Analysis for Amadillo, 23 December 1998

This is how you described the room:

The room is slightly chilly from a breeze coming in through the window, which is open only a crack. I have been sleeping on a slightly lumpy couch, using a sheet with little roses on it and a blanket with a giant picture of Grover from Sesame Street. The air is slightly stale, but that's probably because the humidifier in the room hasn't been cleaned in a while. The walls have old black-and-white photos of people I don't recognize, mostly in plastic frames. A mobile with pieces of colored glass hangs from the ceiling, swaying slightly in the draft.

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 significant detail in the description of the room tells us that the subject has rich, lasting 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 trees are very tall, like ponderosas. It is a dry country, so the trees are widely spaced, with little underbrush. There is a blanked of pine needles underfoot, and the air smells of creosote and sage. The day is overcast, so a clean gray light filters through the branches overhead.

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 path has been travelled heavily in the past--you can tell by the ruts it has carved in the soil. However, it is overgrown with weeds and grasses, so it hasn't been used much lately. Some logs and rocks have fallen into the path, but it is mostly easy to follow as it winds gently through the trees.

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. 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. A few, scattered obstructions indicate the occasional problem in adolescence, but nothing consistent nor insurmountable.

This is how you described the water:

A small run-off fed stream lies ahead, with a large snow bank on the other side. The water is icy cold and clear, running and bubbling over the rocks. It has cut a V-shaped wash through the landscape, meandering down the fall line. The rocks clearly visible in the bottom of the stream are green and slippery with algae.

The water is the subject’s sexuality. What interests us here is the clarity of the water (representing attitude) and its movement (representing libido). The movement of the water suggests a normal, average if somewhat playful 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:

A sports bottle from "Mountain Cyclery" is lying on the bank. Guess the path isn't so unused, after all. It is bright orange, with blue lightning-shaped streaks running through it. The sun has faded the colors on one side, so it's probably been sitting here a while.

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 bright green metal, like the re-made ones you get in Wal-Mart. It looks like a car key, with teeth on both sides. Probably to some small foreign car, where the trunk key and the ignition key are the same.

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 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.