On Tue, 15 Feb 2005, Charmian wrote: @> But this makes it in some ways less interesting, because IRL s/m is @> generally understood as a psychological trait/taste preference, rather @> than a biological thing. You know, I think most of the BDSM enthusiasts I know would disagree with you. Although, honestly, it's difficult or perhaps even impossible to disentagle genetic predisposition from behavioral conditioning anyway. Which is one of the things I wonder about in the context of Dragaeran reincarnation. We know that reincarnation and genetics react "oddly" with each other. What would happen if a soul was reincarnated into a body that had brain damage? Would the soul be intact afterwards, or would it inherit that damage? What determines the personality traits of a soul, if not the genetic traits of the body it was originally born into? Or do those only influence it? Are new souls periodically generated or are there a limited pool available? How many angels can dance on the tip of a Morganti knife, anyway?