Synopsis: In an effort to telepathically communicate with Vice Admiral Janeway, Dal R’El switches bodies with her.
This episode can be seen as illustrations of James Hillman’s acorn theory, that just as an acorn has everything inside it to become an oak tree, we all have inner daimons inside us to become who we were meant to be.
In “Mindwalk,” the crew of the U.S.S. Protostar is still unable to answer the hails from the U.S.S. Dauntless for fear of activating the Living Construct Weapon. Hologram Janeway shuts herself off because she fears that the Living Construct will try to use her again. Fugitive Zero believes that he can help Dal R’El use his recessive telepathic genes to connect with Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway to warn her about the weapon. Although, at the moment when their minds meet the Protostar is hit with phaser fire from the Dauntless. Dal R’El collapses and when he regains consciousness, it is revealed that his body now holds the psyche of Vice Admiral Janeway. Vice Admiral Janeway inside Dal R’El’s body restores the programming of Hologram Janeway to how she was before the Living Construct took her over. Hologram Janeway reveals to Vice Admiral Janeway inside Dal R’El’s body what happened to the original Protostar crew. A plan is shaped to restore each psyche to their bodies. But before Vice Admiral Janeway in Dal R’El’s body leaves Protostar, she informs Gwyn that as an augment, Dal R’El will not be allowed into Starfleet. Augments were outlawed after the Eugenics War. Finally, although there are a number of obstacles to overcome, the switch back into their respective bodies is made. But when Vice Admiral Janeway finds herself back aboard the Dauntless, she is in the brig.
In this episode, when Dal R’El uses his recessive DNA to link with Vice Admiral Janeway, he is activating something deep inside himself. When Hologram Janeway has her programming restored, she is able to tell Vice Admiral Janeway inside Dal R’El’s body what happened to the original crew of the Protostar. Both these scenarios can be interpreted through Hillman’s acorn theory. Dal R’El and Hologram Janeway were both allowed to access something inside themselves to carry out a mission. This can be analogized to when an individual listens to their inner daimon, to become who they were meant to be.
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