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 Let’s deal with the problem right up front. Ever since this volume was first published under its original title, The Unauthorized Starfleet Daily Meditation Manual, most bookstore browsers have assumed it was just another “Star Trek book.” It wasn’t meant to be. And for the majority of people who ended up buying a copy, it still isn’t. Because the voyages of the starship Enterprise were never primarily about frontiers in space. They were about the frontiers within our selves. Nor were all those fanciful aliens merely the inhabitants of distant planets. In reality they represented members of our own community whom we saw as “different,” or who continue to challenge us in some way. Or they stood for aspects of our own personalities with which we are still struggling. Even for the serious Star Trek fan, going boldly “where no one has gone before” was only a ruse, a gimmick to make our Inner Voyages seem more dramatic and compelling. “Space” made a convenient symbol not only for going within, but forging ahead — into the future. As we journey into our Third Millennium, the words spoken by Star Trek’s diverse characters have a special ability to articulate our continuing efforts at self-discovery. But as profound as those words may be, there is nothing essentially new in them. They simply reconfigure the wisdom from centuries of human experience in the futuristic setting of starships and space stations, alien civilizations and “the undiscovered country.” As it turns out, Spock and Picard are only repeating lines spoken by earlier prophets and sages. Guinan and Kes merely echo the ti  meless voice of Mother Earth. Kirk and Dax, Worf and Chakotay, are simply reprising the venerable role of scriptural hero. And the clues to our own salvation — or “personal fulfillment,” if you prefer — are only updated for us, not changed.Of course, most of us who continue to enjoy an occasional TV episode, or the latest big-screen installment, don’t tune in with all this symbolism in mind. In fact, as with any good film or book, moral and spiritual messages often have much greater impact if they reach us at a subconscious level. And that’s why, in order to get the most from this Manual, we’re going to transport ourselves five centuries ahead, into Star Trek’s vision of the future. In other words, we’re going to pretend. Using this Manual This is how it works: We are no longer Americans or Europeans, Africans or Asians. We are Starfleet personnel whose homeworlds are scattered all across the galaxy. And now we’re embarking on a year-long mission of exploration into even more distant regions of the universe. To optimize our mental and spiritual health during this long and potentially dangerous Voyage, we’re going to begin each new day with a thought-provoking meditation. And who better to provoke our thoughts than past Starfleet officers, crewmembers and other colorful characters whose words have been recorded in the chapters (also known as “episodes”) of Federation logs? The period after we wake up, but before we report for duty, is ideal for reading these meditations. So too is the hour or so before we end the day. If neither of these is convenient, we can always set aside some other regular time. And if we miss a few days, or prefer to read several meditations at one sitting, that’s okay, too. However, as most spiritual disciplines confirm, developing a daily regimen will have the most lasting impact. Starting our readings on the first day of the Solar Year might seem “most logical,” as Spock would say — at least for humans. But it’s not required. Entering the cycle at any time should prove equally effective. Since the numbering system at the top of each page corresponds to the traditional calendar, you may want to jump in on whatever today’s date happens to be. Or you can simply let “1.01” represent the first day you start, whether it’s June 29th or November 3rd. After all, somewhere in the galaxy, a brand new year is beginning today. The quotations which precede each daily meditation were spoken in the context of “previous” voyages of ex-ploration. For that reason alone they should have significance for us. But there are also deeper meanings hidden within them… meanings that transcend the boundaries between past, present and future… that blur the distinction between Star Trek’s warp-speed adventures through the galaxy and our own, more deliberate journeys within. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re a seasoned Trekker, or you have only a passing familiarity with the series. The stories of The Enterprise, DS9 and Voyager are our stories. The challenges and obstacles their crewmembers faced are the same ones we face. And the inner resources they learned to call on, that gave them the strength to overcome those challenges and obstacles, are the same resources now available to us. Hopefully, this book will help you become more aware of them. Equally important, the Manual encourages you to apply them in your daily life — to “learn by doing,” as Captain Kirk put it. Like other daily meditationals, the central theme for each reading has been condensed into a short affirmation or suggested action-for-the-day. If a different affirmation or action would be more appropriate to your circumstances, feel free to create another for yourself. Either way, reading this closing thought out loud will increase its effect. Saying it more than once — with feeling — will help even more. Applying it at the first available opportunity will turn the daily lesson into genuine personal growth. Inevitably, by the end of this year’s Voyage, we’ll be different people. By next year, chances are we won’t simply be going along for the ride. We may find ourselves in the Captain’s Chair. And pretending will no longer be necessary. Mark S. HaskettDirector, InnerFaith Resources
From the Preface to Going Boldly on Your Inner Voyage: The Unauthorized Starfleet Daily Meditation Manual © 1999-2004, IF Books. |
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