Analysis for Anonymous, 4 December 2002

This is how you described the room:

The room is a bit chilly, but under the blankets it is still very comfortably warm. Aside from the bed that I sleep on, which is covered with a dark heavy blanket, and is located on a corner of the smallish room, everything is a boring white except for the ceiling, which hasn't been done, but rather shows open wooden rafters with various ducts and pipes running in them.

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 depth of description tells us that the subject has strong memories of childhood. Note that the subject indicates that the ceiling “hasn’t been done,” as if the memories of that time are synthetic and inconsistent in places.

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 tall pine and birch blocking out the sky, but it is still rather light where I am. There is no underbrush that I can notice, but rather the ground is clear, the trees are widely spaced, and nothing would keep me to the path.

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 can be easily traced, but isn't very distinct from the rest of the forest floor, simply being an area where the dirt and leaves have been disturbed. It's fairly wide, and to stay in it would be easy, especially since there are no obstructions; on the other hand, it would be easy to stray for that same reason.

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. That the path is free of obstructions indicates that the subject had no problems during adolescence.

This is how you described the water:

It is a small babbling brook, clear water rushing in tiny rapids in a depressed rocky bed. It's about a foot or two wide, easy to jump over, if not even step over, even if there weren't a dry rock in the middle.

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:

It looks something like a bag, with a small plastic cap that looks like it screws on. It looks to be made of some sort of brown cloth and is about twice the size of my fist.

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:

It is a silver-colored key, a circle of metal about a half an inch in diameter at one end and with a singly-edged jagged part about an inch and a half long. It might unlock someone's door or something; they probably just dropped it here and it's been here for a while.

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. An ordinary-looking key suggests that the subject desires a nondescript career.

You avoided the bear.

In a crisis, the subject prefers the indirect, non-confrontational approach.

When you came to the wall, you tried to go around it.

The wall represents death: by trying to walk around it, the subject shows an acknowledgment of death, but also a need for an alternative to its finality, such as an afterlife or reincarnation.