The Theory That Claims We Visit Other Dimensions When We Sleep
The possibilities are endless.
Dreaming is a mysterious subject, continuously studied to give us insight into how we dream and what those dreams mean in relation to our waking lives.
There are some that believe our dream world is just as important as "real life," but that dreams are much more than figments of our imaginations. In fact, some believe our dreams are parallel universes, alternate realities waiting to be discovered by us as we sleep.
Dreams are like an out of body experience that is best remembered if you awaken from a REM (rapid eye movement) state. REM sleep happens about 90 minutes after we first fall asleep; it is a state where your heart rate increases, your blood pressure rises, and your breathing is shallow.
It’s the closest you can get to awake without actually being awake. Your body is in a paralyzed state while your eyes dart around, and your mind is active and likely dreaming.
The quick movement of the eyes represents looking around at all of the new and exciting things your mind is producing. Science continues to try to understand where we go in our sleep and the impact on our waking lives.
When you are experiencing REM sleep, there is a connection between your physical reality and dream world, giving you access to the details of both.
Do we visit other dimensions when we sleep?
We disregard our dreams because they are over when we wake up. But is the fact that the experience is temporary a good reason to dismiss it?
Everything in our day-to-day life is considered real, although that experience is also temporary, ending when we die. Dreams are no different. They, too, are "real" experiences to be thoughtfully considered.
A TikToker by the name of Angie shared a video discussing the theory that we travel to different dimensions when we sleep.
Dreams are a complex mixture of emotions and experiences melded with unfamiliar faces and places. They are a narrative that seems as real as your waking life.
What you may not realize is that as we sleep, our minds are creating a multidimensional reality without any external stimulation. We are creating new dimensions of space and time.
While there's no scientific proof that we do travel to other dimensions when we sleep, when all the facts about dreams and physical reality are presented, it doesn't seem to be too far out of the realm of possibility.
What is the difference between our dream world and our waking lives?
The difference between our dreams and our reality is that, when dreaming, our physical bodies don’t have to follow the same laws of physics; therefore, we don’t have the same limitations.
Everything we experience in life is a result of information happening in our heads. Space and time are not physical objects, but tools that allow us to organize and compile information.
Our minds are constantly, automatically, and subconsciously putting ideas, images, and information together effortlessly, using the same process. During dreaming and waking hours, our minds use probability to create a world full of four-dimensional sensations, length, height, depth, and time.
Time, the fourth dimension, governs the properties of all matter at any given point. You must know an object’s position in time to know its position in the universe.
Scientists believe that human beings can only perceive the first four dimensions. There are two mechanisms that are used when explaining dimensions six through ten.
The additional dimensions are compacted together on a super small scale, or we live on a three-dimensional submanifold corresponding to brane where all particles, with the exception of gravity, are restricted.
The compacting of the extra six dimensions would have to be in the form of a Calabi-Yau manifold that encompasses and hides all of the particles and their properties.
What dimensions can we travel to when dreaming?
The fifth dimension is one where the world slightly differs from what we know. This dimension gives us a way of measuring the similarity between our world and other ones that may exist.
This is considered a micro dimension instead of a complete dimension. It came about as a way of connecting all fundamental forces in the universe.
The sixth dimension consists of a straight line of possible worlds. Here, you get an opportunity to access all possible worlds that started with the same original conditions, like the Big Bang Theory.
It is known as the "phase space" in a set of parallel universes where everything that could have happened in our pasts, but did not, occurred in some other universe.
The sixth dimension exists in the same space and time as the one we occupy, an overlay of our universe or a 3-D space containing every possible world.
In the seventh dimension, we can access all possible worlds, no matter the initial conditions. For the fifth and sixth dimension, they started out the same as our world but have varying subsequent actions.
The seventh dimension is totally different from all others, going back billions of years to the beginning of time. Everything is different in the seventh dimension.
The eighth dimension is one of infinite possibilities. It is a plane of different possible histories of the universe that can be accessed. All worlds in this dimension have their own initial conditions and historical references and, of course, unique subsequent actions.
The ninth dimension is where all possible universal histories and possible actions can be compared to note the difference. In the ninth dimension, there are many contrasts, such as differing laws of physics and a plethora of initial conditions and resulting actions.
The final dimension is the tenth. This is a place where anything and everything is absolutely possible. Anything you can imagine can happen here.
The tenth dimension is the end all, be all. It is the epitome of what us mortals can concoct in our minds and a natural limitation of what can be conceived.
How do these dimensions show up in our dreams?
The Grand Unifying Theory, or the Theory of Everything, is the belief that the universe is made up of these ten dimensions.
It attempts to explain how all of the forces that exist within the universe interact with one another and how they function individually.
When we dream, it is believed that we can transcend the first four dimensions, giving us unprecedented entrance into dimensions we can’t possibly perceive in our waking lives.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and author of seven books. She covers lifestyle and entertainment and news, as well as navigating the workplace and social issues.