Star Trek: The Vulcan Mind-Meld, Explained

The history and cultural significance of "My mind to your mind, my thoughts to your thoughts."

Within the expansive Star Trek universe created in the late 1960s by Gene Roddenberry , there are numerous various alien races capable, in various degrees, of telepathic communication. Most notable using these are the strikingly humanoid Batazoids , the Talosians, and of course the Vulcans. Each race presents a unique and interesting variation on telepathy, and different ways in which they use it to communicate with both one another and different races.

While the Talosians and the Melkotiams utilized their telepathic abilities for destructive purposes, weaponizing it to create powerful illusions, others used it for peace or at least for less nefarious purposes. The Vulcan mind meld is one such example, but what exactly is it, and how does it work?

RELATED: Star Trek's Warp Drive Technology, Explained

The mind meld is a telepathic link formed between two individuals, allowing for the exchange of thoughts and sometimes feelings, often at a deeply intimate level. The aim of a successful meld is that the two separate minds become one, sharing one merged consciousness. The meld was most often used between Vulcans as a private exchange, not to be shared or used on non-Vulcans. Despite this, the technique has been used countless times over the various series on other humanoid species . It was even possible for some other telepathically capable species to learn the mind meld themselves — most notably an android, as shown in the first season of Picard.

The theory is one thing, but the technique behind the meld is another, and acts as possibly one of the most iconic actions within Star Trek . To perform the meld, it’s most common for the initiator to place their fingers and thumbs in specific locations on the head of the other participant. It’s often also helpful for the instigator to use the mantra:

“My mind to your mind, my thoughts to your thoughts.”

Despite this being the iconic look for the meld, it’s not always required, but the physical contact enhances the telepathic effectiveness considerably. When the meld is used within the private life of two Vulcans, the point is to achieve one consciousness and become one mind. On the other hand, when using the technique to mind meld with others to gain information (as is often done during the series), it’s possible for the initiator to put up a mental shield over their own mind, protecting them from being probed by the mind of those who they are probing.

Shielding is difficult, especially when trying to concentrate on a successful meld without any of the sometimes unfortunate side effects. Often the shield is penetrated somewhat during the meld and emotions, memories, and thoughts are often leaked through into the mind of the subject. An example of this is seen in the Kelvin timeline , where Spock accident leaked through some emotions while mind melding with Kirk. Some races, such as the Cardassians, are highly resistant to the mind meld, being very good at shielding their thoughts from the technique. This was shown most notably during the episode “The Maquis, Part II” from Deep Space 9 , where Cardassian Gul Dukat ( instigator of one of the most tragic moments in Star Trek history ) is being interrogated, and blocks an attempted meld from the Vulcan Sakonna. The bounty hunter race Hazari were also resistant to the mind meld.

While a highly effective method of getting information or sharing an unexplainable experience, the Vulcan mind meld was an often dangerous technique. There were various side effects that could affect even the most experienced of melders. It was often exhausting for both parties involved, physically and mentally. The melding could also result in a disorientation, with the occasional loss of identity and inability to break free from the meld. Sometimes even when the meld was completed, a portion of the person's consciousness, or “katra” as the Vulcans call it, could be lost within the mind of the other. Another potential side effect could be caused by inexperienced melders, and was called Pa’nar Syndrome, a degenerative neurological disorder that could be fatal if left untreated.

The history of this technique's use is hardly explored within the franchise. Audiences know only what is actively shown within the TV shows and various movies . While the mind meld is fairly commonplace within chronologically later shows such as The Original Series, and The Next Generation, it was revealed within Enterprise that during the 22nd century (when the series was set) the technique was considered a “deviant” practice. Only a small portion of the Vulcan population was able to perform it, and those that did were considered outcasts due to its deeply intimate nature. It’s unclear whether before this period of time when the meld was disapproved of if this was something Vulcans were taught or trained in, or what exactly happened to change the cultures views of the act, but it was deeply taboo.

Thankfully this aversion to the technique stopped sometime in the 23rd century, and became a staple of the franchise. The Vulcan mind meld stands alongside the other amazing creations such as the teleportation devices and highly intricate yet complete Klingon language , as one of the things that makes Star Trek feel unique.

MORE: Star Trek's Transporter Technology, Explained

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Dagger of the Mind

  • Episode aired Nov 3, 1966

Leonard Nimoy and Morgan Woodward in Dagger of the Mind (1966)

Kirk and psychiatrist Helen Noel are trapped on a maximum security penal colony that experiments with mind control and Spock must use the Vulcan mind-meld to find a way to save them. Kirk and psychiatrist Helen Noel are trapped on a maximum security penal colony that experiments with mind control and Spock must use the Vulcan mind-meld to find a way to save them. Kirk and psychiatrist Helen Noel are trapped on a maximum security penal colony that experiments with mind control and Spock must use the Vulcan mind-meld to find a way to save them.

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Morgan Woodward in Star Trek (1966)

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  • Trivia In several interviews, Morgan Woodward noted that his work on the episode greatly affected him on both a personal and professional level. Woodward felt the part of Van Gelder was perhaps the most physically and emotionally exhausting role he played. He also stated his experience in playing the part resulted in his being in a largely anti-social state of mind for a few weeks following. However, Woodward, who would later play Captain Tracey in The Omega Glory (1968) , credits his work on Star Trek in helping him to finally break away from his being typecast in Western roles.
  • Goofs When Dr. van Gelder is on the loose on a ship, a security guard is deployed to the bridge. He stands a few feet away from the turbolift doors, facing the interior of the bridge (which makes it nicely convenient for Dr. van Gelder to hit him from behind). He should have been standing further away from the turbolift (possibly by the railing) and facing towards it; was he expecting Dr. van Gelder to gain entrance to the bridge via the viewscreen? He also never moved when the turbolift doors opened; he should have instinctively turned around, especially since he was supposed to be guarding the bridge from the intruder.

Mr. Spock : Interesting. You Earth people glorify organized violence for 40 centuries, but you imprison those who employ it privately.

Dr. McCoy : And, of course, your people found an answer?

Mr. Spock : We disposed of emotion, Doctor. Where there is no emotion, there is no motive for violence.

  • Alternate versions Special Enhanced version Digitally Remastered with new exterior shots and remade opening theme song. A highlight of the new special effects is a new exterior shot of the penal colony, replacing a re-used matte painting from another episode.
  • Connections Featured in For the Love of Spock (2016)
  • Soundtracks Theme From Star Trek Written by and credited to Alexander Courage

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  • Nov 24, 2021
  • November 3, 1966 (United States)
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Star Trek trivia: The evolution of “mind meld”

A while back, I noticed something interesting about the history of Star Trek terminology. We’ve all come to think of “mind meld” as the standard term for the telepathic contact used by the Vulcans, and it’s been used consistently and near-exclusively in most Trek productions over the decades. But in fact, it was never used in the original series until the third season, and then only twice. TOS was quite inconsistent in its terminology — as with so many things, they made it up as they went and it took time for the concept to settle down. Here’s a list of the terms they used, and how they were depicted (originally posted in a thread on Tor.com , and put together with the help of the Star Trek Script Search app):

  • Dagger of the Mind: “an ancient Vulcan technique to probe into Van Gelder’s tortured mind” — The template for the mind meld as we know it.
  • Devil in the Dark: “the Vulcan technique of the joining of two minds” — Also a very deep fusion and blending of identities.
  • The Changeling: “mind probe” — Ditto.
  • By Any Other Name: “mind probe” and “mind touch” to refer to the telepathic suggestion used with the Eminian guard and Kelinda, much less of a connection than we’ve seen before.
  • Patterns of Force: “mind probe” to refer to Spock reaching Gill’s mind, but we didn’t see how deep it went.
  • Spectre of the Gun: Debut of the term “mind meld,” to refer to what was basically hypnotic suggestion.
  • Elaan of Troyius: “mind meld” suggested but not used as an interrogation technique.
  • The Paradise Syndrome: “mind fusion” used for a full “our minds are one” joining.
  • Is There in Truth No Beauty?: “mind link” to refer to the full union of two minds.
  • One of Our Planets is Missing: “mind touch” for Spock allowing the cloud creature to see and speak through him, much like his “link” with Kollos.
  • The Infinite Vulcan: “mind touch” to refer to a full transfer of mind/memory from giant Spock to original Spock.

So that’s “Vulcan technique” in season 1; “mind probe” and “mind touch” in season 2; “mind meld,” “mind link,” and “mind fusion” in season 3; and “mind touch exclusively in the animated series. The usage was all over the place, and “mind meld” was the third-most common term after “mind touch” and “mind probe.” And the writers’ bible for TOS refers only to Spock’s “strange Vulcan ‘ESP’ ability to merge his mind with another intelligence.” In the first major Trek reference book, The Star Trek Concordance by Bjo Trimble, the version that gets the longest lexicon entry (29 lines) is “Vulcan mind touch,” with “mind link” (non-Vulcan) getting six lines, “Vulcan mind fusion” five lines, and “Vulcan mind meld” only four, the shortest entry (though no “mind probe” anywhere in sight). I always used to have the sense that “mind touch” referred to a shallower, more basic telepathic communication while the “meld” or “fusion” was a deeper, more complete blending, but as you can see above, the terms were used more interchangeably than that.

And yet the 1977 writers’ bible for Phase II , the TV revival project that later turned into Star Trek: The Motion Picture , did use the term “mind-meld” for Vulcan mental abilities. The term was then used in onscreen dialogue in TMP itself, for the contact between Spock and V’Ger’s memory crystal. It was also used in  The Search for Spock (referring retroactively to Spock’s  katra transfer to McCoy in TWOK) and The Voyage Home (for Spock’s mental communication with the whales). And it’s been the exclusive term in every subsequent Star Trek production. (“Mind probe” was used twice, in  The Next Generation ‘s “Menage a Troi” and  Deep Space Nine ‘s “Extreme Measures,” to refer to mind-scanning technologies akin to the Klingon mind sifter, but never for Vulcan telepathy.) So sometime between TAS and the movies, the term became standardized.

It also occurred to me to check into the tie-in fiction that came out between TOS and TMP. 1970’s Spock Must Die! by James Blish used yet another unique term, “mind-lock.” But the next original Bantam publication, the 1976 anthology Star Trek: The New Voyages (which was mostly reprinting earlier fanfiction stories, though newly revised for the anthology), uses “mind-meld” consistently in multiple stories. As far as I can tell, it was pretty standard in Bantam’s books from then on (though I don’t have them all in my possession). So in both screen and prose Trek, the term “mind meld” somehow became the default by the late 1970s — but how? Why that term, when it was so infrequently used in TOS and never in TAS?

When I checked my nonfiction text sources, I found that The Making of Star Trek , written by Stephen Edward Poe (as Stephen E. Whitfield) and Gene Roddenberry during season 2 of TOS and released shortly before the premiere of season 3, refers to Spock’s ability as “mind-melding” — making it the earliest public use of the term. It’s possible Poe/Whitfield got it from the scripts to “Spock’s Brain” and “Elaan of Troyius,” though, depending on how early they were written. Or maybe it’s just the term Roddenberry had decided on, and so it got around behind the scenes.

People today often don’t realize it, but TMoST was the definitive ST reference book in its day, the source of a number of things that became conventional fan wisdom even though they were never stated onscreen, such as Kirk being the youngest starship captain, McCoy’s divorce backstory (proposed by DeForest Kelley for the second-season writers’ bible but first publicized by TMoST), and the Romulan-Klingon alliance (from development notes for “The Enterprise Incident” to explain the Romulan use of Klingon ships, which seems to confirm that Poe had access to early third-season scripts). Not to mention technical details that weren’t canonized until later, like the idea of the forward parabolic dish being a navigational deflector. TMoST was also the second work to establish a 23rd-century setting for TOS, preceded by James Blish’s “Space Seed” adaptation in the collection Star Trek 2 seven months earlier.

So if all these things became conventional wisdom because they were in The Making of Star Trek , it follows that TMoST’s use of the term “mind-melding” is the reason that term became standardized later on. And it does seem that it used the term because it was written around the same time as the two TOS episodes that did use it. If it had been written a few months earlier, we might’ve ended up talking about “Vulcan mind probes” for all these years.

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“Sem-rik”—the Vulcan word for “fascinating”—and so it was for me as I read about the history of the Vulcan mind-meld; this was only one of the advanced telepathic abilities of Mr. Spock. As a result I have gained a whole new appreciation of the power of the mind—“wuh tepul t’wuh kashek” in Vulcan—and how Spock was able to use it, especially when it came to getting himself, Captain (later Admiral) Kirk and the great starship Enterprise out of one jam after another. I have long enjoyed the original series in particular, and every time I have witnessed one aspect or another of that powerful mind in action it has always grabbed me. It still does. Thank you; I appreciate it. (Or, in Vulcan, “Th’i-oxalra.)

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What would the meld with the Horta be considered? Season 1 episode 25?

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As I said in the post, the term used in the episode was “the Vulcan technique of the joining of two minds.”

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My Mind To Your Mind: Vulcan Katras Explained

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

When "Star Trek" first debuted in 1966, the standout character was very much Spock (Leonard Nimoy) the half-human, half-Vulcan science officer on board the U.S.S. Enterprise. Spock, for the uninitiated, devoted himself to the expulsion of emotion from his being, relying on only logic and scientific proof to traverse the show's weekly conundra. Over the course of various "Star Trek" shows and movies, the specific abilities and beliefs of Vulcans were revealed: Vulcans are incredibly long-lived. Vulcans have green blood. Vulcans are much stronger than humans. Vulcans are trained to, in a pinch (heh), tightly squeeze a nerve on the humanoid neck to render them unconscious. Vulcans are typically vegetarians. Vulcans go through a seven-year mating cycle called pon farr, wherein they become uncontrollably horny for a few days. 

Most fascinating — to use a Spock word — is the Vulcans' ability to meld minds with others. Vulcans have been described as "touch telepaths," and have the gentle psychic ability to place their hands on a willing recipient's face and merge their consciousnesses, allowing each to briefly live inside one another's minds. 

Psychic abilities have been common in "Star Trek" since the start; the pilot episode " Where No Man Has Gone Before " revealed that Starfleet officers, regardless of species, are given a psychic-powers test upon enrollment, and many come up with positive numbers (the Sally Kellerman character is a human who could intuit minds). In the world of "Star Trek," then, consciousness is something widely accepted as existing outside of the brain. And, we learn, it can be shunted into a waiting recipient.

This is an important plot point in this week's episode of " Star Trek: Strange New Worlds " which hearkens back to " Star Trek III: The Search for Spock ."

The Vulcan katra in 'Star Trek III'

Leonard Nimoy's "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" (1984) picks up immediately after the events of " Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ." A damaged U.S.S. Enterprise returns to a Starbase for repair, with Spock having died during the previous film's climax. Curiously, Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) begins behaving quite oddly, speaking in Spock's voice, taking on some of his personality traits (this is played for laughs; Spock and McCoy were famously rivals), and trying to book a surreptitious flight back to where Spock's body landed. Spock's father, Sarek (Mark Lenard) suspects something is amiss and performs a mind meld on Kirk (William Shatner) only to find that he is not carrying his son's "katra." Kirk is unfamiliar with the term, and Sarek explains that it — more or less — is the measurable, palpable version of the soul. Kirk, upon watching a scene from "Star Trek II" (he conveniently has the previous film at hand), finds that Spock mind-melded with McCoy shortly before his death. Spock's katra, his consciousness, is now in McCoy's brain.

Spock's consciousness can indeed be reunited with his body and, thanks to the effects of "Star Trek II"'s Genesis wave, a new Spock body may soon be handy (the wave creates life, and grows a living Spock body without a mind). "Star Trek III" is about how Kirk and the Enterprise crew have to steal their ship (!) and perform a ritual on Vulcan that would reunite mind and body. What they lose in order to do so is immeasurable. "Star Trek III" has a great bummer ending.

Surak's katra

In "Star Trek" chronology , the first instance of humanity encountering a katra was in a three-part episode of "Star Trek: Enterprise" called "The Forge," "Awakening," and "Kir'Shara" (aired on November 19 through December 3rd, 2004). These episodes took place at a time in Trek history when Vulcan mind melds were illegal, and those with the ability are seen as outcasts. It's a clear metaphor for queerness and the bigotry directed against it. There is an additional metaphor for Reagan's treatment of the AIDS pandemic in the 1980s with the introduction of Pa'Nar Syndrome — a mind-meld-caused illness — and the Vulcan High Command's unwillingness to address or treat it. 

In the three-parter, Capt. Archer (Scott Bakula) encountered a Vulcan dissident named Syrran (Michael Nouri) who was carrying the katra of Surak, an ancient Vulcan Messiah. Jonathan Archer agreed to carry the katra of Surak in his brain for four days while the Enterprise made their way to another Vulcan priest to whom it could be transferred again. It was the events of these episodes that, it was implied, would lead to more cavalier attitudes about mind melds in "Star Trek" moving forward.

Spock's katra in Burham's brain

" Star Trek: Discovery " has notoriously played fast and loose with "Star Trek" canon, rewriting rules, shifting technologies (person-to-person holograms were on the U.S.S. Discovery, but still not perfected a century later on "Deep Space Nine"?), and introducing new, dramatic backstories to characters previously established. The character of Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), the protagonist of "Discovery" was, in fact, a never-mentioned-before sister of Spock (now played by Ethan Peck) who was raised on Vulcan under Vulcan logical doctrines. Early in "Discovery" — the second episode "The Battle at the Binary Stars" from September 24, 2017 — she reveals that, as a child, she had nearly died and Spock, acting fast, inserted a mere portion of his katra into her brain, saving her life. 

Like most things in "Discovery," the full implications of this are never really explored, other than to say that Burnham and Spock are especially close in an abstract sort of way. It hasn't been brought up since the second episode either, and that version of Spock has since twisted off to become a central character in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds." Conveniently, a massive, season-end plot twist required any and all mention of the U.S.S. Discovery to be stricken from Starfleet history, and saw the ship thrown nearly a millennium into the future, allowing all of the show's reckless handling of canon to essentially be undone. 

'Return to Tomorrow'

The first mention of a Vulcan katra to have aired on TV is probably in the original series episode "Return to Tomorrow" (February 9, 1968). In that episode, a trio of noncorporeal entities named Thalassa, Sargon, and Henoch, attempt to take over the bodies of Kirk and company. The three of them have a centuries-old beef, leading, naturally, to intrigue. Fascinatingly, the Enterprise crew suggests the invasive alien consciousnesses be shunted into android bodies. By the end of the episode, it looks as if Spock has been murdered — the machine said to contain his consciousness is smashed — but, cleverly, Spock was able to shunt his own mind over into the brain of Nurse Chapel ( Majel Barrett ). 

The word "katra" is not used in "Return to Tomorrow" to the author's recollection, but it certainly set a precedent for Vulcan minds in the future. One can, with a small amount of effort, store your brain in the body of another. There has not been an episode to date about an ancient Vulcan who has malevolently elected to remain alive for millennia by usurping host bodies, although "Star Trek" continues, and such a story could conceivably be written. 

'Spock Amok'

In this week's episode of " Strange New Worlds ," the katra returns, but this time to comedic effect. Spock and his intended T'Pring (Gia Sandhu) have gathered in private for a bout of Vulcan intimacy when a psychic mishap has the two of them accidentally inhabiting one another's bodies. There's a definite comfort about "Star Trek" returning to an episode-by-episode structure — as "Strange New Worlds" has eschewed longer arcs for single episodes — as now there can be "funny ones" again. Spock, the ultimate straight man, has to attend to T'Pring's meetings in her body, while T'Pring must attend diplomatic meetings with little experience in the process. It's a wonderful acting showcase episode, and elicits plenty of titters. 

Given that the shunting of Vulcan katras has now been the set piece of one Trek feature film, has been used as a clever/cheap circumvention of danger more than once, and has now been used as comedic screenwriting fodder, perhaps the conceit will remain a mere background detail. The easy swapping of bodies can too easily fall into the realm of contrivance, and make for a lack of drama (the same way transporters can be used to cure any disease or restore a person to an earlier version of themselves, potentially allowing them to live forever). "Strange New Worlds" not only poked fun at the idea, but also indicated that katra swapping can occur too easily, and that katras should, perhaps, not be monkeyed with. 

Den of Geek

Star Trek: Picard: Vulcan Mind Meld Explained

As Star Trek: Picard heads toward its Season 1 finale, it’s time to brush-up on the rules of the most famous alien super power of them all. Let’s talk mind melds.

star trek enterprise vulcan mind meld

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Spock performing a Vulcan mind meld

This article contains major  STAR TREK: PICARD  spoilers.

Can Synthetics do everything that organics can do, only better? In Episode 9 of Star Trek: Picard , “Et in Arcadia Ego Part 1,” we see an android bust-out a classic Star Trek superpower, that previously, we only thought flesh-and-blood aliens could manage. In fact, isn’t the Vulcan mind meld only reserved for aliens who are actually, you know, Vulcans? Everybody assumed androids couldn’t do a mind meld, but what Picard presupposes is… maybe they can?

If you’re confused about this latest twist, it turns out there’s actually several precedents that make this possible. Let’s get into it. My canon thoughts to your canon thoughts…

When the yellow-eyed android Sutra (Isa Briones) decides to use the Vulcan mind meld to extract information from the mind of Dr. Jurati, the groan from inflexible Star Trek fans was as audible as that funky V’Ger bass line touching Spock’s mind in The Motion Picture . But, here’s the thing; the rules of who can do the mind-meld and how it’s done have been in flux for awhile.

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The Vulcan mind-meld originates in the TOS episode “Dagger of the Mind,” in which Spock probes the tortured mind of a prison inmate in order to get to the bottom of a confounding mystery all about people going crazy from a machine that is supposed to be healing them. Notably, Spock is only half- Vulcan since his mom, Amanda Grayson is a human. So, from its very inception the idea of who can do the Vulcan mind-meld was already loosey-goosey. Like Commodore Oh in Star Trek: Picard , Spock is only half-Vulcan. (We’re told in Episode 8 that Oh is half-Vulcan, half-Romulan.) So if Vulcan hybrids can do a skill normally reserved to Vulcans, the door is already open to other species figuring it out.

Then again, some might argue that intelligent machines shouldn’t be able to possess the pseudo-telepathy from a Vulcan mind-meld. Wetware is not hardware, so whatever magic brain energy necessary to do the mind meld, shouldn’t work with a robot, right? Well, that would be a reasonable argument, assuming, you’d never seen Star Trek: The Motion Picture . You know that TNG theme music you love so much? The Jerry Goldsmith score? Well, that comes from The Motion Picture , and in that film — get ready — a super intelligent machine contacts Spock’s brain from across the entire galaxy. Here’s a refresher.

Spock’s got long hair. He’s chilling on Vulcan, about to undergo the Kolinahr — a process where he would shed all remnants of emotion. BUT, he doesn’t. And that’s because his brain is contacted by a superior A.I. intelligence from beyond. (Sound familiar?) When Spock pauses during the ceremony, the Vulcan High Priestess demands a mind meld and then she says:

This conciseness calling to you from space… it touches your human blood, Spock.

Now, in the context of The Motion Picture , this meant that Spock needed to hang on to his human side a little longer, and figure out what was going on with this giant conciseness calling to him from space. But, in the context of Star Trek canon as a whole, check int out: V’Ger, a giant living machine that was 100 percent an A.I. cloud, was able to mind meld with Spock. Later, Spock returns the favor, by mind melding with V’Ger itself, while he’s wearing a space suit and gloves, I might add. 

In the Original Series episode, “The Changeling,”  Spock also mind melded with a straight-up robot named Nomad (sterilize!) and in “A Taste of Armageddon” even long-distance mind-melded through a door. There’s a lot of different variations of mind melds!

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Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: Picard

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And then there’s Data. We have no reason to believe that Data was telepathic, or had mastered the ability to mind meld. And yet, in Star Trek: First Contact , he seems to project a telepathic message to Picard. Arguably, this is because Data was hooked-up with the Borg at this point, and Picard had some Borg receptors that allowed for this kind of message, but still. It counts, right? 

Like Sutra, Data amdired Vulcan culture, though, as he said in “Data’s Day,” he did find their strict adherence to total logic to be “limiting.” And yet, in the famous Spock crossover TNG episode, “Unification,” Data demonstrated his ability to use a Vulcan nerve pinch to disable Sela. If Data can do a Vulcan nerve pinch, and Spock can get telepathic messages from V’Ger, it seems like we could all easily believe that Sutra, a very advanced android, could, in fact, teach herself to mind meld.

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Does this mean what Sutra saw in Jurati’s mind was accurate? Maybe. Maybe not. But her ability to do the mind meld at all is totally, unswervingly, logical.

Ryan Britt

Ryan Britt is a longtime contributor to Den of Geek! He is also the author of three non-fiction books: the Star Trek pop history book PHASERS…

TV Legends: The Bizarre Fears That Led to the Vulcan Mind-Meld

In the latest TV Legends Revealed, learn the surprising concerns that led to the creation of the Vulcan mind-meld on the original Star Trek TV series!

TV URBAN LEGEND : Concerns over the depiction of hypnosis led to the creation of the Vulcan mind-meld.

Looking back, it was fascinating how some of the most iconic aspects of Star Trek history were more or less made up as they went along, while also noting the often bizarre ways that decisions were made about who would be in a particular episode.

For instance, Mister Spock's famous Vulcan nerve pinch was introduced when Leonard Nimoy did not like that the original script for the episode had him knocking Captain Kirk out (he felt it was too violent for Spock). So Nimoy pitched them the Vulcan nerve pinch, they accepted it and voila, an instant piece of Star Trek history!

Just a few episodes later, a similar piece of improvisation was used for the creation of the famous Vulcan mind-meld.

In "Dagger of the Mind," Kirk and the Enterprise's ship psychiatrist (her role was originally intended for Grace Lee Whitney's Ensign Rand, but then the producers did not want to get Kirk and Rand romantically involved, and since the role called a romance plot, they came up with a different character for the episode, Dr. Helen Noel) visit a planet where the mentally insane are kept. However, Dr. Simon van Gelder, one of the assistants to the renowned doctor who runs the asylum tricks his way on to the Enterprise, where he appears most unstable.

They have to find a way to communicate with him, as he was implying that Kirk and Noel, still on the planet below, were in some sort of danger.

The original script by Shimon Wincelberg (using the pen-name S. Bar-David) called for the crew to use an "Alien hypnosis" on van Gelder to learn what his deal was.

This caused a problem, because the network had some strict rules on hypnosis.

From the network in 1966:

In accordance with our precautions to avoid hypnotizing a viewer, the act of hypnotizing must be either out of context or done off-camera. Further, since you are portraying hypnotism as a legitimate medical tool, Van Gelder should be hypnotized by Dr. McCoy rather than Mr. Spock unless Mr. Spock can be established as being qualified in the use of this technique.

So yes, they were seriously afraid that a particularly susceptibly member of the audience at home would be hypnotized!!

The show considered having Dr. Leonard McCoy come in to do the hypnosis. Another alternative was to reveal that, "Oh, wait, you didn't know? Spock is a licensed hypnotherapist!"

However, since they were already building up Spock's back story and his cultural heritage as a Vulcan, they came up with the solution that Vulcans had the ability to perform "mind-melds" (which is not hypnosis, since Spock specifically explains that it is is not hypnosis, telling McCoy, “This will not affect you, Dr. McCoy, only the person I touch. It is not hypnosis") and thus Spock performed one on van Gelder to get the required information (although he expressed some temerity in doing so, noting "It's a hidden, personal thing to the Vulcan people, part of our private lives." He would soon be doing them constantly)...

Spock learned the truth (that the respected Dr. Adams who ran the asylum was using a special machine to take control of everyone's minds! He even made Kirk fall in love with Dr. Noel...

Granted, this was Kirk, so that was not too tough).

They eventually rescued Kirk and Noel (after Noel first disabled the shields blocking the Enterprise from teleporting to the planet's surface) and van Gelder (whose sanity was restored by the mind-meld) was named the new head of the asylum.

The legend is...

STATUS : True

Be sure to check out my archive of TV Legends Revealed for more urban legends about the world of TV. Click here for more legends specifically about Star Trek.

Feel free (heck, I implore you!) to write in with your suggestions for future installments! My e-mail address is [email protected].

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Published Mar 17, 2023

T’Pol’s Inner Strength: Lessons from Enterprise’s First Vulcan Officer

One fan uncovers T'Pol's true power.

Illustrated banner featuring T'Pol

StarTrek.com / Rob DeHart

Star Trek , fortunately, is not lacking in strong women characters, providing role models for fans of all gender identities. Characters like Captain Kathryn Janeway, Kira Nerys, Seven of Nine, and Jadzia Dax immediately come to this seasoned Trekkie’s mind. An admirable pillar of strength throughout Star Trek: Enterprise is T’Pol due to her integrity and resilience in the face of adversity.

Taking a cue from the titular character and stepping outside my comfort zone, I'm here to share insights I’ve gained about her dynamic character development from re-watching the series as an adult. T’Pol’s strength comes not from the volume of her voice, but the integrity of her character. As an alien minority on a ship of humans, her character illustrates how one can stay true to oneself whilst maintaining an open mind.

T'Pol sits in command on the Enterprise NX-01

StarTrek.com

In accordance with Star Trek ’s message of IDIC — infinite diversity in infinite combinations — it’s essential that we as global citizens of this interconnected world are receptive to diverse worldviews that enable us to grow as individuals. For me, T’Pol teaches that these intercultural exchanges don’t necessitate compromising one’s own sense of self. Even when faced with extreme opposition, T’Pol resolutely stands by her core values but is never so inflexible that she can’t learn from new experiences. That is where her true power lies. My hope is that my fellow Star Trek fans also find attributes of T’Pol’s character empowering, or at least have a moment’s reflection on the value of inner, sometimes silent, strength.

Personally, I was a mid-'90s kid who caught Trekkie fever in elementary school when most of the different Star Trek series had already come to an end. It started with me watching Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation marathons on cable and renting the movies from Blockbuster. I became obsessed. TNG is the series that holds the most nostalgia for me. I fell in love with all of the characters and treasured the messages of valuing diversity and resolving conflict through dialogue, not violence. However, Star Trek: Enterprise was addressing more current political and social issues in the early 2000s. As I was starting high school, Enterprise became a way for me to try and understand the post-9/11 America that I was growing up in, and thus, became the series I gravitated toward.

As I waded through graduate school and truly “adulting,” I continued to watch and re-watch Star Trek . The unique thing about this franchise is that I can take away something new — a unique insight or different perspective — with each re-watch. Recently, I successfully indoctrinated my sister into the world of Star Trek where we, of course, binge-watched Enterprise . It had been some time since I had last seen many of the episodes, and I had come to a realization — I identify with T’Pol’s character more than any other in Star Trek .

T'Pol looks into a scope

When I was a younger, first-time watcher, I admired T’Pol’s intelligence, and actor Jolene Blalock’s grace and poise while she played the character. Now, as I watch Enterprise , I see myself in a lot of ways. Not to say that I am as brilliant and stoic, but as a professional woman engaged in predominantly intellectual labor, I understand the prejudices and social pressures T’Pol experiences as the Enterprise ’s first Vulcan second-in-command. Moreover, individuals of all gender identities can relate to entering a new environment and struggling to balance outside expectations with one’s own values and identity.

Being True to Yourself is Only Logical

Before T’Pol even steps onto the Enterprise , Captain Jonathan Archer has preconceived notions of who she is and what she is like — cold and arrogant with a superiority complex. In canon, this is attributed to the fact that she is Vulcan, and Archer harbors resentment towards the Vulcans for stalling Earth’s warp 5 program. At first, he is belligerent and somewhat racist to T’Pol. He puts words in her mouth, questions her recommendations, or just ignores her professional opinions. In the first season especially, Archer and Commander ‘Trip’ Tucker have a tendency to gang-up on T’Pol pressuring her to loosen up, to be more human.

T'Pol eats a breadstick with a knife and fork and proudly raises it up

Strangely, one of the things that is frequently commented upon is T’Pol’s Vulcan diet and eating habits. Though these differences may be pointed out in order to flesh out the Vulcans as a species, it comes across as purposefully othering her character. A moment in which T’Pol subtlety yet effectively claps back at the men’s teasing is when she expertly eats a breadstick with a knife and fork. In the pilot episode, “Broken Bow,” the senior officers debate the values of humans versus Vulcans in deciding if humanity is ready for deep space exploration. Archer notices T’Pol having difficulty eating an aperitif breadstick with her fork, commenting it would be easier to use her hands. After explaining Vulcan’s don’t touch food with their hands, T’Pol proceeds to carefully cut a breadstick with a knife and fork, punctuating her overall point in the discussion, “With the proper discipline, anything is possible.” Even when in the minority, T’Pol gracefully maintains her own cultural values and identity.

T'Pol glares at Phlox who hands her a folded blueberry pancake with his bare hands

Moreover, T’pol stays true to who she is as an individual despite external expectations. As aforementioned, subcommander T’Pol’s maiden voyage as Enterprise ’s Vulcan first officer wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. T’Pol takes the risk of accepting a post on a predominantly human vessel, something a Vulcan had never done before. Though members of the crew, Archer included, criticize her for not making an effort to interact with her shipmates as she is known for sequestering herself in her quarters and turning down social invitations. Some could interpret her reserved demeanor as being superior or inflexible, though who can’t relate to needing some time to oneself?

T'Pol helps Hoshi manage her space anxiety by being in control

Despite these critiques, T’Pol does not change who she is to try and win her crewmates’ approval and instead initiates cultural exchanges on her own terms in ways that are meaningful to her. Usually, these on-screen interactions are predominantly one-on-one and involve her sharing something of her Vulcan heritage as well as learning about human culture. A scene I frequently reflect on is in the episode “Sleeping Dogs,” when T’Pol offers to assist Hoshi in managing her anxiety by teaching her a Vulcan meditation technique. This is a rare character-defining interaction between the two women that demonstrates early on how Vulcans and humans have a lot to offer one another when they work together.

Realizing Silence is Power

[ CONTENT WARNING : The below section discusses instances of assault from the Star Trek: Enterprise episodes “Fusion” and “Stigma.” Feel free to skip to the next section. ]

T'Pol sits at a probing investigation surrounding Pa’nar Syndrome

The power of an individual’s voice is not simply in its volume, but in the weight it carries. This is perfectly exemplified by T’Pol who demonstrates her own unique personal strength through a few carefully chosen words or, in some cases, silences. Silence as a form of power is most clearly illustrated in the second season episode “Stigma.” T’Pol uses silence to do what she believes is morally right and never wavers from her convictions regardless of the consequences. T’Pol comes under investigation following the revelation she has contracted Pa’nar Syndrome from a non-consensual mind-meld. Following an inappropriately probing interrogation, the Vulcan physicians in question effectively attempt to end her career by sending her home rather than try to treat her medical condition.

To keep her on the Enterprise , both Archer and Phlox pressure her to tell the Vulcan doctors that she contracted Pa’nar Syndrome through an un-consensual meld. However, T’Pol clearly communicates that she does not want to discuss her medical history nor the circumstances under which she contracted the disease. T’Pol states, “If I use that as a defense, as a way to keep from being taken off Enterprise , I’d be condoning their prejudice and, in the process, indicting every member of the minority. I won’t do that.”

Archer closes his eyes as T'Pol looks up at him

Archer believes, at first, that her silence signals her surrender, that she is submitting to prejudice and is accepting her forced removal from her position. As viewers, we may also come to the same conclusion that she is a victim of assault, now a stigma that will ruin her life. However, T’Pol repeatedly states throughout the episode that she is electing to stay silent because she doesn’t want to become complicit in the societal violence against this mind-melding minority. T’Pol’s silence is her way of realizing her agency in a situation where, as Archer sees it, she doesn’t have a choice. But she does.

Although in the end, tragically and problematically, a member of the mind-melding minority that she is trying to protect outs himself as a melder and then exposes the non-consensual circumstances of T’Pol’s meld. Even after her choice to keep the secret is taken, she still remains silent. It is then that Archer finally realizes what she is trying to do and how strongly she feels. When the Vulcan inquisitors demand Archer explain these circumstances, he simply states, “Seems my science officer doesn't want to discuss it. That’s good enough for me.” Now he gets it. T'Pol ultimately refuses to be defined by her trauma and remains proactive in her defiance of this injustice in Vulcan society. She does not need defending or protecting, she effectively makes her point by refusing to speak out.

Furthermore, it is worth noting that the gendered aspect of T’Pol’s character is significant. Typically, in Western society, women who are outspoken and use their voice to occupy space are generally considered more empowered as they mirror the ways in which men are socially encouraged. Women’s silence is often associated with submission, traditionally with how women should behave in a patriarchal society. It is seen as being weak and passive, commonly assigned feminine traits within the patriarchy. Writing against these gendered stereotypes, feminist literary scholar Patricia Lawrence proposes, “women’s silence... may be read as a strategy of resistance and choice – a ritual of truth.” T’Pol effectively demonstrates that silence is an act of agency when she maintains her own truth for the sake of her own values and protecting the civil rights of others.

Though perhaps not in such extreme circumstances, we can identify a time when we felt pressured to do or not do something that ran contrary to our own moral code. I have certainly been in adverse situations where complacency was the easier path in the short term but wasn’t really an option where my conscious was concerned. Living though a global pandemic these past few years particularly highlighted a number of such social issues. Whether the situation calls for speaking out or staying silent, T’Pol demonstrates true strength of character by standing resolutely by her convictions even when faced with extreme opposition.

Maintaining an Open Mind

I find the character T'Pol so compelling not only because she remains true to herself and her core beliefs, but that she also bravely confronts new cultures and ideas enabling herself to learn and grow from those experiences. From my own intercultural exchanges, I’ve found it is by placing ourselves into unfamiliar situations and in encountering new ideas that we can take the opportunity to look into ourselves. T’Pol’s character admirably resists pressures to assimilate into the dominant human culture on Enterprise to maintain her Vulcan identity, while simultaneously remaining open-minded.

T'Pol raises her glass of wine with Trip and Archer

Eventually, T’Pol develops more respectful and meaningful relationships with Archer and Trip. Both characters come to trust her and value her insights. Though she does take on some “human habits,” and occasionally attends movie night, she never changes the core of who she is, part of which is being an explorer. Before she boarded Enterprise , she worked at the Vulcan Embassy on Earth because she was curious about meeting new people and learning about other cultures. Not to say that T’Pol’s character doesn’t develop, she grows in a lot of ways, but she also stays true to herself and her own values. Throughout the series, T’Pol clearly has sovereignty over her own destiny. She follows her own moral code and finally joins Starfleet, not to conform, but in the hope of creating a better future for all. Likewise, I can be open to new experiences without compromising my own values and who I am. Without succumbing to external social pressures, I can grow and develop as an individual on my own terms, as much as it is in my power.

To sum up, I will quote a comment I contributed to Women at Warp’s podcast episode on T’Pol that punctuates this point nicely, “[T’Pol’s] character shows that one can be open to new experiences and ideas without compromising one’s own values and sense of self. Through her interactions with [but not limited to] her crewmates, T’Pol illustrates how one can grow as a person without succumbing to external social pressures about what a woman, or a Vulcan, is or how she should behave in any given social environment.”

Looking back at Star Trek: Enterprise , I see a lot of myself and my experiences in T’Pol and I admire how she learns from navigating complex interspecies relations and confronting adversity without compromising the integrity of her character. Though as a woman I particularly identify with some more gendered aspects of T’Pol’s character, people of all gender identities can relate to similar experiences of entering into a new context and having to negotiate various expectations with one’s own values and sense of self. T’Pol teaches that with patience and perseverance, we have the strength overcome what challenges may confront us so long as we maintain an open mind and our core values as we boldly go into the future.

Kaja Gjelde (she/her/hers) is a Sami-American writer and researcher with an MA in Indigenous Studies. Gjelde is a life-long Trekkie, feminist and linguaphile who lives a semi-nomadic lifestyle with her Norwegian Lundehund. Find her on Twitter @KGjelde.

Stay tuned to StarTrek.com for more details! And be sure to follow @StarTrek on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

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Star trek discovery: the vulcan katra explained.

In Star Trek Discovery's second episode, Sarek and Burnham are shown communicating across light years of space - but how is it they can do this?

[Warning - SPOILERS for Star Trek Discovery season 1, episode 2 ahead!]

Star Trek: Discovery premiered this past weekend, airing its first episode on CBS and following it with the second on the network's streaming service, CBS All-Access. The rest of Discovery 's first season will air exclusively on All-Access, a decision that has certainly caused a stir among fans but is also driving up the number of new subscriptions to All-Access . Accessibility aside, Star Trek Discovery  is giving audiences a lot to talk about , but there's one scene in particular which might have some viewers scratching their heads over what's happening.

The scene comes during  Discovery 's second episode, "Battle at the Binary Stars", while Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) is locked up in the brig on mutiny charges. With almost half the ship blown away from the Klingon attack, the only thing keeping her from dying in the vacuum of space is her cell's force-field. In this moment of utter despair, Burnham experiences a vision of sorts in where she's speaking with her Vulcan mentor, Sarek (James Frain). Only it isn't really a vision or hallucination, but a legitimate means of communication between her and Sarek, happening in real time and across lightyears of space. For some, this might seem a bit too convenient, with Burnham having Sarek's wisdom and guidance on a telepathic speed dial, but there's already a precedent in Star Trek for what she's experiencing.

The telepathic link between Sarek and Burnham is possible because of a piece of Sarek's "katra," his soul or mind essence, exists within Burnham's consciousness. This aspect of Sarek's katra entered Burnham's mind during the mind meld - a telepathic and intimate link between two minds, allowing the involved individuals to exchange thoughts - that the two shared when Sarek found Burnham as a child in the bombed Vulcan Learning Center. And while this iteration of a katra transference is a little different, it is by no means the first time it's happened on Star Trek .

Most notably, in the final minutes of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , Spock briefly mind melds with an unconscious Dr. McCoy and transfers to him his katra, knowing he would likely die in his attempt to save the Enterprise and her crew. Spock gave McCoy his katra in the hopes his experience and wisdom would live on even in death, but thanks to the unique circumstances of Spock's burial, his regenerated body and his katra were later able to be reused in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock . In the meantime, McCoy did exhibit some of Spock's mannerisms and would chime in with knowledge only Spock could know, demonstrating just how strongly the effect of holding a Vulcan katra is on a human mind.

This is by no means the only instance in where a Vulcan has transferred their katra to another - Spock previously did this during an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series , 'Return to Tomorrow', briefly sharing his katra with Nurse Chapel in order to more easily expel a being that had taken over his own body, and during episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise , Captain Archer hosted the katra of the most acclaimed Vulcan to have ever lived, Surak, a philosopher and founder of the modern Vulcan civilization.

In these instances, however, it was a full transference of a katra, not merely an aspect or piece of the katra remaining behind.  Star Trek Discovery doesn't make it clear whether or not Sarek intentionally left a piece of his katra within Burnham or if it was simply an after-effect of the mind meld, but being human, Burnham is prone to side-effects from hosting even a portion of Sarek's katra. In some instances of katra transference, non-Vulcans can develop multiple personality disorders or at the very least exhibit traits of the katra they host, as McCoy did while holding Spock's katra. With this in mind, it's just as likely that having a part of Sarek's katra within her mind played as large a role in Burnham developing such a Vulcan disposition as did her immersion in their culture.

Using the link created by Burnham holding a piece of Sarek's katra as a form of interstellar communication is a new detail introduced on Discovery , but as we've discussed, it isn't without some precedent. The katra is a mysterious element of Vulcan culture and physiology, originally considered quite controversial, it's only within recent history (as of Discovery 's place in the timeline , anyway) that its existence has become widely accepted. As such, there's arguably still much for viewers to learn about the katra and its affect on hosts, not to mention on those who either willingly or not dispatch a portion of their katra to another. Sarek mentions how taxing it is for him to stay linked with Burnham during their conversation, implying that doing so takes a toll on him physically as well as mentally.

This instance will almost certainly not be the last time Sarek and Burnham a will communicate in this manner, so do expect the Vulcan katra to get mentioned again. Not only does its inclusion allow Burnham to receive counsel from her mentor and father figure - something she will most certainly need in her upcoming assignment - but it's also an easy way to incorporate Sarek into the show's narrative while he's off on Vulcan or elsewhere. And as more flashbacks are also likely to play part in upcoming episodes, it wouldn't be all that surprising if Star Trek Discovery  were to provide further explanation as to why Burnham ended up with an aspect of Sarek's katra and to the extent it has altered her.

NEXT: Star Trek Discovery: The Series Premiere’s Best Easter Eggs

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Star Trek: The Next Generation Almost Wiped Out All Vulcans

Posted: March 8, 2024 | Last updated: March 9, 2024

star trek spock

Most Star Trek fans are familiar with The Next Generation episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise:” it featured the Enterprise-C traveling forward in time and changing history for the worse, leaving Captain Picard with the unenviable task of fixing the future by sending the earlier ship and crew back to the past where they would be killed. As wild as the plot was, however, an earlier version of the script had founder of Vulcan logic killed in the distant past, effectively destroying the Vulcan race as we know it.

<p>While he didn’t write the teleplay, Eric Stillwell co-developed the story that would become the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise.” He was a major fan of The Original Series and came up with a wild story involving Vulcans using the Guardian of Forever, a portal that allows explorers to travel through time and space. By accident, a Vulcan science team visiting the ancient past of their own planet ends up killing Surak, completely changing their planetary history.</p>

The Untimely Death of Surak

While he didn’t write the teleplay, Eric Stillwell co-developed the story that would become the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise.” He was a major fan of The Original Series and came up with a wild story involving Vulcans using the Guardian of Forever, a portal that allows explorers to travel through time and space. By accident, a Vulcan science team visiting the ancient past of their own planet ends up killing Surak, completely changing their planetary history.

<p>Depending on how much Star Trek you’ve watched, you probably have a few questions, including who the heck Surak is and why he’s so important to Vulcan history. In the early days of their development, Vulcans were not a logical race: instead, they were driven by emotions and were extremely violent in almost every possible way. Surak was a prominent leader who preached the benefits of forsaking violence and embracing logic, and this time period is later referred to as the “Time of Awakening.”</p>

Surak Made The Vulcans Who They Are

Depending on how much Star Trek you’ve watched, you probably have a few questions, including who the heck Surak is and why he’s so important to Vulcan history. In the early days of their development, Vulcans were not a logical race: instead, they were driven by emotions and were extremely violent in almost every possible way. Surak was a prominent leader who preached the benefits of forsaking violence and embracing logic, and this time period is later referred to as the “Time of Awakening.”

<p>That Star Trek episode (“Relics”) is deliberately vague on the details of synthehol, and that’s understandable–the last thing we’d want in the cool Scotty episode is a five-minute technobabble explainer. Still, Data’s words have haunted us for years because he seems to be saying that those who imbibe synthehol can shake off its inebriating effects at will. That’s obviously beneficial when the crew might be summoned to emergency stations at any time, but the science on how this could possibly work is even shaky by the standards of Star Trek.</p>

The Vulcans Are Now Romulans

In this earlier vision for the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” the plot was driven by a simple question: what would the Vulcans have been like without the Time of Awakening? Picard and crew quickly discover that in this altered reality, there is functionally no difference between the Vulcans and the Romulans (more on this in a bit). In fact, the Vulcans have created an aggressive empire that has taken on the entire galaxy and has dwindled the Federation down to a few sad remnants. 

Why would the famous Star Trek good guys the Vulcans be almost exactly like Romulans without the teachings of Surak? In the deep Star Trek lore, the Romulans are Vulcans…specifically, modern Romulans are descendants of Vulcans who hated Surak’s teachings and left the Vulcan planet shortly after Surak’s death. They ended up colonizing Romulus and Remus, the latter of which featured heavily in the plot of Star Trek: Nemesis.

<p>So, how does the “Yesterday’s Enterprise” story we never got to see end? Spock’s famous father Sarek had been on the ship to welcome the Vulcan science team back from their voyage into the past, and he ends up traveling into the past and replacing Surak. By taking the famous Vulcan’s place, Sarek is able to restore the timeline, and the fact that he has to abandon all of his friends, family, and duties in the future makes this a very noble sacrifice.</p>

Sarek Saves The Vulcan Race

So, how does the “Yesterday’s Enterprise” story we never got to see end? Spock’s famous father Sarek had been on the ship to welcome the Vulcan science team back from their voyage into the past, and he ends up traveling into the past and replacing Surak. By taking the famous Vulcan’s place, Sarek is able to restore the timeline, and the fact that he has to abandon all of his friends, family, and duties in the future makes this a very noble sacrifice.

<p>As you can tell, this Star Trek story idea had very little in common with the “Yesterday’s Enterprise” final broadcast episode, though this version did similarly bring Denise Crosby back to play Tasha Yar. However, we can’t get over how epic in scope this episode could have been, tying together elements of The Original Series and The Next Generation while sacrificing a famous character and nearly destroying two races (the Romulans would never come to be and the Vulcans as we know them would never come to exist).</p><p>Part of us wishes we could have experienced this episode that never was. The other part of us, however, has taken the message of the final episode to heart: wanting to change the past is dangerous, and it never works out the way you’d expect.</p>

Yesterday’s Enterprise

As you can tell, this Star Trek story idea had very little in common with the “Yesterday’s Enterprise” final broadcast episode, though this version did similarly bring Denise Crosby back to play Tasha Yar. However, we can’t get over how epic in scope this episode could have been, tying together elements of The Original Series and The Next Generation while sacrificing a famous character and nearly destroying two races (the Romulans would never come to be and the Vulcans as we know them would never come to exist).

Part of us wishes we could have experienced this episode that never was. The other part of us, however, has taken the message of the final episode to heart: wanting to change the past is dangerous, and it never works out the way you’d expect.

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Memory Alpha

  • View history

Soval was the Vulcan ambassador to Earth from the 2120s to the 2150s .

  • 1 Early career
  • 2 Diplomacy
  • 3 Alternate timelines
  • 4 Personality
  • 5 Memorable quotes
  • 6.1 Appearances
  • 6.2 Background information
  • 6.3 Apocrypha
  • 6.4 External links

Early career [ ]

In the 2050s , Soval was a member of an occupation force sent to take Paan Mokar from the Andorians . He served as a low ranking intelligence officer in the southeast quadrant.

The last time Soval fired a weapon prior to an incident on Weytahn in 2152 was sometime in the early 2100s . ( ENT : " Cease Fire ")

Young Jonathan Archer knew that Soval had a ship in the 2120s , while asking his father , Henry Archer , if his ship would be bigger than "Ambassador Pointy 's ship". ( ENT : " Broken Bow ")

By 2152, Soval had an impressive list of accomplishments in his service record. ( ENT : " Shockwave ")

Diplomacy [ ]

Prior to being assigned to Earth , Soval was part of negotiations regarding the last accord between the Vulcans and the Andorians prior to 2152 . During the work on the project, Shran gained a respect for him. ( ENT : " Kir'Shara ")

Soval lived on Earth since before 2124 , which was for more than thirty years as of 2154 . ( ENT : " Awakening ")

Soval was one of the greatest proponents of cautioning Earth's advancement into the galaxy . Jonathan Archer blamed Soval for holding back the warp five engine 's development so much that his father, Henry Archer, died before his design became a reality.

Starfleet and Vulcan personnel discuss Klaang

Soval discusses the future of the Klingon Klaang with Starfleet personnel

Soval considered Captain Gardner to be the most suitable choice to captain Enterprise . However, the job eventually went to Captain Archer, whom Soval found "impulsive." ( ENT : " Shadows of P'Jem ")

After Klingon courier Klaang crash landed on Earth in 2151 , Soval – along with two senior aides of his, T'Pol and Tos – recommended that Enterprise 's launch be postponed, due to possible diplomatic repercussions involving Klaang. At Starfleet Medical , Soval also recommended taking the Klingon off life support and returning his corpse to Qo'noS ; Admiral Maxwell Forrest ignored this recommendation, and decided this was a perfect opportunity to launch Enterprise . Soval offered the ship's crew use of the Vulcan database , under the condition that Enterprise take T'Pol along as a science officer . ( ENT : " Broken Bow ")

When the Vulcans monitored Enterprise docking with a v'tosh ka'tur vessel, the Vahklas , Soval was asked to pass on a message from a Vulcan High Command minister to Admiral Forrest, who passed it on to Captain Archer. The message was that Kov 's father was dying and wished to contact him. ( ENT : " Fusion ")

Six months later, Soval informed Admiral Forrest that – due to Captain Archer having interfered at P'Jem , which had led to it subsequently being destroyed by the Andorians – Earth and Vulcan 's joint fleet operations would be suspended. Soval was also recalled to Vulcan for consultation. ( ENT : " Shadows of P'Jem ")

In 2152, after Enterprise was incorrectly deemed responsible for destroying the Paraagan colony , Soval recommended that Earth cease its deep-space exploration efforts for the next decade or two. However, Starfleet Command ignored this recommendation, as well, when it was discovered that a third party had sabotaged and framed Enterprise for the colony's destruction. ( ENT : " Shockwave, Part II ")

Later that year, when fighting once again broke out on the disputed planet Paan Mokar between Vulcan and Andorian forces, Shran asked the Vulcans to send "Archer" to help in the peace talks, as he was someone they trusted. The Vulcan High Command had Soval (as ambassador to Earth) contact Starfleet and Captain Archer. Soval and Sub-Commander Muroc met with Enterprise to relay the message. Soval was not particularly pleased to have Archer there, and was suspicious of why an Andorian would ask for him. But after some negotiating with Archer, he agreed to go down to the planet with him to meet with Shran (citing " the ball is in our court now, " a Human phrase).

Soval and TPol on Weytahn

T'Pol and Soval on Weytahn

While attempting to land on Paan Mokar in a shuttle , the vehicle was shot down by renegade members of the Andorian forces, not working under Shran's orders. Although Soval suggested meeting up with the Vulcan forces, Archer insisted on heading towards Shran. Soon, they came under fire, and Soval was shot in the shoulder by an Andorian. T'Pol helped put his arm in a sling , and they sought cover. When Archer went to come up on the attackers from behind, he handed a phase-pistol to Soval and told him to give him cover. Soval, not having fired a weapon since the 2100s , was wary about it, but did so. Shortly after one of the Andorians firing on them was taken out, Soval and T'Pol were captured by the Andorian forces and taken to Shran, who had found Archer fighting with one of the renegade Andorians. Once the renegade Andorian, Tarah , was arrested, real peace talks began between Shran, Soval, T'Pol, Muroc and Archer, on Enterprise . Although they agreed that they didn't agree on much, they did settle that the talks would continue on Andoria . To celebrate, Shran insisted that they drink to it with Andorian ale . Although reluctant, Soval did not wish to offend Shran, and partook in the gesture. As T'Pol escorted the ambassador to the Vulcan ship, he pointed out to Captain Archer, regarding the situation, " Your presence here has not been... overly meddlesome. " ( ENT : " Cease Fire ")

In 2153 , Soval expressed skepticism regarding information Archer had gained from the Suliban about the Xindi and recommended against Enterprise undertaking a mission into the Delphic Expanse . He also tried to stop Sub-Commander T'Pol from joining the ship on its mission, once it became apparent that Captain Archer would not listen to him. ( ENT : " The Expanse ")

Upon Enterprise returning to Earth in 2154 , Soval was on a board that investigated Captain Archer's mission in the Delphic Expanse. Soval reprimanded him for several concerns regarding the Vulcan ship Seleya , which Enterprise had encountered in the Expanse. One of Soval's many complaints was the fact that despite spending several hours in the ship's auxiliary control room , Archer never attempted to access the internal sensors or download the computer database , so that the panel could truly know what had happened aboard the ship. However, Soval thanked Archer for saving their region of the galaxy from the Sphere-Builders , as information T'Pol reported showed their space would have eventually consumed many more worlds, including Vulcan. While thanking Archer, Soval shakes his hand, both of which are out of character for a Vulcan. ( ENT : " Home ")

Soval, 2154

Ambassador Soval in 2154

Later that year, Soval and Admiral Forrest were on Vulcan, discussing future relations between their two peoples. Soval was nearly killed when the United Earth Embassy on Vulcan was bombed ; only Admiral Forrest taking action quickly saved Soval's life, at the cost of the admiral's own. Suspicious of the High Command claiming Syrrannite involvement in the bombing, Soval encouraged Captain Archer to pursue their own investigation and gave the captain his full support. Soval actively assisted Captain Archer and T'Pol in their mission to the Forge by providing them with information on the blind spots in the Vulcan Security Network so they transport in unnoticed. Soval later disclosed his ability as a mind melder when he melded with a comatose embassy guard , Corporal Askwith , in order to find out the identity of the bomber, later revealed to be Stel – the chief investigator of the Security Directorate . ( ENT : " The Forge "). The meld, considered deviant in Vulcan society, prompted the High Command to strip Soval of his position as ambassador to Earth. ( ENT : " Awakening ")

After being dismissed from that role, he actively assisted Commander Tucker, who was commanding Enterprise in Captain Archer's absence, to uncover events that were unfolding and also manned the science station on the bridge of Enterprise NX-01 during the absence of T'Pol. ( ENT : " Awakening ", " Kir'Shara ")

Soval then informed Commander Tucker of a plot, orchestrated by High Command Administrator V'Las , to use the Syrrannite crisis as a cover for a planned invasion of Andoria , despite a peace treaty signed two years previously. Since such an action could have led to interstellar conflict, Soval decided to warn the Andorians of the impending invasion. A skeptical Commander Shran, unable to believe that the distinguished ambassador would so easily betray his own government, kidnapped Soval from Enterprise and subjected him to mental torture that lowered his emotional threshold in order to confirm his story. Soval's insistence and a few warning shots from Enterprise persuaded Shran to return Soval and advise the Andorian Imperial Guard of Vulcan movements based on Soval's data. ( ENT : " Awakening ")

With the element of surprise gone, the Vulcan invasion force met stiff resistance from the Andorians and Enterprise , giving enough time for the Kir'Shara to reach the Vulcan capital from Vulcan's Forge . Upon the activation of the Kir'Shara's writings, Administrator V'Las was relieved of his post and the invasion stopped by Minister Kuvak . Soval later informed Captain Archer of the dissolution of the High Command and the less stringent policy to be adopted towards Earth. ( ENT : " Kir'Shara ")

Following T'Pau 's ascension to administrator, Soval was reinstated as the Vulcan Ambassador to Earth. He was one of several Vulcan ambassadors who represented their people at an historic conference to discuss the formation of a " Coalition of Planets ". He was the first ambassador to give a standing ovation to a speech delivered by Captain Archer and Nathan Samuels . ( ENT : " Terra Prime ")

Despite his attempts to constrain Starfleet's warp development, Soval later admitted that he had gained a respect for Earth and its people during his years on the planet. When Tucker sarcastically remarked that he'd done a very good job at hiding it, Soval took that as a compliment. ( ENT : " Awakening ")

Alternate timelines [ ]

Soval, alt 2155

Ambassador Soval in an alternate 2155

In 2155 of an alternate timeline in which Earth was destroyed, Soval tried to persuade T'Pol to return to Vulcan with him. She refused, staying loyal to her crewmates. ( ENT : " Twilight ")

Personality [ ]

As an Ambassador and diplomat, Soval is often straightforward in his approach, holding nothing back. Even when negotiating with the Andorians , Soval was always honest with them, something earned him the trust and respect of Shran who hated Vulcans. ( ENT : " Kir'Shara ")

Soval was deeply opposed to Human expansion, feeling that they were not ready to the point that Captain Jonathan Archer blamed Soval for holding back Humanity. After the Broken Bow Incident , when Admiral Maxwell Forrest agreed to send the Enterprise NX-01 to bring Klaang home instead of taking him off of life-support, Soval actually became visibly angry, raising his voice at the Humans. As a result, Archer accused Soval of spending too much time around Humans, visibly offending him. He later agreed to give the Humans the Vulcan database in exchange for Sub-commander T'Pol being assigned as the Enterprise's science officer. ( ENT : " Broken Bow ") After the Xindi incident , Soval admitted that he had been wrong and in an uncommon gesture for a Vulcan, both thanked Archer and shook hands with him. ( ENT : " Home ") Soval later explains to Admiral Forrest that a great deal of the reason the Vulcans are unsure of what to do with Humans is due to the confusing abundance of traits present in the race. Forest realizes and Soval confirms that Vulcans are actually afraid of Humans as they remind the Vulcans too much of themselves. ( ENT : " The Forge ")

Despite his outwardly traditionalist mentality , Soval is revealed to have something of a rebellious side of his own as seen with his being an accomplished mind melder , something that was seen as deviant behavior on Vulcan at the time. While slipping classified information to Enterprise , he simply stated that all he saw was a Starfleet data module, adopting a Human-like deception. After being brought before the Vulcan High Command for his actions, Soval was openly confrontational with them. ( ENT : " The Forge ", " Awakening ")

After the bombing of the United Earth Embassy and the death of Admiral Forrest saving Soval's life, he became more cooperative with the Humans, giving his full support to Archer's investigation and pointing out the flaws in the supposed truth behind the bombing. Soval provided Enterprise with classified information and used his mind melding abilities to help get to the truth, sacrificing his career in the process. When Commander Charles Tucker III questions Soval's motives, pointing out that he has never seemed to care much about Humans, Soval admits that he had actually developed an affinity for Earth and its people during his over thirty years of living on the planet. A surprised Trip comments that Soval did a pretty good job of hiding it which he takes as a compliment. Soval later warned the Andorians of the High Command's planned invasion of their homeworld in an effort to save both them and the Vulcans from the destruction it would cause to both species. ( ENT : " The Forge ", " Awakening ", " Kir'Shara ") During the Coalition of Planets summit, Soval led the delegates in applauding Archer's speech. ( ENT : " Demons ")

When Shran put Soval into a device that lowered his emotional threshold, Soval displayed a great deal of anger to the point that he lashed out at Shran's unwillingness to listen to the truth and to believe him despite their history and the fact that Soval was actually telling him the truth. Soval started to find the situation amusing, something that he admitted normally wouldn't happen if not for the device. After Shran was forced to return Soval, he expressed concern for his safety as well as remorse for his actions and admiration for Soval, stating that a lesser man would've just told Shran what he wanted to hear rather than withstand the torture as Soval did. ( ENT : " Kir'Shara ")

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Listen to me, you're making a mistake !" " When your logic doesn't work, you raise your voice? You've been on Earth too long. "

" They've been in space for six months and they've already destabilized an entire sector. "

" What is their fixation with our ears? " " I believe they're envious. "

" Join me in a drink to celebrate our mutual dissatisfaction. " " Vulcans don't drink... but this occasion merits an exception. "

" Captain, your presence here has not been... overly meddlesome. "

" Our Science Directorate has determined that time travel is impossible. "

" Ambassador... I want to apologize for what I said to you the other day. I was out of line. " " Yes, you were. " " I'm glad we can finally agree on something. "

" Captain... your actions, while being morally questionable, were necessary. I opposed your appointment as captain of Enterprise , but it's obvious now that I was wrong. T'Pol has told me that the Expanse would have someday encompassed hundreds of systems, including Vulcan. You've done a great service for both our worlds. Thank you. "

" We don't know what to do about Humans. Of all the species we've made contact with, yours is the only one we can't define. You have the arrogance of Andorians , the stubborn pride of Tellarites . One moment you're as driven by your emotions as Klingons , and the next you confound us by suddenly embracing logic ! " " I'm sure those qualities are found in every species. " " Not in such confusing abundance. "

" Ambassador... are Vulcans afraid of Humans? "

" Why? " " Because, there is one species you remind us of. " " Vulcans. "

" There are those on the High Command who wonder what Humans would achieve in the century to come, and they don't like the answer. " " We're not the Klingons. We only want to be your partners, to do what the nations of Earth have learned to do: to work together in common cause. "

" Your accomplishments have been noteworthy. " " They don't justify deception... " " Deception has never been a stranger to this room. "

" There's a great deal that needs to be said, Excellency, but no one's willing to listen. "

" Mind if I ask you something? Why are you doing this? I never got the impression that you cared that much about Humans. Seems like... you were always finding something new to complain about. " " I lived on Earth for more than 30 years, Commander. In that time I developed an affinity for your world and its people. " " You did a pretty good job of hiding it. " " Thank you. "

" How many warning shots do Vulcans usually fire? " " None. "

" I'LL TEAR THE ANTENNAE FROM YOUR SKULL!! "

" Open a channel. " " To who? " " The nebula. "

" Where is your fleet?! " " Do you know the story of Nirak? " " What? " " He was a soldier who lived a long time ago. He was standing watch over the gates of the city of Gol and he saw a cloud on the horizon moving toward him. He thought it was a sandstorm, so he told no one. It was an army. They destroyed the city, but they let Nirak live. His name now means "fool" in our language, just as yours will in Andorian! "

" How do you feel, Captain? " " Like a giant weight's been lifted. "

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

  • " Broken Bow " ( Season 1 )
  • " Shadows of P'Jem "
  • " Shockwave, Part II " ( Season 2 )
  • " Cease Fire "
  • " The Expanse "
  • " Twilight " ( Season 3 )
  • " Home " ( Season 4 )
  • " The Forge "
  • " Awakening "
  • " Kir'Shara "
  • " Terra Prime "

Background information [ ]

Soval was portrayed by the late Gary Graham , who had previously played Tanis in Star Trek: Voyager episode " Cold Fire ".

While Rick Berman and Brannon Braga were developing Star Trek: Enterprise pilot episode " Broken Bow ", they had no idea that Soval would become a long-term recurring character. ("Broken Bow" audio commentary , ENT Season 1 DVD / Blu-ray ) Consequently, in a character breakdown sheet that Paramount sent to various talent agents upon casting "Broken Bow", Ambassador Soval was said to be a non-recurring role. The character was, in the same document, further detailed thus; " Vulcan male. Late 60s. A wise and arrogant diplomat who has very little patience with Captain Archer. " [1]

Along with Shran , Daniels and Porthos , Soval is one of only four characters, outside of the main cast, to appear in all four seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise .

The wig worn by Gary Graham throughout his appearances was subsequently sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay. [2]

In 2014 , it was announced Graham would reprise the role of Soval in the fan-made production Star Trek: Axanar . [3]

Soval's likeness was used as a digital model for concept artwork, when Sanja Hays was designing Vulcan clothes for Star Trek Beyond . [4]

Apocrypha [ ]

Soval features in Christopher L. Bennett 's Rise of the Federation novel series as the Federation Commissioner of Foreign Affairs and accompanies the USS Essex under the command of Captain Bryce Shumar on a diplomatic mission to the Saurian homeworld.

External links [ ]

  • Soval at StarTrek.com
  • Soval at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
  • Soval at Wikipedia
  • 2 Tellarite

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    In the deep Star Trek lore, the Romulans are Vulcans…specifically, modern Romulans are descendants of Vulcans who hated Surak's teachings and left the Vulcan planet shortly after Surak's death.

  24. Soval

    Soval was the Vulcan ambassador to Earth from the 2120s to the 2150s. In the 2050s, Soval was a member of an occupation force sent to take Paan Mokar from the Andorians. He served as a low ranking intelligence officer in the southeast quadrant. The last time Soval fired a weapon prior to an incident on Weytahn in 2152 was sometime in the early 2100s. (ENT: "Cease Fire") Young Jonathan Archer ...