Analysis for Lian, 2 January 2003

This is how you described the room:

This room is warm. It's stuffy and a bit too warm. There is a couch to the far left and it is yellow and a bit ragged looking. The walls are dirty and the room is small. Pictures hang all around but their faces are unclear.

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 stay in the room.

The subject did not want to grow up.

This is how you described the forest:

It is semi-dark in the forest. Light peaks through the leaves. The trees are tall and stretch endlessly into the sky. The color of the leave are dark green and they are small. The ground smells of earth and is covered in foliage.

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 semi-dark forest tells us that the subject felt somewhat oppressed by the attention the adults gave.

This is how you described the path:

The path is ragged and it is carved into the road. It is marked by stone steps that yo walk upon. Foot steps are etched into it from many people having once walked upon it but leaves cover the steps now for no one walks upon it anymore.

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. A narrow path suggests that the subject had limited options for emotional growth at this time. The lack of evidence of fellow travelers suggests strong feelings of isolation at that time. Note that the subject believes that the path was heavily used in the past, possibly suggesting that some older sibling or other family member received significantly more attention. Lots of obstructions on the path indicate many problems during adolescence.

This is how you described the water:

The water i a small creek. To it's up river end is a waterfall that sprays water and I can feel it on my face. The water is so clear i can see the pebbles sparkling at the bottom. The water is cool and i drink from it. I see no wild life swimming beneath.

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. Note that the subject explicitly states the absence of life, as if mourning the lack of 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:

This drinking vessel is like a clay jar. It's round at the middle and medium in height. The complexion of the jar is a reddish orange and it is heavy looking.

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:

The key is small and black. There are strange patterns on it side where it would fit into a whole. The pattern is sometimes round and other times curved to a sharp point. I believe it unlocks some sort of door.

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. Decorative keys suggest that the subject wants an attention-grabbing, one-of-a-kind career.

You confronted the bear.

In a crisis, the subject prefers the direct, no-nonsense 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.