I’m continuing to watch Star Trek TNG season 1. I have stumbled once again on the thoughtful episode of ‘The Traveller’. To be concise an alien takes the Enterprise to distant places of the unknown before returning the ship back to it’s known place of the galaxy.
What makes this episode fascinating is it blends the idea of thought and reality. It raises the question, is our reality simply our collective consciousness? Personally I believe that is partly true from my observation here in 2023.
In the episode we see the crew have a difficulty where their thoughts impact reality. Worf and Tasha see their pets appear and disappear from childhood. A man thinks of fire and has to think of putting it out for it to disappear (or so it appears to me!).
In order for the alien to get the Enterprise home all the crew have to think of goodwill for the Enterprise. This felt very much like prayer to me. Though to others it could be mind over matter.
In 2023 our collective consciousness (sounds Borg doesn’t it?) is our reality today. We know the colour blue is blue because we are taught at a young age to agree on many elementary principles. It gets more complicated in adult life when we try to understand people.
The notions of what’s good, bad or something else are challenging to express but often easy to judge from our own point of view. We make our judgements based on what we read, how the picture is painted or how we interact with it.
I have heard the phrase “reality is what we make of it”. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not necessarily sure I can make an impact on reality though I can learn to accept what it is.
Even when my reality became very depressing during my period of homelessness last year I still saw a twinkle of light in that darkness. That light helped guide me home.