Analysis for mineko shino, 8 May 2002

This is how you described the room:

The room is very warm and light. The sun is shinning in through the plantation shutters. It is decorated with my mothers furniture from my childhood. The walls are an off white color. There is a love seat, wood bench with a cushion seat, sheep skin rug, glass and wooden coffee and end tables adjoining a formal dining area with a china hutch and table made out of wood.

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 significant detail in the description of the room tells us that the subject has rich, lasting memories of childhood. Note that there is an explicit reference to “mother,” suggesting strong family ties early on.

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 beautiful with huge cherry wood trees as far as the eye can see. There is a stream running through the forest with rocks protruding. The light shines through the trees to cast wonderful shadows on the ground. It is very bright where the sun shines through and darker in the shadows.

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

This is how you described the path:

There is no path except the path that you choose, which can lead you in any direction with an infinite amount of possibilities.

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. The lack of evidence of fellow travelers suggests strong feelings of isolation at that time. Note that the subject views the lack of supervision in a positive light.

This is how you described the water:

The body of water is a moving stream. It is crystal clear and reflects the rays of the sun. It has protruding stones which would make it easy to cross. The sound it makes is beautiful and peaceful. There are many pebbles at the bottom which would be ideal for skipping.

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:

It is an empty can of beer probably left over from earlier visitors the prior week. It is a metal can of Coors light with red lettering. It is empty except for a few drops left at the bottom and smooshed from being crunched under foot.

The vessel, or specifically the practicality of the vessel, is how the subject approaches marriage or bonding. That the container is refuse or damaged suggests a cynicism about the institution.

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 an ancient key. The likes of which I have never seen. It is beautiful with ornate carvings and made of pewter. I think it unlocks a secret place where few have been.

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). Magical or fantastic keys suggest that the subject has unreasonably high expectations of what will result from a career. Decorative keys suggest that the subject wants an attention-grabbing, one-of-a-kind career.

You confronted the bear.

In a crisis, the subject prefers the direct, no-nonsense 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.