<============= DREAM LINE =============>

The bitter cold wind bites through my parka as I stand on the deck of the ship. Never before have I been so close to such a gigantic iceberg. It is so tall. My gaze starts at the meeting point of the water and the ice. It moves upward. The sheer surface of the ice is beautifully fragmented. The top is so--Wait a second. What is that at the top? It looks like a court room scene. Oh no, there is OJ! In fact, everyone is there, Judge Ito, Marcia Clark, Johnnie Cochran, etc. What in the world are they all doing up there at the top of this ice berg?

The "Trial of the Century" is over. A jury of his peers found O.J. Simpson not guilty of the two murders with which he was charged. As far as the law is concerned OJ is not criminally responsible for the deaths of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman. This, however, does not mean that the question of his guilt or innocence is settled in the hearts and minds of all Americans.

Perhaps even more prevalent than the question of OJ's guilt are the questions regarding deeper, social issues that have been raised throughout the course of the trial. After reviewing the comments and opinions I received in response to my request in the last Dream Line I found that the number one issue most people were concerned with was racism. Some people feel that the murder investigation was compromised by the racist attitudes of some LAPD personnel. On the other hand, some people feel that the jury was racially bias in favor of OJ. People are speaking out from both sides of the black/white racial rift in these United States of America. A lot of these people are expressing anger. But what happens after everyone has vented? Where do we go then?

The trial of OJ has the potential to be a catalyst for both social change and growth. The beginning of this process has been taking place from the opening of the whole OJ saga. All over the country people have talked about the trial over breakfast, at work, at lunch, etc. And in doing so they have been discussing some of the most challenging issues of our time, among them racism. But that is just the beginning of the process. Just as, in a short time, O.J. Simpson will disappear from the front pages of the newspapers and the evening broadcasts of national news so too, will the focus on these deeper issues be in danger of simply fading into the background. In order for it to be said that this trial has been a catalyst change must occur!

In addition to comments and opinions I requested dreams about OJ and the trial. What did our dream-selves have to offer and how did these offerings differ from conscious comments? The main difference was in the area of a positive focus as opposed to a negative focus. The comments and opinions almost exclusively dealt with perceived racism. Whereas our dreams are filled with mysterious attempts at understanding the tragedy, and symbols of reconciliation.

In one dream, where the dreamer was at the murder scene, Nicole Brown had written something on the wall in an attempt to identify OJ as her killer. The message read: "lapis lazuli" (sky blue, yet unclear). This same dream goes on to deal with the struggle to understand why this terrible crime occurred. Could this be an unconscious sum up of the whole trial? In another dream O.J. Simpson was nominated for president on the democratic ticket. He was carried out of the convention on the shoulders of the delegates. Perhaps this dream speaks of OJ's murder trial becoming the "Trial of the Century", or it could speak of process of balancing the power between the races. Another dreamer sent a couple of dreams dealing with OJ and God. The theme throughout these dreams was OJ's innocence. In addition to these there were several dreams that accurately predicted not only the verdict, but the circumstances surrounding it.

The few examples provided above illustrate some of the ways OJ and his murder trial have appeared in our dreams. These dreams speak to us in the mystical language of symbols that transcends the individual and subjective viewpoints we may have. Born deep within the dreamer's psyche, the dream, can bring unexpected solutions and spontaneous enlightenment. Although none of the dreams I received for this column overtly offer solutions (the possibility of spontaneous enlightenment cannot be ruled) they do provide us with some unique frames of reference from which to re-evaluate the "Trial of the Century" and all the issues that follow along with it.

Both the comments and dreams about OJ tell something of how we as a country are dealing with the trial of a hero. The comments lean toward the negative, pointing out perceived injustices on all sides. On the other hand, you have our dreams, which speak to us in the beautiful way that only dreams can, looking at the larger pains involved. Our comments have identified some deep social problems, foremost being racism. Our dreams seem to be urging us to recognize the pain, and to move toward healing. How? By listening to our dreams, for they can often balance the sometimes hard and cynical judgments of our conscious minds. Of course, without action there will be no change or healing. Use this balanced perspective as a spring board to positive action!

I wish to thank everyone that responded with OJ comments and dreams!
REQUEST:

Dream Line will next be looking into the changing family of America. How have our dreams reflected the changes in what is considered a "traditional family"?

Please send any dreams, comments, or opinions about family to:
JShadow876@aol.com

--Christopher Hicks