Analysis for Anonymous, 2 January 2003

This is how you described the room:

It is a slightly warm room with gray walls that have a hard cold feeling to them. When the walls are touched, I can tell that they are very thick. The walls have gradual indentations on them that section it off into a brick look. They have little bumps where each brick is also. If I look straight up, I can see the ceiling sloping inward till it comes to a point on the top. The room is almost empty except for an antique wooden chest that houses three doors, each with carvings for a medieval design. The knobs are metallic and round, not giving much grip to the holder. The floor I am laying on is warm and carpeted. The carpet is thick and soft. It has a greenish tinge to it. In the room, it is dark, and I can not see much except for a light coming in through the outline of a massive rectangular door. It is silent and I can hear myself breathing. The air smells of fresh laundry, as if someone sprayed fresh scent air freshener around the room.

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. This comfortable room suggests a childhood that was pleasant. No furnishings at all tells of either a complete absence of memories from that time or active suppression of said memories.

You wanted to leave the room.

The subject wanted to become an adult.

This is how you described the forest:

I can tell that dawn has just sprung as I walk up the the forest. trees are sprouted about three feet away from each other and four feet where there is a small dirt path through it. It is very isolated and it is uneasy to stare at it. there is a mist in the air and it is hard to see details of the forest because of a thick fog that has set on it. The trees are deciduous, bearing green leaves. I think that they are oak trees.

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. 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 barely visible because of the thick fog. It is a narrow path, reminding me of the movie secret garden. Trees' branches cover the path and show me that the path hasn't been used often. The space that the trees give the path makes it very narrow.

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. 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:

The water stretches about a stone's throw away, and is a very long stream. The water is partially clear, and I can see little fish swimming upstream. The current is light, and the water is just shin-deep. rocks protrude out of the water making stepping stones across it. It is very cold.

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. 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:

The cup is a water bottle, but the contents appear orange. It is a clear plastic bottle with half of it already drunk. The bottle is covered with dirt, making the drink not very appetizing.

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 very rusty and ancient. It probably unlocks a gate.

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 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.