Analysis for Phyllis Bear, 14 February 2005

This is how you described the room:

It is cold. I am lying, not on a mattress, but under a bed. I am lying in a fetal position with my chin at a hypotenetic angle to the single window in the room. The stairway is directly across from the window and is uncarpeted. I am lightly clothed. I am alone. There are two bunkbeds in the room. There are no other furnishings.

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. A very uncomfortable room suggests a highly traumatic childhood. 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:

They are birch trees. They are white and piebald, with beautiful bark that is flaking in some spots and firm in others. The sun shines through the treetops and gives ample light to allow me to travel quickly through the forest.

The forest is growing up, and the trees are those adults with whom the subject interacted at that time. Small trees imply that the adults had a weak influence on the subject. A well-lit forest tells us that the subject had considerable freedom at this time.

This is how you described the path:

The path is feathered with snow and is easily traveled. I am climbing to a higher altitude, and find the path is clearer as I ascend. I find no other human tracks, but a variety of animal prints, some of which I cannot identify.

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. 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:

The water is trickling from a rocky precipice. In some spots it is like looking into a mirror. In others, it is clear and I am able to see to the other side. It appears to be a stream, but the erosion that is surrounding the water creates numerous lesser banks. The water is icy cold. The water feels like cold silk against my fingers.

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 is made from birch bark. It is lined with a sap-like substance that disallows leakage. There are no handles.It is too large for my small hands, but easily held between them both. It does not leak. There is a symbol scratched in the side. I am unable to decipher what the symbol may mean.

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 took the cup and filled it.

The subject is interested in marriage, and sex will be a significant part of that relationship.

This is how you described the key:

It is a skeleton key. It unlocks a room.

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. Old-fashioned keys suggest that the subject desires a traditional 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.