as i read it the reality shift takes place at one significant place in the story and that is when Cooper stops and actually notices Naidoo for the first time. pretty much immediatly when we are clued in to the fact that he recognizes her an additional shot of Cooper's face is then superimposed over all the remaining action in the sherrif's station - this vanishes once we step into the boiler room / Hotel basement.. as you say, a scene straight out of a dream.Nighthawk wrote: There is a lot of uncertainty as to when the reality shift actually takes place. Arguably it could be as early as when the wall clock at the TP Sheriff's station starts repeating the same second tick, stuck in a loop. The scene that follows, of Cooper opening the door to the Great Northern boiler room using room 315 key is straight out of a dream.
it should be noted that this superimposed face doesn't do or say anything.. except once - "We live inside a dream" (i think it was, either that or "Who is the dreamer?")