Star Trek and History by Nancy Reagin Page B

without any physical contact), to share personal experiences, to probe or interrogate, and to transfer an individual’s katra to another person. Vulcans condemn the use of mind melds on alien species as it can result in emotional transference, and it can damage the brain if not done properly. Forced mind melds can cause severe damage to those who are probed. Over the course of Star Trek history, Vulcans have nevertheless melded with many alien species.
    Examples of forced or improperly performed mind melds abound in Star Trek as object lessons. T’Pal was forced to participate in a mind meld with an inexperienced Vulcan and contracted Pa’nar syndrome, the Vulcan equivalent of a sexually transmitted disease. During the events of the Khitomer Conspiracy, Spock performed a forced meld with Valeris to discover the identity of those responsible for the assassination of counselor Gorkon. Valeris resisted Spock’s probing but was overcome and experienced a severe emotional breakdown ( ENT , “Fusion”; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ). Mind melds have also been used to help Vulcans and other species hone skills and assist in emotional control during times of stress and trauma. Ambassador Sarek, during an important mission, performed a mind meld with Captain Picard to help suppress his erratic emotions as a result of Sarek’s Bendii syndrome.
The Animalistic Past: Ancient Vulcan and the Rise of Surak
    According to Vulcan mythology, all life originated from a single place known as Sha Ka Ree, the Vulcan equivalent to our Eden ( Star Trek V: The Final Frontier ). Like humans, Vulcans have an origin myth that shapes their culture more than any archeology or anthropology. According to this story, before the Vulcans became logical, emotionless beings, they were ruled by their animal instincts and emotion. Ancient Vulcans were pagans who believed in several gods, such as War and Death. Surprisingly enough, the ancient Vulcans had achieved space travel. The exact date of when they first traveled to space is unknown, but it is safe to assume that they had warp capabilities because of the existence of the P’Jem monastery founded during this period, which is located on a planet in Andorian space. At the time, Vulcan was ravaged by terrible civil wars and devastated by atomic weapons. Things were so bad that the Vulcan race would have destroyed itself if it had not been for Surak’s teachings ( ENT , “The Andorian Incident”).
    Surak was a very important figure in Vulcan history, society, and culture. His teachings and revelations saved Vulcan from destruction and brought the Time of Awakening. Surak lived during the fourth century B.C. (on our calendar) in the midst of chaos and war. It was during this period that Surak traveled through the Forge to Mount Seleya, where he discovered his philosophy and began teaching his followers about a world governed by logic and the control of emotion. Surak inscribed his philosophy onto a pyramid-shaped stone tablet called the Kir’Shara. At the time, the tablet had little importance to Surak’s followers, but thousands of years later, it would play a pivotal role in the Vulcan Reformation.
    Surak created the T’Karath Sanctuary to house his followers and to pass on his teachings. He knew that his way of logic was Vulcan’s only hope for survival; so began the Time of Awakening ( ENT , “The Forge,” “Kir’Shara”; TOS , “The Savage Curtain”). Surak’s pilgrimage through the Forge and his inscription of the Kir’Shara stone tablet parallels the history of many of Earth’s religious prophets. Like Surak, Moses, Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, and Muhammad all made pilgrimages to their “promised lands.” The Kir’Shara also shares many parallels with religious artifacts on Earth, most notably, the tablet on which the Ten Commandments were recorded.
The Time of Awakening
    The Time of