Analysis for Mad Maudlin, 8 December 2002

This is how you described the room:

The walls are blue. It is shaped like a very fat "L" and there are windows on two walls. It looks like my bedroom. There are some tables along the walls made of dark brown wood and a lamp in the corner near the door. There is a sofa on my right. Sunlight is coming in through one set of windows at an oblique angle. There are no curtains. I can see dust in the air. The room is just slightly 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:

It is a bright, sunny day. The forest is full of deciduous trees and some light undergrowth. It is summer or late spring because all the trees are in full leaf and dark green. I don't know what species they all are.

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. That the forest is very bright tells us that the subject had extensive freedom while growing up.

This is how you described the path:

The path is made of dirt, and tree roots have stuck up under it. It must be walked quite frequently because it is clear, but the brush on the sides is overgrown and snags my clothes. It is just wide enough for me to walk down. It leads downwards, but is only steep in a few places.

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 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 is a small creek with steep banks. It is full of stones. Some moron has dropped a crushed beer can in it. It gets deep on either side of where I am now, but right here it's fairly shallow. The water is quite clear. I don't see any signs of wildlife or insects, just the plants on the banks and some rotten branches.

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 went around it.

The subject is not interested in new sexual experiences.

This is how you described the cup:

It is a plastic Desani water bottle. The label is worn out and partially torn off. It is already half-full of water. The cap is screwed on tightly. I don't notice any condensation in or on the surface. It is quite clean.

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 looks like the key to a door or car. It is a brassy-gold color but quite dirty, as if it had been sitting on the path a long time. It might be someone's house key.

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 jumped over it.

The wall represents death: by jumping over it, the subject not only acknowledges death but has come to accept its finality.