Analysis for John, 7 November 1997

This is how you described the room:

The room is pretty warm. It is cosy and is fully carpeted from wall to wall. There is a fireplace and it's Christmas time. It's snowing outside but it's pretty warm inside. The room is very well decorated with Christmas tree holly and lights.

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. Note the extremely inviting surroundings of the room. This suggests a childhood filled with joy. The significant detail in the description of the room tells us that the subject has rich, lasting 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:

Wow!! The virgin state of the forest is beautiful... Tall thick fir trees and beautiful mountains at the back. It's a trail in the Himalayas or in the Alps. The snow green forest surmounted by snow capped peak looks beautiful. The bright sun shining on the snow capped peak looks like gold flowing down the mountain.

The forest is growing up, and the trees are those adults with whom the subject interacted at that time. Tall trees imply that the adults had a strong influence on the subject. That the forest is very bright tells us that the subject had extensive freedom while growing up.

This is how you described the path:

The path is pretty narrow but the tall trees on both the side makes its awfully romantic and beautiful. The snow-capped peaks can be seen in front with the suns ray trickling down the gaps in the leaves. The path is easily navigated with signs at every junction, and is barely visited by humans so the virginity of the place is maintained.

Adolescence is represented by the path through the forest. 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. The strong evidence of fellow travelers tells us that the subject received a lot of support from friends and family during that potentially troubling time. That the path is free of obstructions indicates that the subject had no problems during adolescence.

This is how you described the water:

The moving water is a waterfall. It's beautiful... The fishes swimming in the crystal clear water The suns rays falling in the water makes it appear like gold trickling down the waterfall the waterfall is not too big but has a charm.

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

Of the thirty-odd people I have given the Bear Test to over the last ten years, John is the first to put life in the water.

When you came to the water, you went around it.

The subject is not interested in new sexual experiences.

This is how you described the cup:

It's a clay pot, like the ones used by the Arabs. It's beautiful and is an antique piece of work.

The vessel, or specifically the practicality of the vessel, is how the subject approaches marriage or bonding. A container that is both decorative and practical indicates that the subject considers both romantic and pragmatic aspects 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:

The key is beautiful. It's looks like the key to heaven. Golden in color and pretty small.

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). Magical or fantastic keys suggest that the subject has unreasonably high expectations of what will result from a career. Decorative keys suggest that the subject wants an attention-grabbing, one-of-a-kind 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.