Analysis for Dominique, 18 April 2004

This is how you described the room:

The room is olive green and smells of coffee. It's warm and music is playing softly in the background. There are black and white photos on the walls in an organized pattern. The room is bright even though the shades are closed. The shades are white.

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. The depth of description tells us that the subject has strong memories of childhood (98.88%). This comfortable room suggests a childhood that was pleasant (98.41%).

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 on the edge of a highway. I don't want to be in the forest. The trees are nice and the sun shines through the leaves, but it's cold and it smells like skunk. There are many pine trees and the floor of the forest is rotting.

The forest is growing up, and the trees are those adults with whom the subject interacted at that time. A well-lit forest tells us that the subject had considerable freedom at this time (70.45%). Tall trees imply that the adults had a strong influence on the subject (59.92%).

This is how you described the path:

The path is gravel and narrow. There are roots growing on the sides of the path, but other than that it is very tidy.

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 (97.33%). That plants are the major source of obstructions tells us that the subject’s problems arose mostly from interactions with adults (72.56%). The visibility of the path tells us that the subject had a good idea of what to expect from adolescence (87.55%). The lack of evidence of fellow travelers suggests strong feelings of isolation at that time (73.63%).

This is how you described the water:

It's a tiny stream. It's full of oil and shimmers with rainbow colors in the sun. It doesn't smell like anything. there's a dead bird in it.

The water is the subject’s sexuality. What interests us here is the clarity of the water (representing attitude) and its movement (representing libido). Slow, gently moving water suggests a passive, restrained, calm sex drive (83.11%). Murky, dirty, or otherwise unclear water suggests that the subject has significant issues regarding sex (95.17%).

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 rusting tin can. It's red, orange and silver. I wouldn't want to touch it at all.

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 (70.71%).

You left the cup behind.

The subject is not interested in marriage.

This is how you described the key:

The key is an old skeleton key. It is dull and tastes like lead. It would open an old trunk, but it's broken.

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). Old-fashioned keys suggest that the subject desires a traditional career (99.95%). Having the key open a house, car, or other commonplace use tells us that the subject has no extraordinary expectations about a career (99.92%).

You avoided the bear.

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

When you came to the wall, you turned around and walked back along the path.

The wall represents death: by avoiding it altogether, the subject shows complete denial about the possibility of death.