Is there an actual time calculation in Inception?

In the movie, they (Cobb and his partners) are drawn into multiple layers of dreams, and they said that if you're going further/deeper you'll find the time in real world or previous layer is multiplied, thus allowing you to do more in the dream world.

Is there any actual calculation for this?

Answer

The calculation is on a 1:20 ratio between each layer of dream on strong sedative. And 1:12 on normal sedative.

This is a bit weird though. When the van is falling in the first layer of the dream, the passengers are weightless and time is flowing 20 times slower. The van falls in ... maybe 5 seconds? That means in the second layer, the character must do the following in approx 1 minute 30 seconds:

Get back to the floor where Cobb and the others are

Have a fight

Strap everyone like dry sausages

Get them in the elevator

Get explosive charges on the elevator

And set them on fire

Which is a little short, I'd say.

In the film, Nolan gives his character a pseudo-scientific speech on relative temporality about dream states (to which "Eames" said he doesn't like math).

This time ratio is constant between states. This make Cobb able to calculate the "when" of the kicks to get back awake in real life.

Real world : 10 hours

1st layer : 10 x 20 => 200 hours => 8 days and 7 hours (about a week)

2nd layer : 10 x 20 x 20 => 4,000 hours => 166,67 days (almost six months)

3rd layer : 10 X 20 x 20 x 20 = 80,000 hours => 3,333.33 days => 111,11 months => 9,26 years (almost 10 years)

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