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I know Inception is one of the greatest movies ever. I also know what it means to many of us. But still there are many questions the curious part of my mind tends to ask whenever I think about this movie. I would like to find their answer and I think many of you will help me.
These are the questions:
- How do the extractors enter the dream of another person? Ok if it can be done how his direction of dreams is controlled? And even if it can occur, how they manage to create a dream for him?
- How does Cobb’s subconscious enter a dream which in fact is of Yusuf’s?
- How can it be so that without even her knowledge Cobb was able to enter into a dream designed by her? (The question pertains to the scene when Cobb teaches Ariadne.)
- How Eames is able to impersonate anyone he likes?
- The projection of Browning (Fischer’s godfather) tells him that he was always behind his father’s money. Was that idea already inside Fischer’s mind? If not, why did Fischer believe him?
- How the gravity is able to affect the dream? In other words how acceleration is able to affect the dreams? Even if we consider the general principle of relativity to be true in the dream world, then how will you explain the smooth jerk-free dreams which we have in the trains continuously accelerating and decelerating? I mean to say that Yusuf driving the car and subsequent shifting of weather and gravity (in Arthur’s dream) as well as the total absence of gravity during the car’s free-fall: how are they correlated?
- Why everyone goes into Cobb’s Limbo when he dies in the third level of the dream? I mean see Fischer, it can be argued that since Fischer was killed by Mal, Cobb’s projection in his own dream, he should go into Cobb’s limbo (but this also is plausible) but what about Saito? On what basis should he go into the limbo of Cobb? There is one more weaker question? How come there are people(security guards as well as Cobb’s children) with Saito in the limbo? Are they projections of Saito himself or Cobb?
- Why is Mal’s projection in Cobb’s dreams (mind) always bent upon destroying his plans?
- Fischer’s conscious as well as sub conscious knows that his father is dead. How come he(father) appear in the third stage of the dream? It was a design of Adriande of course, wasn’t it a sufficient deception for Fischer to notice that he was being attacked?
It may seem that many of the questions are too naïve. But I have put them here because their probable explanations are real the points of questions I have in my mind. So anybody please, if has that genius of understanding Nolan, please help me in solving these mysteries.
THE SKEPTIKAL OBSERVER 
Hmm…your questions have actually left me think hard about it. Trust me, I now even am thinking of asking same questions to my friends who used to give me their gyaan about this concept.
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You sent me a message on my blog to look at this. Before I begin, I view the setting of Inception to be a little alternate history, in the since its just like ours except this dream technology and science exists. And as such, they know (as in observed) things we don’t. And in this way, can get away with some things. For example, the idea that characters in a dream will attack any outsider invading a dream. That technically never happened since in our world, getting into another dream hasn’t happened yet. (Well, as far as I know without going all mystified) So it is, “This is possible because we don’t know if it is or not, and we decide it is.” sort of an excuse.
That said, let me take a stab at your questions, though it may in no way be correct.
1
As far as I can tell, the machine give a special type of dream serum (Yusuf’s serum is apparently one of the most potent) but what ‘wire’ connected them all up… ??? I sort of expect them to connect something close to their brain. All have various ability to force their will onto a dream, which require talent and/or training. In can be conscious and harsh (the training sequence, but disturbs the dream itself), preplanned and let it run as the dreams will (the architect’s job, creating the setting but no more control than that), or subconsciously (Mal, rain in Yusuf’s dream because he had to pee) by any in the dream. I myself sometimes am ‘conscious’ enough to know that this dream might become a nightmare and force myself awake. Its like that. “Creating a dream”, your words, sound like “the architect’s job”, in mine. Lots of planning and if the architect is good enough, he can lock it into his subconscious.
2
Again, this is the ‘wire’ in #1 that is left unexplained. Where is the datajack to the brain? But the dream-within-dream is, I believe they said, highly unstable. Going down one level is usually okay, three is very difficult and is why they needed Yusuf’s serum. In the setting its considered cutting edge and risky, but didn’t elaborate beyond that. Its one of those, “Okay, lets assume this is possible since we don’t really know in the real world” things I mentioned in my first paragraph.
The idea though of dropping in and popping out of a something-within-something has been done before. Like a story within a story, like the Black Freighter comic in Watchman.
3
I think the training sequence was done by Cobb as the architect, not Ariadne. Its was his dream and he was, of course, skilled enough to control it, from the layout to the explosions when he tells her they are dreaming. Note also that when she uses the mirror doors to go to a place she knows, Cobb warns her that the unconscious dreamer knows its being invaded and… well, Mal stabs her.
4
Its a talent, like how one can be an architect with enough training. Note he needed some time with the person to pull it off, and have good acting ability because of it. He then just force himself to look like someone in the dream.
5
Not sure if it was already in his mind. But for the second question, it may just be part of the Inception process and needed to be kneaded more as the dream got deeper into his subconscious.
6
Not sure how to explain that one. First I thought small gravity changes (like constant accel and decel) might be nil in the dream. But that doesn’t explain everything.
7
The introduction of Limbo was one of my biggest complaints about the movie. A big, unexpected action sequence then, BOOM, a new Inception World term! They said in that scene in the garage like room that Cobb was the only one who’ve been in Limbo, and I am guessing this should be taken literally. NO ONE else. I think Nolan wanted it to be where all unconscious go when dream physics gets screwed around too much, and it just dumps you in this empty area all who can screw up dream physics will go. Which in turn means the movie is implying there is such of a thing as a collective unconscious. Which in turn brings up a glob of other questions!
8
Mal is an avatar for his conscious and subconscious fears and anxieties over his lost wife. And because it is so potent and damaging to him, that dream-control skill don’t work well with her.
Note also that one sign that Cobb is dreaming is if he has a ring on or note. I also wonder if Ariadne is a psychology major student as she seems so interested in this psychological heel of his.
9
Speaking for myself, my ‘dream-self’ may believe my dead mom is alive even though my mother is not. So while he may consciously know it, that may not have the effect for his subconscious. Especially several layers down or had some training. Also, on that low level, Cobb & Co. already fooled him into thinking they are on his side and what was the dream was the attackers. And he needed to find out what they were keeping from him in that sealed room. Reverse psychology turned into a headache for us viewers.
Finally, I want to say I have ordered the screenplay on Amazon. Alas, its booked up till October or November! But I hope it might explain some of the questions we have.
1. How do the extractors enter the dream of another person? Ok if it can be done how his direction of dreams is controlled? And even if it can occur, how they manage to create a dream for him?
I believe it is a function of the machine itself. It’s not enough to just give people sedatives, they must be hooked to the machine to dream-share. The ability to create is a function of the dream-share. They are sharing and so the dreamer is the one creating the dream. The Dreamer (the target) is the one populating that landscape.
2. How does Cobb’s subconscious enter a dream which in fact is of Yusuf’s?
Because all of their subconsciouses are hooked up to the machine. They are trained and aware they are in a dream, so they aren’t supposed to randomly show up. The Dreamer’s subconscious isn’t aware it is dreaming fully, so it just populates willy-nilly.
3. How can it be so that without even her knowledge Cobb was able to enter into a dream designed by her? (The question pertains to the scene when Cobb teaches Ariadne.)
Because again, it is ruled by the subconscious, somewhere they are all theoretically able to contribute to, but they are trained enough to not allow their subconsciouses to enter.
4. How Eames is able to impersonate anyone he likes?
Innate talent, like those who can design dreams/mazes well.
5. The projection of Browning (Fischer’s godfather) tells him that he was always behind his father’s money. Was that idea already inside Fischer’s mind? If not, why did Fischer believe him?
I don’t understand this question.
6. How the gravity is able to affect the dream? In other words how acceleration is able to affect the dreams? Even if we consider the general principle of relativity to be true in the dream world, then how will you explain the smooth jerk-free dreams which we have in the trains continuously accelerating and decelerating? I mean to say that Yusuf driving the car and subsequent shifting of weather and gravity (in Arthur’s dream) as well as the total absence of gravity during the car’s free-fall: how are they correlated?
Ehh. I think it’s a little inconsistent. It probably should affect them more. But it provides a more dramatic scene to have the sudden change. It could be argued that even with shifts, it’s not the same change in gravity as free-fall.
7. Why everyone goes into Cobb’s Limbo when he dies in the third level of the dream? I mean see Fischer, it can be argued that since Fischer was killed by Mal, Cobb’s projection in his own dream, he should go into Cobb’s limbo (but this also is plausible) but what about Saito? On what basis should he go into the limbo of Cobb? There is one more weaker question? How come there are people(security guards as well as Cobb’s children) with Saito in the limbo? Are they projections of Saito himself or Cobb?
Limbo belongs to no one and everyone. It is like a dimension, not a true dream state. Limbo is where he and Mal went, and it is the same just because there have been no other visitors to Limbo since them.
8. Why is Mal’s projection in Cobb’s dreams (mind) always bent upon destroying his plans?
His guilt for having killed his wife, in his mind. He feels guilty and that he doesn’t deserve to succeed.
9. Fischer’s conscious as well as sub conscious knows that his father is dead. How come he(father) appear in the third stage of the dream? It was a design of Adriande of course, wasn’t it a sufficient deception for Fischer to notice that he was being attacked?
Fischer knows he is in a dream in the third level, remember? He was trying to go into “brownings” subconscious (which was really just deeper into his own.) But he was there to find out the information that he thought browning knew – that his father wanted him to break up the company because he didn’t want his son to end up like him.
Hope that helps 🙂
another reply because I forgot to click the notify box 🙂
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I believe my answers will be similar with SapphireMind’s 🙂
Hey! In the world of creativity- not everything is 1+1=2. Infact it is 1+1=22 what we call ‘suspension of disbelief’ the rational mind stops dead in its tracks and hangs the suspension to proceed with the flow
Am quite surprised you have asked these valid questions of the maker:) But as soon as these questions are asked the magic of the story is lost. I’d rather not know- becos wondering and thinking is half the charm – it lingers on:)
But not to detract from your thot process and to give a little substance to ( just to illustrate the point I make above) how the do the extractors enter the dream of another person? If you believe that ultimately we are all the compositions of atoms and molecules – a medium thru which energy is routed – then the theory of energy tells you when the forces of ‘charge’ collude- energy /dreams pass thru-connections happen:)
I went to see this film with great hopes… but disappointed. Lot of loose threads. Lot of flaws. It’s never worth the hype!
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