Released: 9 June 1989
Synopsis: On the Planet of Galactic Peace, Nimbus III in the Neutral Zone, the crew of the Enterprise encounter Mr. Spock’s half-brother, Sybok, who thinks that he has received a message from God, and that God is waiting for him in Eden.
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier was released late into the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, which is why it is addressed now in this blog.
From the perspective of depth psychology, here defined as being any psychology that deals with the unconscious, there is a scene at the very beginning of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier which describes the concept of the transcendent function, as envisioned by Carl (C. G.) Jung. In the scene we see a lone man in the desert who looks up to see a hooded figure riding toward him on a unicorn – a mythological beast associated with purity. The hooded male figure, who we later learn is Sybok, Mr. Spock’s long-lost half-brother, dismounts from the unicorn and speaks to the other man:
Your pain runs deep. Let us explore it . . . together. Each man hides a secret pain. It must be exposed and reckoned with. It must be dragged from the darkness and forced into the light. Share your pain. Share you pain with me and gain strength from the sharing. (Shatner, 1989)
This is also an accurate description of the way analytical psychology, Jung’s branch of depth psychology, heals through the process of analysis. The pain referred to in depth psychology often comes from the way the conscious ego reacts to material from an individual’s unconscious, through the means of a complex. In this regard, a complex should not be considered a negative thing, we all have complexes; it should instead be seen as an opportunity to learn more about ourselves, and in acknowledging the unconscious material and integrating it into the conscious ego, the person’s psyche becomes more whole. This is the goal of depth psychology, to create a more whole, balanced psyche.
Reference:
Shatner, W. (Director). 1989. Star trek v: The final frontier. Paramount Pictures.
Original post created 14 July 2021
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