Synopsis: Commander Burham receives a message from Cleveland Booker and decides to disobey orders and rescue him.
This episode can also be seen as an illustration of what Carl (C. G.) Jung called a complex.
In “Scavengers,” after the Discovery and her crew have gained the probationary respect of Admiral Charles Vance, Commander and Chief of Starfleet, the ship belonging to Cleveland (Book) Booker travels to Discovery with an automated message. Commander Michael Burnham tells Captain Saru that they have to go and rescue him, but Saru tells her that Discovery has been ordered to remain where she is and be ready for immediate deployment to Argeth. But Burnham enlists the aid of Phillipa Georgiou, and the two of them take a shuttlecraft to Hunhau to rescue Book. They are successful, but when they return Burnham must face the consequences of her insubordination.
In this episode, when Burnham receives the message from Book, this activates a complex within her. Jung called complexes feeling toned, because you know when you are in the grips of one because you cannot help but to give into it. This is evidenced here, when going to rescue Book conflicted with her orders, but Burnham felt compelled to do so anyway. However, Jung did not perceive complexes as negative, he saw them as opportunities to gain self-knowledge. Here, Burnham by giving into her complex did learn more about herself, even if that led to more immediate confusion. But this is how it can feel when the conscious ego begins to acknowledge and integrate bits of unconscious material into itself, which will eventually lead to the ego becoming stronger and the psyche more whole.
mydailysoultrek 