Synopsis: Two aliens from a remote solar system try to warn the crew of the Enterprise about the damage that is caused to space by Starfleet’s use of warp engines.
This episode is a physical manifestation of what happens when a bit of material from one’s Eros-driven irrational unconscious becomes perceivable to the Logos-driven rational conscious ego.
In “Force of Nature” in order to get the attention of Starfleet, a brother and sister from the nearby planet, Dr. Serova and Dr. Rabal, set mines in a transportation corridor. They do this to make the starships that pass through their part of space stop and listen to their pleas to stop damaging it. This can be analogized to how the unconscious sends bits of material through a complex to alert the ego that it is doing damage to the psyche.
In the episode, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew learn that the very engines that propel the Enterprise and make space exploration possible are also harming it. As Picard states when he realized what his actions meant: “I was damaging the thing that I hold most dear” (Shankar & Lederman, 1993). This is what happens when the conscious ego suppresses unconscious material in order to carry out what it considers the important rational things it does. But by doing this, the conscious ego can be blindsided by its own tunnel vision, as the Enterprise and the other Starfleet vessels were, when they entered the Hekaras Corridor. But by acknowledging bits of unconscious material and incorporating them into the conscious ego, the psyche gets stronger – although sometimes it is not easy. Hopefully, in the future, having the knowledge that the force that propels the Enterprise through space is also destructive, Starfleet will be able to come up with a new way to move forward. Just as here on Earth, in the present day, hopefully we will be able to come up with a way to find energy that is not as destructive to the planet.
Reference:
Shankar, N. (Writer), & Lederman, R. (Director). (1993, November 13). Force of nature (Season 7, Episode 9) [TV series episode]. In M. Piller, R. Berman, & J. Taylor (Executive Producers), Star trek: The next generation. Paramount Television.
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