Analysis for Emily Nicole Novak, 17 January 2005

This is how you described the room:

It is a nice warm room, where I stay when I visit my grandparents. There are two beds in there with blue bedspreads. There is also a end table with an old fashioned lamp on it, and a dressor with a mirror above it and a lamp on top of it. There is a coat rack at the foot of my bed. On the wall next to me are two pictures; one that my sister drew of some of my cousins in a tree, and the other is of a sad girl holding a doll.

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:

It is a bright forest, with dense foliage. The trees are tall and mostly maple and oak trees; there are no pines. The leaves on the trees are swaying pleasantly in a breeze. There is a faint sound of wildlife.

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:

The trail is windy and soon disappears around a corner. It is narrow but clearly visible. The path is clear of obstructions, but still seems abandoned. It is probably a deer trail rather than a foot path.

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 lack of evidence of fellow travelers suggests strong feelings of isolation at that 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 comes to the side of a lake. The lake is fairly large, but the other side is still visible. The water is dark blue, and the bottom of the lake is not visible. The sun is reflected on the surface of the water, but it is broken by waves.

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. Murky, dirty, or otherwise unclear water suggests that the subject has significant 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 a metal canteen, inside of a dark green case. It is capped by a white plactic stopper, with a thin chain connecting the stopper to the canteen. There is a dent on one side.

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 a small silver key. There is nothing remarkable about it; it is not ornamental. It looks like a car or a house 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). 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 avoided the bear.

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