Analysis for Dr. Shades, 17 March 1999

This is how you described the room:

A cold, barren living room with a wooden floor. Old furnishings lay about helter-skelter, dusty from having been abandoned several decades ago. Tattered curtains conceal grimy, cobwebbed windows. The room is part of an old house no longer in use, indeed, no one in the neighborhood remembers the original owners.

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. No furnishings at all tells of either a complete absence of memories from that time or active suppression of said memories.

You wanted to stay in the room.

The subject did not want to grow up.

This is how you described the forest:

It is a pleasant forest with huge trees and very little underbrush. Birds are singing, and the sun's light filters down from high above. The wind is blowing slightly.

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. 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:

It is narrow and not very well-worn, but easily visible. It follows a relatively straight course between 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. 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 the path is free of obstructions indicates that the subject had no problems during adolescence.

This is how you described the water:

It is a natural body of water, a small creek with rushing water cascading over rocks. The water is very cold and crystal clear, flowing down from glacial runoff.

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:

It is a dirty dinner glass, long since abandoned beside the trail.

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. That the glass has been abandoned is interesting. Perhaps the subject is a disillusioned romantic?

You left the cup behind.

The subject is not interested in marriage.

This is how you described the key:

An old-fashioned door.

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.