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The Vulcan mind meld. Star Trek Into Darkness Question

In Into Darkness Spock mind melds with a dying Christopher Pike. Would Pike have to have given consent during the mind meld, and if so can one do that even if they are dying and not able to communicate verbally?

The scene is good but that bit just bugs me.

Why isn't it possible that he gave consent telepathically at the very beginning of the mind meld?
 
:whistle:
I would posit that initiating a mindmeld is akin to knocking on someone's door. Whether you force your way in or are let in after that would determine if it's assault.. It would explain Spock's not always getting verbal permission. He receives it at the beginning of the meld. The Meld with Valaris is obviously no such case as exhibited by her reaction.
 
But since you need validation, I'm a sexual assault survivor. Is that sufficient or does one need to have been a victim of stranger rape in a dark alley to be qualified to speak about rape?
Nobody was speaking about rape here until now. The talk was about Spock probing Valeris' thoughts. Why are you raping my words? Is rape really so trivial to you?
M'Sharak already told you to stop with the aggressive and dismissive comments about rape and then this is the way you respond when someone tells you they are a survivor of sexual assault? Infraction for trolling. Comments to PM.
 
There's no such thing, either in the real world or in Trek dialogue. If you want to hypersexualize a fictional event, I'm not on your side - you do nothing but confuse and undermine the significance of real events of sexual nature, both positive and grossly negative.

Since Spock is male and Valeris female, I guess we could call that incident heterosexual assault in the sense that punching a person's face is an assault. No court sexualizes such a crime in that manner, though.

Rape is as much a violent act as it is a sexual act. Spock violently invaded Valeris' mind, against her will. She did NOT look comfortable as this was happening either. It was a forced entry into her mind. I can see that being a mental rape. Rape does not have to solely mean a penis in a vagina (or elsewhere) in this fictional reality where people can invade others' minds.

Nobody was speaking about rape here until now. The talk was about Spock probing Valeris' thoughts. Why are you raping my words? Is rape really so trivial to you?
Timo Saloniemi

So not speaking of it before makes the comment invalid? I pointed out why I considered his actions to be mind rape. You may not agree, but my opinion of a fictional event is as valid as anyone's else.

As for the rest of your twaddle, that's pure silliness. Since you disagree with me, you're going to mock me by misusing the term. I suppose you believe that it's cute to turn my (perceived) misuse of the term against me. It isn't. It merely points out that you can't even argue it logically and since you can't, you want to laugh at me/make others laugh at me.

Of course the "is rape trivial" to me IS trolling, although I'm a big girl and can handle such absurd behavior by just playing it straight. Plus it's vastly insulting to a female, moreover one who just admitted a background of abuse, to say such.

[Redacted] I wasn't offended (takes a lot to get over my radar), I'm very mildly amused and more strongly saddened at such a petty attack.

At any rate, it didn't make me change my mind. It was an ugly scene (in that movie) that was very disturbing and if the author of the novelization knew of the scene ahead of time (which surely must have been the case given how it was written - it suggested direct knowledge of the movie scene), then that author should be ashamed of trivializing/denying the ugliness with that horrible way it was rewritten to suggest that the mind rape was something that the victim enabled. And bear in mind I couldn't stand Valeris.
 
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I just feel that, without hearing the author's perspective on the matter, or from anyone who would be in a position to comment on the situation as it existed at the time, we should assume good faith with regards to their intentions and "what did they know and when did they know it".
This is somewhat making me want to locate my copy of the novelization, but I doubt that'll happen anytime soon.
 
I just feel that, without hearing the author's perspective on the matter, or from anyone who would be in a position to comment on the situation as it existed at the time, we should assume good faith with regards to their intentions and "what did they know and when did they know it".
This is somewhat making me want to locate my copy of the novelization, but I doubt that'll happen anytime soon.
Which novel? I do know that Nimoy commented on the ST6 scene with Valeris in his "I am Spock" book. I can try to find the relevant quotes if you like.
 
Why doesn't anyone ever compare the actions of Lwaxana Troi to rape? She is also rummaging around in minds, so it too is a violation. Do we only condemn the mental link if one of the people who take part seem to be distressed for a time? If so, we're okay with Spock removing Kirk's memories without his knowledge or consent while he slept?
 
Which novel? I do know that Nimoy commented on the ST6 scene with Valeris in his "I am Spock" book. I can try to find the relevant quotes if you like.

The TUC novelization. T'Bonz (not to put words in her mouth) initially claimed that the author did a disservice by portraying the Spock-Valeris meld as being ultimately consensual, while I think it's just that the author knew there would be a meld but quite possibly didn't know the specifics of how it would be portrayed onscreen. In other words, they weren't ducking the situation, they simply didn't know there was going to be a situation in the first place.
 
The TUC novelization. T'Bonz (not to put words in her mouth) initially claimed that the author did a disservice by portraying the Spock-Valeris meld as being ultimately consensual, while I think it's just that the author knew there would be a meld but quite possibly didn't know the specifics of how it would be portrayed onscreen.
Got it. See what I can find.
 
The TUC novelization. T'Bonz (not to put words in her mouth) initially claimed that the author did a disservice by portraying the Spock-Valeris meld as being ultimately consensual, while I think it's just that the author knew there would be a meld but quite possibly didn't know the specifics of how it would be portrayed onscreen.

I don't see why Valeris would have consented to the meld since it was against her interest to do so.
 
Why doesn't anyone ever compare the actions of Lwaxana Troi to rape? She is also rummaging around in minds, so it too is a violation. Do we only condemn the mental link if one of the people who take part seem to be distressed for a time? If so, we're okay with Spock removing Kirk's memories without his knowledge or consent while he slept?

To be honest, it did bug me that characters only ever seemed to find Lwaxana's invasions a mild annoyance. Especially as her abilities did seem to be selective, and she couldn't help opening her mouth and yapping about what she 'heard.' It stands out when characters like Tam (and even Troi herself) were given dressing downs about doing the exact same thing.

Mind, in TNG Lwaxana also avoided being seriously called out for being a sexual harasser in the 'normal' sense. So...it's really the usual failings of a lot of 'comedy' characters.

Spock erasing Kirk's memories was always shitty. 'Pain makes us who we are,' my ass.
 
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Why doesn't anyone ever compare the actions of Lwaxana Troi to rape? She is also rummaging around in minds, so it too is a violation. Do we only condemn the mental link if one of the people who take part seem to be distressed for a time? If so, we're okay with Spock removing Kirk's memories without his knowledge or consent while he slept?
With Lwaxana I think it's meant to be a cultural thing, Betazoids are an open culture (they're into public nudity) and everyone is okay with sharing their thoughts and having their minds read by others as a matter of course.

Granted, Lwaxana spends enough time among non-Betazoids, was even married to one, that she should be more considerate when she's on the Enterprise, but then she is the batty aunt of TNG, so everyone just grins and bears it when she reads their minds.
 
With Lwaxana I think it's meant to be a cultural thing, Betazoids are an open culture (they're into public nudity) and everyone is okay with sharing their thoughts and having their minds read by others as a matter of course.

Granted, Lwaxana spends enough time among non-Betazoids, was even married to one, that she should be more considerate when she's on the Enterprise, but then she is the batty aunt of TNG, so everyone just grins and bears it when she reads their minds.

Or maybe she just can't help it.
 
Was it established that Lwaxana actually actively probes others' minds or is it a passive process, like noticing people's size and shape and all in passing?
 
Was it established that Lwaxana actually actively probes others' minds or is it a passive process, like noticing people's size and shape and all in passing?

Can't remember if was just from the novels or raised on screen that Lwaxana is a very formidable telepath so it could be that she can't really control but as mentioned above perhaps a she should learn to filter what she says).
 
She could be compulsive that way. You know like some sort of tourette's for example.

Except later (esp. in her Ds9 appearances), she's perfectly capable of dialing it the fuck down. Even after getting her space-alzheimers-menopause-thing.

In the end, Lwaxana was meant to be like Mudd and Neelix - she pulled irritating shit because she was just that obnoxious and oblivious (yet also funny and likeable.) Whether that characterisation works is a matter of personal opinion.
 
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