Analysis for Yoshimura, 11 June 2002

This is how you described the room:

The room is almost uncomfortably warm and is furnished in a weird 70's-ish style. There is a thick maroon carpet on the floor and on the wall are several ugly non-representational paintings in grays and blacks.

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 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:

It's a forest of mostly young trees with some older taller trees looming overhead. Sunlight shines down through gaps in the leaves, illuminating swirls of dust and pollen. There is a great deal of undergrowth including several varieties of ferns and wildflowers.

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:

It's a narrow path, probably some kind of animal track. In most places it's quite easily navigated, but there are some scrambles over logs or under low-hanging tree branches. It's a meandering path and seems to double back on itself quite often.

Adolescence is represented by the path through the forest. The visibility of the path tells us that the subject had a good idea of what to expect from adolescence. A narrow path suggests that the subject had limited options for emotional growth at this 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:

It's a small stream, fairly shallow in the main, but with occasional hollows of deeper water. The banks are high, and lined with small trees with roots growing down into the water. The water itself is quite clear although on it float leaves, sticks and various other small debris.

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's a small cup made of copper, slightly dented and stained with verdigris but otherwise clean. There are traces of a name etched on the handle, but they are too faint to be made out, only the letter 'E' is visible.

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. The etching is more interesting, and open to analysis. Does it suggest that the subject has someone specific in mind for marriage, or is the interpretation more abstract, suggesting that the subject has strict requirements for a mate?

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:

It's an old-fashioned key, with an ornate handle in a spiral design. It's quite beautiful, it's currently encrusted with rust and dried mud from the path. It looks like it would unlock the secret drawer on an old Victorian roll-top desk.

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 to diaries, hope chests, or other highly personal items suggest that the subject wants a career that will solve other people’s problems. 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.