Analysis for Stacy M. Clanton, 20 November 1998

This is how you described the room:

If it's both "strange and familiar," then it's also both warm and cold. Also, it's both highly and ornately decorated in a Victorian style, with lots of fringed throws on ornately carved tables and starkly Scandinavian. The pictures on the wall are both highly detailed landscapes and domestic scenes in richly carved frames and stark color blocks in plain metal frames.

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 room is neither comfortable nor uncomfortable; this suggests the subject had a bland, uninspiring childhood. The significant detail in the description of the room tells us that the subject has rich, lasting memories of childhood.

You wanted to leave the room.

The subject wanted to become an adult.

This is how you described the forest:

The forest is "thin" in the sense that there is not a lot of undergrowth, but the trees are plentiful, thick, and tall. Subsequently, there is a constant interplay of dark and light at various points in the trail.

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:

The trail is mainly easily navigated, wide and well traveled, yet it offers several side trails which are themselves less well marked. While I take many of those, I find few of them lead to anything remarkable (perhaps that's why they're not as beaten down), but some of them lead to truly remarkable places to be observed or allow glimpses of animals or vegetation that I might not have seen otherwise.

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 wide path indicates that the subject had numerous 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. The side trails suggest distractions, some of which proved rewarding.

This is how you described the water:

It is a natural, flowing body of water. At the point where I encounter it, its banks have narrowed and it's grown more shallow, so while upstream from me, it's rather smooth and calm, where I have encountered it, it's beginning to flow rapidly, and its surface is a bit disturbed. There is a very pleasant sound of rushing water.

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's a tin ladle-type affair with a handle, like that left beside wells in past times.

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 a rather modern, non-descript key, which has markings on it which suggest it was originally issued by an institution. It's color is brass, and it has "Do Not Copy" engraved on it, along with a series of numbers intended to help someone trace it. Since it probably unlocks a lock the core of which has been discarded, I leave it.

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.

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.