Analysis for Jason Silkey, 5 December 2002

This is how you described the room:

It's pretty empty. The walls are an off white, almost yellow. There is a nightstand, the bed I'm in, and a closed door; the room is too big for only two pieces of furniture. It is slightly cold, but not intolerable.

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. Few, simple furnishings tells us that the subject has few memories of that time.

You wanted to leave the room.

The subject wanted to become an adult.

This is how you described the forest:

It's early morning, around eight or nine. Lightly populated with tall, evergreen trees, the forest well lit, but not overly bright. The sun can be seen.

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:

It is an easily seen footpath, at most two people could walk side-by-side on it. It is fairly straight, but it doesa meander a little. It seems well-worn.

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. 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:

It is a standars stream, about 20 yards wide. At it's deepest,it looks to be just over my head. There is also a lake in sight, into which the stream empties. The water is bracingly cold, but refreshing, and is moving rather slowly.

The water is the subject’s sexuality. What interests us here is the clarity of the water (representing attitude) and its movement (representing libido). Slow, gently moving water suggests a passive, restrained, calm 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 is a rustic, green glass bottle. Nothing remarkable. It is shaped like a long-neck beer bottle, but is obviosly older.

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 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:

A skeleton key. It has a very large ring, and it is cast in bronze or gold. It is shiny; it seems to have no dirt on it whatsoever. It looks like an old jailer's key, but probably fits into a trunk or chest.

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 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.