– an excerpt from the book with dreams from inmates

Josh’s Cop Dream & an Introduction to Jail Metaphors

30-year-old Hamilton resident, Josh H. shared a dream in spring of 2018. His dream depicted a scenario with a police officer. In real life, an officer shot Josh in the leg and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) opened a file to determine if the officer had used excessive force during the arrest. After he was shot in the leg, arrested and incarcerated Josh began having nightmares. In November 2018,  SIU charged the arresting officer with attempted murder. The trial is pending. Here is Josh’s dream:

“It’s about me when I first got here. I was in the infirmary … I was calling my girl from my cell in Maplehurst. She answered the phone bawling her eyes out. I asked her what’s wrong and she tells me when she was leaving our house for work, as she was pulling out of the driveway there was a police cruiser waiting by the corner of our block. As she pulled out they started to follow her and my daughter. About two blocks away they put on their lights & sirens. She pulls over. An officer gets out and walks up to her car. As he approaches, she says she got out her driver’s license she opened the window and went to hand him her driver’s license He says, “Oh no Shauna, that won’t be necessary.” He looked to the back seat and said, “Well, well, well, this must be Josh’s baby girl.” And then he was like, “how’re you ladies doing this morning.” Shauna told me she was taken aback by this and asked him how did he know their names? He said he knew all of our names and he tells her he knows a lot more than their names. He tells her he knows her entire schedule and that her and Leah are home alone everyday. He says he is here on behalf of a colleague, in particular, the man who shot me. He tells her that if I don’t tell them what he wants me to tell them, meaning SIU (Special Investigations Unit),  that she just may disappear for good. She starts bawling her eyes out again and tells me on the phone I need to do what these cops are saying and of course I agree.

A few minutes later the COs [Correction Officers] come and tell me I have a professional visit. I go to the visit and the cop who shot me is sitting there. He cuts right to the chase and says, “Have you gotten our message? Did you talk to Shauna?” I told them I did get their message and I’ll do whatever they ask me to. Just don’t hurt my family. He says then I need to tell them I lied about what happened and that I actually don’t remember what happened. He says if I don’t follow through he will personally kill Leah and Shauna and the rest of my kids and will make sure their bodies are never found. I tell him I will do what he says but I tell him what a piece of shit I think he is. And then he slams his fists on the table, telling me I’m not playing with street gangs anymore, and there’s a loud bang and again I wake up dripping sweat and breathing really heavily.”
 

**************************************

My analysis of the dream begins with the importance of removing any thoughts of judgment. Every human being makes mistakes. Every human being falls short of their truest potential. No one is perfect. No one knows all the answers. Not only that but the culture we live in is not perfect either. There are very old systems in place which are outdated, antiquated, and erroneous. Many of these old systems are falling and crumbling around us, day by day. At the same time new systems are taking root in the society around us. Families are coming together in unity. Communities are taking ownership of themselves and empowering one another to thrive. And cities are transforming, becoming more reflective of the equality which is inherent to every human being. Humanity is waking up to its fullest potentialities. Casting off the shackles of the past and forging forward as an ever-advancing civilization.
 

Listening to dreams from people who are imprisoned and offering interpretations for transformation not only helps release the dreamer from their unconscious fears and anxieties but in sharing these dreams & interpretations we can get a glimpse of key elements which would help free those who may physically live in conditions of so-called “Freedom” but who are emotionally or mentally  imprisoned within their own fears.

The reason Josh’s dream is so great is that it shows where he and his partner want to go in life is having a safe and comfortable family. This shows up in the dream when his wife is driving their daughter to daycare and he’s saying he’d be willing to do anything to keep his family safe. These are the highest aspirations of the dreamer’s True Self. These are noble and honourable wishes. The role of a father is to support and protect their children so the dream shows he aspires to fulfill this role.

What stops him in the dream will be explored in the book. The things which stop him are the very same things which stop everyone. No one is exempt or free from this test in life. When we face a challenge, we can either give up or we can embrace it. This dream shows that when the dreamer sets his intentions to overcoming challenges he has a tremendous capacity to be able to achieve amazing things. This dream shows he has the ability to take authority over the fears & anxieties which limit him and he has the capacity to be a loving and supportive father. His dream so perfectly shows the double challenge which prisoners have in real life. They have the nightmare they are living within the prison walls and they have the inner nightmare of facing some pretty difficult things to face, like cops shouting and slamming their hands on tables. The solution is to become the authority over Self. As he does this more and more he will find the healing & justice his True Self is seeking.You can read what CTV posted when attempted murder charges were laid against the cop 9 months after Josh shared his dream at this link. Josh has not yet had a trial and his charges may still be dropped for lack of evidence backing up the charge.