Analysis for Steffa, 20 January 2004

This is how you described the room:

It is big and brightly colored. There are many windows with sunlight streaming in. There are many chairs, and a big fluffy couch.

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 items in the room are average, which tells us that the subject has the normal memories of childhood.

You wanted to leave the room.

The subject wanted to become an adult.

This is how you described the forest:

It has many short trees, maybe its more of an orchard, than a forest. It looks like apple or pear trees, at least that's what I see. It is bright. Lots of sunshine gets through the trees.

The forest is growing up, and the trees are those adults with whom the subject interacted at that time. Small trees imply that the adults had a weak influence on the subject. 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 is more of a road. It is very wide. It is well-travelled, with what look like wagon or cart marks.

Adolescence is represented by the path through the forest. The visibility of the path tells us that the subject had a good idea of what to expect from adolescence. A wide path indicates that the subject had numerous 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 raging river. The water is moving so fast it it roaring and spraying everywhere. It is very clear. I can see deer coming to drink from the river, and there are mountain goats, too.

The water is the subject’s sexuality. What interests us here is the clarity of the water (representing attitude) and its movement (representing libido). Rushing, violent water indicates a powerful, vigorous, and quite possibly compulsive sex drive. Clear water tells us that the subject has no issues regarding sex. Life in the water signifies a strong desire for children; life outside of the water (such as these deer) has no significance.

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 huge cup, sort of like the Stanley Cup with big handles. It is gold and very valuable.

The vessel, or specifically the practicality of the vessel, is how the subject approaches marriage or bonding. A decorative container indicates that the subject views marriage as a romantic adventure.

You took the cup and filled it.

The subject is interested in marriage, and sex will be a significant part of that relationship.

This is how you described the key:

Its a large key, like the key to the city you see people sometimes getting on TV. The metalwork is very artistic. It opens a huge lock of some sort, probably on a gate.

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. (If the gate were for a castle, that would signify a desire for power.) 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.