Psionic Illnesses...

[Dan Gurden]

OK, in all of Trek, there must have been more, but I can only find reference to only a few Psionic 'illnesses'.


Early Telepathic Manifestation; Betazoid childhood manifestation of Psionic abilities (was there a proper name given for this?)

Pa’Nar Syndrome; A Mind-Meld oddity if ever there was one...

Pon Farr; Also Vulcan, not quite an 'illness' but it vaguely qualifies...

Zanthi Fever; The Betazoid menopause.

Can anyone think of any more? I really could use some references...

[qerlin]

Bendi Syndrome: sorta a Vulcan Altzheimer's cum Emotional dysfunction disease the elderly get.

Anyone else think all the Vulcan diseases are ultimately just reactions to their over-the-top emotional control?

[Tobian]

Yes a couple, but excuse me if it's too late to think up the episode names.

There was that parasite which Tuvok had, which caused him to relive his past (as an excuse to send him back to Sulu's enterprise!)

Other areas not strictly what you want, but there was also Lwaxanna Troi in Dark page, who suffered as the result of the bombardment of the Cairns telepathic images - I guess you could say it was a mental condition rather than a disease.

You also have the telepathic parasite creature in Sub Rosa, which was passed down Beverly crushers line..

There were also some aliens which recovered deeply embeded distant memories from your past, but one of them used it as a way or mentally attacking them, leaving them in a comatose state.

There've been quite a few telepathic trap type stories accross all the series, but then that's not what you're looking for! (or is it?)

[REG]

Originally posted by qerlin

Bendi Syndrome: sorta a Vulcan Altzheimer's cum Emotional dysfunction disease the elderly get.

Anyone else think all the Vulcan diseases are ultimately just reactions to their over-the-top emotional control?

Hmm. Perhaps. Or it could be physiological degeneration, just as with Alzheimer's Disease.

IOW, in order to build up the restraint and control over your primal emotion, you need a healthy mind. If your mind is afflicted, then you can't maintain control. For example, there is a case in which an individual suffered serious head and brain injury in an automobile accident. The part that exercise control is damaged to the point in which he acts in a violent manner and prone to temper at the slightest provocation.

[Phoenix]

Nearly any illness that affects the mind will affect a beings psionic abilities. Just imangine how the common cold would affect an empath.

[Dan Gurden]

Thanks for Bendii Syndrome, I had forgotten that one.


OK, been thinking on this one some more, and am checking some ideas. Preferably with those with some medical training...

I was never happy with Early Telepathic Manifestation, and was trying for something that sounds more 'medical terminology' in composition.

Currently, the favourite option is;

Advanced Peadiatric Telepathic Manifestation.


Secondly, they were all Vulcan or Betazoid conditions, and while the cause of that is obvious, it would be nice to cover something that wasn't connected to only those two. Best I have here (also taking into account the medical text-book feel for the names) is;

Spontaneous Self-Evolution

Basically, the events of 'Where No Man has gone Before', where humans have spontaneously developed Psionics.

However if anyone has a better name for it, please feel free to post them?


Third (and Last), was there any mention at all of the degenerative neurological condition that Tuvok was suffering in 'Endgame'... I cannot remember the name of the condition (although the Homecoming book names the cure, which appears to be related to the Fal-Tor-Pan ceremony).

I know I said I didn't want any-more Vulcan conditions, but I am rather suspecting that this might well be connectedto Pa'Nar Syndrome (and its mind-meld cure would certainly explain why Pa'Nar was so difficult to treat???)

Anyone, anyone... Beuller?

[qerlin]

Originally posted by Dan Gurden
Spontaneous Self-Evolution

Is that anything like Spontaneous Self-Imolation?

Cartman voice: The stuff about lighting your farts is bull***t...

[Sarge]

Spontaneous Self-Evolution makes me think of beings evolving into something else, like Beverly's "John Doe" alien friend, or the Organians in the distant past, or mankind in Arthur C Clarke's Childhood's End.

I'd suggest Spontaneous Psionic Self-Evolution. To me, that's a more complete description of the events in WNMHGB.

[Karg]

How about Energy Barrier Syndrome?

[Dan Gurden]

Originally posted by Karg
How about Energy Barrier Syndrome?

Possible, but as just pointed out, it sounds like John Doe... Which is also what was being aimed at (along with the Organians and all the other spontaneous manifestation of Psionics or enlightened Evolution that seems to happen on a semi-regular basis on Trek...

Also, as an example, Kes's transformation in 'The Gift' and even Charlie X...

Rather than just the advancements connected to those that crossed the energy barrier.