Synopsis: The Enterprise is tasked with removing a colony of Native Americans from a planet where at the same time Wesley Crusher is finding his destiny.
This episode is an illustration of at least a couple themes from depth psychology. First there is the acorn theory from Archetypal Psychologist James Hillman, and the second is Analytical Psychologist Carl (C. G.) Jung’s concept that the unconscious of one’s psyche contains the product of the actions of one’s ancestors. These ideas may seem contrary on the surface, but in fact they are related through the idea of destiny.
In “Journey’s End” Starfleet Academy Cadet Wesley Crusher returns to the Enterprise a changed young man. Where once he was enthusiastic about learning all there is about the vessel’s systems and engines, now he is sullen and seems to not have any interest in anything. That is until he meets Lakanta, one of the Native American colonists that came aboard the ship for a reception, who invites Crusher to come down to the planet Dorvan V, where his questions will be answered. Crusher beams down and goes on a vision quest, where he sees an image of his dead father who tells him: “You set out on a journey that wasn’t your own. Now it’s time to find a path that is truly yours. Don’t follow me any further.” Wesley responds: “I don’t understand.” To which his father says: “Yes, you do. It’s just hard to accept” (Moore & Allen, 1994).
The idea of following your destiny is central to what Hillman calls the acorn theory, which is the central theme to his bestselling book The Soul’s Code: In Search of Character and Calling (1996). Basically, the premise is that we are all born with an inner daimon, a destiny that is so embedded in our psyche that it even chooses the parents to whom we are born, in order for us to find our own place in the world, if we so choose. Certainly, Crusher’s father does seem to be the type of parent that starts him in the correct direction, but then understands that in time Crusher must go out on a different path. The idea of fate and destiny is further amplified when we find out that Lakanta is in fact the Traveler that came aboard the Enterprise years earlier and at that time already was able to perceive a different future for Crusher than he was ready to accept at that point.
Destiny also seems to haunt Captain Jean-Luc Picard in this episode. Picard does not agree with his orders to remove the colonists from this planet, yet he will follow them. When he goes down to Dorvan V to speak to that planet’s council, Anthwara tells Picard that there was a reason he was chosen for this assignment, that: “To us, nothing that happens is truly random.” As it turns out, one of Picard’s ancestors, Javier Maribona Picard, removed the tribe from their land 700 years ago, and killed many of them. Anthwara tells Picard: “That is why you have come to us. To erase a stain of blood worn by your family for twenty-three generations” (Moore & Allen, 1994).
Picard discusses this exchange in a conversation with Commander William Riker:
Picard: “Anthwara believes that I am responsible for the crimes of one of my ancestors against his people.”
Riker: “Do you believe that?”
Picard: “No, of course not. I respect his belief but I do not see how it can have any bearing on this mission. But even so, I can’t help wondering . . . if a dark chapter in my family’s history is about to be repeated. If those people take up arms against us, then I cannot foresee the consequences.” (Moore & Allen, 1994)
This idea, that through the collective unconscious we feel the wounds of our ancestors and are also responsible for their actions comes out of Jung’s Red Book and is discussed in detail by Hillman and the historical scholar of depth psychology, Sonu Shamdasani in their book Lament of the Dead (2013).Hillman and Shamdasani opine that Jung was trying to come to terms with bits of material from the unconscious that had been repressed by monotheistic religion in Western culture, and how to incorporate them into our conscious egos through the process of individuation, the integrating of bits of unconscious material into the conscious ego, in order to make it stronger and the psyche more whole.
Reference:
Moore, R. D. (Writer), & Allen, C. (Director). (1994, March 26). Journey’s end (Season 7, Episode 20) [TV series episode]. In M. Piller, R. Berman, & J. Taylor (Executive Producers), Star trek: The next generation. Paramount Television.
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