Analysis for Anonymous, 7 November 1997

This is how you described the room:

Warm, colourful, quilt blanket, tall standing lamp, sun from window.

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. The items in the room are average, which tells us that the subject has the normal memories of childhood.

You wanted to stay in the room.

The subject did not want to grow up.

This is how you described the forest:

Thin trees, lots of sun shining 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. Small trees imply that the adults had a weak influence on the subject.

This is how you described the path:

Narrow, well-traveled, visible.

Adolescence is represented by the path through the forest. That the path is free of obstructions indicates that the subject had no problems during adolescence. The visibility of the path tells us that the subject had a good idea of what to expect from adolescence. A narrow path suggests that the subject had limited options for emotional growth at this time.

This is how you described the water:

Murky, natural, river.

The water is the subject’s sexuality. What interests us here is the clarity of the water (representing attitude) and its movement (representing libido). Murky, dirty, or otherwise unclear water suggests that the subject has significant issues regarding sex. The movement of the water suggests a normal, average if somewhat playful 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:

Flat bottomed flask, necked.

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 left the cup behind.

The subject is not interested in marriage.

This is how you described the key:

Gold colored, big, unlocks a door to a house.

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). An ordinary-looking key suggests that the subject desires a nondescript career. Having the key open a house, car, or other commonplace use tells us that the subject has no extraordinary expectations about a career.

You confronted the bear.

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

When you came to the wall, you tried to go around it.

The wall represents death: by trying to walk around it, the subject shows an acknowledgment of death, but also a need for an alternative to its finality, such as an afterlife or reincarnation.

See another test from 1997