Analysis for Gancalo "Gully" Alwes, 28 October 1998

This is how you described the room:

The room is cool, but comfortingly cool, like a shady glen on a hot summer day. It is enormous, the size of a palace ballroom or airplane hangar, but it is unlike either of those places. The walls and floor are stone, a dark hard stone with ornate figures carved in bas relief, the ceiling, however, is lost in the dark heights, as if there is no ceiling at all. There is no furniture and, except for the carvings, no decorations or ornamentation. Light filters through a large, fogged window on one side of the room which overlooks a vast desert which possesses no trace of life or civilization.

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 (41.30%). The depth of description tells us that the subject has strong memories of childhood (27.52%). It is possible that the large size of the room indicates that some tragedy overwhelmed the subject early in life.

You wanted to leave the room.

The subject wanted to become an adult.

This is how you described the forest:

The forest is thick with tall, old-growth trees but no underbrush. Light barely squeezes through the canopy of foliage high above me.

The forest is growing up, and the trees are those adults with whom the subject interacted at that time. A semi-dark forest tells us that the subject felt somewhat oppressed by the attention the adults gave (27.99%). Tall trees imply that the adults had a strong influence on the subject (53.47%).

This is how you described the path:

The wide, gravel strewn path is easily navigated as there is hardly any vegetation on the ground. It meanders among the trees and disappears into the forest.

Adolescence is represented by the path through the forest. That the path is free of obstructions indicates that the subject had no problems during adolescence (59.24%). The lack of evidence of fellow travelers suggests strong feelings of isolation at that time (58.88%). The visibility of the path tells us that the subject had a good idea of what to expect from adolescence (52.76%). A narrow path suggests that the subject had limited options for emotional growth at this time (69.06%).

This is how you described the water:

The forest breaks onto a gorge several yards deep, carved by a tumultuous flow of water which roars and crashes through the rocks. White foam crests on a blue-green river.

The water is the subject’s sexuality. What interests us here is the clarity of the water (representing attitude) and its movement (representing libido). Clear water tells us that the subject has no issues regarding sex (89.36%). The movement of the water suggests a normal, average if somewhat playful sex drive (32.29%).

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:

The vessel is a plain, old-fashioned Coca-Cola bottle. The trademark writing is still visible on the glass.

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 (63.22%).

You left the cup behind.

The subject is not interested in marriage.

This is how you described the key:

It's a rusty old keyed, dropped long ago by some long since departed traveler. It's small and has very few teeth and is probably an ornament more than a security device. It unlocks a diary or small cherished box, something of great sentimental value but of little "real" value.

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 (46.72%). Having the key open a house, car, or other commonplace use tells us that the subject has no extraordinary expectations about a career (55.30%).

You avoided the bear.

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