People who have undergone organ transplants have reported strange changes in their emotions, tastes and memories.
This phenomenon is most common in heart recipients, but those who received kidneys, lungs and even faces have also noticed changes in their food preferences, music choices and even sexual orientation.
For some patients, their new hobbies and preferences mirror those of their donors, leading experts to wonder whether recipients are also receiving their donors’ memories.
In a review published earlier this year, researchers pointed out one case study in which a nine-year-old boy received a heart from a three-year-old girl who drowned in her family’s swimming pool.
Although the boy had no idea how his donor died, his mother reported that he became “terrified of water.”
In another case, a college professor who received a heart from a fallen police officer who had been shot in the face began seeing “a flash of light” right before his eyes.
He said: ‘My face gets really, really hot. It really burns.”
A growing body of research suggests this could be because the heart and brain are intrinsically linked, as the heart shares neurons and cells similar to the brain.
In addition, an organ transplant can cause genes that control traits to change and express themselves differently.
In a recent study, researchers detailed cases of heart transplant recipients who adopted the preferences and memories of their donors
In the study, researchers conducted detailed case studies of heart transplant recipients who appeared to “inherit” the memories of their donors. Pictured here is Charlotte Carney, a student from Great Britain who underwent a heart transplant in 2019 due to a life-threatening heart condition
The researchers in the 2024 review wrote: ‘Emerging evidence suggests that heart transplantation may involve the transfer of the donor’s personality traits and memories to the recipient, challenging conventional views of memory and identity.
‘Additionally, the heart’s neural network and bidirectional communication with the brain support the concept of heart-brain connection in memory and personality.’
The team suggested that these changes could be due to a transfer of cellular memory, suggesting that individual cells may be able to form memories. However, the mechanism for this is still unclear.
Furthermore, introducing a new organ into the recipient’s body can cause genes to express themselves differently.
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However, many experts believe that these cases are too coincidental and that the changes may instead be a psychological response to recovery from major surgery and near-fatal heart disease.
For example, experts at McGill University in Canada suggested that immunosuppressive medications that organ recipients must take could cause an increase in appetite, which could change their view of food.
Other research suggests that recipients enter the operating room because they are already concerned about inheriting their donor’s behavior or personality traits, which could lead to behavioral changes.
The stress associated with major, life-saving surgery can also cause patients to change their perspective on certain aspects of their lives, such as relationships.
In addition to memories, some patients also report that specific preferences change.
In one Case study from 2002doctors detailed the case of a woman who inherited her donor’s food preferences.
The researchers wrote: ‘She was a health-conscious dancer and choreographer. When she left the hospital, she had an uncontrollable urge to go to a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant and order chicken nuggets, a food she never ate.
“Interestingly, uneaten Kentucky Fried Chicken nuggets were found in the young man’s jacket when he was killed.”
Another 29-year-old woman who received a heart from a 19-year-old vegetarian suddenly developed an aversion to meat.
The researchers also mentioned that sexual orientations change.
In one case study mentioned, a gay male recipient of a lesbian artist’s heart was reportedly more attracted to women.
Meanwhile, a lesbian woman who received a heterosexual woman’s heart said she became attracted to men after her transplant and began to question her sexuality.
The team behind the 2024 review warned that more research is needed into the link between heart transplants and memory.
They wrote: ‘Further interdisciplinary research is needed to unravel the complexities of memory transfer, neuroplasticity and organ integration, and provide insights into both organ transplantation and broader aspects of neuroscience and human identity.
‘Understanding these complexities holds promise for improving patient care in organ transplantation and deepens our understanding of fundamental aspects of the human experience and existence.’