Analysis for Badfish, 2 May 2002

This is how you described the room:

The room is upstairs, lace curtains, chilly. The furniture is very elegant, and old. Made from some dark wood. The bedding is all quilted, and there are flower prints on the walls. The room has a feeling that if I touch anything, it will break, and I will be in BIG trouble.

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. The subject’s description (“BIG trouble”) suggests a strict, controlled household where even the slightest infraction was met with punishment. The depth of description tells us that the subject has strong 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 trees are evergreen trees, and it is winter. Despite my knowledge of evergreen needles being sharp, the ones in this forest are actually quite soft, and feel nice against my skin when I brush them aside. It's very thick, but light as well.

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. 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 is straight. It seems overgrown, but I can manage to find my way through 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. A few, scattered obstructions indicate the occasional problem in adolescence, but nothing consistent nor insurmountable.

This is how you described the water:

The water is natural, a little stream. It's very very cold, and very fresh looking. It is a winding little stream with little round rocks at the bottom. Very clear, clean crisp water, which looks as if it would taste sweet, and give a lot of strength.

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 canteen, like the ones they use in the army. There is some netting around it, and it's green, with a screw off cap.

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:

The key is golden, and mid sized. It looks like a key from a fantasy book or something. It is carved, or molded on the handle, in some sort of celtic design, and it has a single sapphire in the middle. I would think it unlocks a precious box of some kind

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. 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.