I realize it's non-canon, but the novel Star Trek: Federation addressed this. In this excerpt, Zephram Cochrane is aboard Kirk's Enterprise in the 23rd century, and has recently had his first experience with being through a transporter:

"So, what's a transporter?" Cochran asked, no longer caring how out of touch he seemed. Information was information, and he'd always been a quick study.

 

"Matter-energy conversion," the ensign answered. She shifted her arm, apparently trying to find a more comfortable position than the sling would allow. "Converts you to energy, beams you to a new location, reconverts, and there you are."

 

Cochrane felt his stomach drop out of him, and it wasn't the turbolift. He stared at his hand. It looked like the same one he'd been born with.

 

"Are you all right, sir?"

 

"That's terrible."

 

"What?"

 

Cochrane was appalled. Had human life become so cheap? So meaningless? "Each time you're converted to energy, you're killed," Cochrane said. "What comes out the other end is just a duplicate that thinks it's the original."

 

The ensign gave him a wide-eyed look that she might have reserved for a child. "You're thinking about old-fashioned matter replication, sir. In replication, the original is destroyed so that the duplicates can be reconstructed at any time. But the transporter process operates on a quantum level. You're not destroyed and re-created; your actual, original molecules are tunneled to a new location. You're still you, sir. Believe me. We do things differently these days."

Federation was first published in 1994, so well into the run of TNG, but is set (at least partially) during the timeline of TOS.

I realize it's non-canon, but the novel Star Trek: Federation addressed this. In this excerpt, Zephram Cochrane is aboard Kirk's Enterprise in the 23rd century, and has recently had his first experience with being through a transporter:

"So, what's a transporter?" Cochran asked, no longer caring how out of touch he seemed. Information was information, and he'd always been a quick study.

"Matter-energy conversion," the ensign answered. She shifted her arm, apparently trying to find a more comfortable position than the sling would allow. "Converts you to energy, beams you to a new location, reconverts, and there you are."

Cochrane felt his stomach drop out of him, and it wasn't the turbolift. He stared at his hand. It looked like the same one he'd been born with.

"Are you all right, sir?"

"That's terrible."

"What?"

Cochrane was appalled. Had human life become so cheap? So meaningless? "Each time you're converted to energy, you're killed," Cochrane said. "What comes out the other end is just a duplicate that thinks it's the original."

The ensign gave him a wide-eyed look that she might have reserved for a child. "You're thinking about old-fashioned matter replication, sir. In replication, the original is destroyed so that the duplicates can be reconstructed at any time. But the transporter process operates on a quantum level. You're not destroyed and re-created; your actual, original molecules are tunneled to a new location. You're still you, sir. Believe me. We do things differently these days."

Federation was first published in 1994, so well into the run of TNG, but is set (at least partially) during the timeline of TOS.

I realize it's non-canon, but the novel Star Trek: Federation addressed this. In this excerpt, Zephram Cochrane is aboard Kirk's Enterprise in the 23rd century, and has recently had his first experience with being through a transporter:

"So, what's a transporter?" Cochran asked, no longer caring how out of touch he seemed. Information was information, and he'd always been a quick study.

"Matter-energy conversion," the ensign answered. She shifted her arm, apparently trying to find a more comfortable position than the sling would allow. "Converts you to energy, beams you to a new location, reconverts, and there you are."

Cochrane felt his stomach drop out of him, and it wasn't the turbolift. He stared at his hand. It looked like the same one he'd been more with.

"Are you all right, sir?"

"That's terrible."

"What?"

Cochrane was appalled. Had human life become so cheap? So meaningless? "Each time you're converted to energy, you're killed," Cochrane said. "What comes out the other end is just a duplicate that thinks it's the original."

The ensign gave him a wide-eyed look that she might have reserved for a child. "You're thinking about old-fashioned matter replication, sir. In replication, the original is destroyed so that the duplicates can be reconstructed at any time. But the transporter process operates on a quantum level. You're not destroyed and re-created; your actual, original molecules are tunneled to a new location. You're still you, sir. Believe me. We do things differently these days."

Federation was first published in 1994, so well into the run of TNG, but is set (at least partially) during the timeline of TOS.

I realize it's non-canon, but the novel Star Trek: Federation addressed this. In this excerpt, Zephram Cochrane is aboard Kirk's Enterprise in the 23rd century, and has recently had his first experience with being through a transporter:

"So, what's a transporter?" Cochran asked, no longer caring how out of touch he seemed. Information was information, and he'd always been a quick study.

"Matter-energy conversion," the ensign answered. She shifted her arm, apparently trying to find a more comfortable position than the sling would allow. "Converts you to energy, beams you to a new location, reconverts, and there you are."

Cochrane felt his stomach drop out of him, and it wasn't the turbolift. He stared at his hand. It looked like the same one he'd been born with.

"Are you all right, sir?"

"That's terrible."

"What?"

Cochrane was appalled. Had human life become so cheap? So meaningless? "Each time you're converted to energy, you're killed," Cochrane said. "What comes out the other end is just a duplicate that thinks it's the original."

The ensign gave him a wide-eyed look that she might have reserved for a child. "You're thinking about old-fashioned matter replication, sir. In replication, the original is destroyed so that the duplicates can be reconstructed at any time. But the transporter process operates on a quantum level. You're not destroyed and re-created; your actual, original molecules are tunneled to a new location. You're still you, sir. Believe me. We do things differently these days."

Federation was first published in 1994, so well into the run of TNG, but is set (at least partially) during the timeline of TOS.