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
''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' (''SFE'') is an English language reference work on science fiction, first published in 1979. It has won the Hugo Award, Hugo, Locus Award, Locus and BSFA Award, British SF Awards. Two print editions appea ...
'' 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 item
A magic item is any object that has Magic (fantasy), magical powers inherent in it. These may act on their own or be the tools of the person or being whose hands they fall into. Magic items are commonly found in both folklore and modern fantasy. ...
s such as amulets, heartfelt
wish
A wish is a hope or desire for something. In fiction, wishes can be used as plot devices. In folklore, opportunities for "making a wish" or for wishes to "come true" or "be granted" are themes that are sometimes used.
Sociology
Several cu ...
es, 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 view
A worldview (also world-view) or is said to be the fundamental cognitive orientation of an individual or society encompassing the whole of the individual's or society's knowledge, culture, and point of view. However, when two parties view the s ...
s, gained a new appreciation for each other's troubles by literally "walking in another's shoes" and/or caused sufficient amounts of
farce
Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical comedy, physical humor; the use of delibe ...
. Notable examples include the books ''
Vice Versa'' (1882) and ''
Freaky Friday
''Freaky Friday'' is a comedic children's novel written by Mary Rodgers, first published by Harper & Row in 1972. The plot is set in a day in the life of 13-year-old Annabel Andrews and her mother, who spend one Friday in each other's bodies.
...
'' (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 scientist
The mad scientist (also mad doctor or mad professor) is a stock character of a scientist who is perceived as "mad, bad and dangerous to know" or "insanity, insane" owing to a combination of unusual or unsettling personality traits and the unabas ...
s. 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 transplant
A brain transplant or whole-body transplant is a procedure in which the brain of one organism is transplanted into the body of another organism. It is a procedure distinct from head transplantation, which involves transferring the entire head ...
s. Such experiments can have overtones of
horror
Horror may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Genres
*Horror fiction, a genre of fiction
**Psychological horror, a subgenre of horror fiction
**Christmas horror, a subgenre of horror fiction
**Analog horror, a subgenre of horror fiction
* ...
or
erotism
Erotica is art, literature or photography that deals substantively with subject matter that is erotic, sexually stimulating or sexually arousing. Some critics regard pornography as a type of erotica, but many consider it to be different. Erotic ...
.
Body swap is one of the mechanisms of
accidental travel
Accidental travel is a speculative fiction plot device in which ordinary people accidentally find themselves outside of their normal place or time, often for no apparent reason, a particular type of the “ fish-out-of-water” plot. In Russian f ...
in fiction.
See also
*
BeAnotherLab
*
Body swap appearances in media
Body swaps, first popularized in Western Anglophone culture by the personal identity chapter of John Locke's ''Essay Concerning Human Understanding'', have been a common storytelling device in fiction media. Novels such as '' Vice Versa'' (1882) ...
*
Brain transplant
A brain transplant or whole-body transplant is a procedure in which the brain of one organism is transplanted into the body of another organism. It is a procedure distinct from head transplantation, which involves transferring the entire head ...
*
Head transplant
A head transplant or full body transplant is an experimental surgical operation involving the grafting of one organism's head onto the body of another. In many experiments, the recipient's head has not been removed, but in others it has been. Ex ...
*
Mind uploading in fiction
Mind uploading—transferring an individual's personality to a computer—appears in several works of fiction. It is distinct from the concept of transferring a consciousness from one human body to another. It is sometimes applied to a single pers ...
*
Soul dualism
Soul dualism, also called dualistic pluralism or multiple souls, is a range of beliefs that a person has two or more kinds of souls. In many cases, one of the souls is associated with body functions ("body soul") and the other one can leave the bo ...
*
Soul loss
In shamanism, the term loss of soul refers to the loss of the human part of the life force, the soul.
Causes of soul loss in shamanism
The prevailing concept in traditional shamanism is "any illness is a consequence of a lost or stolen soul ...
*
Reincarnation
Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the Philosophy, philosophical or Religion, religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new lifespan (disambiguation), lifespan in a different physical ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
10 Cliches of the Body Swap MovieArchive 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