69: Turn On, Tune In, Beam Down

Meta Treks: A Star Trek Philosophy Podcast

"Rapture" and Altered States of Consciousness. On the eve of Bajor's admittance into the Federation, an accident in one of Quark's holosuites results in the synapses being hyper-stimulated in Captain Sisko's brain. Captain Sisko enters a heightened state of awareness allowing him to locate the legendary Bajoran lost city of B'hala. In this episode of Meta Treks, hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison discuss the philosophical themes and concepts in the fifth-season Deep Space Nine episode "Rapture." From duck-rabbit Gestalt shifts to ineffable, private moments of clarity and insight, Zachary and Mike explore the the relationship between perception, knowledge, and altered states of consciousness. Touching on other themes in "Rapture," Zachary and Mike also discuss the ethics of medical intervention and the therapeutic role of faith in healing and well-being. Finally, Zachary and Mike explore the political pros and cons of the Bajorans joining the Federation, when faced with re-surging Cardassian activity and Dominion aggression in the Alpha Quadrant. Chapters Intro: DS9's Rapture (00:01:08) Gestalt Shifts and the Potential of the Human Brain (00:05:35) A Moment of Clarity (00:16:37) Timothy Leary and Altered States of Consciousness (00:20:33) Ethics of Medical Intervention (00:27:38) Faith in Faith (00:35:33) The Power of Positive Thinking and Mr. Rozhenko's Neighborhood (00:39:43) Sisko and a Sympathetic Winn (00:46:19) Bajor's Entry Into The Federation (00:49:02) The Benefits and Defining Traits of Bajorans (00:59:27) Final Thoughts on Rapture (01:03:35) Closing (01:10:55) Hosts Zachary Fruhling and Mike Morrison Production Mike Morrison (Editor) Zachary Fruhling (Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Patrick Devlin (Associate Producer) Kay Shaw (Associate Producer) Kit Loffstadt (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)