance was a change in physical attributes. Differences in other types of personality changes were observed between these groups but the number of participants in each group was too small to achieve statistical significance. Overall, the similarities between the two groups suggest heart transplant recipients may not be unique in their experience of personality changes following transplantation, but instead such changes may occur following the transplantation of any organ. With the exception of physical attributes, the types of personality changes reported were similar between the two groups. These finding indicate that heart transplant recipients are not unique in their reported experience of personality changes following organ transplantation. Further studies are needed to deepen our understanding of what causes these personality changes.

* Cassella, Carly, Eerie personality changes sometimes happen after organ transplants, Science Alert, 17 May 2024.

* Chang, Hsin-Chi, Intrusion of the other: identity, ethics and transplantation in Sui Ishida's Tokyo Ghoul, Medical Humanities, 50(3), September 2024, 430-438. Abstract: This essay examines the profound themes and complex narratives presented in Sui Ishida's Tokyo Ghoul, focusing on the illegal xenotransplantation and the transformation of the protagonist, Ken Kaneki, as he undergoes ghoulification. It delves into concerns surrounding patient autonomy and the integrity of medical procedures within organ transplantation, raising thought-provoking questions about identity and the process of reconciling one's sense of incompleteness in the context of xenograft research aimed at surpassing the transplantation. Through his transformation into a ghoul, Kaneki embodies the challenges faced by individuals undergoing organ transplantation and the profound impact it has on their sense of self, relationships and societal acceptance. The essay offers an insightful analysis of the stages of Kaneki's ghoulification, shedding light on the interplay between medical technology, power dynamics, oppression and personal agency. It draws connections to philosophical and literary works, such as Jean-Luc Nancy's reflections on organ transplantation and Kafka's The Metamorphosis, to enhance the exploration of themes within Tokyo GhoulIn this essay, a comprehensive examination of the intricate dynamics of power, control and oppression within medical technology takes place. It underscores the challenges Kaneki faces as he navigates his transformed body and grapples with societal prejudices and discrimination. The essay critically reflects on the complex interplay of power, identity and ethics within the context of Tokyo Ghoul, prompting contemplation of the multifaceted dimensions of human existence and the societal structures that shape our understanding of identity, autonomy and acceptance. Kaneki's transformation serves as a lens through which readers can examine the nuanced complexities and challenges associated with organ transplantation, medical ethics and the social implications of difference. By exploring the multifaceted themes and intricate narratives of Tokyo Ghoul, this essay considers the profound implications of xenotransplantation and the ethical considerations that arise in medical practice.

* Hou, Chis-Chin, Yu-Ning Hu, Lin-Pan Kuo, Chun-Hao Chang, Tzu-Faye Tsai, Yu-Chang Huang, Meng-Ta Sang, Yu-Yun Hsu and Jun-Neng Roan, Biopsychosocial effects of donor traits on heart transplant recipients, Annals of Transplantation, 12(29), November 2024. Abstract: Background - Psychological function after transplantation has garnered increased attention, and the relationship between recipients and corresponding donors has been investigated in medical research. Here, we investigated potential qualitative and quantitative psychological and lifestyle changes among recipients after heart transplantation and their correlation with donors. Material and Methods - Transplant recipients, their families, and the donor's families were interviewed. The interview was semi-structured, featuring open-ended questions related to 5 domains: preference, emotions and temperament, memory, self-identity, and social identity. Qualitative data were analyzed by triangulation and deductive content analysis. Quantitative data were collected using the Big Five Inventory-19 (BFI-19) questionnaire, to complement the domain of emotions and temperament. Results - Overall, 20 recipients, 15 recipients' families, and 13 corresponding donors' families were interviewed (5 recipients' families and 7 donors' families refused to participate) between October 2020 and July 2021. The data were matched to 13 groups, each including at least 1 recipient and the corresponding donor. Finally, 13 recipients, 9 corresponding recipients' families, and 13 corresponding donors' families were identified. Similarities between recipients' psychological and lifestyle changes and the corresponding donors' traits were primarily identified in the aspects of diet, emotions and temperament, and special experiences other than dreams. The BFI-19 data showed no significant correlations between recipients and the corresponding donors' families. Conclusions - Our findings indicate significant psychological and lifestyle changes in recipients before and after heart transplantation, with 38% exhibiting characteristics partly similar to those of their donors. Further investigation is needed to explore the psychobiological correlation between recipients and donors.

* Jarray, Jonathan, Donor's organ, donor's person? Let's approach this sensibly, Office for Science and Society, McGill University, 1 March 2024.

* Kraft, I.A., Psychiatric complications of cardiac transplantation, Seminars in Psychiatry, 1971, 3, 58–69.

* Kuhn, W.F., Myers, B., Brennan, A.F., Davis, M.H., Lippmann, S.B., Gray, L.A. and Pool G.E., Psychopathology in heart transplant candidates, Journal of Heart Transplant, 1988, 7, 223–226. Abstract: Psycho-diagnostic data are reported on 69 heart transplant candidates. Twenty-seven patients actually received a transplantation. A high prevalence of anxiety and depression appeared related to their desperate cardiac status. Distressful symptoms did not predict postoperative psychiatric complications. Reduced coping skills as reflected by diagnoses of personality disorders or organic mental impairment were associated with many behavioral problems capable of jeopardizing survival. Psychiatric input is necessary for, and was helpful in, the management of these patients.

* Liester, Mitchell B., Can an organ transplant change someone's personality?, Psychology Today, 28 February 2024. Key points: (1) Personality changes may occur following organ transplants; (2) In some cases, organ recipients report personality changes that parallel the personality of their donor; (3) Some organ recipients "remember" events from their donor's life; (4) Cellular memories stored outside the brain may transfer information from organ donors to recipients. C.f. Carter et al.

* Okada, Yoshikazu [screenwriter], Beyond Goodbye, Netflix, November 2024, 8 episodes.

* Organ, Michael, Manipulating consciousness - playing at God? [blog], blogger.com, 15 July 2024.

* Statista, Organ transplant statistics worldwide 2022, Statista [database], accessed 20 November 2024.

---------------------

Last updated: 5 December 2024

Michael Organ, Australia (Home)

Search This Blog

My research

Beyond Goodbye - organ transplant consciousness transfer

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Michael Organ - publications

Michael Organ - webpage index

Captain Cook's disobeyance of orders 1770