Analysis for Anonymous, 11 January 2003

This is how you described the room:

it is cold when i get out from under the covers. the bed is very comfortable and there is morning light coming through the windows. it is decorated with mostly white and very few items. it is nice.

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. Note that the bed is comfortable yet the room itself is cold. 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:

there are pine trees and tall cedars and redwoods. it is shady but the sunlight comes through the trees here and there.

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 clear and well-traveled except for a few leaves and pine needles strewn about. it's narrow and slightly winding.

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 strong evidence of fellow travelers tells us that the subject received a lot of support from friends and family during that potentially troubling 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 is a brook that's moving fairly fast over large grey stones. the water is clear and cool. the brook is only about five feet across.

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.

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 is a plastic wine glass. like the kind you would take with you to a picnic.

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 and old key. very fancy and ornate. i think it unlocks a cottage.

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 avoided the bear.

In a crisis, the subject prefers the indirect, non-confrontational 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.