Our Multi-dimensional Universe

Written by Andrea Revell

Imagine the universe as a vast, layered tapestry, woven from strands of light, consciousness, and reality itself. Each layer vibrates at its own frequency, a unique realm filled with beings, energies, and experiences beyond what we see with our eyes. Beneath the familiar surface of our everyday world lies a deeper, multicolored spectrum of existence—hidden dimensions where soul, spirit, and mystery intertwine.  

Hinduism: The Fourteen Lokas 

 Hindu cosmology paints a universe with layers of worlds, or lokas, each like a jewel reflecting a different facet of cosmic truth. These realms span from the earthly Bhu-loka, where humans dwell, to exalted planes where gods roam and beings know only bliss. Lower realms carry the echoes of pain, attachment, and karmic trials, but higher lokas are suffused with divine radiance, places of joy and liberation. As a soul grows and purifies, it may rise through these realms, each one a new level of freedom and spiritual insight, ultimately reaching the threshold of moksha—liberation from all dimensions, merging with the boundless light of Brahman.  

Buddhism: Thirty-One Planes of Consciousness 

 In Buddhist thought, the universe is a mandala of worlds, like an intricate jewel unfolding in layers of pure consciousness. There are lower realms, where beings live in suffering and struggle, and middle realms, familiar to us, where human life plays out amidst desire and ambition. Above these are the planes of the gods, where form and thought dissolve into peace, and beyond, in the Formless Realm, existence is a state of pure awareness, untouched by physical boundaries. These dimensions are not seen as places, exactly, but as states of mind—a map of consciousness to be transcended on the journey to Nirvana, freedom from all suffering and form.  

Kabbalah: The Four Worlds of Emanation  

In Kabbalistic mysticism, the universe is an emanation from the divine, like light spilling out from a candle’s flame. The first world, Atzilut, is the closest to the Source, where divine light is undimmed, a radiant sea of unity. Then comes Beriah, where creation begins to take shape, a realm of high, angelic beings. In Yetzirah, the world of formation, cosmic archetypes are molded, a creative space where thoughts and feelings find their forms. Finally, Assiah is the world of action, where spirit takes on physical shape, becoming the world we touch and see. Together, these worlds form a sacred tree, each branch a step toward the Divine, and each step down is a descent into matter, a journey from pure spirit to human experience. 

 Sufism: Realms of Divine Power 

 For Sufi mystics, each realm of existence is a veil over the Beloved, the hidden face of God, revealed to those who purify their hearts. The physical world, Alam al-Mulk, is the most tangible, but also the most veiled, where divine light is hidden behind everyday life. Alam al-Jabarut, the realm of divine power, lies beyond it, a realm of pure potential, where the heart begins to see the light of the divine. Higher still is Alam al-Lahut, where existence becomes indistinguishable from divinity itself. Sufis say that through love and surrender, we can lift these veils, experiencing each realm as an opening toward the Beloved, a path back to union with God.  

 Gnosticism: The Divine Pleroma 

 In Gnostic vision, the material world is but a shadowy illusion, a fractured reflection of the Pleroma, the fullness of the Divine. Between the earthly and the Pleroma lie realms ruled by archons, cosmic gatekeepers who keep the soul tethered to illusion. Yet within each human is a divine spark, a piece of that original fullness, longing to return. By seeking spiritual knowledge, or gnosis, the soul can rise above these realms, breaking free of illusion and reuniting with the boundless light of the Source.  

Shamanic Cosmology: Three Worlds of Power 

 To indigenous shamans, the cosmos unfolds in three distinct worlds, each alive with spirits, symbols, and ancient wisdom. The Lower World is a rich, verdant place, home to ancestral spirits and guides who offer healing and insight. The Middle World is our familiar realm, where humans, animals, and nature interact in a web of visible life. And the Upper World is a place of lofty spirits, ascended beings, and celestial knowledge. By traveling between these worlds in trance or dream, the shaman bridges the seen and unseen, bringing wisdom, healing, and harmony back to the tribe.  

Theosophy: The Seven Planes of Existence 

 In the vision of Theosophy, reality unfolds like a staircase of light, each step a plane of consciousness, from the physical world of matter to the sublime realms of spirit. The first step is the tangible, earthly plane we know, rich with physical sensations and the rhythms of everyday life. Beyond it lies the astral plane, where emotions swirl like rivers, and the mental plane, where thoughts manifest as clear, luminous forms. Higher still are the buddhic and atmic planes, where individuality dissolves, and consciousness feels the unity of all beings. At the apex, the divine plane is a realm of pure being—a radiant ocean where all souls swim as one, touched by the presence of the Divine.  

New Age Dimensions: A Spectrum of Frequency 

 In New Age spirituality, the universe is a frequency field, with each dimension representing a higher vibration of consciousness. We live in the third dimension, a dense reality of physicality and separation. But beyond it lies the fourth dimension, where thoughts create reality and where time bends. In the fifth dimension, unity consciousness reigns, a realm where love and understanding flow without boundary, filled with beings who guide and teach. Beyond that are even higher planes of bliss, light and love, including the Akashic records which hold the rich tapestry of life and all the past present and future timelines of the universe. The journey through these dimensions is a personal evolution—a “raising of vibration” that moves each soul closer to universal love and Cosmic Consciousness.

Quantum Mysticism: The Multiverse of Mind

 In quantum mysticism, each moment contains a thousand possibilities, each one a doorway to a parallel world. In one reality, you chose the left path; in another, the right. Every thought and action ripples out, creating a vast web of realities, some more subtle than others, all coexisting in an intricate multiverse. Here, the mind is not just a passenger but a navigator—a powerful force that can leap through dimensions, shifting between worlds with intention, opening to higher realms where time is fluid and consciousness is boundless. 

 In these many spiritual perspectives, each dimension of the universe is like a hidden room in a great cosmic mansion. Some rooms are close to our own—filled with the warmth and beauty of life as we know it. Others are distant, almost beyond comprehension, glowing with a light that can only be glimpsed through inner silence, meditation, and grace. In every view, however, each dimension is part of an endless journey: a return from separation to unity, from the earthly to the divine, and from individual existence to the infinite soul of the universe.

 About Andrea Revell

Andrea is a visionary thought leader, philosopher and author on all things mind body spirit. Previously an academic at universities in the UK and Asia, she has lived and travelled all over the world researching and teaching on sustainability and spirituality, encouraging systemic solutions to our planetary health problems. Using integrative medicine to successfully resolve an autoimmune condition she had for many years, Andrea trained in various alternative healing modalities and is now an internationally certified spiritual life coach, unlocking people’s potential with the power of meditation, breathwork and ancient Egyptian numerology. She has a PhD in environmental ethics and is a lover of philosophy, particularly Eastern philosophy, inspired by her years of living in India and Japan. Andrea has a regular yoga and meditation practice and loves to explore all things metaphysical. Having grown up in New Zealand and South Africa, she now lives in the UK with her husband and two children.

You can connect with her on World of Enlighten, Tiktok, Instagram or her Website.