Definition of Key Terms

There are some important key terms that will be used repeatedly in the article. Some are defined by Nolan in the film while the others are defined based on my observations.

ð The dream machine – a device that connects everyone who is plugged into it to a same dream construct or space.

ð Dream – a deeper level of consciousness that functions only when a person is asleep or sedated. When he wakes up, his dream disappears, and his consciousness comes back to a shallower level.

ð The “kick” – a forceful action that wakes a person up from a dream.

ð The host – a person who stays back to keep the team alive in the shallower level, while they try to complete their mission at the deeper level. He is also responsible for administering the “kick” that would wake the team up in the shallower level.

ð Projection – The image of someone that is formed by a person’s subconscious when he is in a dream. It could be voluntary or involuntary.

ð Extraction – the stealing of secrets or ideas from a person’s subconscious.

ð Inception – the planting of an idea deep into a person’s subconscious such that when he wakes up, it is as if the idea was his all along.

ð The subject – a person who is targeted for extraction and/or inception.