Synopsis: In their mission to investigate the destruction of the Malurian civilization, the crew of the Enterprise encounters an old Earth space probe, Nomad.
The title “The Changeling” refers to the tale of the fairy baby that changes places with a human one. And I suppose there is a way in which this episode can be seen as a story about a “child” of technology being replaced for one created by humans – as Captain James T. Kirk alludes to when he refers to Nomad as a changeling; but the episode “The Changeling” can also be seen as an elucidation of what happens to us when our conscious ego is broken down and the unconscious is allowed in to heal it. Sometimes there is an overcorrection, which C. G. Jung calls inflation.
The breaking down of the consciousness that allows unconscious healing, is a step in the process of the union of opposites, or the transcendent function. When Nomad was severely damaged in a collision, that caused it to venture out in the darkness of space and find “The Other.” In this case, “The Other” appeared in the form of the fellow probe, Tan Ru. The merging of Nomad and Tan Ru was an act of each individual healing the other, and in the process together becoming a more whole unit.
The unfortunate occurrence, at least for the crew of the Enterprise and any imperfect biological units that the combined Nomad came across, is that what happened when their individual missions were merged. Nomad’s initial mission was to seek out new life forms and Tan Ru’s was to seek and sterilize soil samples. However combined, the new mission, to seek out life and destroy that which is not perfect, is one that is incompatible with human life. Also, this incorporating of the other took place in the mind of a computer, a “perfect thinking machine,” with no connection to the body, or even to the ground, as Nomad is shown always hovering above the decks of the Enterprise. This lack of connection to emotions, or Eros, also is the cause for the demise of Nomad. As when Kirk points out that Nomad made a mistake in thinking that he was its creator, therefore Nomad is flawed and now need to destroy itself. Nomad only has access to logical Logos thinking, no insight of Eros, so Nomad self-destructs.
In depth psychological terms, Nomad’s new mission – which did give it the power of life and death, much like the gods, is a symptom of inflation. Much as human beings are in trouble when they identify with the gods too closely, instead of acknowledging their presence in a situation and asking what is needed to honor them. And while this inflation is a part of the ongoing enantiodromia that is the transcendent function, if inflation is sustained, the psyche is out of balance – which can be injurious to all involved. One way to avoid this overidentification with the gods and goddesses is to understand that they are mirrors of the human condition, movements of consciousness, personifications of deep psychological instincts, as I mentioned in my last post – but not role models to emulate. Or in the terms of this episode, they teach us that a little perfection goes a long way.
Original post created 8 February 2021
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