Simon Van Gelder Dr . Simon Van Gelder was a male Human civilian in the 23rd century . He was born in the 2220s . In 2266 , he was assigned to the Tantalus Penal Colony as Dr . Tristan Adams ' associate . He was later promoted to director . By the time the visited , six months later , he was suffering from the effects of neuro - synapse damage . Van Gelder escaped the colony by concealing himself in an outbound cargo container , then confronted the bridge crew before he was captured and taken to sickbay . Dr . Adams told Captain Kirk that Van Gelder had injured himself with a neural neutralizer , an experiment al therapeutic device . According to Adams , Van Gelder felt he hadn ' t the moral right to expose another man to something he hadn ' t tried on himself first . Van Gelder had great difficulty remembering basic facts , such as his name , his duties , and who he worked with . Each of his attempts to remember was enormously painful . He was violently agitated , and desperate not to return to the penal colony . Although Dr . Adams offered reasonable explanations for all of this , Dr . McCoy was suspicious , for reasons he couldn ' t clearly explain . Regulations required Kirk to answer McCoy ' s doubts , and so Kirk visited the colony with psychiatrist Helen Noel to investigate Van Gelder ' s accident . Van Gelder consistently maintained that he was not a criminal , and did not require the neural neutralizer . When he learned Kirk planned to spend the night at the colony , he became agitated again , and warned Spock and McCoy that Kirk was in terrible danger , and that Dr . Adams would destroy him . Because of his profound symptoms , it was difficult for the officer s to understand or believe him . To learn the truth , Spock was forced to attempt something he had never tried with a Human – a Vulcan mind meld . Despite the risks , Van Gelder insisted Spock make the attempt . Spock learned that Dr . Adams had deliberately used the neural neutralizer on Van Gelder , reshaping his thoughts and emptying Van Gelder ' s mind so that any thought Adams uttered would become Van Gelder ' s thought . Van Gelder ' s revelations prepared Spock to act , so that when Dr . Noel temporarily interrupted the power , " Enterprise " personnel were able to secure the colony . Dr . Van Gelder was restored to health , and resumed his responsibilities . He also dismantled the neural neutralizer room and destroyed the equipment . ( ) Background information . Simon Van Gelder was portrayed by Morgan Woodward . Early in the script process , he was named Aaron Van Gelder ; this was noted in the de Forest Research document dated . In the final draft script of " Dagger of the Mind " , Van Gelder was initially described as " " the large wild figure of a man [ . . . ] with some of the watchfulness of a hunted animal " " and a " " tall , unkempt , desperate looking man . In time , we ' ll come to recognize much of this as a refreshing throwback to 19th century individualism with all of its exasperating foibles , groping nobility of spirit . But all we ' re aware of at this moment is his violent emotional state , the fact he is obviously dangerous . " " Also in the script , Van Gelder was to have suffered medical complications in the aftermath of his mind meld with Spock . The stage directions in the script stated , " " McCoy has glanced up at the [ body function ] panel , finding the readings dropping alarmingly [ . . . ] Van Gelder ' s head has fallen limply to one side . McCoy moves in fast , slapping Van Gelder across one cheek , then another [ . . . ] McCoy quickly scrambles through a medic kit , finds a small white pill , inserts it into Van Gelder ' s mouth . A long wait , then Van Gelder begins to slowly breathe again , his eye s flutter , he drifts back toward life . " " In playing Van Gelder , Morgan Woodward aimed to build the character to a frenzied state but keep him realistic . Regarding how this performance was received during the making of " Dagger of the Mind " , Woodward noted , " " Everyone [ on the set ] was supportive and admiring of my work . " " ( " " , issue # 130 , p . 72 ) The role of Van Gelder was so emotionally expressive that , reportedly , Morgan Woodward , after playing the part , had to rest at home for four days . Woodward himself reflected , " " After the episode had been shot , I went home and closed the door . I stayed inside my house for the next four days just recovering . I was beat . I was so sore , physically , from fighting that straitjacket in the Sick Bay scenes , and all I wanted to do was rest . All of that screaming , crying and yelling exhausted me , physically and emotionally . " " Comparing Van Gelder to Woodward ' s only other " Star Trek " role – Captain Ronald Tracey in – the actor remarked , " " Van Gelder was much more difficult because it required tremendous amounts of emotional energy . " " ( " " , issue # 130 , p . 72 ) When Morgan Woodward first watched " Dagger of the Mind " , seeing his part in the show was a crushing blow to him . " " I couldn ' t believe it . I was " very " disappointed in my performance . I thought it was very overdone . I felt the director < nowiki > [ < / nowiki > Vincent McEveety < nowiki > ] < / nowiki > had just abandoned me and let me go crazy , so to speak . But then , I had people coming up to me and congratulating me on my performance [ . . . ] If the role was terribly overdone , which I initially felt it was , it was at least within the realm of science fiction , where almost " anything " is permissible . " " ( " " , issue # 130 , p . 72 ) Interviewed in , Morgan Woodward further commented , " " Van Gelder is the most physically and emotionally demanding role that I have " ever " played . That is a role I will " never " forget . It is still vivid in my memory [ . . . ] Just " seeing " ' Dagger of the Mind ' again exhausts me ! " " ( " " , issue # 130 , p . 72 ) Dr . Simon Van Gelder ' s name was mentioned on a Planet 10 Shipping label , which is visible in ( though with the small print , including his name , blurred ) and in the .