The Infinite Dream Theory

The Infinite Dream Belief

So, I had this long-winded discussion recently about the many facets of the afterlife. The traditional teachings of Heaven and Hell, reincarnation, energy transference, etc. All of these beliefs seem to stem from religious or spiritual backgrounds respectively. However, one of the topics that had been brought up is the idea of entering a dream-like state, most notably a lucid dream. A lucid dream that someone enters upon death and then remains within this state. From a scientific standpoint, this would be rather impossible given that brain activity would cease and the brain itself would deteriorate entirely. However, if we’re to believe in any other instance of spirituality and the concept on an afterlife, why would it be a stretch to believe that the concept of having an infinite lucid dream is also a possibility? Many people think that once you enter a dream-state, you’re actually being transported to a different life; a different time-line, dimension, or reality. Some even believe that this waking reality is the dream, and the dream we have when sleeping is the true reality that we’ve been lost from. In hearing these explanations and doing research for how they’ve come to pass, I’ve decided to take a crack at this idea. There probably isn’t anything that will be said here that’s too in-depth or extensive to the degree that it becomes super radical, but I’ll be treading through some lines of thought more so. 

One thing that I noticed right off the bat, which was very surprising, and was the main catalyst for why I wanted to start this topic, is that there is no governed system for this belief. No religion nor way of life that depicts this as a primary explanation for what happens after death. This stood out to me because I found it interesting that people believe in the idea that they would go to an entirely different metaphysical realm or spiritual domain, or even that their life itself would be recycled, before they would believe that they would enter the dream world that lasts forever. A dream is something that I would assume that everyone has experienced in their life. Whether they’re frequent, memorable, lucid, or irregular doesn’t really matter, but the premise is that we can refer to dreams as normal occurrences. Thus, I would think that given the fact that we all pretty much experience the same thing, wouldn’t there have been a belief system in place because of this? I couldn’t find anything that was a primitive structure for this, or even modern. No one has experienced an actual afterlife to come back and tell us what that experience is like. Yes, there are NDEs (Near Death Experiences) that people have given testimonies about that indicate that they’ve gotten a glimpse of the other side, all of which have varied between different beliefs and experiences. A Christian will say that they’ve reached a place where they met Jesus Christ, or had been confronted by God with a message , or encountered by the Holy Spirit that provides guidance before they return to the world of the living. A more spiritual person will say that they’ve astro-projected, left to a different world with other beings, or spoke to a higher version of themselves that exists in a place outside of this life. Reincarnates will say that they’ve got a glimpse at what their future life will bring, or a recap of the lives they’ve lived thus-far. Strangely enough, and even paradoxically, some of these beliefs and experiences will reinforce one another and coincide despite the systems being opposing in nature. Some people will stand firm in their faith despite having an experience that is linked closely to that of the idea of another faith, and other people will convert to something that aligns more with what they personally experienced. There is however such a thing that relates to this lucid dream notion that is considered something along the lines of “You create your own afterlife”, which is basically the same idea in a sense. Whatever you imagine it to be during your death, is what you get. Maybe it doesn’t manifest through the fear of dying, but the deeper subconscious of what is desired from an afterlife. Maybe you’re in a life where everyone you know and love is present, maybe you’re in a life that has more success and acknowledgement, or even one where your indulgence is ever-lasting and blissful. The primary notion that the majority of people believe that once you die, you’re judged by God to go to a place that is serene and blissful, or to a place that is torment and anguish, seems to be a rather black and white concept to me. Whether you believe there are only one heaven and one hell, or levels to these realms, the consensus is that one is a place that rewards you for righteous life that you live and the other is a place of damnation. Both taking place for an eternity. Then there are conditions around these things, such as animals not having the same afterlife or any, babies that die will presumably go to heaven automatically, and the idea that one doesn’t actually go directly to the afterlife once they die (At least not from the perspective of the living). An afterlife where you remain in a dream-like euphoria is not uncommon, and to some degree I find that it entwined with these other beliefs. Religious people don’t actually all subscribe to the words presented to them through scriptures. Even though the words that dictate their belief is telling them the exact way that their afterlife is presented or implied to be, they seem to cling to only certain aspects of the religious belief and then fabricate their own based on personal beliefs. To me, this is fine, but it’s also very contradictory. One could have their own beliefs within a belief, but it also discredits and removes the fact that it would actually be something going against those very beliefs. God isn’t telling you that you could take a certain thing and make it your own, he’s telling you exactly what he wants you to do and exactly what he wants you to think about it. From there, you decide if you want to adhere to these things or not. Would a half-believer go to an afterlife that befits them? Or is it the same afterlife as someone who fully devotes themselves? This is where that reward idea comes from. At a job, a worker who does better work and devotes themselves to a company will rise the ranks and receive more rewards, but we also know that this isn’t always the case, and often time people who work harder and hold more dedication aren’t given the things that they presumably deserve. An infinite dream for an afterlife could also be this very idea. People who believe in these different realms or rebirths, may very well experience those things in death solely because it’s what they’ve manifested. While others, who don’t have any religous or spiritual affiliations may just perceive something of their own creation. 

Imagine if throughout your life, little by little, you’ve been creating/weaving your own afterlife. This is a true statement even based on traditional religion, where your actions, lifestyle, and faith will determine where you’ll be headed. However, my angle is the idea that through every dream or nightmare you have over the course of your life, you’re perhaps allowing your soul to experience and almost generate what it wants or needs. For example, think of AI for a moment. You put something into it based on what you ask or preference, and it gives you a creation based on what it learns and finds. It’s never actually creating anything from scratch, but moreso a new creation based on learned patterns, queries, and engagement. We’re the original computers in history, we create these things to do what humans can already do but at a faster rate, albeit not always as precise or human-like in terms of behavior. We could very well be generating our own afterlife that is shaped around the principles and values that we’ve upheld in life. This afterlife would have everything we want, need, and could hope for. It wouldn’t necessarily come with just all things that are good for people, but also things that are bad. It would be based on our perception of life, emulating the conflicts and moments of happiness that we would expect. Some people would want a simple and easy afterlife, and others see themselves wanting challenge, narrative, and a set of things that set the foundation. I would think that this level of freedom and curation of necessity would be more an incentive than something that locks you into one kind of place or circumstance based on principles that aren’t from yourself. You could have realm created by your own preferences of life and then change the variables at any moment. Maybe it’s that people need some sense of authority that goes beyond themselves in order to be convinced of anything more. If you commit a crime, you know you’ll go to jail, but it doesn’t change that people will still commit these acts. If there was no system in place with consequence, there would likely be more crime. If you do good in school growing up, you could be accepted into a renowned university, or dropout of school despite having these options. Though, you’re likely to accept because this will highlight better fortune for your future. However, if I told you that at any given moment you could just pursue your dreams or goals on your own, by any means you want outside of conventional structure, it’s a path that works but is often less traveled and typically harder to achieve. Most of this is a result of history and social constructs that also influence our beliefs. If enough people would’ve believed in the idea that we entered an infinite dream for an afterlife, it would be pivotal in society like any other belief. It wouldn’t even be as far-fetched, but it would need to be indoctrinated through scriptures or ancient findings and culture. It doesn’t have a historical backing like the common set of beliefs, so it wouldn’t be validated by many in the modern world. Ironically enough, it wouldn’t be any more of a topic for debate than anything else that’s presented through faith if it had any kind of establishments for it. Maybe it’s seen as one of those taboo beliefs, like believing that when we die, we transform into extraterrestrial beings that then ascend into heaven, or just live amongst aliens. Regardless, I think that other than the fact that it has no documentation that defines the nature and laws, or a mass following of people behind it, it wouldn’t be a strange thing to consider after all.