Analysis for Mandie, 14 April 2000

This is how you described the room:

The room is a little dark because the curtains are mostly pulled. It's warm, and warmly decorated in rich dark reds and golds. There is a burgundy leather chair near the window, which is to the left of the bed. The door is at the foot of the bed and to the left. It strikes me as the same room I pictured for the setting of the story of the man who wakes up and finds he is an insect. Only the room in that story keeps getting more and more drab and cold as the story goes on.

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. It is interesting that the subject refers to a rather dark book (probably Kafka’s Metamorphosis), as if the future was expected to be unpleasant. The depth of description tells us that the subject has strong 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:

There are oak trees, and some aspens. It's not very thick around the trail, but it gets thicker the farther from the trail you get. It's fairly bright, but filtered light, and it gets darker when you leave the trail.

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. 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's mostly smooth, and easily navigated. It's clear, and it's clear that people have traveled on it, but not very many.

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. That the path is free of obstructions indicates that the subject had no problems during adolescence.

This is how you described the water:

It's a small river or a large stream. The water is cold, bright, clear and deep. It's natural, but very straight, like a road.

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's a smallish, metal cup. Like a mint julep cup. It's made of steel maybe, but it looks delicate.

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:

It's very old, like a skeleton key, and it looks like it unlocks a big, old house or a gate. The key is sort of big, and it's made of iron or tarnished brass.

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.