Why does Cobb tell Ariadne how his totem works?

because in a dream you can do anything(but they don’t because of the sub-conscious projections) and cobb can check if he is in a dream he will concentrate on the totem and tell it to keep spinning if it keeps spinning as cobb has commanded it he is in a dream and if it stops spinning his is in the real world.

What does Cobb’s totem symbolize in Inception?

Cobb’s totem is a spinning top, which originally belonged to his dead wife Mal. Cobb’s totem symbolizes his lingering feelings of guilt and regret over the circumstances of Mal’s death.

Do totems work in your own dream?

Any ordinary object which has been in some way modified to affect its balance, weight, or feel will work as a totem. In order to protect its integrity, only the totem’s owner should ever handle it. In the owner’s own dream world, the totem will feel correct.

Is inception all Cobb’s dream?

It is very possible, in this new dream (and I do believe the ending is based in a dream, not reality) Cobb is going to have to process his absence from his children and work through the guilt of his actions rippling into their lives. Inception is, simply put, Cobb’s dream.

Is the top Mal’s totem?

Therefore, the final scene is indeed reality. However, as the question asks, the spinning top was indeed NOT Cobb’s totem, at least not in the beginning. Because the spinning top was Mal’s totem, and Cobb has since touched it, it won’t always work properly for him.

Does Cobb’s totem fall at the end?

Cobb carries a little top with him. If the top keeps spinning, that means he is in a dream. If it stops and falls over, that means he is back in reality. The final shot shows the top spinning, but it never reveals whether it falls over.

Is Dom still dreaming?

Finally reunited with his children, Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) tosses his spinning top to check if he’s in a dream or reality – if it spins, he’s still in a dream; if it falls, he’s back in reality. The movie cuts to credits before we ever get our answer.

What was MALS totem?

In the movie, Mal’s Totem of choice was a top. If the top was spun in the real world, just as anyone would expect, it would topple after spinning for some time.