Synopsis: Voyager’s crew comes across a simulation of Starfleet Headquarters created by Species 8472.
This episode can be seen as an illustration of one way the Logos-driven rational conscious ego acknowledges and integrates bits of material from the Eros-driven irrational unconscious.
In “In the Flesh” Voyager’s crew happens upon a perfect simulation of Starfleet Headquarters. They do not know how or why or by whom it was created until one of its inhabitants accidentally comes aboard the Delta Flyer and kills himself. During an autopsy, The Doctor discovers that the human-looking Ensign David Gentry was really a member of Species 8472 altered to look human. Once this is discovered Captain Kathryn Janeway invites leaders of the simulation onto Voyager, to try to adduce why it was created. Their leader tells them that their intent is to infiltrate Starfleet, which they see as a threat since they aligned with the Borg and traveled to their native fluidic space. Janeway, once she listens to their concerns is able to negotiate a truce.
In this episode Starfleet and Janeway can be seen as embodying the conscious ego, while the members of Species 8472 can be seen as representing the unconscious. The conscious ego has no way of knowing what is happening in the unconscious or why it operates in the way it does until bits of material come into its awareness. Here, the bit of material that came into awareness can be seen as being the body of the individual made to look human who was really a member of Species 8472. After this information came to light Janeway listened to the group of Species 8472 members to try to understand what they needed, wanted, and what motivated their actions. Once this was established, Janeway negotiated the truce. This can be analogized to when the conscious ego acknowledges and integrates bits of unconscious material into itself to become stronger, making the psyche more whole in the process.
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