Analysis for Phillip, 5 December 2002

This is how you described the room:

It's a small room with a bed against the western wall. there is light coming through the window on the eastern wall. there is another window on the northern wall and a door on the western. courtians cover the windows. the walls are decorated with several pictures of various things. there is clothing scattered about the floor. there is a dresser in the south east corner. and the room is a bit chilly.

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.

You wanted to leave the room.

The subject wanted to become an adult.

This is how you described the forest:

The forest is fairly dense, with firs, pines, maples, and oak. The forest floor is littered with the leaves from the trees, yet still green from the abundant evergreens. there is a small amount of snow on the ground. I can hear birds chirping around me. It looks like it'll be a bright day.

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

This is how you described the path:

The narrow path is easily navigatable through the forest. it seems well travelled and clearly marked.

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. The strong evidence of fellow travelers tells us that the subject received a lot of support from friends and family during that potentially troubling time. That the path is free of obstructions indicates that the subject had no problems during adolescence.

This is how you described the water:

I come upon a small river. The water is cold, clean, and clear. I can see fish in the water. I can hear a waterfall down stream.

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. The presence of life in or around the water indicates a strong desire for children.

When you came to the water, you crossed it.

The subject is open to new sexual experiences.

This is how you described the cup:

There is a pewter mug inscribed with my name lying on the bank.

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. Note that the subject claims possession of the mug, as if marriage was not possibility but predestined.

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:

I find an old, rusty key lying on the path. It is about a hand length, with only two teeth on one end, and a loop for a keyring on the other.

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). Old-fashioned keys suggest that the subject desires a traditional 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.