Is it possible to transfer a human mind and survive? (Picard spoilers)

[Fianna]

Again, energy beings are a thing in Star Trek. If you can buy that an alien civilization can evolve into beings of pure energy, then surely you can buy that a piece of technology can temporarily turn someone into a being of pure energy.

As for the transporter creating two Rikers, I took that to be the equivalent of cutting a starfish in half, and each half is able to regenerate into a whole starfish.

[Jonathan]

Riker, though, is not a starfish, unless we're asserting that the energy state the matter is transferred into has a quality that allows total reconstruction from only a part, which come to think of it is a lot like the fractal babble from Star Trek: Picard that means you have all of Data from only a neuron. I don't think it can be the case those, as otherwise how does all the talk of pattern degradation and the like which occasionally comes up fit it?

[Fianna]

When Riker was being transported in the form of energy, he made contact with another form of energy emanating off the planet. I figure that energy was added to his own, so that he now had enough energy to create two Rikers instead of one.

Maybe a starfish isn't the right comparison, but rather an amoeba splitting itself in two.

[Jonathan]

Transporter mitosis. Surprised Voyager never used that one!