“To enter a world…”

Author’s note: This is just a fun little creative writing exercise I did, combining the idea of immersive daydreaming with the idea of actually traveling to alternate realities. The overarching concept being what would it be like if intensive daydreaming was actually a portal to a different world? As such, nothing here should be taken too seriously. However, it should be canonically consistent with my paracosm and its accompanying stories and artwork, and is technically canon itself. 

To Enter a World…

So, you want to enter into another world — an alternate dimension, if you will. There are many ways to do this, contrary to what others may tell you. Pay no attention to the nonmagical people of your world who will tell you that this is impossible. They are like crabs in a bucket — they will try desperately to drag you down with them, into their drab world of mundanity and mediocrity. You must rise above this; it is crucial. I exhort you, as we conduct this exercise today — pay them no heed. 

Today, we will start with the easiest method. It can be done right now. No tools required. This method constitutes three steps:

1) Detaching yourself from your physical body. 

2) Accessing your desired new reality through your mind. 

3) Using an alternate physical body to interact with this new reality. 

Simple, right? Yes, but like all things worth doing, it will require work. Even so, take heart. Know that if you were not already magical, you would find the idea of switching realities to be ridiculous, and you never would have attempted it. If you experience within yourself a deep desire to explore another world, then with practice, you will be able to do it. I promise you that. 

Still with me? Good. First, find a quiet place. Indoors is ideal, because if you try this outdoors, your physical body will pull you back into its realm the moment a fly lands on you. So go inside, and find peace and quiet. Make whatever excuses you have to. I suggest pretending to take a nap. Lock the door and ensure your privacy. You see, when you detach from your physical body to access another world, it’s much like a computer falling asleep. The moment someone messes with it, it wakes up. As such, I cannot emphasize this enough — eliminate all distractions! 

Next, take care of your bodily needs. Use the restroom, have a snack, and get a bottle of ice water ready, just in case your physical body gets thirsty. Drink some now. 

Now, you are going to either sit down or lie down. Sit down if you slept 7 hours or less last night. If you slept 7.25 or more, you should be well-rested enough to lie down and detach without falling asleep. When in doubt, lie down. It is easier to fully detach yourself from this nonmagical world when your muscles are required for nothing other than keeping your heart pumping and lungs inhaling. 

Are you lying down now? Good. We will enter into my world now, as our first exercise. Breathe in and out, then close your eyes. 

Now open them. No, not the earthly eyes you left behind, which are lying on your bed with the rest of your body. Your new eyes. At first, your consciousness may get confused, and it may accidentally open your Earth eyes. That’s fine — mistakes happen. But I want you to open a different set of eyes. Your Earth eyes will see blackness and remain closed. But these new eyes will open, and they will see a body of water.  

Yes. Water. A pond, fed by a river. 

When I teleport myself to my world, I usually come here first. To Forcing Pond. 

Rippling water reflects the summer sky, miniature waves sparkling with sunlight. Beyond the water lies a deciduous forest, and a few hills. 

Think about that for a while, observe it, then look up. 

A cloudless blue summer sky lies above you. A V of birds wings its way over the water, then skirts north, towards a range of cragged, snowcapped mountains. 

North is to your right. Turn right, and notice how the forest thickens and steepens as the hills turn into peaks. Those are the Rattlesnake Mountains, home of dragons. Notice the wooden boardwalk you stand on, with a fence on both sides, which stands over the pond. The pond is connected to a slow-moving river running north to south, into the ocean. 

Now turn left — south. The boardwalk continues down to a warm, tropical beach in the distance, the oak and maple trees giving way to palms. And beyond that, a deep blue sea, with merfolk kingdoms that lie beneath its depths. Look how the summer sunlight reflects upon the ocean, and watch the little white sailboats. Seagulls wheel and call in the distance, heading to the southern islands. 

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Face forward again. 

Move your arm. No, not your arm on Earth. Move your arm here. Put your hand in front of your face. Wave it around; move your fingers. Now rest it on the wooden fence in front of you. Feel the polished wood -- it's well-sanded, and it won't give you any splinters. Reach down and feel the wooden slats of the boardwalk you're standing on. It's quite clean. Listen to the warm breeze as it rustles the trees and cattails and reeds that line the pond. Listen to the quiet hum of crickets in the forest. Let me hand you a small pebble -- reach over the fence and skip it across the water. Little ripples erupt on the glassy surface, causing the lily pads to rock back and forth. A blue dasher flits by. A frog hops from one pad to the other, ribbiting. 

Although it's not like he couldn't have elaborated a little bit more (he was probably annoyed by your little disturbance there). He can speak to us, after all. All animals here can speak. And there are even some magicians here that claim to speak to the trees. 

Now that you've engaged sight and touch, let's engage your sense of smell: A tinge of salt, brought by the breeze which is blowing from south to north. There is a soft smell of grass, water, and woods. Something is getting fried and battered from one of the seaside restaurants in the distance, blown inland by the wind, and it smells delicious. All meat here is manufactured, there is no need to hunt animals in this reality -- though you wouldn't taste the difference for a second. A cluster of pink flowers grows at the edge of the fence. Pick one, and smell how sweet it is. From the trees, birds sing. 

Now, let's interact using your new body, for a bit. Look down at your feet. You are wearing a new pair of shoes. Bring your right foot up, then stomp it into the ground. Feel yourself bouncing into the air -- and staying there. Your shoes light up with lavender-colored fuel, keeping you aloft. You can fly now! 

Can you feel a weight in your pocket? You should. It's a skinny, cylindrical object -- pull it out. It's a magic wand, transparent, with color swirling inside it. Swish and flick it. A burst of color comes out, hitting the pond and exploding into a million pieces, then vanishing into nothingness. 

In this world, unlike Earth, you have the ability to perform magical spells. It will take a lot of work, but with time, you will be able to do spectacular things with your magic. 

Elsewhere in your pockets is a smartphone. Take it out, turn it on, open an app. See the holographic projection of a map of this world? You can zoom out and see the entire planet, the solar system, the galaxies, the entire universe -- a far different universe than the one you're from, where Earth sits in between Mars and Venus as a solitary oasis of life. Put it back, but notice that your arm has a smartwatch, too, capable of doing far more than any Apple Watch on Earth. There is miraculous technology here, and space travel faster than lightspeed. And yes, we have social media, internet forums, and video games. Not that you'll spend much time with them, considering all there is to do. 

Behind you, to the east, is the great Rattlesnake Hill City, filled with theme parks, water parks, great cities, fantastic restaurants, monasteries, peaceful suburbs, infinity pools, high-speed racetracks, zoological gardens (don't worry, the animals are compensated quite well financially for their willingness to be on display), enormous buildings, time machines, teleporters, spaceports, and glass skyways above the city filled with ocean water and waves. Think about that last one. They're one of many ways for sea creatures to have a scenic way to travel on land. When you're in the city, you can look above you, and see turtles and sharks swimming through the sky. 

Now ease up on your shoes a little back. Lean back, and land on your feet. Or don't. We're in another world -- you can fly and float as much as you want. 

Have you ever talked to an animal before, or interacted with a sentient and sapient robotic AI? Have you ever befriended a ghost that lives in an abandoned house on a forested mountain slope? Have you ever lifted weights at sunrise, in a floating glass gym that hangs suspended over a 10,000-foot waterfall? Have you ever soared with the one you loved over a botanical garden, landing in a gazebo overlooking a lake, to watch the night sky filled with stars and planets and spaceships? Have you ever played sports where the outcome and rules are influenced almost entirely by your emotional state? Have you ever witnessed the tropical lights, much like the northern lights in your world, but over a warm tropical sea on a midsummer's night? 

Think about this world, which is my home planet, and all the other dimensions and galaxies and planets that lie beyond it. Think of parallel universes and the infinite monkey theorem. Think of the power to create and explore infinite worlds. Worlds that encompass every possible arrangement of atoms and every possible permutation of the laws of magical physics. Every fantasy world you've ever wanted to enter, every fictional character you've ever wanted to meet, every power you've ever wanted to have. It's here. All of it. Everything you could ever imagine. 

Walk with me down to the beach now. It's not far -- maybe half a mile at maximum. Listen to the pattering of our shoes against the wood. Or fly, if you want, even just a few feet off the ground. See how fast your hover shoes will take you. I'll race you there. You'll probably win -- I'm too busy enjoying the warm summer sun as I soar through the air. Stop now, where the boardwalk ends, and gives way to soft, white sand. Pick up some sand, and feel the dry, soft grains between your fingers. Let it go, and watch it get carried aloft in the coastal breeze. The scent of frying food is growing stronger, as is the scent of the sea, and you can see seaside piers extending out past the waves. Some even have roller coasters and water slides. Want to go get some lunch at one of the piers? We can get whatever entrees you'd like. They have this cold tropical drink that is similar to Gatorade, but with hundreds of different flavors. And the shaved ice is to die for. 

As we stand at the edge of the beach, watching the afternoon tourists set up their umbrellas and towels, the scent of sunscreen mingles with cooking food and sea salt. A swarm of electric blue butterflies flutters by us, greeting us as they wing their way towards the sea. 

Now that we're here, it is time. Time to explore infinite realities. Time to master magic, mathematics, music, writing, design, computers, coding, art, astronomy, and physics. Time to fall in love with your soulmate under a night sky filled with moons and planets and shooting stars. To run along a path that borders the sea, with parts of it that enter undersea tunnels. To travel across an enormous planet in a matter of hours, or seconds. To finally have enough time to do and master everything that you love. To attend art and music festivals by the seashore. To fly your personal spacepod to planets filled with ice cream castles, to ride on the backs of dragons. 

Listen to the crashing waves, and feel all the pain of your old world wash away. 

Your old body may be calling you back to Earth. At times, you may need to heed its call. If you need a drink of water, return to your earthly body, but only somewhat. Keep looking at the image of the warm sand and sea with one eye -- is that a sea monster, rising from the depths, just to tease the swimmers? -- and with your other eye, take a drink. After you have finished, return. 

To exit, bid your goodbyes, and promise the beloved friends that you make in this new world that you will soon return. Close your otherworldly eyes, then open your earthly ones. You may find that aspects of your otherworldly life may bleed into your mundane life. You may see butterflies flittering through your window, in neon colors, laughing as they tease you and say won't you come to our world again soon, we miss you here. You may see a sea serpent poking its head out of your bathtub while you are brushing your teeth, winking at you before splashing down under and vanishing. You may visit alternate realities as part of lucid dreams, or astral projections. Maybe a friend or two will choose to join you in your everyday life, living a dual life across two realities with you, as a fellow oneironaut. Some call this tulpamancy. I call it an eternal friendship, or maybe even a soulbond. A soulmate, even, if they are someone that you love. 

With enough work, you may be able to perceive both worlds at the same time. Imagine that -- coding in both worlds, both in your room and in a magical forest surrounded by pixies. At the same time. Imagine how wonderful that will be! 

While it may be prudent to share this double life with others, especially family and friends, most will simply not understand you. They will call you weird, or odd. My suggestion? I would agree with them. It is quite weird, to have access to multiple realities and exist beyond the context of the banal, base reality with which you are presented at birth. The nonmagical will never understand those who practice magic. 

For we have access to a plane that they do not. We are oneironauts, interdimensional travelers, explorers, magicians. We are not wholly chained to the reality in which we were born. Instead, we have access to an infinite number of dimensions and worlds. You will have experiences that nonmagical people confined to this world can not even begin to dream of. Remember, the average person daydreams about completely mundane things, like going to the dentist or even nothing at all. We, the dreamers, have access through our travel to so much more. 

It is equally prudent to hid this life from everyone, or present it solely under the guise of a creative writing exercise. It is wholly up to you, and what feels right deep within your heart. 

Travel regularly. Explore the depths of your favorite realities, planets, galaxies, and worlds. Befriend the people, the androids, the animals, the mythological creatures that you meet. After all, they have so much to teach you. 

And should you ever be trapped in pain or sadness in your mundane world, your Earth or whatever nonmagical planet you are from, don't forget to come visit your other realities for a while. Such feelings are common for magicians and world-hoppers, for one world simply isn't enough for us. We are the ones who dream of faraway lands and worlds and loves, and who act upon those dreams regularly. 

So close your eyes, now, and return to that boardwalk, or to the beach. Listen to the call of the seabirds and the laughter of the children and the crashing of the waves. Detach yourself from your earthly body. Be still, now, and watch the butterflies.