Genetic Memory: Difference between revisions

 

Compare [[In the Blood]], [[All Theories Are True]]. For ''non-genetic'' means of acquiring others' memories and skills, see [[Ghost Memory]] and [[Past Life Memories]].

 

== Anime and Manga ==

* In the original ''[[Earths Children|Clan of The Cave Bear]]'', the Neanderthals were portrayed as having racial memories, which was supposed to both make up for their lack of verbal skills and imagination and keep them socially and "technologically" stagnant.

** Dougal Dixon gives a [[Shout Out]] to this in ''Man After Man'', in which ''Homo mensproavodorum'' evolves [[Genetic Memory]] thousands of years after its ancestor, ''Homo sapiens sapiens'', has died out. Also a bit of a [[Take That]], as reliance on hereditary memory does have its limitations in a changing world: the first hominid to possess this capability travels for hundreds of miles in search of a lush woodland she "remembers", only to find that it's been reduced to a forest of dead, leafless trunks. She survives, but her mate doesn't make it.

** Turns out to be a case of Genetic Foreshadowing. The Overlords play a role in mankind's {{spoiler|ultimate extinction, an event so traumatic for the humans of the future}} that it somehow echoes back into the past.

* [[Wen Spencer]]'s Ukiah Oregon books involve an alien virus with this trait.

* Weird example from ''[[Animorphs (Literature)|Animorphs]]'': In a near-death experience, Tobias starts having vivid flashbacks to the life of his father, {{spoiler|Elfangor}}. He later mentions it to Ax, who says that Andalites used to believe in genetic memory but that it was long dismissed as superstition. What makes it weird is that it clearly has some genetic and some non-genetic component, as Tobias is not from a genetics perspective {{spoiler|Elfangor's}} son and experienced memories that happened after he was born, but at the same time he was only able to access them while in the body of {{spoiler|Elfangor's brother Ax}}, who ''is'' genetically his {{spoiler|brother}}.

* In "Mask of Circe", one of the Henry Kuttner's novels, the hero (who lived in XX century) had achieved the memories of his ancient ancestor - Jason (the mythologic character) through some kind of science experiment - and, although it's hilarious, it was used skilfully, and the novel is just great.

* ''[[The Wheel of Time]]'' has what is known as "the old blood", a phenomenon which results in people having their ancestors' memories and spontaneously shouting battle cries of ancient nations in a dead language. Mat Cauthon is has it particularly strongly. Some characters also obtain memories from their past lives or those of other people in ways unrelated to genetics.

* Though it's never explicitly stated, the Vord from the ''[[Codex Alera]]'' appear to have this. At the very least, the [[Big Bad|Vord Queen]] knows exactly what she is, what her purpose is, and how to use all her abilities despite never having met a single other member of her species since hatching that wasn't one of her own offspring. Later on, she occasionally references events from the ancient history of the Vord as though she were there, even though that would be impossible considering her youth.

** In one episode where O'Neill learns of this, he asks if that includes remembering their conception, and then states that that's probably why all the Goa'uld are so pissed all the time.

** Several episodes deal with the concept of a Harsesis: a child of two Goa'uld-implanted humans. Such a child would be a human with the complete genetic memory of both Goa'uld lines, and a major threat to Goa'uld domination. One episode has Shifu, a Harsesis, explain the need to keep that part of him suppressed to Daniel by causing him to relive a possibility of getting some of these memories and slowly turning evil.

* There's an episode of ''[[Andromeda]]'' with a race of people who have this, and later the [[Body Horror]] that hatches from them.

* On ''[[Star Trek Enterprise]]'', Phlox cloned Trip, and the clone had all of Trip's memories. Nowhere else in Star Trek were humans ever shown as having genetic memory.

*** Aboleths gain the memories of creatures they eat. And, like the Goa'uld, have genetic memory that reaches back ''eons''. They remember a time when they ''ruled the world''. They are understandably bitter about the current state of affairs.

**** They in fact can remember a time before gods came along and created the world.

** Dragons basically are able to pass along edited instincts through their genes -- so yes, if a dragon researches some new spell, its children can learn it automatically. Or, if some evil empire nearly kills the parent (before the eggs are created, obviously), the children will know to avoid that kind of thing without being told. Given that most dragons are probably not great parents this is one possible way they know things like language, that or [[Functional Magic|magic]].

* In a rather [[Squick|squicky]] variation, [[Super Soldier|Space Marines]] in ''[[Warhammer 40000]]'' have the ability to absorb the memories of the dead by eating their flesh, particularly the brain.

* Hieda no Akyu from [[Touhou]] literally has this for her special ability, which she then uses to record the history of Gensokyo. She is the [[Lamarck Was Right|ninth child]] of a line that goes back for roughly 1200 years, so the only person that recognizes her in any way is the character that created Gensokyo, Yukari Yakumo.

* In ''[[Wild Arms]] XF'', it's revealed that the [[Precursors]] programmed in all of their knowledge into general human DNA, including the Yggadrassil System, needed to keep Filgaia going.

** [[Dragon Quest Monsters]] uses the same trope, though if you have Blazemost, you simply start out with Blaze. You actually have to meet statistical requirements.

* The homunculi Irisviel von Einsbern and her daughter Illyasviel in ''[[Fate Stay Night]]'' and prequel ''[[Fate Zero]]'' share the memories and experiences of their 'blueprint' originator, Lizleihi Justizia von Einsbern, who lived over two hundred years ago; at times, this will manifest like an alternate personality ({{spoiler|eg. when Zouken met Ilya, who started to talk like Justizia}}) and is a plot point in both works.