Analysis for Anonymous, 28 March 2004

This is how you described the room:

Temperature comfortable, just right. Bed is a white futon covered with a black comforter. Walls are an appealing off-white. My desk is littered with the usual art materials, reference books and Beyblade parts kit. It's next to the bed. In front of the bed is my bookshelf with trophy/medal collection, model cars, gadgets, some toys and books. At the side of the bed are my closet and comic book boxes. The room's overall color scheme is white with black accents.

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 significant detail in the description of the room tells us that the subject has rich, lasting memories of childhood.

You wanted to leave the room.

The subject wanted to become an adult.

This is how you described the forest:

It's pleasantly bright and sunny. The trees are cherry trees, in full bloom. There are some maple and pine trees too.

The forest is growing up, and the trees are those adults with whom the subject interacted at that time. Average-sized trees imply the normal influence adults have on a child: neither insignificant nor impressive. That the forest is very bright tells us that the subject had extensive freedom while growing up.

This is how you described the path:

Barely visible to others, easily visible only to me. There are no obstructions. It's fairly narrow and only has room for one person to walk comfortably (two can walk there, but it would be a tight fit). It's well-traveled but doesn't look worn or dirty.

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 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's a very small stream. The water is clear, cool and refreshing to drink. It moves along fairly briskly, but smoothly. I can see my reflection in the surface.

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's a Thermos, not brand-new but still shiny. All parts are intact.

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 somewhat scratched and a bit dirty, but the dirt comes off easily. It must be a key to my house-- I might have dropped it on a previous walk.

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. An ordinary-looking key suggests that the subject desires a nondescript 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.