Dreaming about being arrested can be very unsettling. But it also doesn’t have to be. Sometimes, we dream about getting arrested in the first person. In this case, we might be feeling guilty and that we are getting what we deserve. On the other hand, sometimes the dream can be like an action movie. Maybe you’re the hero, maybe you’re getting arrested and fighting your way out… If you’ve seen lots of police movies lately, then that’s the reason why you’re having such dreams, look no further.
However, dreaming about getting arrested is sometimes a very useful experience. These dreams sometimes carry important messages from our subconscious minds about emotions we might be repressing and our attitudes towards ourselves.
So what exactly is the meaning of arrests in dreams? Most often, arrests in dreams indicate important changes in life ahead. We might not be ready to change, but this dream sends a message that change is inevitable. The dream might indicate that you are powerless against some things (which is completely normal by the way – no one can control all factors in life).
Dreams about arrests and crimes are also connected to the topics of justice and authority, with the difference between right and wrong.
Common Dream Situations Connected With The Topic Of Arrests
- The most common theme (and the most symbolically powerful one) is dreaming about yourself getting arrested.
- Sometimes we can also dream about other people getting arrested.
- You might dream about yourself as an employee of the law enforcement where you are arresting someone. The arrested person or persons might be someone you know or someone you see for the first time.
- You might be dreaming about criminals getting arrested (without you being involved in the process in any way).
- You could be dreaming about yourself running away from the police in an attempt to avoid getting arrested.
- A police chase that leads to an arrest
- You or someone else is stuck in the police station after getting arrested.
Detailed Dream Interpretation
How did this dream make you feel? When we are talking about dreams of getting arrested, this is a very important question. It is an important question anyway, but in this case it is more important to ask it than usual. Arrests, and dealings with the police (see also Police Dream Interpretation) and crime in our dreams more broadly always have something to tell us about how we feel about certain issues. You might be feeling judgmental towards yourself, or you might be judging someone else for something they are doing. In general, these dreams can tell us a lot about what we feel is right or wrong. Unfortunately, sometimes this line is not so easily visible as we might want it to be.
In any case, dreaming about getting arrested could cause feelings of embarrassment and shame, but on the other hand it might make you feel rebellious – if you feel that the arrest was unjust. So what does that all mean?
Dreaming of Yourself Getting Arrested
With dreams about getting arrested, it is important to think about the role you were playing in the dream. When you are the protagonist (or the one getting arrested in any case), it probably means this dream carries a message about what you feel your place in society is. More broadly, these dreams are often about how we feel about ourselves and our own actions.
First of all, think about the conditions of the arrest. In this dream, were you arrested because you did something wrong, or perhaps you felt you were wrongly accused?
In any case, an arrest is an action that takes away our freedom. Have you been feeling a lack of freedom in your waking life lately perhaps? Maybe you felt you couldn’t make your own choices for whatever reason. Dreams about getting arrested often resurface when we feel stuck in life, physically or metaphorically. You might be feeling like your voice is not being heard and that your actions don’t have the desired effect no matter what you do.
Dreams about getting arrested also often point towards our relationship with authority figures. Perhaps, you are feeling rebellious and do not want to submit to authority or tradition. On the other hand, you might be trying to establish authority in a group of some sort but it is not working.
If you are wearing handcuffs in your dream after getting arrested, it strongly suggests you are feeling a lack of control. You might be feeling unjustly dominated by someone in your waking life or that someone is taking away your freedom and power.
Dreaming of Someone Else Getting Arrested
When you dream about someone who is not you getting arrested, it is important to think about, was it someone you know or some seemingly random people? Especially if it’s people you know, it might be a sign that you don’t let other people have any influence on your life. This is sometimes a good thing, but often it is not. Everyone needs help sometimes and advice from others can often be helpful. However, this dream is a sign that you might be overly self-reliant and refuse to hear what others have to say. You might want to give them a chance.
If you are the one executing the arrest in the dream, it could mean that you are overly controlling towards others in waking life.
Dreaming of other people getting arrested can also be about the way we are judging people around us (or even sometimes ourselves). If you’ve dreamt of someone you know in your waking life (especially someone close to you) getting arrested, you might want to think about what this person represents to you. Is there a characteristic of this person you see inside yourself too? Sometimes, when we dream about familiar people, they are actually representations of certain aspects of ourselves.
What was the reason this person got arrested in the dream? Was it really their fault? This dream might be an expression of something you do not approve of in the life of this person – or in yourself.
If the person and the reason they got arrested in the dream surprised you, you might want to take the time and think about this dream. You might be having a crisis of values. What do you think is the right thing to do going forward in your life? Sometimes what we think is right and what our hearts want are not the same thing.
Emotions Associated With This Dream
- Guilt
- Weakness
- Helplessness
- Taboo
- Devotion
- Discipline
- Fairness
- Feelings connected to authority figures
- Success
- Strength
Getting arrested in a dream can cause a variety of feelings (some of them quite uncomfortable). However, these dreams are also often caused by emotions that already exist within us. Although a bit contradictory, all of the emotions above might lead to dreams about arrests.
What do you think caused you to dream about getting arrested or seeing an arrest? Do you think the dream has a cause in your inner emotional life, or that the arrest was more of an accidental symbol?
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