Analysis for A. Nonymous, 14 April 2000

This is how you described the room:

The room is cold and very spare, with only a cupboard and a reading chair, and a teddy bear.

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. Few, simple furnishings tells us that the subject has few memories of that time.

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 redwoods, but it's Robin Hood's forest.

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. The “Robin Hood” comment hints at a strong element of fantasy in 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:

The path is clear up to the edge of the forest and then disappears.

Adolescence is represented by the path through the forest. Adolescence was relatively easy for the subject until the onset of adulthood, at which point the subject became confused.

This is how you described the water:

They're the cascades of Ladorra.

The water is the subject’s sexuality. What interests us here is the clarity of the water (representing attitude) and its movement (representing libido). Rushing, violent water indicates a powerful, vigorous, and quite possibly compulsive sex drive.

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 Mason jar.

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:

It's an old-fashioned skeleton key. It unlocks my Grandma's basement 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. This door is special, however: perhaps it signifies a desire for a career that will allow the subject to carry on family traditions. 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 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.