Analysis for SLY, 19 November 1998

This is how you described the room:

Large room with pink marble walls; looks and feels rather cold; furnishings are pink velvet/gilt ornate chairs and benches. Walls are bare.

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 leave the room.

The subject wanted to become an adult.

This is how you described the forest:

Forest is dense but still allows light through the branches. Trees are pine and some kind that smells delicious. Peaceful and serene.

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. Average lighting tells us that the subject received enough attention from the adults to be guided but not oppressed.

This is how you described the path:

Path is worn enough to be discerned but not rutted. A few twists and turns but mostly smooth with clumps of grass growing in the middle here and there.

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

This is how you described the water:

Path leads to a large waterfall; water falling over rocks into good-sized pond. It looks to be natural. The water is clear, cold and tastes wonderful.

The water is the subject’s sexuality. What interests us here is the clarity of the water (representing attitude) and its movement (representing libido). Rushing, violent water indicates a powerful, vigorous, and quite possibly compulsive 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 small pot, obviously homemade with simple yet beautiful decoration painted on the sides. Soft earth brown with light yellow and white paint.

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 left the cup behind.

The subject is not interested in marriage.

This is how you described the key:

The key is large, made of what looks like brass. The head is ornate with spirals and twists. I don't know what it unlocks but I want to find out.

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). The inability to guess what is believed to be an extraordinary purpose shows that the subject expects something “above and beyond” from the career, but is not sure what. Decorative keys suggest that the subject wants an attention-grabbing, one-of-a-kind career.

You avoided the bear.

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

When you came to the wall, you turned around and walked back along the path.

The wall represents death: by avoiding it altogether, the subject shows complete denial about the possibility of death.