Analysis for Marshall, 12 April 2004

This is how you described the room:

There is a honey brown glow to the room and it is warm and inviting in a strange way. There is a red lamp without any bulb on an unfinished dresser that has no drawers. There is also a pink, high-backed chair that is obviously well worn. It sits at the far end of the room by the angular window through which the dusty gold light streams.

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:

The trees appear to have a velvety texture and are seasonal maple, oak, dogwood,and crape myrtle. There is a feeling of ever afternoon here and the light is bright and golden but dissipates as it filters through the leaves in the dense forset, leaving the trail with only the impression of daylight above.

The forest is growing up, and the trees are those adults with whom the subject interacted at that time. Average lighting tells us that the subject received enough attention from the adults to be guided but not oppressed. Average-sized trees imply the normal influence adults have on a child: neither insignificant nor impressive.

This is how you described the path:

The path is simply a trail of worn patches in the forest floor. It is very narrow but not unnavigable. It has been traveled before, but neither recently nor often. It is faded and worn from travel over centuries and is just visible enough.

Adolescence is represented by the path through the forest. That the path is free of obstructions indicates that the subject had no problems during adolescence. The lack of evidence of fellow travelers suggests strong feelings of isolation at that time. 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.

This is how you described the water:

It is a fair sized river that is calm in most places but is tumultuous in others. The water is clear and cerulean at once and looks very clean but isn't transparent.

The water is the subject’s sexuality. What interests us here is the clarity of the water (representing attitude) and its movement (representing libido). Clear water tells us that the subject has no issues regarding sex. The movement of the water suggests a normal, average if somewhat playful sex drive.

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:

It is a cut crystal glass stained emerald green.

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 but left it empty.

The subject is interested in marriage, but sex won’t be a significant part of that relationship.

This is how you described the key:

The key is golden and shiny with ornate designs and five emeralds in its medieval design. I have the impression unlocks a wooden door in the trunk of a tree somewhere in this forest.

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). Decorative keys suggest that the subject wants an attention-grabbing, one-of-a-kind career. Indicating that the key accesses something along the path (the subject’s history) suggests that a career is to solve a life-problem.

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.

See another test from 2004