Analysis for Big Dave, 1 March 1999

This is how you described the room:

The room is small, boxlike, empty. The green paint covering the plaster walls is aged and cracked. The concrete floor is unfinished. Cold air wafts through the solitary, barred window set high in the wall. A door opposite the window leads outdoors.

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. A very uncomfortable room suggests a highly traumatic childhood. No furnishings at all tells of either a complete absence of memories from that time or active suppression of said memories.

You wanted to leave the room.

The subject wanted to become an adult.

This is how you described the forest:

The forest is dark, foreboding. Huge conifers dominate, with the spaces between the trees filled with thick, lush undergrowth. There is a heavy odor of pine and humus.

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 very dark forest tells us that the subject felt considerably oppressed by the attentions of the adults.

This is how you described the path:

A path leading through the forest is narrow, given to neglect. Obviously little-used, it's overgrown here and there with vegetation, cracked and split with clumps of verdant weeds.

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. A narrow path suggests that the subject had limited options for emotional growth at this time. The lack of evidence of fellow travelers suggests strong feelings of isolation at that 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:

A spring nearby feeds a rushing stream that pools here in a brightly-lit clearing. Gushing water rolls and crashes down the rise over sharp rocks, collects here in a deep, natural pool, and flows onward through the forest. The water in the pool is clean, crystal-clear, and inviting.

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:

The vessel is a golden goblet, traced with fine etchings and encrusted with precious gems.

The vessel, or specifically the practicality of the vessel, is how the subject approaches marriage or bonding. A decorative container indicates that the subject views marriage as a romantic adventure.

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:

It's an iron skeleton key, beat up and ancient-looking. It looks as though it would open an old attic door, or maybe an old chest.

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 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.