Analysis for Anonymous, 7 April 2005

This is how you described the room:

I wake up in a cold, stone prison cell. It's dark and there's barely anything in the cell.

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. No furnishings at all tells of either a complete absence of memories from that time or active suppression of said memories.

You wanted to leave the room.

The subject wanted to become an adult.

This is how you described the forest:

The trees are blossoming and bear fruit. It is bright.

The forest is growing up, and the trees are those adults with whom the subject interacted at that time. That the forest is very bright tells us that the subject had extensive freedom while growing up. 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 not easily navigable, not visible, abandoned, and full of obstructions. This path is being made for the first time by me.

Adolescence is represented by the path through the forest. Lots of obstructions on the path indicate many 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 pond with lots of lily pads and murky water. The water itself is still.

The water is the subject’s sexuality. What interests us here is the clarity of the water (representing attitude) and its movement (representing libido). Murky, dirty, or otherwise unclear water suggests that the subject has significant issues regarding sex. Stagnant or still water suggests a sex drive that is absent or pathologically inactive, not by choice of the subject.

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 chipped glass. The glass is dirty.

The vessel, or specifically the practicality of the vessel, is how the subject approaches marriage or bonding. That the container is refuse or damaged suggests a cynicism about the institution.

You left the cup behind.

The subject is not interested in marriage.

This is how you described the key:

The key is silver and shiny. The key is ornate. It looks like it unlocks a trinket box.

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. Keys to diaries, hope chests, or other highly personal items suggest that the subject wants a career that will solve other people’s problems.

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 2005