Analysis for nicky, 8 December 2002

This is how you described the room:

It has a fireplace within which is a roaring fire. The walls are painted a deep red and many paintings hang on them. The furniture is victorian in style and the entire effect is cozy. There is an oriental rug on the floor.

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 (40.99%). The depth of description tells us that the subject has strong memories of childhood (27.33%).

You wanted to stay in the room.

The subject did not want to grow up.

This is how you described the forest:

The trees are tall dark evergreens. It's very dark and intimidating.

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 (27.96%). Tall trees imply that the adults had a strong influence on the subject (53.13%).

This is how you described the path:

It is a narrow, dirt pathway that winds deep into the forest. It is clearly marked. Whether it is well-travelled or abandoned is unknown, but it appears to be leading to someplace not too many people visit.

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 (59.79%). The lack of evidence of fellow travelers suggests strong feelings of isolation at that time (58.19%). The visibility of the path tells us that the subject had a good idea of what to expect from adolescence (52.71%). A narrow path suggests that the subject had limited options for emotional growth at this time (66.27%).

This is how you described the water:

It is a large fast moving river with sharp boulders that jutt out of it. The water is a dark blue.

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 (89.59%). The movement of the water suggests a normal, average if somewhat playful sex drive (32.88%).

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 a coke can.

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 (63.30%).

You left the cup behind.

The subject is not interested in marriage.

This is how you described the key:

The key is large and rusted. It is an old fashioned key, made of iron to last the ages. It looks like a key that would unlock a prison door of the Middle Ages.

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 (45.58%). Having the key open a house, car, or other commonplace use tells us that the subject has no extraordinary expectations about a career (53.49%).

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.