A body swap (also named mind swap, soul swap or brain swap) is a
storytelling device seen in a variety of
science fiction
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
and supernatural fiction, in which two people (or beings) exchange minds and end up in each other's bodies. ''
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' calls the trope Identity Exchange a version of "Identity Transfer".
Description
There are different types of body swapping. For non-technology swapping, switches can be caused by
magic items such as amulets, heartfelt
wishes, or just strange quirks of the
universe
The universe is all of space and time and their contents. It comprises all of existence, any fundamental interaction, physical process and physical constant, and therefore all forms of matter and energy, and the structures they form, from s ...
. The switches typically reverse after the subjects have expanded their
world views, gained a new appreciation for each other's troubles by literally "walking in another's shoes" and/or caused sufficient amounts of
farce. Notable examples include the books ''
Vice Versa'' (1882) and ''
Freaky Friday'' (1972),
as well as the film versions of both.
Switches accomplished by technology, exempting gadgets
advanced sufficiently to appear as magic, are the fare of
mad scientists. Body-swapping devices are usually characterized by a highly experimental status, straps, helmets with many complicated cables that run to a central system and a tendency to direly malfunction before their effects can be reversed. Those without such means may resort to
brain transplants. Such experiments can have overtones of
horror or
erotism.
Body swap is one of the mechanisms of
accidental travel in fiction.
See also
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BeAnotherLab
*
Body swap appearances in media
*
Brain transplant
*
Head transplant
*
Mind uploading in fiction
*
Soul dualism
*
Soul loss
*
Reincarnation
References
Further reading
*
External links
10 Cliches of the Body Swap Movie��Archive of a Spout post at Indiewire
Body swap Tags IMDbBody switch Tags IMDb
{{DEFAULTSORT:Body Swap
Fiction about body swapping
Fantasy tropes
Science fiction themes
Fictional elements introduced in 1882
Narratology