Crime Scene Investigation
Dreamer: Janet, 29, North American female
Crime Scene Fiction -or- Crime Fact?
Real crimes are reported on the radio, on TV, and in the newspaper everyday. Crime fiction is a popular literary genre that explores the variety of motives that influence criminal thought and behaviour. Some have argued that Fyodor Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment" is the greatest crime fiction ever written. TV crime shows have gained an audience worldwide, the list of crime drama shows seems unending. Crime scenes are not only played out on TV and film, they are often relived and experienced in our dreams. While some might say that the fear of crime is imagined and not necessarily real, I would beg to differ. Here is one woman's CSI type dream, you decide;
Sandy
I have been getting recurrent nightmares for the last month which has been troubling me. In my last dream, I am driving down a street in my neighborhood with my family, and I hear a gunshot. When I turn around the bullet was a near miss, and it had made a gunshot hole on the car. It instead hit an older man and he died at the scene, being frightened I look around the scene looking for the culprit and I see in a car going the opposite direction some of my ex boyfriend's old gangster friends with a big smirk on their face. Fearing for my life and feeling that it was intent for me, I try to run away from the situation. Next thing I know, I am driving with my family again but up a street going to our old house that we used to live in when I was seven.
I am trying to get away from these people, and this is the place where I go to. When I get there to the old house I receive a phone call from an acquaintance from my old high school and he says, "Have you heard? That they matched the serial number to the gun that was shot and it was John's?" This is my ex's name. I was very scared when I heard this.
Then I woke up and couldn't sleep at all the very rest of the night.
All in all I have been having recurrent dreams of this sort, where it's me getting harmed by getting shot, and it's usually from my ex. It's been getting worse, and this is one of my attempts to see what its meaning is to me. Just for background info on my relationship with my ex, it was a physically and mentally abusive relationship with ended up me being pregnant and giving birth to my 6 year old daughter. He was a drug user and stalker and I had to obtain a restraining order from him a year ago. I was perfectly happy and ok for this year, for I felt free and relieved to get out of the relationship...and I thought everything was ok, but it troubles me that he doesn't see our girl and I think he is going to get revenge somehow. He was also abusive to our girl, so I obtained a restraining order from her also.
These dreams just started out like I said a month ago.
Mr. Hagen's Reply: Crime Scene Investigation
The meaning is fairly obvious. The question is why did these dreams start a month ago? Are you just more aware of them? The language of your dream could be taken out of a psychology case study textbook or an episode of Crime Scene Investigation...it's that graphic. CSI (see video clip) and Criminal Minds (see video) are weekly shows that forensically explore the world of criminals. The question of this dream I believe is simple. What is it that you need "to do" to make yourself and your daughter feel more secure? Having a restraining order certainly helps, however you evidently still feel vulnerable. Violence is endemic, it is everywhere, it scares you, and of course you are more sensitive to it, because of your experience.
Hope these thoughts are of help and provide some insight,
Mark H.