▁are ▁able ▁to ▁impl ant ▁their ▁" k atra " ▁into ▁another ▁person ▁via ▁a ▁mind ▁m eld ▁just ▁before ▁death . ▁S are k ▁explained ▁to ▁Kirk ▁that ▁Spo ck ' s ▁k atra ▁was ▁" his ▁ess ence , ▁everything ▁that ▁was ▁not ▁of ▁the ▁body , ▁his ▁k atra , ▁his ▁living ▁spirit ... every thing ▁that ▁he ▁was , ▁everything ▁that ▁he ▁knew ". ▁He ▁further ▁explained ▁that ▁this ▁trans ference ▁was ▁" the ▁V ul can ▁way , ▁when ▁the ▁body ' s ▁end ▁is ▁near ." ▁Dr ▁Julian ▁Bash ir ▁in ▁the ▁D S 9 ▁episode ▁" The ▁Pass enger " ▁referred ▁to ▁this ▁phenomen on ▁as ▁" syn apt ic ▁pattern ▁disp lacement ". ▁The ▁EN T ▁Season ▁ 4 ▁tr il ogy ▁of ▁episodes ▁(" The ▁For ge ", ▁" A w ak ening ", ▁and ▁" K ir ' Sh ara ") ▁reve al ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁mind - m eld ing ▁and ▁the ▁journey ▁of ▁the ▁k atra ▁of ▁Sur ak ▁to ▁modern ▁times . ▁ ▁Kat ras ▁can ▁be ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁body . ▁Such ▁was ▁the ▁case ▁with ▁Spo ck , ▁who , ▁near ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁Star ▁Tre k ▁II : ▁The ▁W r ath ▁of ▁Khan , ▁impl anted ▁his ▁k atra ▁into ▁the ▁mind ▁of ▁Dr . ▁Mc Co y ▁before ▁sacrific ing ▁his ▁life . ▁In ▁Star ▁Tre k ▁III : ▁The ▁Search ▁for ▁Spo ck , ▁a ▁mind ▁m eld ▁rit ual , ▁the