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"The Unstoppable Schwartz"

Interesting Ian

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In a link from the homepage of this site Mr Randi says:

James Randi
Reader Paul Anagnostopoulos alerts us to yet another incredible sojourn into Woowooland by Gary Schwartz, professor of medicine, neurology, psychiatry and surgery at the University of Arizona, who says that research by a team he leads has found something he calls “cellular memory.” This, claims Schwartz, means that, for example, a person can inherit artistic traits after receiving a heart transplant from an artistic person. By the same token, a heart donated by a raving psychopath should give serious Charles Manson tendencies to a recipient? Apparently so, though Gary, who is always willing to present a sunny picture to his fans, ignores that aspect.
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So Randi is effectively stating that it is ludicrous that a person who receives a donated organ could become imbued with any personality characteristics or abilities of the donor. But what are his reasons for dismissing this? Does he have any reasons at all, or is it just the typical knee jerk reaction of a skeptic to any phenomenon which challenges his/her worldview?

The reports of this phenomenon seem to be very common indeed. Do we have any reasons to doubt that the recipients of donated organs are influenced in their personalities and abilities?
 
Interesting Ian said:
In a link from the homepage of this site Mr Randi says:




So Randi is effectively stating that it is ludicrous that a person who receives a donated organ could become imbued with any personality characteristics or abilities of the donor. But what are his reasons for dismissing this? Does he have any reasons at all, or is it just the typical knee jerk reaction of a skeptic to any phenomenon which challenges his/her worldview?

The reports of this phenomenon seem to be very common indeed. Do we have any reasons to doubt that the recipients of donated organs are influenced in their personalities and abilities?
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Is it true you are the first human recipient of an asses liver
 
Ian,

Think of it this way. Are babies born knowing how to play the piano because their mother did?

I don't think there is anything wrong with challenging convention, as long as you play by "the rules" and conduct proper scientific experiments to back up your hypothesis.
 
Interesting Ian said:
The reports of this phenomenon seem to be very common indeed. Do we have any reasons to doubt that the recipients of donated organs are influenced in their personalities and abilities?
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Do we have any reason to believe that this is the case? Could you provide links or citations for a few of these "very common" reports, please?
 
Orb said:
Ian,

Think of it this way. Are babies born knowing how to play the piano because their mother did?
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The relevant question is are babies born who will have any of the personality characteristics or potenial abilities of the mother.

I don't think there is anything wrong with challenging convention, as long as you play by "the rules" and conduct proper scientific experiments to back up your hypothesis.
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You're missing the point. I asked if we have any reason to doubt what these recipients of organs have told us.
 
Mojo said:
Do we have any reason to believe that this is the case? Could you provide links or citations for a few of these "very common" reports, please?
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I'm sure that your ability to use a search engine is as proficient as my own.
 
Interesting Ian said:
In a link from the homepage of this site Mr Randi says:




So Randi is effectively stating that it is ludicrous that a person who receives a donated organ could become imbued with any personality characteristics or abilities of the donor. But what are his reasons for dismissing this? Does he have any reasons at all, or is it just the typical knee jerk reaction of a skeptic to any phenomenon which challenges his/her worldview?

The reports of this phenomenon seem to be very common indeed. Do we have any reasons to doubt that the recipients of donated organs are influenced in their personalities and abilities?
Click to expand...

Does he have any reasons to assume that transplants can give you the owner's abilities?

Any at all?
 
Mojo said:
I'll take that as a "no", then.
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Are you maintaining that it is uncommon for organ recipients to claim that their personalities and abilities have been so influenced? If so where are you getting your information from?

If you are correct and it is indeed uncommon, then I agree that there's probably nothing to it. But I was under the impression that it is common.
 
I don't think that we can dismiss this out of hand. When Dr. Frankenstien implanted an abnormal brain into his creature, the result was certianly not what one would have wished for.

I would note to Ian that the prevalance of this notion in culture is so widespread (mostly from cheesy sci-fi films) that it might well be expected that a percentage of transplant patients might expect such a thing to happen.
 
A friend of mine was the recipient of a homeopathic rectum transplant. Now he call pull all kinds of amazing things out of his a$$.
 
CFLarsen said:
Does he have any reasons to assume that transplants can give you the owner's abilities?

Any at all?
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A friend of mine was the recipient of a homeopathic rectum transplant. Now he can pull incredible things out of his a$$.
 
How would an organ transplant be any different than a receiving blood from a donation? I've never heard of anyone receiving a blood transfusion saying they have new abilities afterward. How about bone marrow transplants?
 
Interesting Ian said:
Yes, people have reported this happening.
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It would, I submit, be closer to the spirit of Occam (& Hume) to first propose that, since these are in all likelihood subjective assessments, such reports may be prompted by more prosaic elements, e.g. the physiological and psychological trauma attending a transplant (such trauma being already known to be capable of profoundly affecting a person's disposition). If and when such proposals are shown to be inadequate or deficient, we can start bringing out the heavier artillery of "cellular memory."

Mojo, I prefer "Muddy Waters" to his real name... :p

rgds
'Luthon64
 
Orb said:
How would an organ transplant be any different than a receiving blood from a donation? I've never heard of anyone receiving a blood transfusion saying they have new abilities afterward.
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That's a very interesting point. Prima facie one might expect that receiving blood may also have some influence. I have no idea if this has been reported or not. Might do a search later when I have time.
 
Lothian said:
Is it true you are the first human recipient of an asses liver
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While I would count myself among those who find the concept of the personality traits or abilities of an organ donor being transferred to the recipient doubtful, I will also admit that it is not a subject that I've looked into to any degree. Furthermore, I don't agree with the idea of dismissingly insulting the person who proposes we give that concept some consideration.:(
 
Interesting Ian said:
Are you maintaining that it is uncommon for organ recipients to claim that their personalities and abilities have been so influenced? If so where are you getting your information from?

If you are correct and it is indeed uncommon, then I agree that there's probably nothing to it. But I was under the impression that it is common.
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You're trying to shift the burden of proof so as to force me to try to prove a negative here.

Where are you getting your information from? I have not seen reports of this phenomenon. You have claimed that "reports of this phenomenon seem to be very common indeed". I have asked you to provide evidence to back up your assertion, in the forms of links to or citations for these reports, but you have declined to do this.
 
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