Analysis for K., 9 January 2003

This is how you described the room:

The room is neither warm nor cold, but just right. I see lots of light and shiny hardwood flooring. It has kind of a modern feel to it with very minimal/simplistic decorations. The color scheme is white/off white. I see an overstuffed off-white couch and chair with ottoman in front of a fireplace just opposite a pair of sliding glass doors with a view of water. White tulips in a glass vase sit on a glass wrought iron table by the entryway which is paved with a limestone style ceramic tile

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 room is neither comfortable nor uncomfortable; this suggests the subject had a bland, uninspiring childhood. The significant detail in the description of the room tells us that the subject has rich, lasting memories of childhood. (While the decorations are minimalist, the description itself is rich.)

You wanted to stay in the room.

The subject did not want to grow up.

This is how you described the forest:

The forest appears well lit and the air feels slightly damp as though touched by a morning mist/dew that hasn't completely lifted, though there's not a single trace of it to the naked eye. Just the feeling of it. The trees themselves are rather tall and appear to resemble pine and Douglas fir. Their scent is heavy in the air.

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:

The path looks easy to follow and is rather wide where I'm standing. There are billions of pine needles on the floor which makes the path slightly hard to see. It does not look well-traveled but I sense others have been down it before.

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 wide path indicates that the subject had numerous 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:

The water runs swiftly and is slightly narrow in size. A mountain stream perhaps only a little more on the choppy side. It's extremely cold. The sound is mesmerizing. It seems almost angry.

The water is the subject’s sexuality. What interests us here is the clarity of the water (representing attitude) and its movement (representing libido). Fast-moving water indicates a strong, active sex drive. Note that the subject has anthropomorphized the river by making it angry. Some form of bottled rage or sexual frustration, perhaps? 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's some sort of metal cup seen more often in the older days. Perhaps it's made of pewter? It's silver in color and resembles a coffee cup.

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 skeleton key. Gold. But the gold is wearing thin and you can see its true color underneath. I think maybe it unlocks a secret gate or a diary of some sort.

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 diaries, hope chests, or other highly personal items suggest that the subject wants a career that will solve other people’s problems. 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.