Analysis for Dr. Bob, 28 September 1998

This is how you described the room:

The room has 1 mattress in the corner on the floor. It is a twin mattress and is occupied with myself and my lover. We are both fully clothed. The wall are bare white with no pictures or decorations. The carpet is a pale tan and smells with a hint of mildew but tastes clearly like dust. There is one window with a blind which has been turned open, but not drawn up.

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. An uncomfortable room suggests a childhood that was devoid of happiness. No furnishings at all tells of either a complete absence of memories from that time or active suppression of said memories.

You wanted to stay in the room.

The subject did not want to grow up.

This is how you described the forest:

The forest is comprised mostly of huge pine and redwood trees. There is moss growing on the lower parts of some of the trees. The tress form a dense canopy obscuring nearly all of the direct sunlight. It is cool but not cold. There is an alarm clock ringing somewhere.

The forest is growing up, and the trees are those adults with whom the subject interacted at that time. Very tall trees imply that the adults had a significant and substantial impact on the subject’s life. A semi-dark forest tells us that the subject felt somewhat oppressed by the attention the adults gave.

This is how you described the path:

The path is made of tan dirt and is clearly visible amongst the ground covered with pine needles. The path is really too narrow for two people to walk side by side comfortably, which makes it very difficult to talk to my companion.

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. That the path is free of obstructions indicates that the subject had no problems during adolescence.

This is how you described the water:

Before me is a small stream about 5 feet wide. The water is moving at 6.475 miles per hour at this point. The water is very clear and smalls nice. However after tasting it I have been left with a thin film in my mouth. The stream appears to be naturally occurring as no man made items or spatial phenomenon can be seen in any direction.

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 aftertaste, however, may indicate some issues being repressed.

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 is an old 2 litre bottle that has been cut off at the 1.5 litre mark. The label is long since gone and the plastic is stating to yellow. It has a black plastic bottom.

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:

The key is about 1.75 inches long and made of brass. From the hole it widens sharply and then narrows in a symmetrical fashion. Sideways to it's primary axis it has the word "SLAGE" stamped on it. I can only assume it is used in a Schlge lock. These are high quality locks often used by businesses but can be found on the homes of paranoid people and locksmiths. Starting from the tip, the pins are 1, 4, 2, 12, 5, 12, 3, 9, 2, and 9. The key also has some grime in the grooves. I suppose it is not very groovy.

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). Having the key open a house, car, or other commonplace use tells us that the subject has no extraordinary expectations about a career. An ordinary-looking key suggests that the subject desires a nondescript career. The extreme detail, however, suggests that the subject may have very specific requirements of the 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.