I think they only find a mate during pon farr. They can and do have sex outside it. The fact that Tuvok didn't have his pon farr during Meld (Vorik had it in that episode) could be explained either way (I doubt pon farr happens to all Vulcans at exactly the same rate).
Pon farr and Vulcan sexuality in general
- Thread starter Mach5
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I also think it was pretty obvious in "Amok Time" that T'Pring was having sex with Stonn, but I don't think either of them were going through pon farr. In fact I think Spock's pon farr messed everything up by forcing her to come clean.
The Pon Farr is an interesting invention in trek.
I imagine in the evolutionary process that proto-Vulcans had a genetic tendency toward seasonal procreation (it is a desert planet, after all-- and "mating season" probably occurred for many Vulcans between droughts).
When logic became ingrained into Vulcan culture (and to some degree biology) the "mating season" urge developed in some Vulcans into a explosive and violent drive to mate that could be concealed for up to seven years.
I don't think the existence of the Pon Farr excludes sex in the "off season," nor would it ward off those inevitable symptoms-- and I wouldn't be surprised if Vulcans, at a certain of career and development (probably on Vulcan) would find it entirely logical to procreate outside the 7 year cycle.
That's my thought, anyway.
I imagine in the evolutionary process that proto-Vulcans had a genetic tendency toward seasonal procreation (it is a desert planet, after all-- and "mating season" probably occurred for many Vulcans between droughts).
When logic became ingrained into Vulcan culture (and to some degree biology) the "mating season" urge developed in some Vulcans into a explosive and violent drive to mate that could be concealed for up to seven years.
I don't think the existence of the Pon Farr excludes sex in the "off season," nor would it ward off those inevitable symptoms-- and I wouldn't be surprised if Vulcans, at a certain of career and development (probably on Vulcan) would find it entirely logical to procreate outside the 7 year cycle.
That's my thought, anyway.
Spock's cycle of Pon Farr was delayed. In fact, he had hoped it might not happen to him at all. If females experience the same cycle as the one to whom they are bonded, what happened to T'pring's cycle and why wouldn't anyone notice? Therefore, females must not experience it or only do so in response to their bonded males.
One word: Stonn
Thanks, I thought that was a good one.Excellent post, Myasishchev!
And hilarious ending!
Here's a random thought to inject into the conversation as well... As far as I know, romulans don't have Pon Far. They also aren't logical like Vulcans.. Perhaps it really is as was said, where the stress of repressing their emotions is what causes it? What we need is a vulcan who choses not to follow the vulcan way and not have Pon Far.. Too bad ENT: Fusion kinda messed that up for us.
I never got this from the episode, it is in lots of fan fiction. Being psychologically compelled to have intercourse doesn't necessarily translate into violent rape! And I think we're all missing something important, Pon Farr isn't simply about sex (or only sex), Spock made this statement ...
SPOCK :
No. Nor am I man. I'm a Vulcan. I'd hoped I would be spared this, but the ancient drives are too strong.
Eventually, they catch up with us, and we are driven by forces we cannot control ... to return home and take a wife ... or die.
"And take a wife." Not get laid, so something more involved than just sex is happening during Pon Farr. The compulsion may be to form a family unit, both to have children and take care of them through to maturity, familys stabilize socialites, that's the evolutionary advantage of Pon Farr, at least the first Pon Farr. Form a family, a tribe, a community. This would prosper the entire Vulcan race, increase the likelyhood of survival, especially during primative times.
For the record, the whole concept of Pon Farr has to be the stupidest idea ever imagined in the history of Star Trek. I really can't think of anything stupider!
Also, it seems that Spock himself cleared the issue. In the TOS episode "the cloud miners" Spock starts showing interest in the daughter of the Chief of the Cloud City, which is reciprocated, as she likes him also (apparently the mutual attraction was the fact that they both were highly intellectual), so he explained to her about Pon Farr, but explained that he was free to choose a mate at anytime if her beauty was astounding as well as her mind intellectual.
Also, it seems that Spock himself cleared the issue. In the TOS episode "the cloud miners" Spock starts showing interest in the daughter of the Chief of the Cloud City, which is reciprocated, as she likes him also (apparently the mutual attraction was the fact that they both were highly intellectual), so he explained to her about Pon Farr, but explained that he was free to choose a mate at anytime if her beauty was astounding as well as her mind intellectual.
Rape is implied in the episode. T'Pring has chosen Stonn. The notion is that Spock will kill Stonn and take T'Pring, who is not really what I would call a consenting party--except she tricked him (bizarrely) into killing Kirk instead.
Killing someone's chosen mate and then "marrying" them in an Agamemnon/Klytemnesta-type legal arrangement nevertheless has connotations of rape to me.
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