Analysis for Melody, 19 October 2000

This is how you described the room:

Its a very cool morning so there's a chill in the air. The room is dark except for the 6 small beams of light coming through the high, square windows. It smells of cedar. There are wall-to-wall bunk beds and giggling girls everywhere.

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. This room seems to be a specific memory from the subject’s past which may skew normal analysis. 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:

Its a beautiful Fall morning and the sun filters down through the multi-colored leaves. The Fall foliage is thick on the ground and it makes a lot of noise as I walk past the tall pines and thick elms.

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:

The path is comfortably narrow but widens in spots. Its a very winding path but easily traveled. There are a few tree roots to step over, but they only make the path that much more interesting.

Adolescence is represented by the path through the forest. A narrow path suggests that the subject had limited options for emotional growth at this time. 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:

The path leads to a small dock that juts out onto a small river, not exactly swift but a nice, smooth current. The dock rocks lazily over the moving green water I find it soothing and cool to dip my feet in it.

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:

I find a large, round canteen sitting on a rock. Its aluminum body is covered in a green sheath of canvas. Its cool to the touch and very inviting.

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 left the cup behind.

The subject is not interested in marriage.

This is how you described the key:

I see the sunlight bounce off the tarnished old skeleton key. Its large and heavy, as if the door it unlocks is very important. It has a beautiful handle of hand-crafted metal.

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). That the key unlocks something important tells us the subject expects great (but undefined) things from the 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.