Analysis for Ellie, 17 January 2005

This is how you described the room:

The room is warm and white. It is smaller than I would prefer it to be. It is like a dorm room. It contains a bed and an old desk. Decorations are sparse.

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. Few, simple furnishings tells us that the subject has few memories of that time.

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 dark and full of evergreens. The trees are rich and full of life. It seems scary, but I am unafraid. I can see into the forest.

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:

The path is made of beaten earth and rock. The path is clear and wide enough for a wagon to travel upon. It is flat for the most part. I am unable to tell if it is well travelled. There are no footprints or wagon marks, but it is not full of weeds and plants.

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. That the path is free of obstructions indicates that the subject had no problems during adolescence.

This is how you described the water:

The path ends in a secluded area where there is a lake and a gently falling waterfall. The water is clear and fresh. I can taste the water's purity. The water is cold and refreshing.

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. Clear water tells us that the subject has no 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:

It is an old-fashioned canteen that travellers take with them. It has a nonmetallic surface and borders on a shade of brown or dull red. It is flat and circular in shape. It is slightly bigger than my hand would be if my fingers were outstretched.

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 is an ornate old-fashioned key. It is gold or brass in appearance with little specks of dirt on it. I think it unlocks nothing and is purely for decoration. It is a very heavy key.

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). Note that the key is worthless: this suggests that the subject is cynical about finding any satisfaction through a job. Old-fashioned keys suggest that the subject desires a traditional 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.