Analysis for Nick Cohen, 4 September 1997

This is how you described the room:

It is a warm room. There are white walls and a steel table in the middle.

The initial room is the subject’s childhood. What interests us here is the general atmosphere of the room, in addition to the level of furnishings described by the subject. This comfortable room suggests a childhood that was pleasant. No furnishings at all tells of either a complete absence of memories from that time or active suppression of said memories.

You wanted to leave the room.

The subject wanted to become an adult.

This is how you described the forest:

There are big sequoia trees. It's a thick forest, but sunlight can shine through.

The forest is growing up, and the trees are those adults with whom the subject interacted at that time. Average lighting tells us that the subject received enough attention from the adults to be guided but not oppressed. Very tall trees imply that the adults had a significant and substantial impact on the subject’s life.

This is how you described the path:

It is a rough dirt path that winds up and down between the trees, around bushes, etc. It is hard to navigate but intriguing because it's hard to see.

Adolescence is represented by the path through the forest. That plants are the major source of obstructions tells us that the subject’s problems arose mostly from interactions with adults. The lack of evidence of fellow travelers suggests strong feelings of isolation at that time. Poor visibility of the path tells us the subject was often confused by the changes brought on by adolescence. A narrow path suggests that the subject had limited options for emotional growth at this time.

This is how you described the water:

It's a cold river flowing over rocks. The water is very clear and imaginably cold.

The water is the subject’s sexuality. What interests us here is the clarity of the water (representing attitude) and its movement (representing libido). Clear water tells us that the subject has no issues regarding sex. Fast-moving water indicates a strong, active sex drive.

When you came to the water, you crossed it.

The subject is open to new sexual experiences.

This is how you described the cup:

It's a small canteen.

The vessel, or specifically the practicality of the vessel, is how the subject approaches marriage or bonding. A practical container indicates that the subject is pragmatic when it comes to questions of marriage.

You took the cup and filled it.

The subject is interested in marriage, and sex will be a significant part of that relationship.

This is how you described the key:

It's an old brass key that looks dirty. I would imagine it unlocks an underground cave where elves live.

The key is the ideal career for the subject. What interests us here is how the key appears (representing how others view the career) and what it may open (representing the subject’s goals for the career). Old-fashioned keys suggest that the subject desires a traditional career. Magical or fantastic keys suggest that the subject has unreasonably high expectations of what will result from a career.

You confronted the bear.

In a crisis, the subject prefers the direct, no-nonsense approach.

When you came to the wall, you jumped over it.

The wall represents death: by jumping over it, the subject not only acknowledges death but has come to accept its finality.

See another test from 1997