The Effects of Somnacin

[fae_boleyn]

OK, so this is the first time I've gone and posted an entire meta on the comm, but I didn't want to have some discussion on my LJ and some here, I'd rather have it all in one spot, so here it is. :D

Comments

[scarlet_ebony]

Ahhhh, you've really got me thinking about this, Fae. Reason why I love Inception so much. It encourages so much thought.

I've thought about this issue before, reading fanfics. I do agree with you that the effects of Somnacin can't be similar for every single person, but I'm pretty set on the fact that there must be at least one side-effect that affects every user.

I'm thinking about the part about dreaming naturally. Personally I feel that dreaming is a natural function of the mind itself, and for some people, I doubt the Somnacin would be able to completely prevent them from dreaming naturally.
But as Cobb did say, 'after awhile it becomes the only way you can dream', and I'm not about to mess with Chris Nolan's logic on that.

I'm certain it will ultimately have an effect on a pregnant woman though. I've read numerous fics where Ariadne or Mal is with child and they're not permitted to go under too much for fear of the Somnacin affecting the child.
I think that's a valid point. It is a drug after all. I'm sure it'll have a negative effect on the baby, to a certain extent.

[darkhavens]

But as Cobb did say, 'after awhile it becomes the only way you can dream', and I'm not about to mess with Chris Nolan's logic on that.

Ah, but that's not Chris Nolan's logic. That is what Chris Nolan has Cobb saying, and, as we learned in the movie, Cobb is not always the most reliable, trustworthy guy in the world.

I can easily see him take the thought 'Mal and I can no longer dream without Somnacin', and extrapolate it out to a general warning of 'after awhile it becomes the only way you can dream'.

(The man has an ego. He cavalierly risked the lives of five other people so that his kids could grow up in his care, instead of in the care of loving grandparents. [YMMV]*g*)

[got_quiet]

I see where you're coming from, but there's also the issue of Yusuf agreeing with him.

Yusuf: Tell him, Mr. Cobb.
Cobb: After a while it becomes the only way you can dream.

So it's not just Cobb claiming this. It appears that at the very least Yusuf also believes this, and since they've never met each other before this scene that would suggest that it's a common opinion.

But it also seems obvious that there are multiple types of compounds that can be used for shared dreaming, so it might be possible that one could be developed that removes that side effect.