Analysis for Liz, 3 December 2002

This is how you described the room:

The room has white walls, with no decoration. The bed is a simple twin. It has white sheets, a blue fuzzy blanket and a hand stiched quilt. There is a heavy wooden dresser with various personal items on the top and a small table next to the bed with an alarm clock. The floor is carpeted in a faded brown, but there are no other cloth coverings in the room. The single window has white blinds.

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 that the subject avoids associating any emotion with this room. Few, simple furnishings tells us that the subject has few memories of that time.

You wanted to stay in the room.

The subject did not want to grow up.

This is how you described the forest:

It's summertime and there is an abundance of moss along the sides of the path. Light filters in through the trees overhead, most of which are early growth, such as birch and ash. The forest is very well-light and there is quite a bit of undergrowth, including lots of white flowers.

The forest is growing up, and the trees are those adults with whom the subject interacted at that time. Small trees imply that the adults had a weak 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 starts out about 5 feet wide and easy to follow, though not nessasarily well-traveled. It narrows down to a foot path with exposed dirt and grass alternating along it. Tree roots jut out along the path, so one must keep to his feet, and the path tends to go up and down along the side of a hill, so you must be careful not to fall. Though it is not marked in any way (no rocks or such) it remains easy to follow.

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. The lack of evidence of fellow travelers suggests strong feelings of isolation at that time. Lots of obstructions on the path indicate many problems during adolescence.

This is how you described the water:

It is a small, shallow creek only about a foot deep in the center. Though it could be walked across without a problem, there is a primitive bridge built so one does not dirty the creek. The water is clear, bubbling around large, rounded rocks. The bottom of the creek can be seen easily through the water, and the creek remains free of trash.

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:

The cup is a metal, blue speckled camping mug. It looks fairly new, but it is coated in mud. I wash it off and take it with me.

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 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:

The key is one of those old skeleton keys, about 6 inches long and fairly simple. It has a decorative hole in the top that's vaguely heart-shaped. It probably opened the attic or basement in someone's home, but it is so old now that those locks have probably been changed.

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). Note that the key is worthless: this suggests that the subject is cynical about finding any satisfaction through a job. 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.