Analysis for Mark Beesley, 17 December 1998

This is how you described the room:

I am in the bedroom I shared with my two older brothers when I was 7 years old. The old house didn't have central heat and it was always cold in the winter. We slept in a triple bunk bed and shared a four drawer chest of drawers, the only furniture in the room, well, besides the toy chest.

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. Few, simple furnishings tells us that the subject has few memories of that time.

You wanted to leave the room.

The subject wanted to become an adult.

This is how you described the forest:

Behind the old house was an apple orchard. There were all sorts and type of apple trees, pippin, golden delicious, bellflower, and red delicious. The orchard was bright and airy with sunlight streaming through the branches of the apple trees.

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. That the forest is very bright tells us that the subject had extensive freedom while growing up.

This is how you described the path:

The only foot path through the orchard was not very well defined. Only we children used it to go to the gulch on the other side of the orchard. It wasn't difficult to find the gulch if we didn't use the path, so often it wasn't even used.

Adolescence is represented by the path through the forest. Poor visibility of the path tells us the subject was often confused by the changes brought on by adolescence. The lack of evidence of fellow travelers suggests strong feelings of isolation at that time.

This is how you described the water:

The path wound its way down into the gulch, past dead, trees and lush ferns. At the bottom of the gulch was a dark and dingy stream. The water flowed slowly and puddled in many places where it was black and stinky.

The water is the subject’s sexuality. What interests us here is the clarity of the water (representing attitude) and its movement (representing libido). Stagnant or still water suggests a sex drive that is absent or pathologically inactive, not by choice of the subject. 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:

In the mud on the other side of the stream is a rusty old soup can. The red and white Campbell's label is faded and difficult to read. It looks like it was tomato soup.

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:

A rusty old skeleton key is lying in the path. The top of the key, the circular part that would attach to a key-ring is broken, but the teeth of the key are intact, if rusty. The key probably fits a lock on the tool shed of the school that was on the other side of the gulch.

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. 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.