TUVOK'S MIND-MELDS "My mind to your mind. Your thoughts to my thoughts." Tuvok to Lon Suder [#32 Meld] and Tuvok to Janeway in [#44 Flashback]

SCROLL OR CLICK THE PERSON'S NAME TO JUMP TO A SECTION
year	episode number and name	person(s)
2371	[#8 Ex Post Facto]	See TOM PARIS.
2372	[#26 Cold Fire]	See KES.
2372	[#32 Meld]	See LON SUDER.
2373	[#44 Flashback]	See KATHRYN JANEWAY.
2373	[#57 Coda]	See KES. (This mind-meld does not really take place but is part of Janeway's hallucination.)
2374	[#70 The Gift]	See KES.
2374	[#78 Random Thoughts]	See B'ELANNA TORRES. See GUILL.
2375	[#101 Infinite Regress]	See SEVEN OF NINE.
2375	[#107 Gravity]	See NOSS.
2375	[#114 Think Tank]	See CREW OF HAZARI SHIP.
2376	[#146 and #147 Unimatrix Zero]	See KATHRYN JANEWAY. See SEVEN OF NINE.
2377	[#150 Repression]	See CHAKOTAY. See B'ELANNA TORRES. See TABOR, YOSA and JOR.
2377	[#162 and #163 Workforce]	See SEVEN OF NINE.
2377	[#171 and #172 Endgame]	See A MEMBER OF TUVOK'S FAMILY IN THE ALPHA QUADRANT.
Go here for mentions only of mind-melds.
This article does NOT deal with the telepathic link initiated by the Vulcan engineer Ensign Vorik on Torres in 2373 depicted in [#58 Blood Fever].

[#44 Flashback] provides the information about the telepathic cortex. It is the lobe of the Vulcan brain responsible for telepathic functions. Vulcan mind-melds are controlled through the telepathic cortex.

KATHRYN JANEWAY

In early 2373, on two occasions Janeway mind-melds with Tuvok, serving as his pyllora, the Vulcan term for a guide who helps a person with repressed memories to bring them out by observing the action from within their mind, and she does so in the hope of doing this successfully for Tuvok before his mind is permanently damaged. The meld reveals an alien parasite living in the implanted memory in his brain. [#44 Flashback]

At the endof 2376 Tuvok uses a mind-meld as a conduit to link Seven and Janeway in the Vulcan procedure termed "the bridging of minds", in order to allow the captain to 'visit' the cyberhaven of Unimatrix Zero. [#146 and #147 Unimatrix Zero]

Janeway: "Mind-melds. The last time I heard 'my mind to your mind' I had a headache for two weeks." [#146 and #147 Unimatrix Zero]

CHAKOTAY

Unaware at first that he is doing so, in 2377 Tuvok forcibly mind-melds with Chakotay and several Maquis, implanting instructions for them to take over Voyager. The instructions had been implanted in Tuvok's mind in 2371 by a Maquis fanatic, a Bajoran vedek called Teero Anaydis, shortly before Tuvok's departure as an undercover spy in Chakotay's Maquis raider.

After Tuvok successfully struggles to overcome the Bajoran's mind-control, he mind-melds again with Chakotay and the other affected Maquis to restore them to normal.

TOM PARIS

In 2371 Tuvok performs a mind-meld on Paris as part of Tuvok's investigation to find if Paris is telling the truth about his being innocent of the murder of Banean scientist Tolen Ren. Paris has been convicted under Banean law and a brain implant compels him to relive Ren's death as seen from Ren's viewpoint, every 14 hours for the rest of his life. But the implant and the mental experiences will eventually irreparably damage Paris' brain. In the mind-meld Tuvok notices a series of numbers or symbols at the bottom of the images, and realises that they are an enemy Numiri agent's means of smuggling out top secret weapons data to his superiors. [#8 Ex Post Facto]

Tuvok: "I propose a mind-meld with Lieutenant Paris." Neelix: "A, a what? What did he say? A mind-what?" [#8 Ex Post Facto]

Tuvok in the mind-meld

Tuvok realises the significance of the numbers or symbols

B'ELANNA TORRES

In 2374, on the homeworld of the telepathic Mari species, Torres is accused and judged guilty of transmitting a violent thought to a Mari male called Frane who then committed violence. Torres is charged with "aggravated violent thought resulting in grave bodily harm." Torres is to undergo a compulsory engramatic purge by the Mari authorities, which is a medical procedure designed to identify and remove the offending images from her mind, but there might be a risk of neurological damage. Tuvok performs a mind-meld on Torres to determine the solution to a crime, by enabling him to experience Torres' encounter with Frane. His investigation then leads him to prove Torres' innocence and to uncover a black market in violent thoughts. [#78 Random Thoughts] See also GUILL below.

In 2377, unaware to start with that he is doing so, Tuvok mind-melds with Torres and various Maquis, implanting instructions for them to mutiny and take over Voyager. The instructions had been implanted in his mind by a Maquis fanatic, a Bajoran vedek called Teero Anaydis, shortly before Tuvok's departure in 2371 as an undercover spy in Chakotay's Maquis raider. After Tuvok successfully struggles to overcome the Bajoran's mind-control, he mind-melds again with Torres and the other affected Maquis to restore them to normal, and the mutiny ends.

KES

In 2371 Tuvok first suggests a mind-meld with Kes to help expand her telepathic abilities [#13 Cathexis] but that mind-meld never occurs as Kes is attacked by alien-possessed Tuvok en route to perform it. By early 2372 Kes is doing exercises under his supervision [#24 Persistence Of Vision]. In [#26 Cold Fire], the Doctor's admonition about Kes' lateness for her duty shift in Sickbay three days' running reveals that her lessons with Tuvok occur maybe daily, or at least three days in succession. Later in that episode, Tanis, an Ocampan living on Suspiria's Array, shows Kes how to broaden her mental powers but she is unable to control them. Later, after Tanis is discredited, Tuvok resumes his tutelage and the employment of mind-melds, although now Kes has learned more about her mind's potential from her experiences with Tanis.

[#26 Cold Fire]

THIS MIND-MELD DOES NOT REALLY TAKE PLACE. In 2373 Janeway and Chakotay crashland on a planet, and she is severely injured. She suffers hallucinations that she is dead, created by an alien presence that has invaded her cerebral cortex and wants to prey on her. During the hallucination, Janeway makes Kes aware of her presence, but Kes' impression is very faint and she mind-melds with Tuvok in an attempt to find Janeway. Janeway hopes her presence there will enable Kess to find her. But the attempt fails and the crew then proceed with a memorial service for their dead Captain. Eventually Janeway realises that her "father", come to help her cross over to death contentedly, is a hostile alien presence. Her determination, coupled with the Doctor's treatment, eject the alien and Janeway recovers.

in Janeway's hallucination, Kes mind-melds with Tuvok

In early 2374, when Kes' mental powers expand rapidly and out of control to the extent of causing structural damage to Voyager, she decides to leave the ship forever to safeguard the crew. At the same time her body begins to destabilise as she starts evolving into a non-corporeal being. Tuvok tries to mind-meld with her to slow the destabilisation process. He manages to delay the transformation somewhat, but he is overwhelmed by the mental link and collapses exhausted. Kes leaves Voyager. [#70 The Gift]

Tuvok and Kes in the mind-meld

Tuvok collapses exhausted

SEVEN OF NINE

In 2375 multiple personalities surface in Seven's mind. They soon assert themselves and submerge her own personality. They are the personalities of numerous individuals in whose assimilation by the Borg Seven had participated in when she was a Borg drone, and whose memories are contained within hers. Tuvok mind-melds with her and helps her re-assert her own self. [#101 Infinite Regress]

[Infinite Regress]

At the end of 2376 Tuvok uses a mind-meld as a conduit to link Seven and Janeway in the Vulcan procedure termed "the bridging of minds", in order to allow the captain to 'visit' the cyberhaven of Unimatrix Zero which Seven has experienced. [#146 and #147 Unimatrix Zero]

In 2377 all the Voyager crew, save the Doctor, Kim, Neelix and Chakotay, are secretly captured by a brilliant but evil Quarren neuropathologist called Dr Kadan. He and his associates alter the memories of the crew so that they will forget their old lives and be happy in their new ones, which are as part of Quarra's work force. It is Kadan's solution to the labour shortage in the region. Tuvok's experiences relapses of memory but they are indistinct. He believes he knows Seven, who has been assigned to the city's power plant like him. He initiates a mind-meld with her against her will. Security guards interrupt the meld and Tuvok is detained. But the mind-meld has been partially successful - a confused Seven begins to experience relapses of memory. [#162 and #163 Workforce]

LON SUDER

In 2372 Tuvok mind-melds twice with confessed Betazoid murderer Lon Suder, former Voyager crewman, in an attempt to to understand Suder's motive for the inexplicable crime. As a result of the mind-meld, Suder gains Tuvok's interest in horticulture, but Tuvok begins to feel Suder's dark and dangerous drive toward violence. In the end, Tuvok stops short of using the second mind-meld to kill Suder. [#32 Meld]

Tuvok: "Do you know what a mind-meld is?" Suder: "It's that Vulcan thing where you grab someone's head." Tuvok: "We would be telepathically linked, exchanging our thoughts, in essence becoming one mind." Suder: "One mind. You and me? I wouldn't recommend it, Lieutenant." Tuvok: "It is not without risk, but as a Vulcan I have internal processes that allow me to control violent instincts. I believe I will be able to suppress whatever feelings I draw from you." [#32 Meld]

CREW OF HAZARI SHIP

In 2375 Voyager is relentlessly pursued by a species of bounty-hunters, the Hazari. An alien called Kurros, who speaks for a think tank of brilliant minds, offers to solve Voyager's Hazari problem in exchange for Seven joining the think tank. Voyager ambushes a Hazari ship and captures it and its crew. As Janeway examines the command centre of the Hazari vessel, Tuvok reports that interrogating the prisoners, including a mind-meld, did not produce any information. The mystery is finally solved, however, with the Hazari's employer turning out to be the think tank.

the Hazari crew are beamed to Voyager and captured

TABOR, YOSA and JOR

image trace of Tuvok forcing a mind-meld on Tabor (first mind-meld with Tabor)

like other victims, Yosa spends time in a coma after Tuvok's forced mind-meld but he later wakens, ready to mutiny when signalled

Tuvok and Chakotay discover Jor, after Tuvok's first mind-meld with her

Tuvok's flashback to when Teero Anaydis forcibly implanted mind-control in him

GUILL

Tuvok and Frane mind-meld

violent thoughts

the murder of Talli

Guill is detained by Voyager security guards, to be handed to the Mari authorities

NOSS

A MEMBER OF TUVOK'S FAMILY IN THE ALPHA QUADRANT

At the end of 2377 Voyager receives an unusual visitor - Janeway's older self, Admiral Kathryn Janeway, who has travelled back from the future to bring ship and crew home early in order to avoid casualties. In Admiral Janeway's timeline, one of the casualties is Tuvok who is suffering mental illness because a degenerative neurological condition went untreated during his time in the Delta Quadrant. Tuvok: "Your concern is appreciated, Captain, but premature. It will be several years before the symptoms become serious. Until then the Doctor can manage my condition with medication." Captain Janeway: "Is it true what the Admiral said, that there's a cure in the Alpha Quadrant?" Tuvok: "It's called a fal-tor-voh, and it requires a mind-meld with another Vulcan." Captain Janeway: "What about the other Vulcans on Voyager?" Tuvok: "None of them is compatible." Captain Janeway surmises: "But members of your family are."

Admiral Janeway informs her younger self of the casualties that will be if Voyager is not brought home early, despite breaking the Temporal Prime Directive by changing the timeline

Captain Janeway is presented with the chance to save crewmembers from death and Tuvok from mental illness. She is also faced with the opportunity to deal the Borg a crippling blow. She and her older self set in motion the plan that ultimately successfully takes Voyager and crew home to the Alpha Quadrant, although Admiral Janeway dies in the process. Accordingly, we can surmise that Tuvok and a member of his family mind-melded and his neurological condition is cured, even though the mind-meld occurs after the end of the series as seen on tv. [#171 and #172 Endgame]

a hospitalised Tuvok suffers mental illness in the early 25th century

in 2377 Captain Janeway asks Tuvok about his neurological condition

MIND-MELD MENTIONS

In early 2377 Gar, a Dralian steals the Doctor's program. In the brig, with Lt Ayala on guard, Tuvok is in the cell with Gar the prisoner. Tuvok's interrogation is not producing the desired information - the Doctor's whereabouts. The Doctor has in fact been sold to a Dinaal hospital ship. Gar: "I don't know where he is." Tuvok: "Not now perhaps but you know where you took him." Gar: "The last time I saw him he was in your sickbay." Tuvok: "If you refuse to co-operate, your knowledge of his location can be extracted." Gar: "How?" Tuvok: "A mind-meld." Gar: "What's that?" Tuvok: "An invasive and disturbing procedure."

[#151 Critical Care]

In 2377 Voyager receives a hologram of Lt. Reg Barclay of Starfleet's Project Pathfinder, who delivers specifications to bring ship and crew straight home to the Alpha Quadrant via a geodesic fold. In fact, the hologram has been hijacked and altered by three Ferengi whose plot is to bring Voyager through the geodesic fold, which is actually lethal, and capture Seven's Borg nanoprobes. The altered Barclay hologram makes friends with the Voyager crew and entertains them in the messhall with his impressions of their crewmates. Kim to the Barclay hologram about Paris: "Pardon my friend here. He believes we're destined to live out our days in the Delta Quadrant." The Barclay hologram does an impression of Tuvok: "Your pessimism is illogical. Perhaps a mind-meld would help to alleviate your concern."

[#152 Inside Man]