While reading Gene Roddenberry's STTMP novelization, I came across this footnote about Vulcans having a seventh sense, the sense of oneness with the All, i.e. the universe, the creative force, or what some humans might call God. They don't treat it a belief either religious or philosophical but as a fact like seeing or hearing. (p. 126)
A Vulcan sense that allows them to be aware of their idea of the creative force or "god"? Hmm.
In ST V, we have Sybok seeking the god of Sha Ka Ree. The idea of a Vulcan god? Spock did mention that they honored gods once in "Yesteryear" as part of his explanation to sarek of why he was travelling.
I see three possibilties:
1) I'm going to assume that this Sha Ka Ree wasn't the Christian God. The Christian God is described as being love and that would runs against everything that the logical, emotionally controlled Vulcans belief in.
2 ) Spock claims that the creature found behind the Great Barrier isn't the god of Sha Ka Ree. I suppose the idea of Sha Ka Ree is still out there. It was just Spock stating that this creature wasn't it. Sha Ka Ree is still out there.
3) What if this seventh sense with the "creative force" wasn't with Sha Ka Ree but with the "false god" creature? Maybe at some point it traveled near Vulcan and became telepathically connected with the race. It could have become banished later by another race behind the Great Barrier but it still had a tenuous connection to the Vulcans.
What if the destruction of the creature caused the Vulcans to lose that seventh sense of "connection"? If Sybok and this creature was all about freeing people of their pain and bringing a sense of peace, what if this false sense of peace is what was interpreted as the seventh sense? How would that have affected the Vulcans?
Would the logical Vulcans accept this loss and move on in their pursuit of the ideal Sha Ka Ree? Or would they consider this loss as a reason to question their ideals?
It would be pretty ironic if Sybok's searching for the Vulcan "god" resulted in the destruction of it or, at least, the experiencing of it...along with Kirk rescuing Spock from Genesis, Sarek's uncertain logic to have fal-tor-pan performed on Spock, and Spock's concern for Kirk's safety that resulted in Spock literally pulling the trigger on this false "Vulcan god" and destroying it.
That would be pretty wild and crazy. The last scene of "The Apple" would be pretty ironic where Kirk is compared to the devil for destroying Vaal and the paradise for its people. Spock standing innocently denying any description fitting him for the same role. It would be ironic foreshadowing.
Fast-forwarding ahead to ST VI...what about Valeris asking Spock about the meaning of the picture in his quarters depicting the exile of man from the Garden of Eden? Spock doesn't say he believes in it, he just states that it's a reminder that all things come to an end. What if it was a reminder that Spock had a hand in destroying the Vulcans' ability of experiencing the Vulcans' "false god"?
In trying to discover the true god, Sybok ended up destroying (or rather Spock did) an aspect of a false one that the Vulcans attributed to the real one. How would the Vulcans treat Spock and the memory of Sybok in regard to that? What kind of burden or sense of responsibility would Spock have after ST V?
It's all a BIG "What IF?" But it's fun to think about.
A Vulcan sense that allows them to be aware of their idea of the creative force or "god"? Hmm.
In ST V, we have Sybok seeking the god of Sha Ka Ree. The idea of a Vulcan god? Spock did mention that they honored gods once in "Yesteryear" as part of his explanation to sarek of why he was travelling.
I see three possibilties:
1) I'm going to assume that this Sha Ka Ree wasn't the Christian God. The Christian God is described as being love and that would runs against everything that the logical, emotionally controlled Vulcans belief in.
2 ) Spock claims that the creature found behind the Great Barrier isn't the god of Sha Ka Ree. I suppose the idea of Sha Ka Ree is still out there. It was just Spock stating that this creature wasn't it. Sha Ka Ree is still out there.
3) What if this seventh sense with the "creative force" wasn't with Sha Ka Ree but with the "false god" creature? Maybe at some point it traveled near Vulcan and became telepathically connected with the race. It could have become banished later by another race behind the Great Barrier but it still had a tenuous connection to the Vulcans.
What if the destruction of the creature caused the Vulcans to lose that seventh sense of "connection"? If Sybok and this creature was all about freeing people of their pain and bringing a sense of peace, what if this false sense of peace is what was interpreted as the seventh sense? How would that have affected the Vulcans?
Would the logical Vulcans accept this loss and move on in their pursuit of the ideal Sha Ka Ree? Or would they consider this loss as a reason to question their ideals?
It would be pretty ironic if Sybok's searching for the Vulcan "god" resulted in the destruction of it or, at least, the experiencing of it...along with Kirk rescuing Spock from Genesis, Sarek's uncertain logic to have fal-tor-pan performed on Spock, and Spock's concern for Kirk's safety that resulted in Spock literally pulling the trigger on this false "Vulcan god" and destroying it.
That would be pretty wild and crazy. The last scene of "The Apple" would be pretty ironic where Kirk is compared to the devil for destroying Vaal and the paradise for its people. Spock standing innocently denying any description fitting him for the same role. It would be ironic foreshadowing.
Fast-forwarding ahead to ST VI...what about Valeris asking Spock about the meaning of the picture in his quarters depicting the exile of man from the Garden of Eden? Spock doesn't say he believes in it, he just states that it's a reminder that all things come to an end. What if it was a reminder that Spock had a hand in destroying the Vulcans' ability of experiencing the Vulcans' "false god"?
In trying to discover the true god, Sybok ended up destroying (or rather Spock did) an aspect of a false one that the Vulcans attributed to the real one. How would the Vulcans treat Spock and the memory of Sybok in regard to that? What kind of burden or sense of responsibility would Spock have after ST V?
It's all a BIG "What IF?" But it's fun to think about.
