Morphing Vecols

[TobiasMasonPark]

     This thought just occured to me...

     We obviously know that morphing [somehow] works by use of obtaining, or acquiring, DNA and playing the "concentration game"--focusing really hard on the DNA you want to use and morphing into whatever creatures DNA you acquired. We know that it doesn't matter if the animal you're acquiring was wounded or injured, because the DNA itself isn't broken--as seen when Tobias acquired and morphed the injured red-tailed hawk in the Invasion.

     In the Ultimate, we see that the handicappable--or, vecols, as the Andalites refer to the disabled-- may not have their bodies repaired if they were born with their disability--cistic fibrosis, blindness (in the case of that one girl) cerebral palsy, etc-- because, technically, there is nothing wrong with their DNA; they were born that way. The only time we see a "vecol", or disabled person, morph back to their healthy forms was in James and two of his lieutennants.

     But would the former be the case if one of the Animorphs-- or any other non-disabled person--acquired and morphed one of the Auxiliary Animorphs?

     Maybe so. We've already seen in many books that the Animorphs are morphing the creature's DNA. If the Auxiliaries were born with cerebral palsy then--unless I'm mistaken-- that information is written and imprinted in their genetic makeup. They were born disabled because something got mixed up in their DNA following conception.

     

[Blazing Angel]

Yeah I'm pretty sure that would be exactly how it works. In a diffrent series they were trying to heal a wheelchair bound girls legs. According to a master magician the process of healing ailments is usually speeding it up in time so that a cut that would take a month to heal only takes a few days, but she was born crippled so it wouldn't work. I always apply that when I think about the auxiliary animorphs that are still crippled.

[DinosaurNothlit]

With physical handicaps, yes, I believe that the morpher would gain whatever disorder it was.  Blindness, cystic fibrosis, they would get, because that's part of the body they'd morphed.

Mental handicaps would probably be a bit different, though.  Keep in mind that, during a morph, the morpher's mind is connected to the morphed body via z-space, which is how they can fit human intelligence into the brain of an ant.  So mental disorders probably wouldn't carry over, because the morpher's mind stays intact and connected to the morphed brain at a distance.  I'm not an expert, but doesn't cerebral palsy affect the nervous system?  If it is a mental condition, then it shouldn't affect the morpher.  If I'm wrong, though, and it's muscular, then I think it would.

Hmm.  If my theory is right, morphing could be used to test disorders that are of unknown mental/physical origin.  Like people suffering from chronic pain or something.

[TobiasMasonPark]

     I think cerebral palsy is a nerve disorder. I have a friend who was born with it, and his vocabulary and intelligence not only surpasses my own and most able body people I know, but is greatly astounding. Unfortunately, his disorder hinders his speech.

[AniDragon]

I think mental illnesses might show up in the "instincts", maybe? Like, if you morph someone with ADHD, you wouldn't have full blown ADHD yourself, but you'd have some trouble focusing if you don't get the instincts under control. Similar to the Leeran telepathy, I guess.

[TobiasMasonPark]

     I don't know a lot about mental illnesses, but when did Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder start to count as a mental illness?

[AniDragon]

Hasn't it always been? And why wouldn't it be?

[Blazing Angel]

It is in the brain.....

[TobiasMasonPark]

    I don't know. When I think mental illness, I think of people with "special needs". Unless I'm mistaken, people with ADHD can fully function in society. So why should they be hospitalized?

[RAFrukh]

If the problem is in their DNA then yes.

[TobiasMasonPark]

     :s What does that have to do with it?

     Unless I'm mistaken, all people with ADHD require to "function" are some meds. If they can walk, talk, or do anything without aid of another person, they are able-bodied and do not require assistance from a hospital.

[RAFrukh]

I'm directly answering the question posed at the beginning of this thread.

[DinosaurNothlit]

I think mental illnesses might show up in the "instincts", maybe? Like, if you morph someone with ADHD, you wouldn't have full blown ADHD yourself, but you'd have some trouble focusing if you don't get the instincts under control. Similar to the Leeran telepathy, I guess.

That sounds just about right.  After all, with most so-called 'disorders,' they are part of a person's personality.  And we know from Cassie morphing Rachel in book #12 that the personality does carry over somewhat into the morphed instincts, so it makes sense that stuff like ADHD or OCD would too.

[QIfry]

What about chronic illnesses? I wasn't born with Crohn's Disease or the other number of illnesses that I got after I was diagnosed. Would morphing heal that?

[Blazing Angel]

yes as long as you weren't born with it