Analysis for Aramina, 8 January 2003

This is how you described the room:

It's warm, quiet and painted a very light blue. It has filmy curtains which flutter lightly in the breeze. The air coming through the windows is summery and smells of flowers. There are two chairs by the biggest window, faced toward each other. The only sound comes from the wind. I'm sitting in a bed that has sheets with big setting suns on them.

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. Note the extremely inviting surroundings of the room. This suggests a childhood filled with joy. The depth of description tells us that the subject has strong memories of childhood.

You wanted to stay in the room.

The subject did not want to grow up.

This is how you described the forest:

It's bright. Ashes and oaks surround me and the path is light brown. Sunshine filters through the trees and reflects off a carpet of ferns. I can hear water faintly in the background. It doesn't feel like anyone is around for miles.

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 winds slightly around bends in the hillside and trees. It's fairly narrow--just wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side and be able to comfortably look at each other once in awhile. It looks like only people who want to wander far from the beaten path take this way. It's well-kept, but not heavily traveled.

Adolescence is represented by the path through the forest. 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 the path is free of obstructions indicates that the subject had no problems during adolescence.

This is how you described the water:

It's a large lake. Very blue. Mountains and small hills surround the lake. The wind is blowing, so the water is sending waves up onto the shore. It's still very quiet. No city noise, no people. It feels incredibly peaceful and serene. Sun is reflecting off the water.

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's a leather bag with a silver metal twist around the top to keep it shut.

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's a big golden key. It looks like it would unlock a big, grand 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). Keys to palaces, castles, and other fortifications are normally indicative of a desire for power. Old-fashioned keys suggest that the subject desires a traditional 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.