Re: Pon Farr

Pardon me for interrupting.  I do not wish to interrupt but I just thought I would try to help Vulcanel.  He has been behaving illogically if I may say so.  I believe he is suffering from the effects of pon farr.

Pon farr (also known as paedo time) is a condition that induces the desire to mate in an adult Vulcan.

Although Vulcans live strictly by the dictates of logic, their veneer of civilization is ripped away from them during pon farr, every seven years (for males; an undisclosed interval for females) of their adult life. Once triggered, Vulcans must have sexual contact with someone, preferably their mate, or else face insanity and death. Vulcans are, however, also capable of engaging in sexual relations at any time they wish; it is only during pon farr that they must mate (or die).

Symptoms

During Pon Farr (Vulcan mating cycle), the brain is thrown into a neurochemical imbalance and loss of logic and emotional control, similar to musth in bull elephants. The individual may stop eating and sleeping. As the condition progresses, the Vulcan undergoes the plak tow, or blood fever, and becomes unable to speak or think clearly - thoughts of mating overwhelm them. The Pon Farr cycle begins when a Vulcan becomes an adult. A mate is chosen by the parents of the affected Vulcan, allowing the Vulcan to become bonded and to satisfy his or her urges.

Although the "Amok Time" episode suggests that an overpowering urge to return to the planet Vulcan is one of the symptoms of pon farr, this occurred to such a lesser degrees during the (much later portrayed) pon farrs of T'Pol, Tuvok, and Vorik, that they were able to overcome the urge to return home.

Pon farr can be also triggered by infection, as seen in Star Trek: Enterprise Episode 2.25, "Bounty".

Treatment

The Vulcan telepathic mating bond draws mated couples irresistibly together. When he experienced pon farr in the Delta Quadrant, Tuvok of Voyager made use of a holodeck simulation of his wife to relieve his condition. T'Pol's pon farr was alleviated using medication; even though medical intervention is usually unsuccessful, the fact her condition was brought about by a virus rather than natural timing suggests an exception to the rule.