Analysis for Ken, 23 May 2000

This is how you described the room:

The room is rectangular, with a smallish bed. The colors are reasonably bright brownish tints -- paneled walls predominate, and the temperature is a little warm. A large window looks out. The furniture is fairly modern.

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 room is neither comfortable nor uncomfortable; this suggests the subject had a bland, uninspiring childhood. The items in the room are average, which tells us that the subject has the normal memories of childhood.

You wanted to leave the room.

The subject wanted to become an adult.

This is how you described the forest:

While fairly bright, the trees are not thin. Logs and stone walls lie near the trail. The trees are deciduous, and a few are climbable. Fallen leaves obscure the trail at points.

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. A well-lit forest tells us that the subject had considerable freedom at this time.

This is how you described the path:

The path is not well traveled. As I said above, fallen leaves obscure the trail at points, but an experienced eye can find the way to go without too much trouble. The trail is neither too wide or too narrow; while varying in width, it probably averages about 2 feet in width.

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. 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 5-foot wide stream rolls lazily past. The water looks fresh and lovely. It's clearly natural; there's no evidence that anyone's ever been here.

The water is the subject’s sexuality. What interests us here is the clarity of the water (representing attitude) and its movement (representing libido). Slow, gently moving water suggests a passive, restrained, calm 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:

Oops, I guess someone was here, eh? It's a pretty, 1-liter beer mug.

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 seems to be a slightly larger than usual housekey. It's a shiny, metallic key. It feels like it unlocks a very interesting place.

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. That it is “slightly larger than usual” may indicate that the subject wants the job to have a small quirk, an accent that separates it from the masses without making it flashy and superficial. An ordinary-looking key suggests that the subject desires a nondescript career.

You avoided the bear.

In a crisis, the subject prefers the indirect, non-confrontational approach.

When you came to the wall, you tried to go around it.

The wall represents death: by trying to walk around it, the subject shows an acknowledgment of death, but also a need for an alternative to its finality, such as an afterlife or reincarnation.