| rdfs:comment | - The Vulcan mind meld or mind probe was a telepathic link between two individuals. It allowed for an intimate exchange of thoughts, thus in essence enabling the participants to become one mind, sharing consciousness in a kind of gestalt. (TOS: "Dagger of the Mind" ; TNG: "Sarek" ; et al.) Normally, it was employed only by Vulcans. It was a deeply personal thing, part of the private life, and generally not used on aliens. (TOS: "Dagger of the Mind" ) However, cases were known where the mind meld was initiated between a Vulcan and a non-Vulcan. (VOY: "Meld"; TNG: "Sarek" )
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| abstract | - The Vulcan mind meld or mind probe was a telepathic link between two individuals. It allowed for an intimate exchange of thoughts, thus in essence enabling the participants to become one mind, sharing consciousness in a kind of gestalt. (TOS: "Dagger of the Mind" ; TNG: "Sarek" ; et al.) Normally, it was employed only by Vulcans. It was a deeply personal thing, part of the private life, and generally not used on aliens. (TOS: "Dagger of the Mind" ) However, cases were known where the mind meld was initiated between a Vulcan and a non-Vulcan. (VOY: "Meld"; TNG: "Sarek" ) Physical contact was not strictly required, but could enhance the effectiveness of the Vulcan's telepathic abilities. (TOS: "The Devil in the Dark" ) When physical contact was used in a mind meld with a humanoid, the initiator placed the tips of his fingers at key locations on the head of the other participant. (TOS: "Mirror, Mirror" , et al.) A mind meld could also be used by its initiator to probe another person's mind, while the melder shielded his or her own mind from being read by the other participant. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country) Some species, including Cardassians, could resist the technique, shielding their thoughts from the attempted probe. Cardassian Gul Dukat resisted a forcible attempt by Vulcan Maquis member Sakonna to mind meld with him during an interrogation Sakonna performed on behalf of the Maquis. Dukat explained this ability to resist as "simply a matter of discipline." (DS9: "The Maquis, Part II") Hazari could also resist a mind meld. (VOY: "Think Tank") A mind meld could even be used to transfer the entire personality or "soul" (known to Vulcans as the katra) of an individual into another body. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock) A special, appropriately prepared receptacle, such as a katric ark, could also be used. (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock; ENT: "The Forge") Vulcans (and Trill, through the zhian'tara ritual) did this without aid, whereas a number of people and species were able to achieve similar feats with technology, such as the people of Sargon's planet, Janice Lester, Dr. Ira Graves, Rao Vantika, and Tieran. (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock; TOS: "Return to Tomorrow" , "Turnabout Intruder" ; TNG: "The Schizoid Man" ; DS9: "The Passenger", "Facets"; VOY: "Warlord") Melding carried some risk. It could be physically debilitating for both parties and involved pressure changes which could potentially aggravate existing conditions. The melding resulted in some loss of identity, and could be difficult to break, especially when the subject's mind was powerful or dynamic. Aftereffects could be treated with the drug lexorin. (TOS: "Dagger of the Mind" , "The Devil in the Dark" ; VOY: "Ex Post Facto", "Meld", "Flashback"; Star Trek III: The Search for Spock) In some cases, portion's of one melder's katra could be left behind with the other. This then enabled an enhanced form of telepathic contact, sometimes over many light years. (DIS: "Battle at the Binary Stars") During the 22nd century, mind melding was believed to be an ability only a minority of Vulcans were born to. Because of the apparent intimacy of melding, Vulcans during this era considered it a deviant practice defiant to the ancestral teachings of their society. As a result, other Vulcans considered those who were natural "melders" to be outcasts. (ENT: "Stigma") During the 23rd century, mind melding became more commonplace when a Vulcan was near death. (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock) An improperly trained melder who initiated a mind meld could cause a degenerative neurological disorder known as Pa'nar Syndrome to develop in the meld recipient. If left untreated, the disorder was fatal. Vulcan medicine of the mid-22nd century held that there was no cure; however, the disorder was known in Surak's time, as was its cure: a corrective meld performed by an experienced melder. It is likely that the ignorance of this cure was due to the widespread prejudice against melders, a prejudice that was not shared by a group of Vulcans called the Syrrannites. (ENT: "Fusion", "Stigma", "Kir'Shara") Another side-effect was the transfer of emotion. When Spock melded with James T. Kirk of the alternate reality, both seemed emotionally affected by the experience and Spock apologized, explaining that emotional transference was a side-effect of the melding process. (Star Trek) Indeed, melding created a strange sense of euphoria in the participants. (TOS: "Dagger of the Mind" )
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