memory through metamorphosis

This is my absolute favorite scientific publication by Douglass J. Blackiston, et al.. It basically found that memories acquired by moths in the larval state can be retained after metamorphosis— particularly, responses to negative stimuli (an electric shock following exposure to an unpleasant odor).
So then what does this imply?
Well for the science, it means that the reduction of an organism into biological sludge does not mean complete reset and rebirth. And for people who use insects for their main model organism, it means that particular biases might need to be accounted for when working across the span of developmental periods.
But what does this mean mean?
Well we’re not bugs… so take this musing from me as a regular person, not a scientist; complete reconstruction of our tangible being fails to erase the memories (and therefore response behaviors) we’ve acquired in past iterations of our selves
Isn’t that kind of poetic?
So this study was published in 2008, and I think I saw it on tumblr (of all places) in 2012 or so (waaaaay before I even imagined myself pursuing a career in science). But the implications of this experiment invoke something spiritual in me and I have yet to put it all in words. I’ve tried writing full on essays or blog posts on this topic to no avail because I feel like I need to get my thoughts down exactly as I feel them… and to be honest, I don’t know how to feel. For now, I’ll leave you with this, and when the time is right, I’ll revisit.