Analysis for Michael Carr, 12 December 1998

This is how you described the room:

I've never been here before, but from the shabby furniture, the overly warm heat vent chugging out air and the thick, slightly musty smell in the room, I know I'm in eastern Europe. The furniture is of the type that was popular in the U.S. some twenty years ago.

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. The items in the room are average, which tells us that the subject has the normal 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 isn't old growth, but the kind of forest that has regrown in the last half century. Still, the undergrowth has grown to the point where it has nearly strangled the path and threatens to spill over onto the road from which I've come.

The forest is growing up, and the trees are those adults with whom the subject interacted at that time. Small trees imply that the adults had a weak influence on the subject.

This is how you described the path:

It's fairly narrow, but clearly visible. I suspect it is sometimes used by teenagers to come have a smoke or get drunk away from the view of prying eyes.

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.

This is how you described the water:

It's a natural river, clogged with garbage from the city. I think it must have been beautiful at one time, but I'm saddened that it is so polluted now.

The water is the subject’s sexuality. What interests us here is the clarity of the water (representing attitude) and its movement (representing libido). Murky, dirty, or otherwise unclear water suggests that the subject has significant 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 an old wine bottle, left by some drunk who came and got himself drunk and then passed out.

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 rusted skeleton key. I wonder how long it has been sitting here. Perhaps it opens an old chest left around from the war. Maybe holding orders from a German military post.

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. The orders—useless to the subject—might indicate a cynicism about the career, that ultimately it will prove worthless. 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 tried to go around it.

The wall represents death: by trying to walk around it, the subject shows an acknowledgment of death, but also a need for an alternative to its finality, such as an afterlife or reincarnation.