Inception

Work Title: Inception
Medium: Film
Episode Title:
Year: 2010
Writer(s): Christopher Nolan
"Original" Writer: Yes Own work?: No
Summary:

Dom Cobb is a thief who is highly skilled at stealing secret information from objects’ mind when they are in the weakest situation—in their dreams. His skill made him an international fugitive. He is given a chance at redemption, which is also a toughest task: not steal a mind, but incept one. Cobb and his team made a comprehensive plan to invade the object’s dream and fight with the defenders in object’s subconscious.

  • Self-Written?: 1
  • Source Name:
  • Source URL:
Era/Year of Portrayal: present_day
Distinctive characteristics of the world in portrayal:

The world, in which technology exists to enter the human mind by invading one’s dream.

Technology

  • Name of portrayed presence-evoking technology: PASIV device (Portable Automated Somnacin IntraVenous Device)
  • Description of the technology: It's a suitcase-like equipment. The device is able to administer drug Somnacin to dreamers and use wires and sedatives to connect humans, allowing them to share dreams.
  • Nature of task or activity: People can control their actions in the dream and move freely as they are in real life. They can feel actual pain, cold, hot in the dream. At the same time, the feeling in the real life can be reflected in their dreams, such as weightless. By talking to or watching the object in the dream, the dream thief can steal ideas and information from the object’s mind.
  • Performance of the Technology: It performances as the designer expected. The technology allows the dream thieves invade object’s dream without being noticed because the presence makes objects feel they are still in the real life.
  • Description of creator(s): Dom Cobb, male, about 40s, the dream theft
  • Major goal(s) of creator(s): Make money. To steal top business secret by invading their dreams and sell it to their enemies.
  • Description of users of technology: All people who are using the device can experience the presence.
  • Type(s) of presence experience in the portrayal: both
  • Description of presence experience: It looks, sounds and feels exactly like real life. People can talk and fight with others and even die in a fight.
  • User awareness of technology during experience: People are not aware they are using the device, and sometimes the technology makes people hardly tell whether they are in dreams or real life. But those people who were trained can realize they are using the technology.
  • Valence of experience: Have both positive and negative experiences.
  • Specific responses: The responses depend on the type of dream. When dreams go exactly where people want, they enjoy the experience. Some people even rather like to live in dreams. But those who dreams about suffering experience, they want to wake up.
Long-term consequences:

The presence may have two consequences: 1. If the inception succeeds, people can be controlled by the information incepted in their mind. They will act as the inceptor wants without noticing. 2. If people feel more happy and real in their dreams, they will use the device initiatively to seek a presence and more willing to live in dreams.

Other:

Coder name: Liudi Wang
Coder email: tud51880@temple.edu
Coder affiliation: Temple University