People Fear Personality Transplants

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Many people believe that when an organ transplant takes place, parts of the donor’s personality travel with the organ. This is according to new research into people’s opinions of organ donation.

Professor Bruce Hood from the UK’s Bristol University told a neuroscience conference that most people are strongly against receiving an organ from a killer. His test volunteers said they’d be very happy to receive an organ from a “good” person. 

Professor Hood said some of his patients believed they now had a part of the personality of their organ donors. He said this even included things like the memories and experiences of the donor. Other research has found that one in three organ transplant patients believe they have some aspects of their donor's personality.

Britons generally have a very positive attitude to organ donation. However, Professor Hood says his findings show many people are superstitious about transplants. He said this is natural because even the most logical people have many kinds of superstitions. He described a British teenager who was given a heart transplant against her will. She was afraid that she would be "different from someone else's heart".

Professor Hood said: “Most people were repulsed by the thought of receiving a transplant from a murderer.” He added: “Essentially they believe they will somehow take on the characteristics of the donor.” Scientists say there is no proof that personality travels with a donated organ.