Dreams within Dreams

The Astrology of the Film, "Inception"

Christopher Nolan’s latest film, Inception, is a perplexing, fascinating mind trip. Though the plot may strain the limits of what is possible, it’s easy to be taken away into the worlds within worlds which compose this ultimate brain teaser. In between the plot line which has Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) intruding within someone’s mind to plant an idea, and thereby alter the likely trajectory of events, the film portrays the process of spiritual awakening. The end result is a complete questioning of what is real…and what is a dream? The parallels to the astrology of awakening are profound.

Cobb has found the ways and means to enter peoples’ minds. This is accomplished by an innovation, mentored by his father-in-law (Michael Caine), which allows him to share dream space with others. Within dreamtime, he can alter a subject’s interior landscape, which has profound impact on the subconscious which runs the show in waking life. The catch is this: due to sharing dreams, the deeper Cobb ventures into another, the more he must face the deeper layers of unconscious material in his own mind. So, to do his job well, he must solve the riddles of his own shadow, while not getting lost in the endless labyrinth of his own, or others’, psyches. This is the actual situation we all find ourselves in!

It is the astrological Moon that relates to our unconscious. We absorb life, which becomes internalized as who and what we are. Anything deemed objectionable, or too painful, is pushed down so we can proceed through life. When this repressed material is demonized, we set up an elaborate defense system to continue the pattern of avoidance. Eventually, we must face these “demons” in order to diffuse the attachment we have in keeping them at bay, which keeps us trapped in the ego dream.

Inception remarkably displays the ego dream. We see how we simultaneously create our reality, while also inhabiting it, in the dream state. All the “people” in the dream state are projections: representations of our versions of them. The big question is whether the condition of the ego dream functions only within our sleeping dreams, or is the “ordinary” reality also a dream? Are the people in your life “real,” or are they your projections? Are you awake right now?

By freeing the repressed material, we learn to liberate from the dream. This usually involves some form of confrontation with the shadow (Pluto), the inevitable emotional experience that accompanies this confrontation, and eventually, a release of our psychic hold on it. Those who have taken measures to free these attachments have access to a broader, creative reality in the present (Sun), instead of endlessly orbiting around the contents of yesteryear (Moon).

The movie ends without giving a clear indication of where dreaming begins or ends. This is for me and you to decide, as we may be sharing a dream just as depicted in the movie. The only way to find out is to take measures to liberate. The mission of Soul Vision Consulting is to assist people in this process. We focus on the Moon, the personalized ego dream, to give information about the attachments in the soul. The astrology chart gives many useful suggestions of how to work with this material, and also what life could be like upon its resolution. Happy Awakening!

Eric Meyers, M.A., Astrological Counselor and Author

www.SoulVisionConsulting.com