Analysis for Poppy Sanghera, 6 September 2000

This is how you described the room:

The room is warm, I can feel the sunlight hitting my back as I am laying on the floor face down, why? I dont know.. I feel like I am just waking up from a dream, a very vague dream that I do not remember, I try not to recall as I want to see what is around me. The room is large with a four poster bed and a fireplace, a room I once saw in an old stately home. The colours are faded, but they are burnt orange, sage green and the rest of the decor is of wooden exterior. It is a room I have always dreamt of having although a lot of changes need doing. I climb onto the bed, weak from my sleep, still feeling rather lethargic. The bed is very grand and soft. I think of my husband and want him to share this moment. I get of the bed and walk towards the window. I see a church spire, hidden by a row of large trees, one tree rather large and taller than the rest.

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. Despite this, the subject would have had things done differently differently if it were at all possible. The significant detail in the description of the room tells us that the subject has rich, lasting memories of childhood.

You wanted to leave the room.

The subject wanted to become an adult.

This is how you described the forest:

The forest is dense, with a lot of sun shining through the tops of the tree.. it is a late summer afternoon and a lot of pretty flowers surround the trees. Most of the trees are large oak trees.

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

This is how you described the path:

There does not seem to be a path, I am having to step through the flowers that surround the forest. It looks undiscovered, everything in harmony.

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. Here, the subject places a positive twist on the situation: less of a time of aimlessness, more of a time of experimentation and growth.

This is how you described the water:

A natural stream flows past me, the water is trickling through the rocks that lay at the bottom of the stream, wild flowers are edged around the stream. The water is very clean, I bend down and cup some water in the palms of my hand and let it trickle through my fingers.

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:

It is a silver goblet, probably left from a party that was being held back at the large grand house. It is like a wine glass but silver with intricate details around the edges.

The vessel, or specifically the practicality of the vessel, is how the subject approaches marriage or bonding. A decorative container indicates that the subject views marriage as a romantic adventure.

You took the cup but left it empty.

The subject is interested in marriage, but sex won’t be a significant part of that relationship.

This is how you described the key:

It is a large key, which probably unlocks some type of fortress. It also has a lot of details on it. Not your normal house door key, it may even unlock a treasure chest, who knows, maybe I should guard it in case I come across a treasure chest.

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). Keys that allow access to treasure or other valuable things indicate that the subject is fixated on gaining wealth through a career. On the other hand, having the key open a fortress implies a desire for power. Decorative keys suggest that the subject wants an attention-grabbing, one-of-a-kind 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.