Star Trek : A Psychoanalysis

Sound Bite

Why does "Star Trek" have such a colossal appeal? The series was the first sci-fi show to treat the adventure of space exploration as a serious matter, going far beyond the earlier kids' shows. Like the best sci-fi novels, "Star Trek" brought together dramatic action, exciting predictions of breakthroughs in science and technology, and social concerns as well.

About the Book

Star Trek has much to say about the human condition, and reading this book renews and deepens our appreciation for the subtle aspects of each episode. What makes for an ideal society? When is war justified? How do we view diversity, tolerance, forgiveness? What is the proper role of our ever-more-complex technology? How will we deal with artificial life and intelligence?

These are all profound questions. Going through each richly nuanced episode of the original series, the author includes discussion about the social, political, and religious messages in addition to the psychological factors at play. He also looks at literary devices, teleplay act structure, writing techniques, scene analysis and societal trends, with allusions to literature and some physics, while commenting on social concerns as well as what children need to grow up healthy and happy.

Star Trek has always been about more than space exploration. The series was groundbreaking in how it tackled issues that were often ignored in other forms of science fiction, from the intricacies of human relationships to the challenges of societal evolution. Picard begins by analyzing why Star Trek became the first science fiction series to take the adventure of space seriously, going beyond its predecessors and presenting space as a final frontier rich in meaning. The author describes how the series combined elements of dramatic action, scientific breakthroughs, and reflections on social justice, making it an intellectual exploration as well as a thrilling adventure.

Star Trek asks the fundamental questions that every society grapples with. The author highlights the series’ ability to comment on the human condition. What is the nature of an ideal society? When is war justified? How should we deal with diversity and the acceptance of others? Such questions, embedded within the framework of a science fiction series, make Star Trek both timeless and endlessly relevant.

Picard's analysis looks at the social, political, and religious messages. More than story-telling, Picard unravels the deeper social, political, and religious undertones present in Star Trek episodes, dissecting the messages the show conveys through its various narratives. With an emphasis on how Star Trek approached themes of tolerance, diversity, and unity, Picard emphasizes the show’s progressive stance on topics like equality and its challenges to the social norms of the 1960s.
From Captain Kirk’s leadership style to Spock’s internal struggles with logic and emotion, what sets this book apart is its psychoanalytic insights. Picard provides a detailed analysis of how these characters represent different aspects of the human psyche.

"Star Trek's" best adventures have rich meanings on multiple levels simultaneously. They provide food for thought from the psychoanalytic, societal, interpersonal, and spiritual domains all at the same time. Stories that touch viewers on these interweaving planes are deeply satisfying.

Introduction

CHAPTER 1: LIVE LONG AND PROSPER

"Live long and prosper." Mr. Spock spoke these words for the first time in Star Trek's second season opener "Amok Time." The blessing was ironic. Spock faced prosecution for Kirk's murder; the salutation drove home how profoundly his life had just changed. Live long and prosper? Spock tells Vulcan matriarch T'Pau, "I shall do neither. I've killed my captain ; and my friend."

Those four words were prophetic. Over fifty years since it debuted in 1966, Star Trek thrives. So far, there are thirteen movies in the Trek library. "Discovery" is the sixth series spin-off. Star Trek print literature abounds. Recent years have seen a spate of fan-funded web series, the stand-out being Star Trek Continues.

Why has Star Trek flourished? The question brings to mind a scene from the first-season episode, "The Menagerie, Part One."

Spock pleads guilty to mutiny; he kidnapped his now-disabled former captain Christopher Pike and intended to transport him to Talos IV, a violation of Starfleet General Order VII punishable by death. During the proceedings, Commodore Mendez asks Mr. Spock, "Why? What does it accomplish to go there? I want to know why?"

Mendez objects when Spock responds by engaging the viewscreen, but Captain Kirk intervenes, "By asking why, you've opened the door to any evidence he may wish to present." The answer to Mendez' one-word question is the subject of the rest of that episode and "The Menagerie, Part Two." An achievement like Star Trek begs the same question. Why? What accounts for its success? This book is my answer. I draw on all my lifelong learning in these pages, most heavily from my training in psychoanalysis.

Psychoanalysis is a body of ideas regarding how people develop emotionally and mentally over time, from birth to adulthood. Central to the field is the notion that some thoughts, feelings, and memories originating from our early life are unconscious. That is, we are not directly aware of this stuff and its influence even when we are wide awake. Sigmund Freud did not originate the concept of an unconscious mind, but he did write voluminously about why it exists and how it behaves. Freud deserves credit for making "unconscious" a household word. As a way to help people, psychoanalysis strives to bring hidden issues out into the open. The idea is to understand what forces might be operating outside our awareness. Once we are consciously aware of a problem, we can bring our resources to bear on a solution.

The psychoanalytic reason for Star Trek's appeal is that it metaphorically depicts conflicts originating in childhood that persist into our adult years deep in the psyche. Television invites viewers to re-experience these past dilemmas at a safe distance. Vicariously, the audience faces dire threats without ever leaving the security of their living rooms. When the SS Enterprise defeats its adversary, fans feel triumphant over the emotional struggle that the episode depicts. In effect, the drama cleanses and rejuvenates. The ancient Greeks called this emotional purging and renewal "catharsis."

The original Star Trek series stands out among television shows because as a body of work it portrays issues from all stages of psychological growth. In essence, Star Trek is a complete theory of the human mind. Once in syndication, many people watched the reruns several times over. Viewers not only enjoyed that day's offering but also appreciated the story in the context of Trek's entire catalog. The series as a whole embraces people in their totality.

This book takes an in-depth look at Star Trek episodes from a psychoanalytic point of view. Chapters 2 and 3 describe the psychology of newborn infants; the next nine chapters follow growth chronologically through adolescence. The final section discusses the Star Trek movies with the original cast, which move in some new directions.

I use a matter-of-fact style in how I present the analytic ideas. However, I am aware that the concepts are debatable and cannot be proven in a rigorous scientific sense. Indeed, I have strong confidence in some assertions, less in others. I have chosen not to qualify each topic with my own level of doubt or uncertainty, as it would make the prose unbearable. My hope is that readers will just take it all in until the end, then think back on questionable ideas in the context of the entire book. Be prepared to feel some discomfort; it is disconcerting to learn that one may be responding to forces beyond one's immediate awareness. The reward is that we can then avoid reacting automatically and discover our true selves.

For many reasons, "The Apple" is an apt place to begin the analysis. The episode uses metaphor and other methods to portray a universal human struggle: gaining independence from our parents.