A fascinating article looking at research into the possibility that memories (and by inference, consciousness) are stored in areas of the body other than the brain.

After giving examining examples of discordance between memory availability and brain functionality in directed worms and hibernating animals of the authors conclude that the “the mind […] is fluid and adaptable, embodied but not enskulled”

They stop short of asking the next logical question.
Is it possible memories & consciousness are not even embodied?

“To my surprise, I unearthed in the medical literature an astonishing number of documented cases of adults who, as children, had parts of their brain removed to heal their persistent epilepsy. Following hemispherectomy – where half the brain can be removed to control seizures – most children showed not only an improvement in their intellectual capacity and sociability but also their apparent retention of memory, personality and sense of humour. Similarly, adults who have had hemispherectomies enjoyed excellent long-term seizure control and increased postoperative employability.“

Read the article in full here.