Synopsis: The Enterprise crew comes across a group of non-corporeal aliens.
This episode can be seen as an illustration of how the Logos-driven rational conscious ego can acknowledge and integrate bits of material from the Eros-driven irrational unconscious into itself.
In “The Crossing” an enormous alien vessel engulfs Enterprise into itself. Once inside it, Captain Jonathan Archer, Commander Charles (Trip) Tucker, and Lt. Malcolm Reed take a shuttle pod to the deck of the cavernous vessel and see cloud-like alien beings that do not register as life forms on their scanners. One of the aliens enters Tucker’s body briefly. When it leaves, Tucker tells Archer he feels like he had an out of body experience. After the three return to Enterprise, an alien again enters Tucker’s body and tells Archer that they mean no harm and are offering everyone on the crew a chance to experience what Tucker has. Archer considers this a hostile act, but Sub-Commander T’Pol tells him that we cannot know that the aliens’ actions are aggressive or not. However, more and more aliens come aboard and enter an increasing number of crew members. Those that have not been entered seek sanctuary in the catwalk of the nacelle, which has additional shielding which prevents the cloud-like aliens from moving through it. T’Pol has an idea that as a Vulcan, she may be able to connect with an alien long enough to learn what their intent is, without being taken over by it. She is successful and learns that the aliens are indeed plotting to take over Enterprise, as the enormous ship they came from is deteriorating. A plan is then made to knock unconscious the crew members being controlled by the aliens, long enough so that the aliens will be forced to leave. It works, and control of the crew’s bodies are restored to them.
In this episode, the Enterprise crew can be seen to embody the rational conscious ego and the non-corporeal aliens can be compared to the irrational unconscious. When T’Pol allows an alien to reach into her mind but not take over her body, so she can learn their true intentions and save the ship, this can be compared to when the conscious ego acknowledges bits of unconscious material and integrates them into itself to become stronger and make the psyche more whole.
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