I had woken up from a dream and was pondering if our dreams could be glimpses into parallel realities. So I am writing a bit to share the thought process.
According to the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, every event that can possibly happen does happen, in some alternate universe. When a quantum system is measured, the universe splits into multiple copies, one for each possible outcome.
So in theory, the strange and surreal experiences we have in dreams could actually be occurring somewhere in the vast multiverse. That exhilarating feeling of flying? Happening in a universe where gravity works differently or human biology has evolved to allow flight. That terrifying nightmare about showing up to school naked? Playing out in an alternate timeline where that embarrassing scenario came true.
Of course, there’s no scientific evidence that dreams are actually windows into other realities. The many-worlds interpretation, while mathematically sound, is still just a hypothesis. And we know that dreams originate from within the brain, not from observing external events in other universes.
So this post itself is kind of like a dream. Or hallucination. Whatever.