Analysis for Anonymous, 10 January 2003

This is how you described the room:

the room is bright from many windows. some windows are open and there is a breeze coming in. outside it is sunny afternoon. it is autumn. i can see a garden. the wallpaper has a yellow pattern and the floors are a dark wood. they look old. there is no furniture except for a large canopy bed with a yellow canopy. the bed-frame is a dark wood that matches the floors. the sheets on the bed are clean white linen, soft. there is also an old wooden dresser in the corner.

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. 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 a dark forest, even in the daylight, with old pines and oaks. the ground is covered in leaf litter. the trees are all very tall and the forest goes on and on...

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 very dark forest tells us that the subject felt considerably oppressed by the attentions of the adults.

This is how you described the path:

the path is just a vague clear space between the trees. winding. abandoned. narrow. barely visible.

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 the path is free of obstructions indicates that the subject had no problems during adolescence.

This is how you described the water:

there is a small lake or pond. the water is clear, dark, and deep. cold and still.

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 went around it.

The subject is not interested in new sexual experiences.

This is how you described the cup:

an orange and white thermos. the lid is open. it's been sitting here for a long time and it's dirty and full of leaves and soil.

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 an old black iron key on a chain. big and heavy. i think it might open the door to a very old house.

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 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.