Synopsis: The crew of the Enterprise are confronted by an army of individualized Borgs led by Lt. Commander Data’s brother, Lore.
This episode illustrates two possible effects upon the Logos-driven conscious rational ego when it comes in contact with bits of Eros-driven irrational material from the unconscious: inflation and deflation. Both are necessary to what depth psychologist Carl (C. G.) Jung called individuation, the ongoing process by which a psyche becomes more whole. But there is a danger to psychic health when either of these parts of the process is taken to extremes.
In “Descent, Part II” Lore embodies the concept of ego inflation, he has identified too closely with the godlike power of archetypal material and sees himself as the salvation for a people. Lore states that it was left to him to clean up the mess that occurred when the crew of the Enterprise returned Hugh to the Borg collective, and how he came to them to lead them to greatness. Lore calls the Borg his followers and he tells Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Counselor Deanna Troi and Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge: “They had lost their sense of purpose. Well, I gave them their purpose and they gave me mine” (Echevarria & Singer, 1993). Lt. Commander Data at this point in the story also shares in the ego inflation and continues Lore’s sentiment about his mission by stating: “The Borg aspire to the perfection my brother and I represent – fully artificial lifeforms. We are their future” (Echevarria & Singer, 1993).
For Data, there is a reversal, or what Jung would call an enantiodromia, to this god-like association. When Data realizes what he has done to La Forge when under the control of Lore, he is demoralized, and deflated. And while this is another integral part of the individuation process, our psyches are in danger if they spend too much time identifying with this aspect as well. In my last blog I wrote that Data embodies the rational ego and the Starfleet mindset, which is reflective of the one that our culture finds itself in now; one that privileges emotions deemed good over those it perceives as evil. Data, reflecting the morals of Starfleet, is in conflict with causing others pain. With this in mind Data is remorseful when he tells La Forge: “Emotions are responsible for what I did to you. I would never risk letting that happen again. My friendship with you is too important to me.” However, La Forge also reflects the moral compass of Starfleet when he responds: “Data, I wouldn’t be very much of a friend if I let you give up on a lifelong dream, now would I? Maybe someday. . . when you’re ready” (Echevarria & Singer, 1993).
However, in “Descent, Part II” it is Lore, who was arguably psychically able to hold both emotion and logic, who was held hostage to ego inflation, and not allowed for it to take its natural course towards balance. It is no accident that the only emotions that Lore displayed were negative, as these are the ones the rational ego, embodied by the officers of Starfleet, actively tries to repress in its quest for its perfection. Yet this is at odds with the natural soma of integrating the opposite attributes held within our psyche, which seeks acknowledgment and balance of all parts of itself. This blind spot of the rational ego is reflected over and over again in the stories in the Star Trek series. However, I will note that there seems to be a bit of a change of perception in the newer Star Trek series, Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard. It will be interesting to see if these two series, as well as others in the works, will continue to reframe the parameters of Starfleet.
Reference:
Echevarria, R. (Writer), & Singer A. (Director). (1993, September 18). Descent, part II (Season 7, Episode 1) [TV series episode]. In M. Piller, R. Berman, & J. Taylor (Executive Producers), Star trek: The next generation. Paramount Television.
mydailysoultrek 