Lately I've been going through a period of quite intense inner development, one of the latest manifestations of which was really pretty interesting, albeit rather confusing at the time, until i'd worked out what was going on...
(Btw, i'm posting this here because although some of the action takes place in the dreamstate, I'm convinced the other parts were not dreamstate experiences...)
So I was in the dreamstate, dreaming about staying in this huge building, which felt like an old school or even a hotel.
It was a bit run down, the building had been left unused for some time, and me and a group of friends had squatted it. (Moved in without asking for permission from any "owners".)
The rooms were in very close proximity to each other - there was no real privacy, in that you could hear every word spoken by whoever was in the room next door.
I had a room to myself. I shut the door, but was fully able to hear the conversation of the group in the next room.
One of those people was a guy I know IRL.
My semi-lucid mind recognised this, and i began questioning where i was, and what the function/purpose of this experience was...
With those thoughts, I awoke from the experience in my bed.
I had a drink of water from the cup by my bed, still wondering what purpose this gathering of people in this building had...
I closed my eyes, and was immediately back in the same space, but this time some things had changed.
When I went into my room and tried to close the door, I found that the door was broken, completely free from the hinges, the door looked like it had been violently broken through. It wasn't even a whole door. There was another door leaning against the wall, also damaged looking. Paint was flaking off and there was no door handle attached.
I leaned both broken doors on the frame, to try to close the room.
Again I was very aware of the conversations I could hear coming from the group in other rooms around.
The issue with the door(s) was bugging my mind -
Why had this changed, while I'd been away/awake?
What is the meaning of the broken doors?
What could I learn from this experience?
Again I woke into my physical body, but this time I wasn't in my bed. It was daytime, and I was outside walking in the street... and something didn't feel right.
I took a moment to gather my thoughts.
I must be dreaming, obviously...
So i started saying aloud "This is a dream. I am dreaming."
I was expecting the usual to happen - full lucidity giving me control of the dream environment, but it didn't.
I kept repeating, "I'm dreaming. This is a dream." but I was unable to take control.
My mind began questioning anew, what exactly am i experiencing right now?
Right then I was back in the dreamstate, back in the same building, in my room.
I was aware of the old mattress, and the bed covers and the curtains, heavy green velvet curtains.
Then I'm awake again in my bed, here in my "real" room. My cat is asleep between my legs, and they're stiff from not moving for a while.
I shift my position and get comfortable again..
I'm back in the building, in the shabby room. I hear voices from the adjacent room, talking and laughing. I hear my friend's voice...
Suddenly I'm awake again, but in this other reality where it's again daytime, I'm out and about, the sun is shining.
I try again, "I'm dreaming. This is a dream."
Nothing.
So I ask my higher self, WHAT IS THIS?
The response was clear...
THIS IS ANOTHER TIMELINE.
The next few moments were interesting...
In a blurry moment of internal movement, everything became clear(ish) to me.
I had a very clear feeling/knowing that something significant had happened, during a specific event in the near past, on this timeline (but yet to happen in this present lifetime), where whatever I had experienced, had created an alternate timeline, and I was now experiencing it.
My critical mind just thought "Oh well, that's new."
And I woke again, in my bed, 2 minutes before my alarm was set to wake me up.
Of course since then I've been trying to "remember" what it was that happened at this event that was so significant that it created a whole alternate timeline for me to potentially go down.. but of course, there is no memory available. Not even a tell-tale feeling to give me a clue.
At first I thought I shouldn't attend this event, (which is happening in July btw) to avoid this potential timeline split... but whenever I feel into it, there is no feeling of trauma or any indication that the alternate timeline is less or more desirable than the present one.
It simply IS what it is.
