Crypto-Criminology – The Gothic Nature of Crime
Crypto-criminology refers to the dark, devious and dangerous side of human nature. That strain of humanistic proclivity that crosses the boundaries of civility into brutality. This is a realm of “practical criminology”, applicability to the real world, where human behavior defies profiling, prediction and precise definition. Such an investigation descends to the depths of human depravity, to damp gloomy dungeons of mental mayhem. For which, modern science has no useful, effective and efficient means to explain all the possibilities. Of course, myth, magic and metaphor are allusions constantly present within this region of discussion. In one sense, it’s the exploration of human evil and all its inherent manifestations. And, in another sense, crypto-criminology seeks to delve into the mystery of why people commit crimes. This is an assessment of criminal behavior to walk the eerie landscape of human deviance that foments criminality. The search for modern explanations includes consideration of the influence of “gothic metaphors” in literature, movies and other mass media. As such, “crypto” refers to the hidden, the secret and the unrevealed. Like the word “gothic”, reference is made to the primitive and primeval notions of human nature. A world of howling psychic werewolves, dreams of death and demonic influence. That subterranean mindset of monstrous meanings, vampiric violence and cunning cruelty.
In similarly related aspects of study, there is the term cryptozoology. This often refers to the investigation of unknown or missing “animal” life forms. From this point, we could extrapolate that “crypto” suggests the hidden, secret and … Read more