INCEPTION
The story of sharing a dream with nature
‘An idea is like a virus, resilient, highly contagious. The smallest seed of an idea can grow. It can grow to define or destroy you.’
Mr. White, a typical business acumen was aware of the power of an ‘idea’ and knew how it could define him and exquisitely destroy the rest. Mr. White, understood that to plant the idea, he needed a team - that too an efficient team. So, he managed to put together:
Mr. Pink – a shewed man aware of profits and numbers;
Mr. Violet – a palpable looking gentleman with great social and outreach skills;
and Mr. Blue – a self-esteemed man known for translating ideas into a tangible form.
This idea however, was not simple; for it to had to be planted across a compounded dream - a dream that had to straddle 3 levels to get rooted deep in the subconscious. This would only be possible, if it was motivated by an emotion, not reason. The idea had to translate into an emotional concept. Mr. White knew this game. So, he hired on board his most important member - Ms. Green. Ms. Green, one who could transcend between the tangible and the intangible, be an expression as well as an experience, and more importantly instigate positive emotions rather than negative connotations.
Mr. White, Mr. Pink, Mr. Violet, Mr. Blue and Ms. Green were ready to share a dream, to create the world of dream and bring the subject into the world of dream. Just before performing inception, Mr. Blue enquired: “How do we get out of the dream?’
“A kick” replied Mr. Violet
‘What’s a kick?’, Mr. Blue asks.
“A kick, is when your bank balance raises up”, smirked Mr. White.
At the first level, Mr. White with his allies is seen stepping out of a swanky car accompanied with Mr. Black - the man with the moolah. Mr. Black and Mr.White is seen walking ahead and flanked by Mr. Pink and Mr. Violet with Mr. Blue hanging at the back treading subserviently. As they walk ahead, Ms. Green, in the foreground presents an image to behold.
Ms. Green looks spectacular. Lush in outlook, wide spread in reach and visually blending deep into the horizon. Even spectacular seems liked an understatement in the way the individuals gazed towards her. At once, she invokes a range of emotions - that of beauty, of nostalgia, evoking feelings of creativity as well a sense of comfort and promise. A series of mixed positive emotions that left most speechless eventually only punctured by a gentle exhalation of words from Mr. Black “It indeed is beautiful! The property is really nice”
“Isn’t it? I had told you so!” jumped in Mr. White in affirmation.
If that wasn’t enough, Mr. Pink and Mr. Violet repeated the same thought. They quickly called in Mr. Blue to deliver a more constructive statement to seed the idea further. Mr. Blue, trudged along with Mr. Black, pointing confidently towards different facets of Ms. Green with words such as ‘vantage’, ‘space’, ‘focal’ oozing out all at once. At times, momentarily interrupted by Mr. White filling into say, “You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger darling!!”
After a point the conversation starts to get more precise with fingers raised at Ms. Green and then the voices turn into murmurs deflected by the sensual swaying of Ms. Green. As the men emerge from the submissive and overwhelming form of Ms. Green, Mr. Black faintly states with a smile on his face “Let us get the investment papers sorted to proceed” Mr. Black, nods in achievement as they others look at each other with slight appreciative shake of the head. Ms. Green, stays. Stays picturesque as a backdrop to this script.
The second dream shifts inside a closed room, with Mr. Blue taking center stage, Mr. Pink and Mr. Violet rigorously working seated next to him, while Mr. Black is seated rather casually against the wall. The protagonists overlooked with several Mr. Red’s – men who make decisions or supposed to take actions – around a large elliptical wooden table. Ms. Green however, is missing. Missing in her earlier form but very much part of the idea as Mr. Blue unfurls technical details to the people around with a special emphasis:
“We have Ms. Green also, she has share of 28% in this property !!!”
A statement that makes the Mr. Red’s take notice all at once.
“Wonderful !! but what about the other 5%” one of the Mr. Red asks.
“We will provide for that.Will adjust it somehow and if we cannot we will surely compensate. Have worked out the numbers”, Mr. Pink, pitches in.
“Do note, it is utmost importance to ensure that Ms. Green is provided for as per statutory regulations. I am not really concerned of Ms. Green is treated but just makes sure the guidelines are followed” commands Mr. Red. “Of course, Sir!!” echoes Mr. Blue, Mr. Pink and Mr. Violet unanimously.
Mr. White, steps up from his seat and walks humbly to Mr. Red seated center of the elliptical table shakes his hand and he sees him signing under the dotted line. The dotted line stacked underneath Ms. Green who now appears in forms of numbers, data, lists, documents and gets a mention in every sheet of stacked paper and silently disappears with the signed dotted line sheet inside a folder. The folder neatly tied with a thread with a remark in bold 'Sanctioned for Construction.'
“If we are going to perform inception then we need imagination.”Aware and abiding by this statement from Mr. White, Mr. Pink and Mr. Violet set open the third level of the dream on the streets of a city. Right into heart of the city fabric – from the busiest street to the quietest lane, from the doorstep up towards the farthest available space where the eyesight could reach.
Taking the imagination to a different degree altogether, Mr. Pink and Mr. Violet re-imagines Ms. Green, unabashedly. Re-imagines it for the masses and the market to point that imagination leads to manipulation. Ms. Green now appears as a frame in the skyline of the city, as a voice across radio stations and even in printed media as nothing but a mere advertisement. An advertisement necessary to complete the dream, pivotal to set the deep into the conscious of all the masses - an advertisement that only Ms. Green can pull through by sheer emotional outreach. Ms. Green is now for SALE.
Ms. Green appears as statements, an imagery and a bait. 'Book a room with a forest view'; 'Now own your private garden'; '22 acres of green for recreational use'; 'Live amongst Oxygen -nature’s gift' are only some of the avatars of Ms. Green. She is there, everywhere, spilled across the city in similar forms but of varying degrees to communicate just one thing in particular – a dream. A dream of alluring emotions.
You, the reader, this level of the dream sounds familiar to you isn’t it? It ought to. For you, me and the rest around us we are all the recipient of the virus - the idea that Mr. White wanted to plant. We may not directly be part of the dream at the first two level – but at this level – deep down at the conscious we are all projections of this very dream. This dream is becoming our reality. You, you never really remember that you would be part of this dream, would you? For one never realizes the beginning of the dream, one always winds up right in the middle of what's going on.
As you spin your totem, to realize for yourself if you are in the dream or reality, Mr. White, Mr. Pink, Mr. Violet and Mr. Blue have already felt ‘the kick’. They are out of it, leaving behind Ms. Green as a dying dreamer in limbo. Limbo - a world of infinite subconscious from which escape is extremely difficult, if not almost impossible. Left behind, surrounded by us. Reduced from splendor and grandeur through rigorous transactions to a mere a token of existence – one of property and ownership. Today, Ms. Green’s limbo is her reality. It is lost down there for so long that we even we fail to recognize the identity.
'What is the most resilient parasite? Bacteria? A virus? An intestinal worm? An idea. Resilient... highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it's almost impossible to eradicate. An idea that is fully formed - fully understood - that sticks; right in there somewhere.' A seed that you plant in a person’s mind may change everything. So, go ahead, plant an idea, share a dream. A dream to define not to destroy.
- thanks to INCEPTION (Film, 2010)