Star Trek Discovery: Katras Across the Multiverse
**Red Spoiler Alert**
Star Trek: Discovery’s latest episode (11) “The Wolf Inside,” raises the question of how connected is Mirror Universe (MU) Sarek with Michael Burnham from the Prime Universe (PU). When Sarek performs his mind meld with Michael he sees and experiences the deep connection PU Sarek and Michael share. He is affected by it but, apparently, not in a very deep sense. Does the MU Sarek, then, share part of his katra with PU Michael after the mind meld?
One page defines katras as the “living spirit… the essence of the Vulcan mind and could be transferred to another person moments before death.”
The concept of a katra is first introduced in TOS and shows up in VOY, DS9, and ENT. Vulcans are not featured prominently in TNG as there are no Vulcan senior officers. In DS9, the concept of katras is expanded beyond the Vulcan sphere to be accessible by other species. Tieran possesses knowledge of a similar practice by his people who come from the Delta Quadrant (DS9, “The Passenger”).
We learn early on in Discovery that PU Sarek saved Michael and his katra became connected with Michael. The use of a mind meld to save Micahel left part of Sarek’s katra in Michael linking them with a psychic connection. They have even communicated through great distances because they share Sarek’s katra. There are implications with how this sharing would affect Sarek in the long-term. For example, does Sarek have to extract part of his katra within Michael upon her death? Vulcans live much longer than humans. If Michael dies, does that part of Sarek’s katra die also? If it does, how does this affect Sarek who seems to be attuned to his katra even across light-years?
These questions are relevant because transferring into the MU basically cuts off PU Sarek from his katra.
MU Sarek and PU Michael do not share a katra. At least before they meet. He might have become aware of PU Sarek’s connection to Michael, but he did not necessarily give up part of his own katra.
The argument can be made that PU and MU characters do not have to be alive at the same time to exist in either universe. For example, Michael is presumed dead in the MU but alive in the PU. Also, the young captain Michael kills in the MU, to regain her authority of the MU’s Shenzhou, has been dead for a long time in the PU. That said, there is irony in the fact that he died directly, or indirectly, at the hands of Michael. Another example is Empress Georgiou. We know she is dead in the Prime Universe. Therefore Katras are not transdimensional and exist apart from each other.
Therefore, it seems improbable that MU Sarek and PU Michael share katras before the mind meld and probably not afterward either. There were no physical or psychological markers that pointed to a partial transfer of katra. It seems that there is no deeper connection between MU Sarek and PU Michael. In fact, there should be no connection between Sareks in the MU and PU as the katra is an in-body experience and requires the physical contact of a mind meld to be transferred. Unless of course, the MU Sarek took part of PU Sarek’s Katra from Michael.
