Organ transpants also transplants memories?

Question

I watched this pretty interesting show the otherday that said some people who recived organs from other dead/living humans also someitmes recived some of the other persons memories.. is there any science behind this?

Answer 1

Sorry, no way...

Answer 2

no there is no science behind this. it has to do with spirituality and the soul

Answer 3

The scientist in me rejects this notion until there is some real science to back it up instead of anecdotes and conjecture.

The SciFi/Horror buff in me thinks it is intriguing...

Answer 4

probably not, but i'm not a scientist.

Answer 5

I don't think there is any science behind this. At least, we currently don't have the science needed to back up a claim such as this as we currently understand memory to be something that exists in the brain. Since I've never heard of a successful brain transplant (and wouldn't that be more of a body transplant anyway, if you move a person's entire brain into another body?), I don't see how we can scientifically conclude that transferral of memories with e.g. a kidney occurs.

NOTE: I'm not saying it's impossible, just that science as we know it does not support the theory that actual memories (e.g. what you got for your last birthday) are contained anywhere in the body but in the brain.

Answer 6

No, I did a report and investigation into this. (sort of, mine was about cannibal ants gaining memories of the ants they had eaten). Memories are part of the brain. Brain cells create connections to each other when they learn something new, (specifically, dendrites and axons of neurons connect via synapse and chemical transferral triggered by electrical impulse). it is not scientifically proven (that i know of) for an implanted kidney (for example) to change or create connections in the brain of the transplant patient relating to day to day happenings or memories specific to the donor.  It was suspected that eating the brains of other organism provides a cannibal organism with the memories of the eaten organism, but in this case the memories are not memories, but an increased learning capacity from a chemical found in the brain (and other places) called messenger RNA. I can't remember the sources, but i still have my report and findings if you need more.

Answer 7

Read "Stranger in a strange land" by Heinlein.

Answer 8

No.  Memories are recorded in the brain, so unless it's a brain transplant...

Answer 9

i dont know but its a very interesting theory!