Month: December 2015

Okay, so here is a projective test and fun way to get to know someone in five minutes. First of all, when you do this with someone don’t call it a test, but a game. I’ll  explain why later. Second, do not skip ahead if you ever plan on playing this game with yourself or it will forever ruin the game for you!

1. Imagine a vast desert as far as your eyes can see. In the desert there is a cube. Describe the cube. Where is it? What does it look like? Is it transparent or is it obscure?
2. In the desert there is also a ladder. Where is the ladder? What is the ladder made out of?
3. There is a horse in the desert. Describe the horse. What is the horse doing? Where is the horse in relation to the cube?
4. There are also flowers in the desert. Describe the flowers. Are their many flowers? A few flowers? Are they alive and vibrant or dying and withering?
5. Lastly, there is a storm in the desert. Where is the storm? Is it moving away or towards the scene? How is it if at all, effecting the other items we’ve talked about in the desert?

Okay, now the fun part! You have your scene in your head, now here’s the breakdown:

1. The cube represents you. If it is transparent that may mean that you are an open book with no secrets. If it’s obscure, it may mean that you are very private, secretive or not trusting. If it’s in the sky or floating it may mean that you are a dreamer. If it’s in the sand then you’re probably more grounded. One woman I did the test with said that the cube was transparent on one side and obscure on the other, meaning that she probably has a side to her she keeps very private. Another man said that he felt like the cube had landed in the sand from somewhere else. He was a very spiritual person which I felt explained his description.
2. The ladder represents friendships/relationships. If the ladder is made out of something sturdy then it most likely means that you feel like you have solid relationships. If the ladder is leaning against the cube than that means that you probably have people who depend on you. One person I did this test with said that the ladder was made out of glass. He also acknowledged that he broke off relationships easily to keep people from getting to know the real him.
3. The horse represents your spouse or ideal partner. One man I did this test with described a beautiful horse that was running away from the cube. This man is an idealist and is always looking for the “perfect” woman so he is never happy with the women he dates and is always looking for that elusive perfect woman.
4. The flowers represent children, either the ones you have or ideal ones. Some people describe three beautiful flowers, others describe one dying bush. Strangely, a woman I interviewed whose boyfriend had killed her son described the horse as trampling the flowers.
5. The storm represents troubles/problems. Some people say the storm is moving in or away from the scene, representing perceived problems ahead or the end of already occurring troubles. One lady who was in jail because of her boyfriend described the storm as being in-between the cube and the horse. She was surprised that her boyfriend bailed her out that same day!

The reason I say to present this as a game and not a test is because if you say this is a projective test, then people will automatically start to over think their answers and think “pass” or “fail”.

I learned this the hard way. The first client I tried this with first said, “I don’t get it”. When I said, “It’s a projective test” they said, “I fail”. When I explained what a projective test was and that there was no pass or fail they replied “I don’t get it. What’s the purpose”.  By then I was like “forget it”. They were already overthinking it.

It’s a projective test, which means that everything is subjective and working from a person’s subconscious. There is no scientific validity to it, but it’s a fun way to get to know someone within a few minutes and have a great conversation exploring potential meanings and unconscious fears, desires and thoughts .