Object

Sigmund Freud's Cigar Box and Cigar

This cigar box and its oversized cigar rest on the desk in the holodeck simulation of Sigmund Freud's office. Freud extracts the cigar from the box and toys with it between his fingers throughout the consultation, using it as a gestural prop to punctuate his Freudian interpretations of Data's nightmares (ego vs. id, maternal figures, sexual repression). The cigar and box ground the scene in early 20th-century Vienna aesthetics, serving as symbolic extensions of Freud's bombastic persona and human-centric psychoanalytic framework. The box and cigar are integral to the holodeck's immersive recreation of Freud's office, interacting with Data, Deanna Troi, and the Three Interphasic Aliens (disguised as workmen) during the psychoanalytic session.

1 appearances

Purpose

Stores large cigars for Freud to handle during psychoanalytic sessions

Significance

Reinforces Freud's theatrical persona and period authenticity, emphasizing the mismatch between human psychology and Data's android experience as he rejects the interpretations

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

1 moments

S7E6 · Phantasms

Data dismisses Freud’s reductive analysis

The 'VERY LARGE CIGAR' is Freud’s signature prop, wielded like a conductor’s baton to emphasize his interpretations. He rolls it between his fingers, waves it sharply to punctuate phrases ('Ach! Repression!'), and uses it to create a physical barrier between himself and Data’s objections. The cigar’s size and Freud’s animated gestures with it reinforce the scene’s satire: his analysis is performative, grand, and ultimately hollow. When Data rejects the session, the cigar—along with Freud’s entire office—vanishes, symbolizing the dismissal of human-centric solutions. Its absence in the holodeck grid underscores the cold, logical reality Data must face.

Before: Unlit, held between Freud’s fingers, used as a gestural tool during his analysis.

After: Dissolved into the holodeck grid, along with Freud’s office.

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