Kes' screaming in "Cold Fire" is *horrible*

[exodus]

I think it's just as Kes said in "Caretaker", that Ocampians had extraordinatry mental abilities but forgot how to use them due to being care for by the Caretaker.

Susperia was there when the Ocampans still used those abilities, so I believe the ones that followed her are the decendants of those that still used them and Susperia never pampered them in a way that would cause them not to use them anymore. Plus Tanis said Ocampians are psychokenetic, so like the Phoenix whatever you think you can do, you can. Tieran was able to access her powers in "Warlord" because unlike Kes, he didn't fear them. He enjoyed such power, so he emersed himself in them.

I don't think Tanis enhanced them or dominated her. I think he only showed her the abilities she had in her all along. Tanis & the alien in "Persistance" both said she was more powerful than she knew. So Kes was a little girl with the powers of a God.

 

[Deks]

We have never got an indication the Nacene arrived in the Milky Way galaxy and destroyed the Ocampa homeworld so far back into the past.
It's possible, but it was never stated as such on-screen.

Kes indeed claimed that their ancestors were said to have extraordinary mental abilities which they forgot to use (the reason as to WHY they forgot how to use them was never mentioned).

I think it's conceivable the Ocampa lost most of their mental abilities at some point in their history and that it was relatively recently (from their point of view) that the Nacene came in and destroyed the planet's ability to produce.
It's likely the Nacene knew of the Ocampa's mental abilities but the Caretaker decided to care for them as if they were not capable to do so on their own, while Suspiria decided on a more different route.

She saw the potential in the Ocampa and took a group with them for exploration.
They did for a time until deciding to 'settle' in a region of space Voyager encountered and that was it.
She continued helping the group of Ocampa with her to develop their mental abilities and mostly left them be.

 

[exodus]

We have never got an indication the Nacene arrived in the Milky Way galaxy and destroyed the Ocampa homeworld so far back into the past.
It's possible, but it was never stated as such on-screen.

Kes indeed claimed that their ancestors were said to have extraordinary mental abilities which they forgot to use (the reason as to WHY they forgot how to use them was never mentioned).

Didn't the Caretaker tell us he believed he was to blame for the state of their home world & that's why he felt complelled to care for them?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXmsdorYs24&feature=related

Didn't Kes say they forgot how to use their abilities because they got used to begin taken care of by the Caretaker when she asked her people to help the Voyager crew and they refused?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6S9ni__SoU&NR=1

 

[Deks]

I haven't disputed the premise the Caretaker was responsible for destruction of Ocampa atmosphere nor that he decided to care for them (both were corroborated by on-screen dialogue).

I was disputing the premise that he was behind the Ocampa losing their mental abilities or that his technology destroyed the atmosphere far back into the past (besides, given the Ocampa lifespan, the meaning of the words 'long ago' and so forth could be interpreted as 30 to 40 years for all we know and not necessarily centuries).

Kes said they forgot how to use those mental abilities because they stopped using them.

There was no mention the Caretaker was directly responsible for their loss of mental abilities.
He probably contributed to them not using the abilities any-more because he cared for them, and as Kes pointed out, they became so dependant on him they didn't even have to think for themselves.

EDIT: I'd like to make a bit of a correction.
It was confirmed in 'Caretaker' the Ocampa have been living underground for over 500 generations, leading to the conclusion the Nacene messed up the Ocampan atmosphere several thousand years ago.

That STILL doesn't mean the Nacene were directly responsible for the Ocampa losing their mental abilities though (because nothing of the sort is suggested).

 

[exodus]

That STILL doesn't mean the Nacene were directly responsible for the Ocampa losing their mental abilities though (because nothing of the sort is suggested).

Maybe not for you but it seems pretty clear too me.

 

[Pauln6]

That STILL doesn't mean the Nacene were directly responsible for the Ocampa losing their mental abilities though (because nothing of the sort is suggested).

Maybe not for you but it seems pretty clear too me.

Given their short life spans it wouldn't take long for them to forget how to use their powers if they were encouraged to do so by the caretaker.

 

[exodus]

That STILL doesn't mean the Nacene were directly responsible for the Ocampa losing their mental abilities though (because nothing of the sort is suggested).

Maybe not for you but it seems pretty clear too me.

Given their short life spans it wouldn't take long for them to forget how to use their powers if they were encouraged to do so by the caretaker.

I agree.