Analysis for rachel, 8 June 2002

This is how you described the room:

The room is warm. It is early fall and it is pleasantly warm and the sun is shining in through the windows. There are lace white curtains blowing in the slight breeze. I am in a canopy bed with lots of stuffed animals and fluffy pillows. There are dolls on the shelves and pictures of my family on the walls. The floor is wood and the bed is white and the walls are white.

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. Note the extremely inviting surroundings of the room. This suggests a childhood filled with joy. The significant detail in the description of the room tells us that the subject has rich, lasting 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 bright very bright. There are some parts that are more dark than other parts, but for the most part it is bright. The trees are big old trees and the forest is thick!!!! I can hear the birds chirping in the trees. It is really warm in the forest in certain parts where the shade is not there and the sun is beating down. I go to a shaded part where I can cool down and hide from the sun.

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. That the forest is very bright tells us that the subject had extensive freedom while growing up. When the sun is blocked out, that usually indicates that the adults were overly strict with the subject; here, the subject seeks shelter. Did the subject feel exposed and vulnerable from a lack of parental attention?

This is how you described the path:

The path is very windy, but easily navigated. It is wide but narrows as you get more deeply into the forest. It is exactly like the forest shady in some parts and bright and sunny or other parts.

Adolescence is represented by the path through the forest. A wide path indicates that the subject had numerous options for emotional growth at this time. That the path is free of obstructions indicates that the subject had no problems during adolescence.

This is how you described the water:

The water is natural and it is a stream. It is a rather large stream and the water is moving very fast and free flowing. The water is clear and you can see all the rocks and twigs in the bottom of the stream but the water just flows over it. The water is pretty cold, when I put my foot 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). Fast-moving water indicates a strong, active 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:

The drinking vessel is a canteen. It is pretty new looking still silver and shiny. It still has the lid on it and is turned over on its side.

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 is old and antique looking. It is rusty and I think it unlocks a box or chest 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). Having the key open a house, car, or other commonplace use tells us that the subject has no extraordinary expectations about a 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.