Analysis for Anonymous, 26 April 2001

This is how you described the room:

It is neither warm or cold. The temperature is what I am used to and the futon that I am sleeping on is not my own. There is a television, stereo, couch, love seat, and small fridge there as well. The walls are off-white, with various movie posters on it. There isn't a lot of light, but there is a big window to let sunshine in.

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 stay in the room.

The subject did not want to grow up.

This is how you described the forest:

The forest is "patchy." There are parts that are thick, and also parts that are thin. The majority of trees are simple maple, with the occasional oak tree amongst the crowd. The forest is wild, not taken care of, or manicured. There is undergrowth, with saplings, blackberry bushes, and fallen trees that are starting to decay.

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. 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 in the forest is barely a path at all. I would guess that it is a deer path. It moves according to the least amount of resistance from the growth on the ground. The only way to follow it at times is to bend down below the undergrowth to find it.

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. 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:

At the end of the path is a stream. As I look up-stream, I can here babbling, as if there is a dam somewhere just out of sight. Where I am standing is a turn in the stream, so the water is very calm, the stream is quite wide here, and looks quite deep. This is obviously not a man-made stream, but probably runs near some farm land, since there appears to be a lot of silt in the water.

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. 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:

As I reach the far side of the the stream, I find a wine-skin laying on the bank. It is brown leather, with a leather leash on it. The top is sealed with a cork. The total size of the skin is about a foot in length, and about 8inches in height.

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:

The key located in the path is one of those master keys. The kind that say it is illegal to duplicate. It looks like it belongs to a school or institution of some sort, because it is engraved with a letter and number on one side. I would guess that it opens a door to some sort of restricted room.

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). Versatile keys tell us that the subject has numerous but unfocused expectations about a career. 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 jumped over it.

The wall represents death: by jumping over it, the subject not only acknowledges death but has come to accept its finality.