A few years ago, a controversial surgeon announced his decision to perform the first human head transplant. His decision caused a storm in the media. The head transplant raised several philosophical and ethical concerns. However, it seems that the most philosophical issue that arose was who is the owner of the new hybrid: the donor of the head or the body—in other words, whether the self and identity are related to the brain or other parts of the body.

The concept of "self" is an old unresolved issue in history. Most old philosophers and scholars held that the self belongs to an immaterial entity that is called the soul. The soul was considered immortal and remained after the death and destruction of the body. In some cultures, it is believed that souls can transfer from one body to another after death. Most followers of major religions believe that the soul ascends to the afterlife world after death and lives eternally.

The belief that the self is a mobile entity and can transfer between bodies and worlds has taken root even in contemporary people's minds. However, the concept of the soul has been modernized for today's individuals. The concept of mind uploading into a supercomputer to recreate oneself in cyberspace, or transferring one's mind to another person through a chipset, as depicted in movies and media, reflects ancient beliefs. New findings further reveal the mind and body are integrated entities and are influenced by the social environment to form the personality of each person.

Due to the expansion of media and the internet, most people are now aware of the impact of microbes residing in our body, known as the microbiome, on brain functions........

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