Analysis for Anonymous, 3 December 2002

This is how you described the room:

The room is cool. There is a desk in the corner, several cabinets, and I am lying on a cot in the middle of the room. There is a closet in one corner, containing old clothes and christmas decorations. The walls have various posters hawking roleplaying games, KMFDM, and, in one case, the solar system.

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 (41.50%). The depth of description tells us that the subject has strong memories of childhood (27.54%).

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 bright. The trees are largely deciduous, but give way to conifers after a few hundred feet. Most of the leaves are gone from the deciduous trees, but a think canopy of pine branches eventually covers the path and makes it harder to see.

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 (28.54%). Tall trees imply that the adults had a strong influence on the subject (54.11%).

This is how you described the path:

The path is wide, paved, and very clearly marked. There are gravel "sidewalks" on either side. Occaisonally, a car drives by, and I have to walk over to the gravel while they pass.

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 (59.71%). The lack of evidence of fellow travelers suggests strong feelings of isolation at that time (59.10%). The visibility of the path tells us that the subject had a good idea of what to expect from adolescence (51.78%). A narrow path suggests that the subject had limited options for emotional growth at this time (69.37%). (Even though they are in cars, we count the passers-by as fellow travelers.)

This is how you described the water:

It's a small, brackish creek. The stench would be unbearable, if the cold of fall hadn't killed most life within it. Chilly bits of fauna are poking through the surface of the stream, slowly dying in the almost-frozen water.

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 (89.34%). The movement of the water suggests a normal, average if somewhat playful sex drive (31.56%).

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:

A small, plastic Country Kitchen mug. Cylindrical, red and white, with a lid and handle right next to the corporate logo.

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 (62.64%).

You left the cup behind.

The subject is not interested in marriage.

This is how you described the key:

Small, square Masterlock key. I had dozens of these things as a kid. Probably unlocked some body's gym locker, once.

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 (46.58%). Having the key open a house, car, or other commonplace use tells us that the subject has no extraordinary expectations about a career (54.87%).

You avoided the bear.

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

When you came to the wall, you turned around and walked back along the path.

The wall represents death: by avoiding it altogether, the subject shows complete denial about the possibility of death.