How I see it:


Eywa probes into and destructively analyses the contents of Jake's skull and tries to model how it functions. Then she builds a working analogue of this within the skull of the Avatar body. Old Jake dies but a new Jake is born, complete with all of old Jake's memories and experiences.

Everything in Jake's brain --> avatar brain.

I've not looked much into the brain-electrical impulse-sciency thing, but I don't believe we understand what memories are yet. So it's hard to say exactly what happened, since science hasn't done it (to my knowledge.) Actually, we've cloned things, which is kind of similar, but you can't really know what the goat (or was it a sheep..) is thinking.

The entire activity of Jake's brain gets copied... Since the Avatar doesn;t have any consciousness of itself, possibly some changes are made to it's neurology then Jake's memories etc are all transferred. In effect, Jake DID die, but his avatar carries all of the data that made him himself, so really, he does still live.

Maybe a bit off topic... but the brain of the Avatar is more analogous to a Na'vi, soo... does this make Jake think even more like a Na'vi? I mean, having more of that sense of need for Eywa or connectedness to other animals, or just more of a need to be a part of a larger whole in general.

It makes sense to copy all of Jake's thoughts and memories but I think there's more to the whole transfer thing then making a 1:1 copy of his brain. I would like to think as he passes through Eywa he gains some of the knowledge and memories of generations past.

I like this idea!

This is a very intriguing idea. Considering how the whole point was to just transfer data from body to body, if you look at a "transfer" in actuality (like transferring a program from one computer to the other, using a middle source), it's really just a complete deletion of the original source. Of course, the original program stays on the original source, but through the transfer, the information on the transfer item is not actually the real program; only a copy. But from that middle source, it's then copied again to a final destination.

So if you think of it that way, Jake died period. Only a copy of what originally came from his human brain exists in the avatar. The real Jake is dead. The whole thing is much like the concept presented in "Moon".


Now I've made myself sad.

Hmm... This is a really good question. I did think of this too. I would say that in a way, yes, there may be some kind of 'natural instinct' that a Na'vi brain posesses to connect. Maybe even see the world in a completely different way. Perhaps this could explain why he "fell in love with the forest" and became easily disillusioned with his other life. However... you do have to remember that Jake's Avatar (or rather, now Jake himself) is only 50% Na'vi.

Perhaps he'll get the best of both worlds?

Scientific analyzes aside, it's like reincarnation. A transmigration of the soul. James Cameron apparently was influenced by Hinduism, which has a few things to say about it.

Anyway it wasn't just that the avatar had senses a sky person doesn't. It's that they live in a way that opens up the senses.

Okay... was hoping someone would bring this up. I started to write a fanfic describing his experience in the transfer.
I also saw a few pages out of the Survival handbook and there is some psionic activity mentioned as part of the link transfer.
Remember Grace's experience? She had a similar transfer but her energy that comprised her original body and 'soul' was too weak for the full transfer and just stayed in 'limbo' which was with Eywa.
Okay, now I'm going to have to post my story as much as I have and see if that is what people are thinking.
If Grace said 'I'm with her, Jake' then apparently Eywa oversees any connection to her through the Trees.
When Jake opened his eyes as a Na'vi it was different than when he woke from the mechanical links. They snapped open like he had just closed them rather than waking up. Did Eywa talk to him? Did he get to 'see' Grace again?
Dangit... I'll edit this when I've posted my story.

Story is up, Eye of Eywa (Jake's) down in the Fan Fiction section. Let me know what you think!

I think in many ways Jake does. For instance, he gets to be a Na'vi, and has the experience of being a human, to know what NOT to do.

I must admit I am surprised at all the people here who think that the transfer was nothing more than a mind transfer. This is not true at all. When the Na'vi are praying to Eywa they request that Jake's SOUL be transfered, it is a transfer of conciousness/a transfer of spirit. They make no mention of just the mind.

Yet there is no definition of the term... I say such a thing exists in a way, but that doesn't mean it's a separate entity, but a product of the contents and activity of the brain.