Analysis for Timothy Miller, 5 September 2000

This is how you described the room:

The room is warm but breezy, because the windows are open. The wall paper is white with blue vertical stripes, and the windows are framed by light blue translucent drapes. There is a table by one window. It's shiny white, but there are papers covering most of its surface. One one wall is the picture of dogs playing poker.

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 comfortable room suggests a childhood that was pleasant. The breeze mentioned does not seem to make the room uncomfortably cold. The significant detail in the description of the room tells us that the subject has rich, lasting 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:

Large, thick trees, densely packed on both sides of the trail. Near the edge of the trail, it's fairly bright, but further into the forest, it becomes quickly very dark.

The forest is growing up, and the trees are those adults with whom the subject interacted at that time. Tall trees imply that the adults had a strong influence on the subject. A semi-dark forest tells us that the subject felt somewhat oppressed by the attention the adults gave. That the forest gets darker as one goes deeper suggests that the subject felt more and more overprotected as time went on.

This is how you described the path:

The trail is wider than necessary for vehicles to travel on it, as though it's deliberately maintained that way. Down the center is a dirt road with two ruts where wheels of many vehicles have driven the same path. There is a canopy of trees above, providing some shade, but the path is well lit and easy to follow.

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 wide path indicates that the subject had numerous options for emotional growth at this time. 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 natural, fast-flowing river. The water is dark and frothy. The river banks are steep and made of sandstone or thickly packed soil.

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. Murky, dirty, or otherwise unclear water suggests that the subject has significant 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 military canteen. It's a metal cylinder, about 8 inches in diameter, 2 inches thick, and covered in greenish canvas. It has a screw-on metal cap, with a piece of string connecting the cap to the vessel so that you don't lose the cap when you remove it. It doesn't seem to fit the general theme of the rest of the story.

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. Note that the subject explicitly feels that the canteen is out of place in the story, which is quite interesting in the context of the next point.

You left the cup behind.

The subject is not interested in marriage.

This is how you described the key:

It's a house key. It's grayish like steel. It probably unlocks a dead-bolt. The head of the key is hexagonal with two of the sides parallel to the stem of the key. In the head are three triangular holes.

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. An ordinary-looking key suggests that the subject desires a nondescript career. It is interesting to note that the subject describes the key with such intimate detail: despite the blandness of the job, the subject is familiar with all the particulars of it.

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.