# What would someone experience if cut in half? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 18, 2011, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148 "2011-03-18T13:50:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148/1 "2011-03-18T13:50:34Z")
If someone were cut in half from top to bottom, what would they experience? Would their consciousness stick to one half, or split into 2? How would one go about finding this out? ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148/2 "2011-03-18T14:02:40Z")
I’m not speaking from experience, but I think they would experience immediate death. I do not recommend experimenting to find this out. ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148/3 "2011-03-18T14:03:10Z")
This might be of some interest to you: > **[Split-brain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split-brain)** > > Split-brain or callosal syndrome is a type of disconnection syndrome when the corpus callosum connecting the two hemispheres of the brain is severed to some degree. It is an association of symptoms produced by disruption of, or interference with, the connection between the hemispheres of the brain. The surgical operation to produce this condition (corpus callosotomy) involves transection of the corpus callosum, and is usually a last resort to treat refractory epilepsy. Initially, partial callosot... ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148/4 "2011-03-18T14:10:57Z")
Thanks, that’s what I was wondering. However, I don’t quite understand the article: How does the person change? Does their IQ drop, do they lose memories? Are they aware of any changes? Do they have any difficulty getting both sides of their body to cooperate? ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148/5 "2011-03-18T15:15:00Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > Thanks, that’s what I was wondering. However, I don’t quite understand the article: > How does the person change? Does their IQ drop, do they lose memories? Yes, I’d say it drops… sharply. YEEEAAHHHH! Joe ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148/6 "2011-03-18T15:38:21Z")
[Here is a link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawing_(torture)) to one possible answer. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148/7 "2011-03-18T16:28:17Z")
It’s just a silly horror movie, where a bunch of idiots are trapped in a house chock-full of booby traps (can’t remember the name); a lawyer-type is sliced in half from ear to ear by a razor-sharp pane of glass. As his front half slides down his eyes dart frantically about, as if he/it is still conscious. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148/8 "2011-03-18T16:33:15Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > It’s just a silly horror movie, where a bunch of idiots are trapped in a house chock-full of booby traps (can’t remember the name); a lawyer-type is sliced in half from ear to ear by a razor-sharp pane of glass. As his front half slides down his eyes dart frantically about, as if he/it is still conscious. 13 ghosts… ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148/9 "2011-03-18T16:40:05Z")
Pain. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148/10 "2011-03-18T18:16:12Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Pain. But not [to the pain](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ToThePain). CAUTION: TV Tropes linky. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148/11 "2011-03-18T20:25:58Z")
His right hand wouldn’t know what his left hand was doing. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148/12 "2011-03-18T20:38:02Z")
> [@Flander](#): > > [Here is a link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawing_(torture)) to one possible answer. I don’t know the answer but I like how the “doing the sawing” guy on the right in the drawing on the right is smiling. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148/13 "2011-03-18T21:30:00Z")
May I be the first to say EWWWWWWW 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148/14 "2011-03-18T21:51:20Z")
Some of him would be left, but the rest would be all right. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![xoferew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/e9a140/32.png) [@xoferew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xoferew)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148/15 "2011-03-18T22:34:07Z")
I wonder if you take, say, a 150 pound person, and snip off some non-vital bits like a little skin and fat, and put it in a freezer, and keep doing that once a month for twenty years, could you eventually end up with more that 150 pounds of that person in the freezer? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148/16 "2011-03-18T22:41:27Z")
Sure. What if you saved all your hair and nail clippings, and your baby teeth, and all those skin cells that dust is composed of, plus the skin that peels from sunburn. It will add up over time. If you thrown in some facelifts and liposuction you should be able to get 150 lbs easily. ---
**Author:** ![xoferew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/e9a140/32.png) [@xoferew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xoferew)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148/17 "2011-03-18T23:05:10Z")
I bet there are hoarders who do that. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148/18 "2011-03-18T23:10:31Z")
Ask Caleb. I’m sure he can tell you. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148/19 "2011-03-18T23:25:02Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > Do they have any difficulty getting both sides of their body to cooperate? No, although sometimes one half of the brain will take action without consulting the other; the other half then rationalizes why they did it. Whisper something like “walk” in the ear connected to the less-verbal half, and they walk; and the more verbal left half brain will say “Oh, I was going to get a drink”. An interesting related fact; there’s a pair of conjoined twins, girls who are in essence one body with two heads who each control half of their shared body. They can coordinate their actions well enough to play two handed musical instruments, with no connection between their brains at all. My personal belief is that our apparent unity is partially an illusion; we are to a degree two (or more) entities that cooperate so closely that we act as one. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2011, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148/20 "2011-03-19T02:56:36Z")
That’s an interesting hypothesis. Maybe our brain divides everything into “part of me” and “the world”, and rationalises everything that comes from “part of me”. Then again, in this procedure, the brain isn’t totally divided into 2 halves, they’re still connected by the brainstem (right?), so there’s some communication between the 2, maybe more basic than normal. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-someone-experience-if-cut-in-half/575148.md?page=2)