Analysis for James, 3 November 1998

This is how you described the room:

The room is warm, kinda nice warm, that you just wanna curl up and stay there. A waterbed that is trashed and misc. trinkets all over. A disco ball on the ceiling, a pimp spotlight, and a tan carpet, kinda dirty and a newspaper on the ground too.

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:

The forest is thin at first, but darker and thicker later on. The trees are a canopy with pinpoints of light, but not very much, but spots of light on the trail. A couple rocks are laying around on the edge of the trail.

The forest is growing up, and the trees are those adults with whom the subject interacted at that time. Average-sized trees imply the normal influence adults have on a child: neither insignificant nor impressive. 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 really narrow but well-traversed. But there is no one there, so it puzzles me. There is grass to each side, trees all over, but nothing is obstructing the trail. The trail is just happy to kick it through the forest.

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 water is a little river. And it is crystal clear, and chilly. Because in the mountains you have cold water and shit unless it's a hot spring or something. At the bottom, there are a lot of rocks, misc. sizes and colors. You can see them all.

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.

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 is a one-liter, NalJean, Lexon water bottle with a blue plastic top and a kitty cat on the side, and it has measuring increments all the way up to 32 oz. on the side. The lid just unscrews and flips off because it is connected.

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:

The key is a skeleton key and I think it unlocks a chest. It is gold. And it is shiny. Kinda small. But you know it unlocks something good. Shit!

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). Versatile keys tell us that the subject has numerous but unfocused expectations about a career. Old-fashioned keys suggest that the subject desires a traditional career.

You avoided the bear.

In a crisis, the subject prefers the indirect, non-confrontational 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.