Editing Vulcan (Star Trek) (section)

==Psychology==
===Emotion===
Vulcans are known as logical beings who have removed emotions from their daily lives. The Vulcan character, Spock, struggles with this throughout the original series as he is half-human. [[T'Pol]] states that [[paranoia]] and homicidal rage were common on [[#Homeworld|Vulcan]] before the adoption of [[Surak]]'s code of emotional control.

Surak's ideas were that all Vulcans should suppress emotions, for the safety of the species. Before him, Vulcans were dangerously raging, emotional, war-like and religiously fanatical, to the point that [[existential risk|it could have threatened the continuation of their society and species]]. Then, around the 4th century BC, he created a system revolving around these ideas, intended to create a peaceful society. Some Vulcans disagreed, unfortunately, causing a war to break out. The two sides separated, causing the emotional ones to become Romulans and the logical ones to become what is referred to as modern-day Vulcans. Vulcans still possess and experience emotions, but make great efforts to keep them from being expressed or controlling their behavior. They occasionally have mental breakdowns.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://the-take.com/read/how-do-vulcans-get-in-the-mood-for-sex-if-they-are-emotionless|title=How Do Vulcans Get in the Mood for Sex if They Are Emotionless? &#124; Read &#124; The Take|date=March 20, 2016|website=How Do Vulcans Get in the Mood for Sex if They Are Emotionless? &#124; Read &#124; The Take}}</ref> Only those who follow the discipline of ''kolinahr'' have completely purged all emotions from their minds. Spock, in ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]'', attempts to achieve ''kolinahr'', but ultimately fails to do so.

Other Vulcans who did not believe in war but still wanted to embrace emotions made different choices. A group of renegade Vulcans who believed in this was encountered in the ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'' episode "[[Fusion (Star Trek: Enterprise)|Fusion]]", while Spock's half-brother [[Sybok]], seen in the film ''[[Star Trek V: The Final Frontier]]'', was also fully emotional. An episode of ''Enterprise'' titled "[[E²]]" featured an elderly T'Pol in an alternative timeline who had embraced emotion and allowed her half-human son, Lorian, to do likewise.

In the 1st pilot episode, "[[The Cage (Star Trek: The Original Series)|The Cage]]", Spock showed much more emotion. For the second pilot, "[[Where No Man Has Gone Before]]", [[Number One (Star Trek)|Number One]]{{snd}}Spock's superior officer, who showed little emotion{{snd}}was removed, and it was decided that Spock would take on those traits.<ref>Roddenberry "The Making of Star Trek" 1967</ref>

Vulcan emotions are seemingly more intense than those of humans. In the TNG episode ''[[Sarek (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Sarek]]'', Ambassador [[Sarek]] warns [[Jean-Luc Picard|Captain Picard]] that "Vulcan emotions are extremely intense; we have learned to suppress them", and that Picard would be overwhelmed by Sarek's unrestrained emotions due to the effects of Bendii syndrome while the two are linked during a Vulcan mind-meld. Picard does, in fact, have tremendous difficulty controlling himself while experiencing Sarek's emotions during the meld, including the ambassador's suppressed loves and hidden regrets.{{r|SAREK}}

===Telepathy===
Vulcans are [[Star Trek telepathy|telepaths]]. Beginning in the original series, the character Spock was able to "mind meld" (see below) by touching another being and to share thoughts.<ref>"Dagger of the Mind" and "Devil in the dark"</ref> Vulcans have also displayed telepathy at great distance and through walls.<ref>"The Immunity Syndrome", "A Taste of Armageddon", and "By Any Other Name"</ref>

====Mind melds====
{{Redirect|Mind meld|the documentary film|Mind Meld|other uses|Mindmeld (disambiguation){{!}}Mindmeld}}
A mind meld is a technique for sharing thoughts, experiences, memories, and knowledge with another individual, essentially a limited form of [[telepathy]]. It usually requires physical contact with a subject, though instances of mind melds without contact have been seen. When first depicted in the ''TOS'' episode "[[Dagger of the Mind]]", the procedure was said to require several moments of intense concentration and preparation. However, subsequent episodes show contact between minds occurring almost immediately. Although most often seen done with humanoids, mind melds can be performed with members of other species. Spock even once successfully mind melded with a machine and was able to establish telepathic contact with the space probe V'ger, with silicon-based lifeform, the Horta, and, in another instance, with a [[humpback whale]].

Mind melds can be used both to erase and restore memories; Spock performs each of these on [[James T. Kirk|Captain Kirk]] during ''TOS''{{'}}s third season. A mind meld was even used to rejoin Spock's ''[[#Katra|katra]]'' (see below) with his physical body in ''[[Star Trek III: The Search for Spock]]''. Mind melds can also allow more than one mind to experience memories and sensations, and sometimes even interact with the memories. Some species are able to resist mind melds.

The quad-lobed brain structure of Ferengi make them unable to be telepathically read by other species, and with sufficient training and mental discipline, high-level Cardassian military personnel and/or agents of the Obsidian Order are able to resist mind melds used to extract information. For example, when Gul Dukat was captured by the Maquis, he successfully resisted a prolonged mind meld attempt from a female Vulcan Maquis member, much to the latter's frustration.

====Katra====
Vulcans are able to implant their "katra" into another person via a mind meld just before death. [[Sarek]] explained to [[James T. Kirk|Kirk]] that Spock's katra was "his essence, everything that was not of the body, his katra, his living spirit...everything that he was, everything that he knew". He further explained that this transference was "the Vulcan way, when the body's end is near."<ref>Star Trek III: The Search for Spock</ref> Dr [[Julian Bashir]] in the ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|DS9]]'' episode "[[The Passenger (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)|The Passenger]]" referred to this phenomenon as "synaptic pattern displacement". The ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise|ENT]]'' Season 4 trilogy of episodes ("[[The Forge (Star Trek: Enterprise)|The Forge]]", "[[Awakening (Star Trek: Enterprise)|Awakening]]", and "[[Kir'Shara]]") reveal some of the history of mind-melding and the journey of the katra of [[Surak]] to modern times. 

Katra can also be used to transfer a Vulcan's healing ability to another to aid in regeneration for serious injury. [[Sarek]] transferred some of his katra to [[Michael Burnham]] ([[Star Trek: Discovery|''DIS'']] Season 1, Episode 6, "Lethe") in order to save her life as a child, which connected Michael to Sarek, and she refers to it as a "soul graft".

Katras can be returned to the body. Such was the case with [[Spock]], who, near the end of ''[[Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan]]'', implanted his katra into the mind of [[Leonard McCoy|Dr. McCoy]] before sacrificing his life. In ''[[Star Trek III: The Search for Spock]]'', a mind meld ritual, the "fal tor pan" ("re-fusion"), removed the katra from McCoy and implanted it into Spock's regenerated body. The ritual was successful, though it carried risks for both.