Analysis for Ben Bugas, 6 January 2004

This is how you described the room:

The room is round. It is slightly cold. There are green and red shelves and a tiny bed. There are many windows but they are blurry and grey and green and red outside.

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. The items in the room are average, which tells us that the subject has the normal 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:

The forest is dense and blurry like an oil painting. There are rich lights in the distance and smooth sounds. The trees are pine and dark. They sway as I move through them. It is very dark even though it is the day.

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:

There are few obstructions except for the plants which move just as I approach them. The path is narrow and winding. The path is abandoned but it was used a long time ago. The path is visible but only for the few feet in front of me.

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. A few, scattered obstructions indicate the occasional problem in adolescence, but nothing consistent nor insurmountable.

This is how you described the water:

The water stops the path. It is dark, cold and moving fast yet silently. It twists and turns gracefully.

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. Murky, dirty, or otherwise unclear water suggests that the subject has significant 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:

The cup is wooden and plain but strangely heavy. It is of good quality and holds lots of water. It is too old and valuable for me.

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:

The key is copper and dirty. It is small and unique from other keys. It seems stangely organic. I think it opens a door in a tree.

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). Magical or fantastic keys suggest that the subject has unreasonably high expectations of what will result from a career. That the key is unique suggests that the subject is looking for a 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 jumped over it.

The wall represents death: by jumping over it, the subject not only acknowledges death but has come to accept its finality.