Thought Experiment: Body Swap

[Lajs]

I'm curious what people's opinions would be regarding this. Just a light-hearted fantasy question:

If, say for the sake of argument, an amazing new technology became available by which it were possible to transfer one's mind into a stranger's body, of preferable sex, would you do it? For example, an MTF and an FTM of similar age and health could agree to swap bodies so that each could live as they preferred, however the bodies would not be their own. They would no longer look like themselves; they'd see the another person's face in the mirror, have to live with the history of another person's body. But they would be fully cisgendered with all the right parts in all the right places, if you get what I mean. 

If I'm honest, although it might seem tempting, I'm not sure I could do it myself... I think I'd be even less comfortable in a stranger's skin than I am currently in my own. But then again, the functionality of parts is not of greatest concern to me. I just wondered what others had to say on the matter and whether anyone would consider doing this, if it were even remotely possible.
Just a silly thought.

[Darkie]

I would have to say no.  Even though my memories would be intact, my life would be different. Different place, different friends, different life.  My pain and hardships are what have molded and made me who I am.  To just switch lives would be almost like..I was dishonoring all the pain I went through to become who I am. 

[Renee]

You could end up with a different sort of dysphoria then.   

[Mollie]

Totally freaked out by this. Not what you may think though. I was literally composing a post asking, " How would you feel about arranging a head swap with a transgender counterpart?"

I know it's not exactly the same but still close enough to, well, let me say it again.....Freak me out.

To your question. If I were single? In a heart beat I would swap.

[spacecase0]

I was on a yahoo group devoted to figuring out how to do this sort of thing
the group is gone now but I saved the info
http://spiritincontainer.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=8
(I know it makes you log in to download files, send me a message with an email and I will email them to you)
but as it turned out no one really wanted to go through with it,
but then the mismatch of age and other things were just to much for the members there to really want to try it,
so I expect that some would go for it, but many would not,
likely people would be up for trading with good friends that they know well,
or at least with people in the same country,
but the unknown random person would likely not be happening often.

[Darkie]

I actually have a roleplaying character who went through something similar.  It is the reason my avatar is a Mincinno.  Mara (my character) was born a female pokemon but when she was turned into a human hybrid something went wrong and turned her into a boy.  He likes to dress like a girl, wearing mini-skirts over his pants and bright neon colors.  Well, he starts falling for this guy but the other is straight.  Nothing too hard of a crush, mostly an attraction as the other had saved his life before. 

Well, there comes along this thing called the "Dream World" which is basically like a video game.  You go into this chamber and fall asleep, but you control how your dream works. And so, you appear as you want to appear, which means that Mara looks as he would if he hadn't been changed into a boy and was still a girl.  Mara and the boy he likes meet in the dream world, but because Mara now appears as a beautiful young woman, suddenly the other is attracted.  Only, the boy doesn't realize that the girl he is attracted to is his quiet (around him anyway) slightly awkward friend Mara.  They go on a few dates and Mara is so happy, because he finally gets to be with the person he cares for a lot.  Only, he can't bring himself to tell the other who he really is, for fear that he will freak out and dissapear.  So, he ends up staying in the Dream World more and more, almost as if he was addicted to it.  Addicted to being what the other wanted, not who he really was.


..sorry if that made no sense whatsoever.  I thought it went along with the conversation.  I guess long story short, you are you.  Dreaming and becoming someone else by switching bodies or something like that almost feels like..I don't know.. 

[Lajs]

I figured most people would say no!

Totally freaked out by this. Not what you may think though. I was literally composing a post asking, " How would you feel about arranging a head swap with a transgender counterpart?"

I know it's not exactly the same but still close enough to, well, let me say it again.....Freak me out.

To your question. If I were single? In a heart beat I would swap.

Hey, wow. That's scary. Maybe you I would make good swap candidates! xD

And Darkie that's a really, really cool idea. Very tragic, but it makes an awesome story. You should seriously write it up as a novella, I would read that. And I agree with you. I think transitioning helps us to better become the person we know we are. It makes us think hard about what we want - and fighting for it makes it all the more worthwhile when it finally comes.

[Lyric]

This is a very old gimmick for sci-fi and I think everyone's considered it a time or two. If Scarlett Johannson's willing, I'm totally game for it.

If such a thing could be attempted, though, it probably wouldn't turn out very well. The mind isn't just a mass of floating thoughts. It's very much rooted in the physical structure of the brain and body where it lives. Such a radical change would probably result in disaster.

~ Lyric ~

[Mollie]

Lyric, what you say is something I have pondered so often. OK back to Science fiction and philosophy. Just supposing you could make an exact replica of yourself, and I mean exactly right down to each energy level of every atom. Would you be one person in two places at the same time? Would the replica be a different sentient....sentient at all? Head nips!

[Lajs]

Just supposing you could make an exact replica of yourself, and I mean exactly right down to each energy level of every atom. Would you be one person in two places at the same time? Would the replica be a different sentient....sentient at all? Head nips!

I have a friend who is convinced that if he replicated himself and then killed the original, then 'he' would still be alive. I can't understand this as although it would be an identical copy, with identical memories, the stream of consciousness would not be the same. One of him would still experience death and perish eternally.

I don't think you'd be one person in two places, rather two models of the same person. Just as all identical barbies in the world are not one Barbie in many places... if that makes sense at all.

Sentience, have you heard of John Hick's replica theory? You might find it interesting.
EDIT: I found a youtube video that explains it: youtube.com/watch?v=oQ11N5cI5nc#

[AdamMLP]

Nope, no way.  There are lots of parts of my body that I don't like, and some which can't be changed, bone structure of my hips, height, and other things, such as scars.  But those things are all part of my body which make up its history, its a map from where I was to where I am now.

And if anything went wrong with that body I would always be wondering if something similar would have happened to my original body, or if it was my decision to transfer myself into a different body that would cause everyone to worry about me, or cause them grief.  Or if I found out that the person who had my body had gotten cancer, or something similar I would be blaming myself for not being able to cope with my body and ditching its problems on someone else, even if I didn't know it had those problems at the time.

Of course there's the problem that people who were random strangers to you would never believe you weren't the person who owned that body before.

[Lajs]

Good answer.

I guess there'd have to be a lot of paperwork involved regarding who has liability for any bodily problems that might arise. And you'd probably have to carry round some 'proof of transfer' certificate or something to prove that you were who you said you were. It would, even if it was something one actually wanted, probably turn out to cause a lot more problems than its worth.

Just to add to the list of issues, it would be awful to wake up from the proceedure, ready to start your new life, only to see your new face on the news as a wanted criminal. Even if it were possible to swap bodies in this way, I'm sure it would never be legal.

[barbie]

There have been various movies or TV dramas dealing with this subject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_swap

Among them, "Being John Malkovich" would be most interesting, as it deals with the gender identity issue.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120601/

barbie~~

[kariann330]

OOMMGGGGG i would totally do it!! I mean yes surgery can do wonders, but so far no surgery would give me a period or the ability to get pregnant. I know someone is gonna call me crazy for saying yes but i don't mind lol.

[E-Brennan]

I would do it in a second.

It's a question that I've toyed with in my mind in the past in various forms as I was trying to come to terms with who I am and whether I am really trans.

A way of figuring out if I wanted to be female, or whether I just wanted to be a female version of me.

There are billions of women, of all ages, races, sizes, backgrounds, the whole spectrum, who I would swap bodies with in an instant.  Even (and this might get weird) someone who is an old lady whose body is more of a painful, troublesome shell for that wonderful experienced mind of hers.  I would trade my current body, in its late thirties but oh so male and with many decades of life left in it (I hope), for a few days or weeks or months - whatever is left - to live as that old woman.

[Sarah Louise]

Its something I have thought about many times.  And, yes I would do it in a second, with no hesitation or regret.

[Renee]

No way am I gonna risk getting a slow metabolism or less of an immune system than I've got now.

[suzifrommd]

I used to play this game with myself, before I knew I was transgender. I'd see some random woman and ask myself whether I'd give up all I have to live in her body, not knowing her circumstance or anything.

I should have known something was up, because no matter how much I wanted to deny it, deep down inside, I knew I would.

[VenomGaia]

To be honest, I kinda like my bone structure, haha.

I think I would be up for a body swap. I only like a few things about my body, and even then, I still want to change them...
But, I think I would only do it with someone I trust. not just any random MTF. I want to make sure that we would both be somewhat comfortable in our new bodies, etc. And that we would be comfortable with the people we are around all the time.

And, Darkie, now I have the full story on mara, huh? I think I'd be a lil' something like that, as I've said before.

[Emily Aster]

I would absolutely say yes. I already feel a disconnect with people anyway, so picking up a new group of friends and family would be no real loss. My metabolism is so slow that the only way it can go is up. My lungs are probably pitch black from smoking all these years. Oh and I could probably end up in a body where I can wear sleeveless outfits without worrying about this stupid tattoo.