Inception or Deception?

WARNING! MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. DO NOT PROCEED UNTIL YOU WATCH THE MOVIE AND MAKE A THEORY FOR YOURSELF!
For those of you who have seen the movie Inception, you already know the question I'm about to discuss. Was it a dream, or was it real? First off, I believe this is the entire purpose of the movie to leave you guessing and I am only voicing my theories to decide for myself if the movie was in a dream, or in reality.
First lets define Inception:
According to Merriam- Webster's Dictionary it is, "an act, process or instance of beginning."
This is our first clue when we enter the maze of dreams. We are presented with the beginning of something big. Something that we glimpse at the beginning of the movie, but possibly went backward in time, or forward in time. So the question is, was the end of the movie just the beginning? Knowing the movie world, there could be a sequel or this could be a stand alone leaving the audience left to wonder what was real and what was the dream. As for plot questions, there are common questions that the audience asks.
1. Is Mal real?
The movie gives us a few clues for this answer. Your first is the fact that Mal is in every dream and constantly tells Dom that he is in a dream. We are never given this confirmation, as the top is never shown falling down, even in reality. Another strange concept would be the fact that Inception has happened and Mal could even be an idea or hallucination in Dom's dreams. Not to mention she tells Dom the night he proposed he told her he had a dream.
2. Is Saito what he seems?
This question has multiple clues leading to the answer. Saito appears to know where Dom is, even in the real world. A little odd don't you think? Especially since the movie explains that projections in a dream will attack who they believe is the intruder of the dream and Dom appears to be fleeing through most of the beginning of the movie. Saito finding him no matter where he goes seems a little too convenient to be a coincidence. Not to mention he asks Dom if he is there to kill him at the very beginning of the film.
3. Does Dom actually have children?
Several hints to the possibility his children don't exist appear in the film. We see them in other people's dreams, just like Mal. We hear them on the phone toward the beginning of the movie and they sound older than Dom pictures them in his mind. Dom and Mal created a world, could they have created the children as well? The grandfather knows to take Dom home and never says a word about the grandmother. If grandma's not real, could the children be a motive Saito uses to make Dom do his bidding.
4. Is Dom still dreaming?
We get a hint that people will stay in a dream for years, depending on the dream. We are also told that Dom, himself, has dreamed for years and no longer knows what reality is. Given the fact that the movie follows Dom, we could easily assume he is being manipulated by a dream himself. A huge clue is when Dom tells us he stole Mal's totem, which is taboo. How do we know that the totem can determine reality? Another hint is when Saito sees Dom's talisman before he finishes spinning it. Dom also shows Saito his talisman at the beginning/end? of the movie.


Based on these questions, I think an important piece of information should also be expressed. Ariadne, whose name could possibly come from the Greek mythology, helps Dom through the entire movie. In the mythology, Ariadne was the one who helped Theseus escape the labyrinth. In the movie, Ariadne helps Dom navigate through the labyrinth of dreams.

Now, with all that out of the way, I will finally get to my theory:
I believe it is still a dream, one that Saito is in control of. Mal could possibly be real and Saito has her hidden away still dreaming, or she escaped and is still dreaming. Dom may have kids, but they are not as old as he thinks they are. Saito could be manipulating his entire life by controlling him through means of motivation to be with his family. Another thing, most of Dom's dreams are memories, so it is a good possibility that these are dreams implanted in his mind to convince him to do what Saito wants. We already know that there are levels to a dream and that the deeper you go, the easier you forget reality. My theory is Dom is still in a dream but doesn't believe he is. Saito found a way to manipulate his totem and mess with his mind. This entire beginning could be Dom's dream, considering the people with him during the movie help him no matter what dream they are in. I have concluded this due to the title and due to the hints that not everything you see in the movie is real.
So is the ending an Inception or Deception? We will have to wait for the sequel to find out.