Healing Science Fiction: Engaging Star Trek to Explore Jungian Psychology and Autism

Abstract

This dissertation explores both Jungian Psychology and autism by engaging with episodes and films from the Star Trek metaverse. Jungian concepts that will be discussed include the makeup of the psyche, including the ego, consciousness, the personal unconscious, the collective unconscious, the shadow, the anima and animus, and the self. It will explore these parts of the psyche using the processes involved in individuation: the union of opposites or transcendent function, the creation of complexes, and projection; as well as compare the process of individuation to the themes of self-acceptance, diversity, and inclusivity found in Star Trek. It will also discuss how these same themes can be interpreted through the neurodivergent paradigm or social model, as opposed to the medical model or pathology paradigm, when it comes to exploring how autism is elucidated in Star Trek series and films.