Follow TV Tropes

Following

History Main / RecursiveReality

Go To

OR

Changed: 3358

Removed: 327

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* Creator/RainerWernerFassbinder adapted Daniel F. Galouye's 1964 novel ''Simulacron-3'' into the German movie ''Film/WorldOnAWire'' (a.k.a. ''Welt Am Draht'') The protagonist maintains a computer simulation of a whole city. After strange events happening in the real world, it is revealed that [[spoiler:the real world is also just a computer simulation constructed in a higher plane of existence]]. The movie was released in 1973, so is possibly the first film to adapt this trope. ''Simulacron-3'' was also adapted into the 1999 American film ''Film/TheThirteenthFloor''.

to:

* Creator/RainerWernerFassbinder adapted Daniel F. Galouye's 1964 novel ''Simulacron-3'' into the German movie ''Film/WorldOnAWire'' (a.k.a. ''Welt Am Draht'') am Draht''). The protagonist maintains a computer simulation of a whole city. After strange events happening in the real world, it is revealed that [[spoiler:the real world is also just a computer simulation constructed in a higher plane of existence]]. The movie was released in 1973, so is possibly the first film to adapt this trope. ''Simulacron-3'' was also adapted into the 1999 American film ''Film/TheThirteenthFloor''.



* The ending of ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue: Revelation'' leaves room for the interpretation that the entirety of the ''Recollection'' trilogy is [[spoiler:a digital world created by some version of Epsilon where he lives out the rest of his life in a memory (including the part where he created a digital world).]] [[WordOfGod Burnie Burns]] stated in an interview that the setting of ''Blood Gulch Chronicles'' was real, but deliberately left the rest open to [[WildMassGuessing debate]].

to:

* The ending of ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue: Revelation'' leaves room for the interpretation that the entirety of the ''Recollection'' ''[[WebAnimation/RedVsBlueTheRecollection Recollection]]'' trilogy is [[spoiler:a digital world created by some version of Epsilon where he lives out the rest of his life in a memory (including the part where he created a digital world).]] world)]]. [[WordOfGod Burnie Burns]] stated in an interview that the setting of ''Blood ''[[WebAnimation/RedVsBlueTheBloodGulchChronicles The Blood Gulch Chronicles'' Chronicles]]'' was real, but deliberately left the rest open to [[WildMassGuessing debate]].



[[folder:Web Comics]]

to:

[[folder:Web Comics]][[folder:Webcomics]]



[[folder:Web Original]]

to:

[[folder:Web Original]]Originals]]



* ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest'' has an episode similar to "He Who Shrank" - Johnny shrinks to smaller than a quark, and it turns out that each quark is an entire universe.

to:

* ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest'' has an episode similar to "He Who Shrank" - -- Johnny shrinks to smaller than a quark, and it turns out that each quark is an entire universe.



** In "The Series Has Landed", we see a character in an arcade playing Skeeball. In the next area over, a character is playing Virtual Skeeball; they have on a headset and gloves in an otherwise empty area, and are moving like they're playing Skeeball. Next to them, Amy is playing Virtual Virtual Skeeball; she's sitting on a chair with a headset on, and comments "Wow, I could swear I was really playing Virtual Skeeball".
** In "The Sting", Leela experiences the Dream Within A Dream type. She slowly realizes she's in a dream (or going insane) and keeps trying to escape only to end up in more bizarre situations. She meets Fry each time who tells her she needs to "wake up". Turns out [[spoiler: she was in a coma, and she was hearing the real Fry (at her bedside) pleading with her to "wake up".]]
** In "The Farnsworth Parabox", Farnsworth ends up creating a box containing a portal to an alternate universe, the other end of which is a box the alternate Farnsworth created. At the end of the episode, the two Farnsworths somehow manage to trade boxes through the portal, meaning the box "our" Planet Express crew currently have contains their own universe.

to:

** In "The "[[Recap/FuturamaS1E2TheSeriesHasLanded The Series Has Landed", Landed]]", we see a character in an arcade playing Skeeball. In the next area over, a character is playing Virtual Skeeball; they have on a headset and gloves in an otherwise empty area, and are moving like they're playing Skeeball. Next to them, Amy is playing Virtual Virtual Skeeball; she's sitting on a chair with a headset on, and comments "Wow, I could swear I was really playing Virtual Skeeball".
** In "The Sting", "[[Recap/FuturamaS4E12TheSting The Sting]]", Leela experiences the Dream Within A a Dream type. She slowly realizes she's in a dream (or going insane) and keeps trying to escape only to end up in more bizarre situations. She meets Fry each time time, who tells her she needs to "wake up". Turns It turns out [[spoiler: she was that [[spoiler:she's in a coma, and she was she's hearing the real Fry (at her bedside) pleading with her to "wake up".]]
up"]].
** In "The "[[Recap/FuturamaS4E15TheFarnsworthParabox The Farnsworth Parabox", Parabox]]", Farnsworth ends up creating a box containing a portal to an alternate universe, the other end of which is a box the alternate Farnsworth created. At the end of the episode, the two Farnsworths somehow manage to trade boxes through the portal, meaning the box "our" Planet Express crew currently have contains their own universe.



** In "Lawnmower Dog", Rick and Morty enter the dreams of Morty's math teacher to incept the idea that Morty should get an A in the class. As they wind up in trouble, they escape to the dreams of people in the dreams until they hit "dream bedrock."
** Rick builds a battery for his car that contains a tiny universe. In the universe, a sentient species evolves and Rick introduces them to electricity by doing an ancient aliens schtick, and then siphons off their grid to produce real-world electricity. The battery stops working when a Rick-like scientist from that world (played by Creator/StephenColbert) invents a similar sub-universe battery. There is another scientist in the sub-sub-universe that is working on his own sub-sub-sub-universe.
** The ''Rick and Morty'' creators seem to be fans of this trope. Comes up again in "M. Night Shaym-aliens!": Rick, Morty and Jerry are captured by Zigerian scammers and placed in a simulation, inside a simulation, inside of another simulation.
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' uses the fourth type for the episode "City on the Edge of Forever." In the end, it turns out that Stan has emotional problems, so he, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny (who didn't technically die this time) go for ice cream. The end.
* The short film ''WesternAnimation/TheKillingOfAnEgg'', by Paul Driessen. A man hears a voice coming from the soft-boiled egg he is cracking and maliciously crushes it. He then hears knocking outside his house, and finds that [[KarmicDeath he is now the one being crushed.]]
* A CouchGag on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' begins with a reverse AstronomicZoom from the Simpsons' couch to outer space, revealing it to be an atom in one of Homer's hairs.
-->'''Homer:''' "...Wwwwoooow."
** WordOfDante says that it was a parody of the 1977 short film ''Film/PowersOfTen'', and that Homer was thinking of it, it was not in an atom in Homer's hair, it was his thoughts.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans''
** The episode "Bunny Raven... or ...How to Make A Titananimal Disappear", had the characters being imprisoned by Mumbo in his magic hat. Cyborg points out that Mumbo, appearing in the world inside the hat, is still wearing his hat. Which everyone is still inside. Including Mumbo. And his hat.

to:

** In "Lawnmower Dog", "[[Recap/RickAndMortyS1E2LawnmowerDog Lawnmower Dog]]", Rick and Morty enter the dreams of Morty's math teacher to incept the idea that Morty should get an A in the class. As they wind up in trouble, they escape to the dreams of people in the dreams until they hit "dream bedrock."
bedrock".
** In "[[Recap/RickAndMortyS1E4MNightShaymAliens M. Night Shaym-Aliens!]]", Rick, Morty and Jerry are captured by Zigerian scammers and placed in a simulation, inside a simulation, inside of another simulation.
** In "[[Recap/RickAndMortyS2E6TheRicksMustBeCrazy The Ricks Must Be Crazy]]",
Rick builds a battery for his car that contains a tiny universe. In the universe, a sentient species evolves and Rick introduces them to electricity by doing an ancient aliens schtick, and then siphons off their grid to produce real-world electricity. The battery stops working when a Rick-like scientist from that world (played by Creator/StephenColbert) invents a similar sub-universe battery. There is another scientist in the sub-sub-universe that is working on his own sub-sub-sub-universe.
** The ''Rick and Morty'' creators seem to be fans of this trope. Comes up again in "M. Night Shaym-aliens!": Rick, Morty and Jerry are captured by Zigerian scammers and placed in a simulation, inside a simulation, inside of another simulation.
sub-sub-sub-universe.
* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' uses the fourth type for the episode "City "[[Recap/SouthParkS2E7CityOnTheEdgeOfForever City on the Edge of Forever." Forever]]". In the end, it turns out that Stan has emotional problems, so he, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny (who didn't technically die this time) go for ice cream. The end.
* The In the short film ''WesternAnimation/TheKillingOfAnEgg'', by Paul Driessen. A Driessen, a man hears a voice coming from the soft-boiled egg he is cracking and maliciously crushes it. He then hears knocking outside his house, and finds that [[KarmicDeath he is now the one being crushed.]]
crushed]].
* A CouchGag on in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' begins with a reverse AstronomicZoom from the Simpsons' couch to outer space, revealing it to be an atom in one of Homer's hairs.
-->'''Homer:''' "...Wwwwoooow."
**
hairs. WordOfDante says that it was a parody of the 1977 short film ''Film/PowersOfTen'', and that Homer was thinking of it, it; it was not in an atom in Homer's hair, it was his thoughts.
-->'''Homer:''' ...Wwwwoooow.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans''
** The episode "Bunny Raven... or ...How to Make A Titananimal Disappear", had the characters being imprisoned by Mumbo in his magic hat. Cyborg points out that Mumbo, appearing in the world inside the hat, is still wearing his hat. Which everyone is still inside. Including Mumbo. And his hat.
''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'':



** In the episode "Nevermore", Cyborg and Beast Boy are sucked into Raven's magic mirror, which transports them into her mind. The weird part of this is, Raven herself is somehow able to go there. Meaning she's ''inside her own mind''. She doesn't explain how that's possible, and they don't even question it. (Likely because there's a much bigger problem - [[GodOfEvil Trigon]] - threatening them.)
*** An even weirder part of this was how Raven told them they'd be trapped there forever if she was beaten (the reason she pleaded with them to leave). Given that they're inside her mind, it isn't known exactly how it's possible that the place could even still exist if she were killed (assuming that's what she meant by "beaten").

to:

** In the episode "Nevermore", "[[Recap/TeenTitansS1E6Nevermore Nevermore]]", Cyborg and Beast Boy are sucked into Raven's magic mirror, MagicMirror, which transports them into her mind. The weird part of this is, Raven herself is somehow able to go there. Meaning there -- meaning she's ''inside her own mind''. She doesn't explain how that's possible, and they don't even question it. (Likely it (likely because there's a much bigger problem - -- [[GodOfEvil Trigon]] - -- threatening them.)
***
them). An even weirder part of this was is how Raven told tells them they'd that they'll be trapped there forever if she was she's beaten (the reason why she pleaded pleads with them to leave). Given that they're inside her mind, it isn't known exactly how it's possible that the place could even still exist if she were killed (assuming that's what she meant by "beaten")."beaten").
** "[[Recap/TeenTitansS3E11BunnyRaven Bunny Raven or How to Make a Titananimal Disappear]]" has the characters being imprisoned by Mumbo in his magic hat. Cyborg points out that Mumbo, appearing in the world inside the hat, is still wearing his hat -- which everyone is still inside, ''including Mumbo, '''and his hat'''.''



** The season 2 episode [[Recap/AdventureTimeS2E15TheRealYou "The Real You"]] has Finn put on some intelligence-boosting glasses, resulting in an AstronomicZoom on him down to the atomic level, then down to the ''galactic'' level, and finally back down to the level of Finn and Jake themselves. [[spoiler:It gets reversed when Finn's glasses are removed, ultimately zooming out [[JokeOfTheButt on his keister]].]]

to:

** "[[Recap/AdventureTimeS2E15TheRealYou The season 2 episode [[Recap/AdventureTimeS2E15TheRealYou "The Real You"]] You]]" has Finn put on some intelligence-boosting glasses, resulting in an AstronomicZoom on him down to the atomic level, then down to the ''galactic'' level, and finally back down to the level of Finn and Jake themselves. [[spoiler:It gets reversed when Finn's glasses are removed, ultimately zooming out [[JokeOfTheButt on his keister]].]]



** The season 6 episode "The Mountain", where Lemongrab and Finn are seen running on their own respective bodies.
** In the show, there is a GenderBender {{fanfiction}} called "Fiona and Cake", mostly written by Ice King, but other characters have added to it. Occasionally there are episodes depicting this. According to the episode "Five Short Tables", the Ice Queen writes genderbending fanfiction called "Flint the Human and Jacques the Raccoon." In THAT fanfiction, the Ice President writes fanfiction about "Lynn the Person and Janet the Fox."

to:

** The season 6 episode "The Mountain", "[[Recap/AdventureTimeS6E28TheMountain The Mountain]]", where Lemongrab and Finn are seen running on their own respective bodies.
** In the show, there There is a an in-universe GenderBender {{fanfiction}} called titled "Fiona and Cake", mostly written by Ice King, but other characters have added to it. Occasionally Occasionally, there are episodes depicting this. According to the episode "Five "[[Recap/AdventureTimeS7E34FiveShortTables Five Short Tables", Tables]]", the Ice Queen writes genderbending fanfiction called "Flint the Human and Jacques the Raccoon." Raccoon". In THAT ''that'' fanfiction, the Ice President writes fanfiction about "Lynn the Person and Janet the Fox."Fox".



** In "No Free Rides", when Mrs. Puff enters the house during the surprise party held by Spongebob's parents, there's a picture on the wall that depicts the exact same situation of Mrs. Puff entering the house. And there's a picture on the wall as well, which also shows Mrs. Puff entering the house the same way...
** In "Bummer Vacation", [=SpongeBob=] is made to go on forced vacation, so he consoles himself with the Official Krusty Krab Playset. Toy![=SpongeBob=] ends up accumulating too much vacation time as well, so ''he's'' forced to go on vacation, resulting in Toy![=SpongeBob=] playing with Toy!Toy![=SpongeBob=] and... yeah, the real [=SpongeBob=] decided to cut it off there.
** In "Truth or Square", [=SpongeBob=], Patrick, Squidward, and Mr. Krabs go to the Krusty Krab's surveillance room when trying to find a way out of the building's duct system. One of the video feeds they watch is showing them watching the video feed. Then it is revealed that [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment the surveillance room was recorded by two fish who appeared out of nowhere and run away when noticed]].
** In "Lost and Found", [=SpongeBob=] comes across a snow globe of Bikini Bottom on a shelf while looking for a kid's teddy fish within the Krusty Krab's lost and found. He shakes it once, which causes the whole town to shake violently. He very wisely puts the snow globe back and backs away.

to:

** In "No "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS2E10NoFreeRidesImYourBiggestFanatic No Free Rides", Rides]]", when Mrs. Puff enters the house during the surprise party held by Spongebob's parents, there's a picture on the wall that depicts the exact same situation of Mrs. Puff entering the house. And there's a picture on the wall as well, which also shows Mrs. Puff entering the house the same way...
** In "Bummer Vacation", "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS4E14BummerVacationWigstruck Bummer Vacation]]", [=SpongeBob=] is made to go on forced vacation, so he consoles himself with the Official Krusty Krab Playset. Toy![=SpongeBob=] Toy-[=SpongeBob=] ends up accumulating too much vacation time as well, so ''he's'' forced to go on vacation, resulting in Toy![=SpongeBob=] Toy-[=SpongeBob=] playing with Toy!Toy![=SpongeBob=] Toy-Toy-[=SpongeBob=] and... yeah, the real [=SpongeBob=] decided to cut it off there.
** In "Truth "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS6E2324TruthOrSquare Truth or Square", Square]]", [=SpongeBob=], Patrick, Squidward, and Mr. Krabs go to the Krusty Krab's surveillance room when trying to find a way out of the building's duct system. One of the video feeds they watch is showing them watching the video feed. Then it is revealed that [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment the surveillance room was recorded by two fish who appeared out of nowhere and run away when noticed]].
** In "Lost "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS10E9TheGetawayLostAndFound Lost and Found", Found]]", [=SpongeBob=] comes across a snow globe of Bikini Bottom on a shelf while looking for a kid's teddy fish within the Krusty Krab's lost and found. He shakes it once, which causes the whole town to shake violently. He very wisely puts the snow globe back and backs away.



* In the episode "The Great Secret of The Universe" of ''WesternAnimation/EarthwormJim'', the universe is inside a giant snow globe, which is owned by a child as a souvenir.

to:

* In the ''WesternAnimation/EarthwormJim'' episode "The Great Secret of The Universe" of ''WesternAnimation/EarthwormJim'', Universe", the universe is inside a giant snow globe, which is owned by a child as a souvenir.



* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': In the episode "A Single Pale Rose" it is revealed that Pearl's gem contains a world which also has a Pearl with her own world in her gem, repeating for several layers. The Pearl in the surface layer organises the things that outer Pearl stores in her gem and the Pearls in the deeper layers relive Pearl's important memories in reverse order. Steven has to travel though these layers to find Pearl's missing phone after he receives a text message from one of Pearl's inner selves.
* This trope is the premise of Rebecca Sugar's short film ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgue81LVZ4E Singles]]''. The protagonist's apartment exists within his own chest cavity; he's able to reach in and affect the room, or step out into the infinite void.
* ''WesternAnimation/JorelsBrother:'' When the titular character gets lice in his head, he finds out his lice also have lice, which also have lice, which also have lice, and so on. In the end of the episode, it's revealed that the characters' world itself is actually the lice of an alien dinosaur.

to:

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': In the episode "A "[[Recap/StevenUniverseS5E18ASinglePaleRose A Single Pale Rose" Rose]]", it is revealed that Pearl's gem contains a world which also has a Pearl with her own world in her gem, repeating for several layers. The Pearl in the surface layer organises the things that outer Pearl stores in her gem and the Pearls in the deeper layers relive Pearl's important memories in reverse order. Steven has to travel though these layers to find Pearl's missing phone after he receives a text message from one of Pearl's inner selves.
* This trope is the premise of Rebecca Sugar's Creator/RebeccaSugar's short film ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgue81LVZ4E Singles]]''. The protagonist's apartment exists within his own chest cavity; he's able to reach in and affect the room, or step out into the infinite void.
* ''WesternAnimation/JorelsBrother:'' ''WesternAnimation/JorelsBrother'': When the titular character gets lice in his head, he finds out his lice also have lice, which also have lice, which also have lice, and so on. In the end of the episode, it's revealed that the characters' world itself is actually the lice of an alien dinosaur.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* Creator/RainerWernerFassbinder adapted Daniel F. Galouye's 1964 novel ''Simulacron-3'' into the German movie ''Film/WeltAmDraht'' (aka ''World On A Wire'') The protagonist maintains a computer simulation of a whole city. After strange events happening in the real world it is revealed that [[spoiler:the real world is also just a computer simulation constructed in a higher plane of existence]]. The movie was released in 1973, so is possibly the first film to adapt this trope. ''Simulacron-3'' was also adapted into the 1999 American film, ''Film/TheThirteenthFloor''.

to:

* Creator/RainerWernerFassbinder adapted Daniel F. Galouye's 1964 novel ''Simulacron-3'' into the German movie ''Film/WeltAmDraht'' (aka ''World On A Wire'') ''Film/WorldOnAWire'' (a.k.a. ''Welt Am Draht'') The protagonist maintains a computer simulation of a whole city. After strange events happening in the real world world, it is revealed that [[spoiler:the real world is also just a computer simulation constructed in a higher plane of existence]]. The movie was released in 1973, so is possibly the first film to adapt this trope. ''Simulacron-3'' was also adapted into the 1999 American film, film ''Film/TheThirteenthFloor''.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* The ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "Ship In A Bottle", where the Professor Moriarty created on the holodeck to outwit Data is discovered to be sentient and demands that the Enterprise crew work to transfer him into their world. Data later discovers that [[spoiler:Moriarty appears to exist outside the holodeck because he actually exits the holodeck on an Enterprise he created within the holodeck on the "real" Enterprise. They make Moriarty think he receives what he wants by transporting him to the simulated holodeck, which runs a simulation of the Enterprise's shuttle bay that makes it seem as if he and his companion are free to explore the universe.]] As if that wasn't headache inducing enough, Picard wonders aloud whether the "[[UpTheRealRabbitHole real world]]" could be yet another simulation, which prompts Barclay to test his hypothesis.
** His exact words are, [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall "All this might just be an elaborate simulation running inside a little device sitting on someone's table."]] After he leaves the room, Barclay nervously says, "Computer, end program." The episode ends there.
* In the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode "Far Beyond the Stars", the events of the series are suggested to be a story written by a [=1950s=] sci-fi author named Benny Russell, who is struggling to get his story told on account of having a black protagonist in an era where African-Americans were heavily repressed. [[spoiler:This is later revealed to be a vision from the Prophets. The Pah-wraith brings back this vision in "Shadows and Symbols", showing Russell in an asylum writing his stories on the walls as doctors try to convince him to stop, so that Benjamin Sisko would not open the Orb of the Emissary.]]
* In ''Series/MorkAndMindy'', Mork once shrank down to microscopic size and ended up in an alternate world.
* The ''Series/DoctorWho'' serial "Castrovalva" features a variation on this, where the entire town (a town called Castrovalva) had been warped in on itself. One of the cliff-hangers had a hilarious line from the Fifth Doctor.
--> '''Doctor''': Recursive occlusion! Someone's manipulating Castrovalva! ''We're caught in a space-time trap!''
** The deliberately over-the-top delivery of that line was lampshaded in the "Castrovalva" commentary where Davison described it as "end of episode acting".
** The entire premise of the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "Amy's Choice" is a choice between two possible realities in which they keep falling asleep and "dreaming" of the other world, in which they are entirely convinced they are in the "real world" again. [[spoiler: Turns out both scenarios are dreams, but there is a brief moment that could be an UpTheRealRabbitHole situation.]]
** Then there was [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51JtuEa_OPc the time the TARDIS]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkmiefoRcfU ended up inside the TARDIS.]]
* ''Series/AmericasFunniestHomeVideos'' had a clip of their dog reacting to the show. Later, a different family sent in a clip of their dog reacting to that dog reacting to ''AFV''. Even later, the family that sent in the first clip sent in a clip of their dog reacting to the other dog reacting to itself reacting to ''AFV''.
* Despite multiple concrete examples of crossovers that put ''Series/{{Victorious}}'', ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'', ''Series/ICarly'' and ''Series/{{Zoey101}}'' in the same Series/NickVerse, Victorious as part of one episode refers to Series/DrakeAndJosh as a TV show.
* Abed tries to do this via a film project in ''Series/{{Community}}''. It doesn't work.
-->'''Shirley:''' I'm reacting the way the world does to movies about making movies about making movies! I mean come on, Charlie Kaufman, some of us have work in the morning, damn!
** In "History 101", Abed has trouble facing the last year of classes, so he retreats to his HappyPlace, a stereotypical sitcom version of the show complete with LaughTrack. Then when things start changing there, he retreats to a ''second'' happy place, a cartoon called ''[[{{SpinoffBabies}} Greendale Babies]]''. So to recap, Abed has a happy place ''within'' his happy place.

to:

* The In the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "Ship In A Bottle", where "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E11ShipInABottle Ship in a Bottle]]", the Professor Moriarty created on the holodeck to outwit Data is discovered to be sentient and demands that the Enterprise ''Enterprise'' crew work to transfer him into their world. Data later discovers that [[spoiler:Moriarty appears to exist outside the holodeck because he actually exits the holodeck on an Enterprise ''Enterprise'' he created within the holodeck on the "real" Enterprise. ''Enterprise''. They make Moriarty think he receives what he wants by transporting him to the simulated holodeck, which runs a simulation of the Enterprise's ''Enterprise'''s shuttle bay that makes it seem as if he and his companion are free to explore the universe.]] universe]]. As if that wasn't headache inducing enough, Picard wonders aloud whether the "[[UpTheRealRabbitHole real world]]" could be yet another simulation, which prompts Barclay to test his hypothesis.
** His exact words are,
[[LeaningOnTheFourthWall "All this might just be an elaborate simulation running inside a little device sitting on someone's table."]] table"]]. After he leaves the room, Barclay nervously says, says "Computer, end program." The episode ends there.
* In the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode "Far "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS06E13FarBeyondTheStars Far Beyond the Stars", Stars]]", the events of the series are suggested to be a story written by a [=1950s=] sci-fi author named Benny Russell, who is struggling to get his story told on account of having a black protagonist in an era where African-Americans were heavily repressed. [[spoiler:This is later revealed to be a vision from the Prophets. The Pah-wraith brings back this vision in "Shadows "[[Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS07E02ShadowsAndSymbols Shadows and Symbols", Symbols]]", showing Russell in an asylum writing his stories on the walls as doctors try to convince him to stop, so that Benjamin Sisko would not open the Orb of the Emissary.]]
* In ''Series/MorkAndMindy'', Mork once shrank shrinks down to microscopic size and ended ends up in an alternate world.
* The ''Series/DoctorWho'' serial "Castrovalva" ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS19E1Castrovalva Castrovalva]]"
features a variation on this, where this; the entire town (a town called Castrovalva) had of Castrovalva has been warped in on itself. One of the cliff-hangers had {{cliffhanger}}s has a hilarious line from the Fifth Doctor.
--> '''Doctor''': --->'''Doctor:''' Recursive occlusion! Someone's manipulating Castrovalva! ''We're caught in a space-time trap!''
** The
trap!''[[labelnote:Trivia]]The deliberately over-the-top delivery of that line was lampshaded in the "Castrovalva" commentary where Davison when Creator/PeterDavison described it as "end of episode acting".
"end-of-episode acting".[[/labelnote]]
** The entire premise of the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "Amy's Choice" "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E7AmysChoice Amy's Choice]]" is a choice between two possible realities in which they keep falling asleep and "dreaming" of the other world, in which they are entirely convinced they are in the "real world" again. [[spoiler: Turns [[spoiler:It turns out that both scenarios are dreams, but there is a brief moment that could be an UpTheRealRabbitHole situation.]]
** Then there was there's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51JtuEa_OPc the time the TARDIS]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkmiefoRcfU ended ending up inside the TARDIS.]]
TARDIS]] in "[[Recap/DoctorWho2011RNDSSpaceAndTime Time]]".
* ''Series/AmericasFunniestHomeVideos'' had has a clip of their a family's dog reacting to the show. Later, a different family sent in a clip of their dog reacting to that dog reacting to ''AFV''. Even later, the family that sent in the first clip sent in a clip of their dog reacting to the other dog reacting to itself reacting to ''AFV''.
* Despite multiple concrete examples of crossovers that put ''Series/{{Victorious}}'', ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'', ''Series/ICarly'' and ''Series/{{Zoey101}}'' ''Series/Zoey101'' in the same Series/NickVerse, Victorious as part of one episode refers to Series/DrakeAndJosh ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'' as a TV show.
* ''Series/{{Community}}'':
**
Abed tries to do this via a film project in ''Series/{{Community}}''.project. It doesn't work.
-->'''Shirley:''' --->'''Shirley:''' I'm reacting the way the world does to movies about making movies about making movies! I mean come on, Charlie Kaufman, some of us have work in the morning, damn!
** In "History 101", "[[Recap/CommunityS4E01History101 History 101]]", Abed has trouble facing the last year of classes, so he retreats to his HappyPlace, a stereotypical sitcom version of the show complete with LaughTrack. Then when things start changing there, he retreats to a ''second'' happy place, a cartoon called ''[[{{SpinoffBabies}} ''[[SpinoffBabies Greendale Babies]]''. So to recap, Abed has a happy place ''within'' his happy place.



* In ''Series/{{Devs}}'' the major secret project of the Devs team is a simulation [[spoiler:of reality itself through which perfect projections of past and future events can be made. By necessity, this means that it must contain a simulation of itself which, in turn, would contain a simulation of itself and so on. This is actually noted as a problem early on -- but when it is solved the resulting implications heavily disturb several members of the team.]]

to:

* In ''Series/{{Devs}}'' ''Series/{{Devs}}'', the major secret project of the Devs team is a simulation [[spoiler:of reality itself through which perfect projections of past and future events can be made. By necessity, this means that it must contain a simulation of itself which, in turn, would contain a simulation of itself and so on. This is actually noted as a problem early on -- but when it is solved solved, the resulting implications heavily disturb several members of the team.]]team]].



* ''Series/ItsOkayToNotBeOkay'': In the first episode Gang-tae and his buddy Jo are pushing Jo's crappy old bicycle across a bridge. They pass a billboard advertising the new KoreanDrama, ''It's Okay to Not Be Okay''.

to:

* ''Series/ItsOkayToNotBeOkay'': In the first episode episode, Gang-tae and his buddy Jo are pushing Jo's crappy old bicycle across a bridge. They pass a billboard advertising the new KoreanDrama, KoreanDrama ''It's Okay to Not Be Okay''.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* ''VideoGame/{{Cocoon|2023}}'' revolves around an insectoid protagonist exploring and carrying worlds that exist within orbs and has to navigate them in order to solve puzzles and the larger mysteries that surround the game's setting. It gets more elaborate as the game progresses to the point that orbs need to be placed in certain spots and exit pads must be used to emerge from that orb, which is treated as its own reality, to move forward.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Hope it's okay to leave the Recursed link red for now, I intend to come back and create the page when I have more time and confidence

Added DiffLines:

* ''VideoGame/{{Recursed}}'' — [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin if the title didn't give it away already.]] The game is a puzzle platformer that centers around treasure chests [[BiggerOnTheInside which have rooms in them]] which can, themselves, have further chests in them, and so on, similar to the above-mentioned ''VideoGame/PatricksParabox''. Several levels take this to its logical conclusion, where a room can contain a chest that leads to another copy of the very same room, with another chest that contains another copy and so on. Other levels require you to [[InvokedTrope create such loops yourself]] in order to solve them.
* ''VideoGame/BabaIsYou'' features a world map that, alongside its own set of levels, contains several sub-maps that themselves contain more levels. [[spoiler:After completing enough puzzles, you can access a few levels that can be turned into Baba and a Flag, and then ''beat the world map'' and discover that [[DiscOneFinalDungeon the world map is]] ''[[DiscOneFinalDungeon itself]]'' [[DiscOneFinalDungeon a level]] on ''another'' map above that.]]

Added: 794

Changed: 419

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* The Philippines used to have an island that was nested inside of two larger islands. Vulcan Point Island was located in Crater Lake, which was located on Volcano Island, which is located in Taal Lake, which is located on the island of Luzon, which is located in the Pacific Ocean. Crater Lake drained in 2020, eliminating the innermost layers, but a few comparable islands still exist in the Canadian Arctic.

to:

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recursive_islands_and_lakes Recursive islands and lakes]] are this in a nutshell:
**
The Philippines used to have an island that was nested inside of two larger islands. Vulcan Point Island was located in Crater Lake, which was located on Volcano Island, which is located in Taal Lake, which is located on the island of Luzon, which is located in the Pacific Ocean. However, Crater Lake drained in 2020, eliminating the innermost layers, but layers.
** Indonesia's Lakes Sidihoni and Aek Natonang are located on Samosir Island, which is located in Lake Toba, which is located on Sumatra Island, which is located in the Pacific Ocean.[[note]]It should be noted that Samosir was not originally an island, only becoming one when the Dutch dug up
a canal in 1907 that separated it from the rest of Sumatra.[[/note]]
** A
few comparable islands islands-within-islands still exist in the Canadian Arctic.

Top