Is there an analogy between Totems in the movie Inception and the sacraments?
If you have seen Inception, then you know that Totems are an important part of the story line. Per the movie:
A Totem is an object that exists in the real world in order to ground oneself not only in reality, but also in the dream world. A Totem has a specially modified weight, balance, or feel in the real world but in a dream of someone who does not know it well, the characteristics of the totem will very likely be off. In order to protect its integrity, only the totem’s owner should ever handle it. That way, the owner is able to tell if he is in his own dream or someone else’s. In the owner’s own dream world, the totem will feel correct. Any ordinary object which has been in some way modified to affect its balance, weight, or feel will work as a totem (Source).
The importance of Totems to the characters in Inception cannot be overstated. These objects of substance and weight, give concrete assurances of reality. They assure Dom that he is not a projection of someone else’s dream.
Compare and contrast “totems” with Calvin’s thoughts on sacraments.*
It seems to me that a simple and proper definition would be to say that [a sacrament] is an outward sign by which the Lord seals on our consciences the promises of his good will toward us in order to sustain the weakness of our faith; and we in turn attest our piety toward him in the presence of the Lord and of his angels and before men. Here is another briefer definition; one may call it a testimony of divine grace toward us, confirmed by an outward sign, with mutual attestation of our piety toward him.” Calvin. IV.14.1, page 1277.
Sacraments are “totems” given by God which assure us of the reality of the Gospel. As Sinclair Ferguson wrote (in reference to Calvin):
[God] provides the visible words of baptism and the Lord’s supper where Christ puts his grace on display in order to bring us to a more assured communion with him through the Spirit’s work and our responding faith (p. 205, emphasis mine). (As quoted in this post).
Think of it this way. There are times when we feel that reality is “sloping.” We wonder if anything is real. And, at such moments we run to the table to bite into and taste the Gospel. We remember that Christ’s body was broken, his blood shed. Or, we see the water splashing down over the face of a brother or sister and are reminded of new birth. The sacraments are vital aids that sustain the faithful.
Of course, sacraments do not bestow grace in and of themselves, even as in Inception, totems don’t make reality happen. Rather, the sacraments are a grace which assures the person holding them in his hand of reality.
But, they are more than just memory devices. They bring us into the presence of Christ in a particular way. At this point, the analogy breaks down, as illustrations and analogies always do.
The perfectionist in me wants to refine this even more. But, it is a blog – -not a book. For more on the sacraments, see this post.
What do you think? Do you see the parallel?
*I am comfortable using either the word "sacrament" or "ordinance." For a discussion of the use of these terms, see Grudem’s systematic theology.
Can definitely see the parallel, Chris. I haven’t seen the movie, but I’m vaguely aware of the plot and think your insights along with the description of totems are very interesting. Thanks!
First, I enjoyed Inception and say it twice. However, I have a different view on it.
Historically, totems are akin to idols or astrological signs that serve as a reminder of identity and ancestry. In world religion classes and ecumenical theology, it is common to try to connect totems with sacraments and other objects used in religious ritual. Philosophically, often cited is Eliade’s “The Sacred and Profane” in which he views the commonality of commemorating and participating in hierophanies across the spectrum of religious experience via totems. His view is dangerous, as he goes on to parallel the sacraments with primitive cannabilism and vampiric blood rituals.
I think Inception is a very creative work, but would be extremely cautious in trying to make it mean anything that is not intended. Thanks!
Deb – that is a good word of warning. I played the tape in my mind.
Yoder writes, in Body Politics, “Jesus … mandated a specific human activity, describing in some detail how it should proceed. God would at the same time be acting ‘in, with, and under’ that human activity. When human and divine activity coincide in this way, that is what some denominations call a sacrament.” Yoder seems to locate the sacrament in the doing, not in the object used in the doing. I would venture to say that in some denominations it is all about “the elements” themselves (Totems, in your example here). I would suggest that it is the marriage of both subject and object, together with the “in, with, and under” presence and activity of God, that makes a sacrament, yes, a means of Grace, and something other, quite other, than a “Totem.”
Susan – – your blog title fits with the depth of your answer. Good points.
For sure, there is only an analogy at the most – –
I do like the analogy that “A Totem is an object that exists in the real world in order to ground oneself not only in reality, but also in the dream world.” …as long as we clarify that the “dream world” is not a world of unreality (which the sentence seems to indicate, by contrast) but the analogy is that reality = the seen world and the “dream world” is analagous to the unseen world or what some people loosely refer to as heaven. With those qualifications, a sacrament is something that grounds us in the seen world while connecting us and grounding us more deeply in the unseen world… a place where seen and unseen intersect. I like what you wrote about this intersection offering recalibration when we sense that “sloping” effect : ) I believe that is the case.
Chris: “I played the tape in my mind.”
Yes. Perhaps then to go one step further, are you proposing that Inception could be viewed as a type of religious experience?
And if you agree that totems (or hierophanies as Eliade proposes) are common elements amongst religions, would you say:
1-that Christianity is therefore anti-religion (the sacraments are not equivalent to totems);
2-that other religions are mere mimics (and sometimes potentially demonic archtypes) of “true” religion (Christianity) (totems are forms twisted by the world, the flesh and satan); or
3-that Eliade is right – all religions are indeed parallel in pattern with regard to rite and ritual – use of totems?
Thanks
Deb —
First, personally, I was just thinking of totems analogically.
The reality is that the dominant way worldview is shaped in our culture today is probably through entertainment. In that sense, we should be discerning in considering movies. In the case of Inception, I went with teens and immediately asked, “What is the message of that movie?” A long discussion ensued.
Personally, I don’t in any sense think that the sacraments and totems are equivalent, though I understand that the framing of the question could be construed that way. It’s hard to miss that for the worldview of the movie, there was something sacramental about them.
I am not qualified enough to speak to the “all” of #3. Other religions certainly do have parallels on some level. Image bearers do long to know God. In the absence of truly knowing Him, they seek cheap substitutes that often parallel Christianity.
Sorry for the rambling nature of the response. I suppose that is consistent with the idea of blogging. Thanks for making me think.