Analysis for abyssmal, 4 February 1999

This is how you described the room:

The room is covered in black and white checkered tile. It's cool, but in a late spring kind of way. I woke up on a plush, black bear rug and am looking at myself in a large, oval mirror ornately trimmed with silver.

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 comfortable room suggests a childhood that was pleasant. The depth of description tells us that the subject has strong memories of childhood.

You wanted to leave the room.

The subject wanted to become an adult.

This is how you described the forest:

I find myself in an old-growth redwood forest. The trees are so tall I can't see the sky. The forest floor is sparsely populated, but the redwoods are so big and thick I can't see ten feet in front of me.

The forest is growing up, and the trees are those adults with whom the subject interacted at that time. Very tall trees imply that the adults had a significant and substantial impact on the subject’s life. A semi-dark forest tells us that the subject felt somewhat oppressed by the attention the adults gave.

This is how you described the path:

The path is well worn and looks as old as the redwoods. Due to size of all the roots, the path is almost as much vertical as it is horizontal.

Adolescence is represented by the path through the forest. 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 plants are the major source of obstructions tells us that the subject’s problems arose mostly from interactions with adults.

This is how you described the water:

The path runs into a swift moving river. About fifteen feet wide, the water is so clear that it's almost transparent.

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:

I find a large wine bottle, fat at the bottom, rapidly narrowing at the top. It's a deep purple and the lower half is in a straw basket in a Celtic cross design.

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 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:

I find a small key cut from a ruby. Even though it is highly polished and multi-faceted, the lack of light makes it look blood red. This can only unlock someone's heart.

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). Magical or fantastic keys suggest that the subject has unreasonably high expectations of what will result from a career. Decorative keys suggest that the subject wants an attention-grabbing, one-of-a-kind career.

You confronted the bear.

In a crisis, the subject prefers the direct, no-nonsense 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.